5 Rising UFC Fighters Who Need a Real Test in Their Next Fight

Made up of world-class prospects, standouts from The Ultimate Fighter, high-profile acquisitions and budding superstars, the UFC's future stockpile of main eventers has arguably never looked more fruitful.

The promotion's pay-per-view numbers may not be at an all-time high, but the talent pool is practically spilling over.

While the UFC has been ridiculed in the past for showcasing less-than-attractive bottom feeders to fill event voids, the organization's relentless approach to promote fights of all shapes and sizes has helped highlight the exceptional.

These future contenders have looked dominant in form, tactically dismantling their respective division's middle tier of competitors.

However, like any process of evolution, it's time these few men step out of the shadows and into the limelight.

Here are five rising fighters who need a real test in their next outing. 

Lucas Martins

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Brazilian striker Lucas Martins has gone 3-1 in the UFC, defeating Alex White, Junior Hernandez and Jeremy Larsen over three different weight classes (lightweight, featherweight and bantamweight).

While the 25-year-old knockout artist has played divisional hot potato of late, it looks like he's finally found his home at 145 pounds.

Martins looked dangerously potent opposite White this past July, handing The Spartan his first career loss with a third-round knockout.

With flexibility, athleticism, power in both his hands and legs and a knack for making every strike count, the rising featherweight has the skill set to break into the division's Top 10 come 2015.

His next scheduled bout comes against Darren Elkins at UFC 179, but that may not be enough to test Martins' resolve and maturation.

Max Holloway

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While the whole world is in love with the idea of Conor McGregor becoming the new face of the UFC, fellow featherweights like Max Holloway have looked just as good over the past year.

The Hawaiian did drop a unanimous decision to McGregor back at UFC Fight Night 26, but he remains the only fighter to ever take the Irish phenom the distance, and he presumably did it with a broken foot.

Needless to say, Holloway is hands down one of the most promising fighters in the promotion today.

With exceptional length, hand speed, versatility and an ability to absorb damage, no wonder Blessed has finished all of his last three fights.

Scheduled to meet an aging Akira Corassani this weekend at UFC Fight Night 53, the 22-year-old (!) has yet another chance to prove he deserves somebody in the division's Top 10. 

Uriah Hall

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Dressed with freakishly athletic skills and the power to punch through a division, it's borderline crazy to see middleweight Uriah Hall still struggling to break out.

Since his days on The Ultimate Fighter, people have been drooling over the possibility of him tapping into his carnivorous self, understanding that he needs to be dangerous to advance in this sport and finally wreaking unearthly havoc on his opponents.

While Hall did viciously finish Chris Leben back at UFC 168, that knockout was more of a going-away present for The Crippler than a stepping stone for Prime Time.

Hall just needs the perfect matchup and high-profile setting to let his natural ability take over. 

Jorge Masvidal

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It's time to recognize Jorge Masvidal as a legitimate lightweight threat.

Now 5-1 in the UFC, the former Strikeforce title contender has demonstrated the well-rounded ability to knock off strong forces in the 155-pound division, forces that include Michael Chiesa, Pat Healy and most recently James Krause.

The 29-year-old doesn't tend to make things look pretty, but in a world often determined by blood, sweat and battle-tested attrition, Masvidal stands tall.

With one of the best appetites for pressuring opponents until they fold, the former YouTube street-fighting sensation could be on the cusp of contending for a title in 2015—he just needs a defining victory over a Top 10 name to get him there.

Benson Henderson would be nice. 

Stephen Thompson

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Besides Lyoto Machida, welterweight Stephen Thompson could very well be the best Karate-based fighter to ever grace the Octagon.

With a third-degree black belt in Kempo Karate and a black belt in kickboxing, Wonderboy is quickly becoming one of the trickiest strikers in the game.

Comfortable with his hands at his side and his right foot forward, Thompson is capable of leaping in and out with punches or winging body kicks with bad intentions.

Either way, the 31-year-old is proficient enough to even make veteran strikers like Patrick Cote look like concrete-footed dreamers.

Matt Brown remains the only man to ever defeat Thompson, and that took an unprecedented three full rounds.

The kid needs a true test, and he needs it now.

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