Fighters On The Rise | 2023, Part 2

In her debut, Jauregui defeated fellow newcomer Iasmin Lucindo in a competitive, entertaining battle on the main card of the UFC’s return to San Diego. Paired off with Istela Nunes in her sophomore appearance, Jauregui got rocked early on, but quickly gathered herself and took the fight to the feisty Brazilian. After closing out the first in control, she dropped and finished Nunes in the second, pushing her record to 10-0 overall.

The 115-pound weight class is flush with talent, but Jauregui has already put herself in a position to garner a step up in competition in her 2023 debut, and from there, who knows? She’s looked outstanding thus far and is clearly someone with the upside of being a fixture in the Top 15 for a long, long time.

Jailton Almeida

One of the top first-year fighters on the UFC roster last year, Almeida earned three wins at three weights in 2022, and he did it without seeing the second round.

In February, he mauled Danilo Marques at light heavyweight in his promotional debut. In May, he ventured to heavyweight and rag dolled Parker Porter, forcing the big man from Connecticut to tap out to a rear-naked choke. A little over three months later, “Malhadinho” met Anton Turkalj in a catchweight bout at 220 pounds, finishing “The Pleasure Man” by rear-naked choke, as well.

Almeida is slated to return at heavyweight in a twice-scuttled matchup with Shamil Abdurakhimov at UFC 283, and if he’s victorious, he could climb into the Top 15. Whether he continues to compete in the big boy division or moves back down to light heavyweight, it's clear the 31-year-old Brazilian is a handful and one to watch in 2023.

Ryan Spann

Spann has flashed upside since his days on the regional circuit and at the start of his UFC tenure after earning a contract on Season 2 of Dana White’s Contender Series (DWCS) in 2018. But the Fortis MMA man only began to take a real step forward last year, and it appears like the best is yet to come for “Superman.”

Entering 2022 off a loss to Anthony Smith, the 31-year-old showed improved composure and poise in dispatching wildman Ion Cutelaba in May, earning himself a Performance of the Night bonus for his efforts. In November, he ventured to New York City and showed out against Dominick Reyes, knocking out the former title challenger in 80 seconds to earn his second straight first-round finish and push his record to 7-2 inside the Octagon.

It’s never been a question of talent with Spann; rather, it has always come down to his focus and efforts in the gym. He admitted following his win over Reyes that he didn’t always put in as much work as needed in order to be the best version of himself inside the cage, but that changed heading into his bout with Cutelaba and the results have been undeniable.

He’s penciled in to headline opposite Nikita Krylov at the end of February. A win would vault him into the Top 10, and in a wide-open division, Spann is certainly one to keep close tabs on as a dark horse contender.

Muhammad Mokaev

Consider this a hopeful addition to the collective.

Suarez won the strawweight competition on Season 23 of The Ultimate Fighter and followed it up by establishing herself as one of the best prospects in the sport, beating Alexa Grasso in her second post-TUF appearance before dominating former champion Carla Esparza at UFC 228. That triumph was followed by a unanimous decision win over Nina Nunes at UFC 238 that put her into title contention, but she’s been out of action since.

She was booked to face Roxanne Modafferi at UFC 266, but was forced out with an injury, however Suarez is hopeful she can return in the first quarter of 2023.

Her wrestling made her an absolute menace inside the Octagon prior to her extended hiatus, and as long as she returns to full health, there is no reason to think the former Olympic hopeful and cancer survivor isn’t capable of returning to that role in the future. Expected to venture up to the 125-pound ranks, Suarez is an intriguing talent to pay attention to this coming year.

Ilia Topuria

Topuria graduated from prospect to certified contender in 2022, registering a pair of stoppage wins that showcased his abundant talent.

In March, Topuria ventured to lightweight, weathering an early knockdown and generally rough opening round before collecting a second-round finish of veteran Jai Herbert. In December, he faced off with Bryce Mitchell in an outstanding pairing between emerging talents, battering Mitchell on the feet before taking him down and clamping onto an arm triangle choke.

The 25-year-old has all the elements needed to be a champion one day and develop into a star. He’s well-rounded, flashing clear knockout power and an outstanding ground game, plus he’s got a “dashing international villain” vibe to him, as well.

Beating Mitchell vaulted him into the Top 10, where only dangerous, but thrilling, matchups await. Whether it happens this coming year or takes a little longer, Topuria should fight for UFC gold at some point in his career, and could very well be a UFC champion one day.

Matheus Nicolau

One of the more unassuming fighters stationed in the Top 10 in their respective divisions, all Nicolau does is continue to impress.

After returning to the UFC in 2021 and collecting wins over Manel Kape and Tim Elliott, the Nova Uniao representative improved on those efforts. In March, Nicolau halted David Dvorak’s lengthy winning streak, dispatching the Czech standout by unanimous decision, and in December, he earned a second-round knockout win over ever-dangerous Matt Schnell to push his record to 7-1 in the UFC and 19-3-1 overall.

Nicolau turns 30 at the start of January and should feature prominently in any matchup conversations at the top of the flyweight division as the year gets underway. He’s shown a complete skill set and excellent conditioning, which makes him a difficult matchup for whoever stands across from him, and with another win or two, that could be the flyweight champion.

Umar Nurmagomedov

Nurmagomedov added two more wins to his resume in 2022, pushing his record to 15-0 in the process.

In March, he made quick work of veteran Brian “Boom” Kelleher, forcing him to tap to a rear-naked choke in the first round in a bout at featherweight. In June, he returned to his natural surrounds in the 135-pound weight class and outworked Nate Maness, sweeping the scorecards in a bout that continued to raise his floor as a competitor.

The cousin of former lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, the 26-year-old has shown the potential to follow in his now coach’s footsteps and claim UFC gold. Doing so at bantamweight will be a challenge, as the division is the best in the sport at the moment and competition is stiff, but there has been nothing thus far that suggests Nurmagomedov isn’t up to the task.

He’s scheduled to compete on the first event of 2023 against Brazilian veteran Raoni Barcelos, and a victory there could lead to a bout with a Top 10 opponent later in the year.

Jack Della Maddalena