UFC: Young Fighters in Each Division That Are Destined to Be Champions

There is a certain quality that some fighters have that lets us all know that they are destined for greatness. Fighters are really improving their skill and technique and some are becoming prominent figures in the title picture in their respective divisions. 

However, only a minority of this small number of fighters have the potential to become title holders.

Admittedly, there are some divisions where the champion is simply unstoppable, like Anderson Silva. But someone needs to take over once when they retire.

For this piece, I have tried to assemble together the fighters that are very likely to become a champion over the course of their career, whether it is by defeating the current champion or once the current champion has retired.

NOTE: The fighter must be 30 or under to be included in this list.

Bantamweight: Joseph Benavidez

The 26 year old has beaten some of the biggest names in the division, including Fabiano, Torres and Rani Yahya.

His only two losses were at the hands of the current champion, Dominick Cruz.

However, both fights went to a decision and were closely contested fights.

The wrestler is a very talented submission artist too, with eight of his wins coming by way of submission, and no fighter has managed to finish this young fighter.

Benavidez currently trains with Urijah Faber, and he is slowly but surely climbing the ranks in the UFC in order to challenge Cruz for the title soon.

Honorable Mentions:

Scott Jorgensen

Demetrious Johnson

Miguel Torres

Featherweight: Hatsu Hioki

Who?

Hatsu Hioki was signed by the UFC about a week ago.

At the age of 27, Hioki is already a legend in his native Japan having competed in Pride FC, Shooto and Sengoku, where he made a name for himself by being one of the most dangerous opponents to face on the ground.

Hioki has never been finished in the 30 fights he has fought and is currently the number two featherweight in the world by Sherdog.com in the official rankings. You can expect him to face Aldo sooner rather than later. 

Honorable Mention:

Chad Mendes

Lightweight: Anthony Pettis

Pettis was considered by many organizations as the breakout star of the year in the world of MMA and for good reason.

Pettis is one of the most exciting fighters to compete in the UFC, and his level of skill in the arts of Taekwondo and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu makes him a dangerous opponent standing up and on the ground.

He is recognized as the last man to hold the lightweight belt under the WEC banner, and although he lost to the UFC veteran Clay Guida in hiis debut fight, I believe that he can bounce back to become a serious title contender in the coming years.

At the age of 24, Pettis has not even reached his prime and has untapped potential that could see him become a great fighter and a title contender in the near future.

Honorable Mentions:

Clay Guida

Jim Miller

Benson Henderson

Welterweight: Carlos Condit

The word "underrated" is the first that springs to mind when someone mentions Carlos Condit.

However, the words "aggressive," "exciting" and "unpredictable" also spring to mind.

Condit is currently riding a four-fight win streak and has earned a place in the title picture of the welterweight division with his recent knockout victory of Dong Hyun Kim. He has also knocked out Dan Hardy and Rory McDonald over this four win streak.

Condit was the last person to hold the WEC welterweight championship, and since his debut in the UFC in 2009, Condit is slowly but surely climbing the ranks and is in consideration for a title shot.

The young star has also proved he is dangerous on the ground as he is standing up, as he has an equal amount of wins via knockout and submission at 13 apiece. 

Condit is constantly evolving as a fighter and continues to improve in each aspect of the gam,e and if he contiunes to improve at the rate he is, then this young fighter could find himself with a belt around his waist.

Honorable Mentions:

Rick Story

Thiago Alves

Middleweight: Yushin Okami

Is there any man that can dethrone the pound for pound king of MMA, Anderson Silva?

Okami turns 30 in a few weeks and therefore still qualifies for this list.

"Thunder" is an impressive 11-2 in the UFC and has beaten some of the biggest stars in the division, including the likes of Marquardt, Belcher and Swick.

He is also is the last man to have beaten Anderson Silva. Ok, that victory didn't mean much because it was by disqualification, but a win is a win.

Okami holds a black belt in Judo but is also a talented submission grappler and boxer, having only been finished once in his entire career, which was by way of knockout nearly eight years ago.

Even if Okami does not get past Anderson Silva at UFC 134, he will still remain a reoccurring figure in the middleweight title picture, and it may only be a matter of time before he is the one that is next in line to hold the belt.

Light Heavyweight: Mauricio "Shogun" Rua

Yes, Shogun has already been a champion, but I think that he is destined for another a title run. 

Why, you might ask?

I do not want to take anything away from Jones' win over "Shogun" because Jones fought exceptionally and put on a clinic against "Shogun".

However, I don't think we saw the same "Shogun" that we saw dominate in Pride FC in the fight against Jones.

There are a few reasons that could explain why "Shogun" lost against Jones. I understand that some of you will think that they are excuses, but that is up to you and I respect that.

One reason is that "Shogun" only had just about a month to prepare for his new opponent after it was announced that Rashad Evans has pulled out of the fight.

Consequently, "Shogun" had to come up with a whole new game plan and strategy in order to prepare for a completely different fighter with an incredibly diverse style to any other fighter we have seen and therefore a completely different style of fighting that to Rashad Evans.

Another reason is that "Shogun" was coming off a serious knee injury that required surgery and nearly a month's worth of rehabilitation.

Again, you may call these excuses, but these are still valid points that have to be taken into account.

I have a feeling that if we saw the "Shogun" that destroyed "Rampage" Jackson and Alistair Overeem in Pride FC, this fight could have had a completely different outcome.

If "Shogun" can get past the iconic Forrest Griffin at UFC 134, then "Shogun" could put himself back into the title picture and a rematch with Jones, providing he can get past "Rampage" and Evans, could be in the works.

Honorable Mention:

Phil Davis

Heavyweight: Junior Dos Santos

Junior dos Santos is next in line for a title shot against Cain Velasquez, and as a fan of this sport, I can honestly say this is a fight I simply cannot wait to see.

Junior dos Santos is one of the most talented boxers in the MMA, having knocked out the likes of Gilbert Yvel, Gabriel Gonzaga and Fabricio Werdum.

He is a technical striker that utilizes the counter-strike effectively with lethal precision and power, and this normally has devastating consequences for his opponents.

The young fighter has also shown that he is evolving as a fighter; in the bout against Carwin, dos Santos surprised everybody by throwing head-kicks and even executing clean takedowns in the later stages of that fight.

However, the big question lies in whether dos Santos can get past an equally great striker in Velasquez, who also happens to be an even greater wrestler, and there is a good chance that he can.