6. Conor McGregor
The sport’s current box-office king, McGregor has made himself the most sought-after fighter in the game. A former two-division Cage Warriors Fighting Championship titleholder, the Irishman entered the UFC with his unique blend of charisma and skill, rattling off wins in his first seven fights, six of them finishes. Trash-talk comparisons were drawn to Muhammad Ali.
McGregor oozes confidence and has enjoyed a quick rise to the top behind his crushing left hand. The 27-year-old captured the Ultimate Fighting Championship featherweight crown by blowing out an all-time great in Jose Aldo at UFC 194 in December. McGregor was booked to face lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos at UFC 196, where he had designs on becoming the first simultaneous two-division champion in the promotion’s history. However, a foot injury forced the Brazilian to withdraw, leaving McGregor to meet short-notice replacement Nate Diaz at 170 pounds. Diaz pulled off the upset, as he submitted the SBG Ireland star with a second-round rear-naked choke, at least temporarily derailing his historic plans.
Number 5 » Kazushi Sakuraba