UFC 145 Fight Card: Rory MacDonald and 5 Up-and-Comers Ready to Contend

The UFC 145 fight card features a much-anticipated light heavyweight championship bout between defending champion Jon Jones and Rashad Evans. Lost in the hype of that matchup is that one of the UFC's top up-and-comers, Rory MacDonald, will serve as the event's co-headliner in a matchup against Che Mills.

Much like the card's headliner Jon Jones was just a little more than a year ago, Rory MacDonald is one of the sport's brightest young prospects who is ready to make the leap to bonafide contender status.

MMA has seen its fair share of young fighters flash promise only to wilt when it was time to step up to the elite level of competition. Most recently, Phil Davis showed that he wasn't quite ready for the best in his division when he lost a lopsided decision to Rashad Evans at UFC on Fox 2.

These are five up-and-comers ready to take the next step in competition and become contenders.

Michael McDonald

Also featured on the UFC 145 card will be promising bantamweight Michael McDonald.

At 21 years old, McDonald is one of the youngest fighters on the UFC roster and a perfect example of the new generation of fighters. McDonald has trained in martial arts since the age of 10, turning professional at the age of 16, and claims a 14-1 professional record going into UFC 145.

McDonald possesses striking power that is among the best in the division and skills on the ground to finish fights or work his way back to the feet.

McDonald has gone 3-0 since joining the UFC, claiming victories over Edwin Figeuroa, Chris Cariaso and Alex Soto. While these opponents aren't near the top of the division, McDonald has looked solid in his victories over them and has proven he is ready to step up.

He will be asked to do just that as he steps in to take on Miguel Torres at UFC 145. Torres is one of the division's biggest names and one of the most experienced fighters in the organization. If McDonald is able to get past Torres, he should be among the first to be mentioned in title talks.

Edson Barboza

As if the stacked lightweight division needed another legitimate threat to the logjam that already exists atop the division, 26 year-old Edson Barboza has established himself as a young gun who is a threat to anyone.

Sporting an undefeated record of 10-0, Barboza is one of the most dynamic strikers in the division. His last win resulted in an early candidate for knockout of the year, with an incredible spinning back kick that finished Terry Etim in a fight of the night performance by Barboza.

Barboza's last three fights have all won fight of the night honors, and he will look to continue his streak of impressive performances when he meets Evan Dunham at UFC 146. A win over Dunham should set him up with a top-five opponent in his next outing on his way to a title shot.

Renan Barao

With a 28-1 (1 NC) record it may be difficult to classify Renan Barao as an "up-and-comer," but at 25 years old and with three UFC fights, Barao is an up-and-comer on the cusp of a title shot.

Barao's impressive record was mostly amassed in Brazil, but he has made the transition to fighting in the UFC flawlessly, winning his first three fights to set up a possible title eliminator against Ivan Menjivar in his next fight at UFC 148.

Barao is an extremely well rounded fighter who can finish fights with his impressive submissions on the ground or with his dynamic striking. He is a rising star who will be a force in the bantamweight division for years to come.

Chris Weidman

A two-time All-American wrestler from Hofstra University, Chris Weidman caught a big break on his track to becoming a middleweight contender when he took a fight with former middleweight title challenger Demian Maia on eleven days' notice at UFC on Fox 2.

Weidman was able to outstrike the Jiu-Jitsu whiz to claim a unanimous decision. The win on primetime television definitely boosted Weidman's popularity and stock. It wasn't pretty, but winning a fight on short notice is one way to get noticed by the company.

Weidman's prior two outings resulted in first round finishes against veterans Jesse Bongfeldt and Tom Lawlor, establishing that Weidman is well-above the lower-tier and ready to move on to bigger fights.

While Weidman has yet to have his next bout scheduled, he deserves a shot at a top five opponent and has the tools to be a serious contender in the middleweight division in 2012 and beyond.

Alexander Gustafsson

Before Rory MacDonald gets to showcase his skills at UFC 145, light heavyweight up-and-comer Alexander Gustafsson will welcome Thiago Silva back to the octagon after his year-long suspension for admitting to the use of steroids and providing a synthetic urine sample to the NSAC.

Gustafsson has shown promise since joining the UFC, and all of the victories in the octagon have come by way of stoppage. Gustafsson has only lost in the organization once, dropping a fight to Phil Davis, but recovered well, reeling off four victories since the loss.

The UFC has done a great job of bringing Gustafsson along slowly since his loss, elevating the competition with every impressive performance, and Silva will be his toughest test to date. With Gustafsson's well-rounded game and finishing ability, he is more than deserving of a number one contender bout should he be able to get past the dangerous power of Silva.

Rory MacDonald

Rory MacDonald is a future champion of the welterweight division. At 22, MacDonald has a long career ahead of him, and the promise he has already shown says he will contend sooner rather than later.

Perhaps more impressive than MacDonald's 12 wins since turning professional at the age of 16 is his lone loss. At UFC 115 a 20-year old MacDonald was seven seconds away from claiming a split decision victory over current interim welterweight champion Carlos Condit.

Condit was able to claim the comeback victory in the final seconds of the fight, but MacDonald showcased his impressive skillset in matching Condit throughout the fight.

MacDonald has since scored back-to-back wins, most notably a three-round unanimous decision over lightweight contender Nate Diaz. MacDonald was able to throw Diaz to the mat on several occasions, absolutely dominating the former TUF winner.

MacDonald now finds himself taking on British slugger Che Mills in a fight that he is highly favored to win.

With a dominant victory over Mills, MacDonald will show that he is ready to once again take on the best in his division and ultimately challenge for the title at 170-pounds.