10 Under-the-Radar Fighters with Superstar Potential

What if I told you a recent TUF winner has the raw talent to be one of the best featherweights in the UFC?

What if I told you a former Bellator middleweight champion turned UFC contender had the ability to overpower Anderson Silva?

What if I told you there are a handful of fighters under the age of 25 who will one day compete for a UFC title?

What if I showed you instead of waiting for the mainstream media to do their homework?

Besides Alexander Gustafsson and Rory MacDonald, who are easily considered the two biggest prospects in the UFC today, here are 10 under-the-radar fighters who will one day encounter superstardom.

Edson Barboza

Edson Barboza is an undefeated 26-year-old Brazilian who has more or less dominated every opponent the UFC has thrown in front of him.

With four UFC wins under his belt, Barboza has been climbing the lightweight ladder since his organizational arrival, awaiting the day he's called upon to face a top contender.

He's explosive, experienced, aggressive and more importantly, young.

As Barboza readies himself for a bout against Evan Dunham at UFC 146 later this month, his Octagon talent will deservedly gain recognition if he can land his second-straight TKO victory over one of the better fighters at 155 lbs.

In the future, look for Barboza to be a top-notch contender in the UFC, one who could easily go toe-to-toe with Benson Henderson for a title or two down the road.

Travis Browne

It's hard to find an undefeated fighter in the heavyweight division these days, especially considering the division has become stronger and more competitive after numerous weight class imports.

But through all the mess that is Brock Lesnar leaving, Alistair Overeem, Fabricio Werdum and Antonio Silva arriving, 29-year-old Travis Browne stands as the most recognizable undefeated heavyweight around.

He may not be as young as the other talents on this list, but Browne more than makes up for it with a well-rounded Octagon arsenal.

With a long reach, solid striking and useful submissions, he has won every one of his UFC fights to date, save his draw with Cheick Kongo at UFC 120.

During a time in which the heavyweight division has never looked more stacked, Browne will surely have to finish a few more "stepping stones" to be considered a serious title contender.

Because when it comes down to it, knocking out Chad Griggs doesn't necessarily make you a superstar, but "Hapa" surely has the skill set to do so.

Renan Barao

It's hard to consider Renan Barao under the radar since he's currently riding a 29-fight win streak, but within a division that has been consistently dominated by Urijah Faber and Dominick Cruz, the 25-year-old Brazilian has been overlooked.

While his most noticeable win in the UFC recently came against Scott Jorgensen at UFC 143, Barao is still considered one of the top players in the division.

Once Faber and Cruz hash their differences out for the third time, Barao could be waiting for the winner towards the end of 2012.

His name may not be the most recognizable one out there, but when you have a young Brazilian who has finished three of his last five fights by way of submission, it'd be a mistake to take him lightly.

John Hathaway

John Hathaway is an absolute beast.

He has carved a spot in the welterweight division by implementing a well-rounded standup game with youth to boot, which has led to his 5-1 UFC record.

But even though Hathaway has gained recognition with key victories over Diego Sanchez and Rick Story, for some reason he isn't mentioned alongside Rory MacDonald as one of the best talents in the division.

Hathaway is only slightly older, has accumulated more professional victories and is respectively a bigger fighter at 170 lbs.

So why all the love for MacDonald and none for the Brit?

If there were any situation that defines the epitome of flying under the radar, "The Hitman" is it.

Cung Le

Cung Le is in no way a prospect.  He's a former Strikeforce middleweight champion and captured Fight of the Night honors in his UFC debut against Wanderlei Silva back at UFC 139.

But at this point in his career, Le is relatively unknown to mainstream UFC onlookers.

With that said, assuming the kickboxer can stay healthy, Le has all the potential in the world to one day fight for the middleweight title, be it Anderson Silva or Chael Sonnen.

With one of the most impressive striking games around, due in part to his infamous spinning back kicks, the 39-year-old has not even come close to reaching his UFC potential and popularity.

Chris Weidman

Chris Weidman was a serious threat in the middleweight division before he filled in at UFC on FOX 2 en route to knocking off the highly-respected Demian Maia, but that nationally broadcast victory more or less put him on the mainstream map.

The 27-year-old New Yorker has been one of the most impressive fighters in the UFC since his arrival in March of last year.

He has yet to lose a fight, has finished two of those four fights via first-round submission and has never looked better than he did against Maia three months ago.

Quite honestly, it's only a matter of time before Weidman fights for a UFC title.  He may have to wait for Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen III, if Sonnen happens to win come July, but it will happen sooner rather than later.

Johny Hendricks

Johny Hendricks' KO victory of Jon Fitch at UFC 141 was more or less the punch heard around the world, or the welterweight division if we're being realistic.

That victory over Fitch, a guy who had only been knocked out once before that in his UFC career, has catapulted Hendricks into No. 1 contender talks.

Not for nothing, but the guy does have a 5-1 UFC record, with his only loss coming at the hands of Rick Story in a close decision.

With all of that said, Hendricks still doesn't receive the necessary recognition that he obviously deserves.  Chalk it up to people portraying his Fitch KO as lucky or the fact that his only other worthwhile victory against top competition came against Mike Pierce at UFC 133.

Whatever it is, it's not going to last long.  Hendricks has some of the best power in the division, on his feet and on the ground.  So it's important to understand that he's going to get a title opportunity sometime within the next year or two.

When that day comes, maybe he can KO another world-class welterweight.  Who knows, but Josh Koscheck is on deck.

Michael McDonald

Michael McDonald is the epitome of a highly-touted prospect.

He's 21 years old, hasn't lost in the UFC and has literally knocked out some of the best fighters in the division.

With a 15-1 professional record under his belt, albeit a short career at that, McDonald has made his case to be considered the greatest young fighter in the UFC.

But similar to what Renan Barao experiences, McDonald is part of a bantamweight division that often gets sized down to two prominent names, Urijah Faber and Dominick Cruz.

Regardless, his recent KO victory over Miguel Torres should put him where he deserves to be: at the top.

With youth on his side and hands for days, "Mayday" will someday make a bantamweight champion signal for help.

Hector Lombard

The sky is the limit for the recently-signed Hector Lombard.

As one of the biggest middleweight fighters in the UFC, the former Bellator champion has all the talent and size in the world to make a title run in the near future.

And considering he is coming over from Bellator, which doesn't really hold the same prestige as Strikeforce does, he's seemingly flying under the radar.

But don't get it wrong, the 34-year-old Cuban-Australian will step onto the UFC scene with gusto.

He has the raw power to KO anybody in the middleweight division, so consider him a sleeper for a title shot within the duration of his first contract.

Diego Brandao

Diego Brandao is known for his recent success as TUF champion, but the 24-year-old should be ready to blaze a new trail inside the Octagon over the next couple of years.

As one of the most aggressive fighters in the featherweight division, Brandao's explosiveness and shear athleticism on his feet resemble that of Jose Aldo.

But before we get ahead of ourselves, it's important to keep all expectations in check.  Young fighters, more specifically former TUF winners, often have trouble out of the gate competing with top UFC talent, not a collection of random fighters living in the same house.

Regardless, Brandao won the competition for a reason.  He's very talented, very young and well-rounded on his feet and in the clinch.

Heading into the future, "Ceara" will look to make a name for himself outside of a Spike TV audience.  It will more than likely happen, and that success could help him become a top contender somewhere down the road.

For more UFC/MMA news and coverage, Follow @DHiergesell