The Most Interesting Fighter in Each Division, Outside of the Champion
Each UFC division is an intricate weave consisting of varying entities of all shapes and sizes.
From positioned top contenders to rising superstars, crafty veterans to exciting rookies, the 10 weight classes that comprise the promotion offer a little something of everything.
These collections of mysterious gunmen (and gunwomen) each offer select opportunities to test the resolve and proficiency of each respective champion.
But some stand out more than the rest. Some encompass a special kind of divisional potency, which in time will forever change the roster's landscape.
Here are the most interesting fighters in each UFC division outside of the current titleholders.
Women's Strawweight: Aisling Daly
1 of 10The featherweight division has Conor McGregor, the flyweight division has Patrick Holohan and now the newly instated women's strawweight division has Aisling Daly.
As part of the new wave of Irish-born fighters making their way into the ranks of mixed martial arts, the 26-year-old submission expert commands a certain type of potential moving forward.
Her current stint on season 20 of The Ultimate Fighter could very well end in a shot for the division's championship strap, but at the very least, Daly's popularity and finishing rate (12 out of 14 victories) will make her a household name here and overseas.
Nobody knows for sure where this strawweight thing is going to go, but the youthful Irishwoman is sure to be in the mix.
Women's Bantamweight: Holly Holm
2 of 10As women's bantamweight queen Ronda Rousey fights off the hoards of top contenders chomping at her heels, former boxing standout Holly Holm will continue to hone her MMA skills.
With only seven professional fights under her belt, Holm certainly has more work to do before she steps inside the same cage with Rousey.
But with unparalleled striking and power to boot, she's capable of smashing her way to the top.
If strong wrestlers and sneaky grapplers don't skew her path, the 32-year-old could find herself fighting for a championship by the end of 2015.
Flyweight: John Lineker
3 of 10
With power comes great responsibility.
That means that flyweight bruiser John Lineker needs to punch his way to a showdown with speedster champion Demetrious "Mighty Mouse" Johnson in 2015.
It's his destiny.
Equipped with knockout power not usually seen at the featherweight level, the emerging 24-year-old has posted an impressive 5-2 mark inside the Octagon and has a very important showdown with Ian McCall on the horizon.
If Lineker can maintain his newly found cardio and fast-paced offensive output, there's no telling how high his stock will rise.
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Bantamweight: Dominick Cruz
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The former king is back.
With a decisive finish over Takeya Mizugaki at UFC 178, Dominick Cruz has officially returned to the fight game and thrown his name back in the bantamweight title discussions.
While Raphael Assuncao has done enough to warrant a rematch with now champion TJ Dillashaw, it's difficult to ignore a contender like Cruz who still looks like a pound-for-pound superstar.
Whether or not Cruz can sustain his vicious finishing ability has yet to be seen, but his footwork, head movement, tenacity and overall fluidity have never looked better.
Featherweight: Conor McGregor
5 of 10
There's no denying that featherweight phenom Conor McGregor is already a bona fide MMA superstar.
Capable of keeping an entire country in standstill and his opponents in a trance, the 26-year-old has "it."
But when it comes to truly cashing in on his overall potential, it all ends with challenging champion Jose Aldo for the divisional throne and actually beating him.
Remember, Aldo has already done to the likes of Frankie Edgar, Kenny Florian and Chad Mendes what McGregor is doing to guys like Dustin Poirier and Diego Brandao.
Aldo has defended his UFC title an impressive six times, culminating a 17-fight win streak dating back to 2005.
So if McGregor truly wants to move into the Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz type of limelight, he needs to get past all of that.
Lightweight: Myles Jury
6 of 10
Standing tall as an undefeated 25-year-old at 15-0, Myles "Fury" Jury is finally starting to gain the recognition he deserves.
As a complete fighter capable of defending the takedown, transitioning for submissions and outpointing opponents on the feet with solidified footwork, Jury never seems to be in a bad spot.
Add in evolving punching power, an unflappable chin and the confidence to stick to his own game plan, and you have a true youngster on the rise.
A potential future lightweight tilt with Donald Cerrone could be exactly what Jury needs to propel himself into stardom.
Welterweight: Kelvin Gastelum
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Besides Conor McGregor, Khabib Nurmagomedov and even Max Holloway, TUF 17 winner Kelvin Gastelum is arguably the most promising young athlete in the sport today.
Equipped with overpowering strength at 170 pounds, the welterweight is able to control opponents and dictate where he wants the fight to happen.
And even with fellow welterweights like Rory MacDonald, Hector Lombard and Tyron Woodley making headway in the title chase, Gastelum remains the biggest wild card.
As a fighter who keeps getting better every time out, especially with his striking, the 22-year-old is on the doorstep of contention should he decisively defeat Jake Ellenberger at UFC 180.
Middleweight: Yoel Romero
8 of 10
Stoolgate or not, middleweight powerhouse Yoel Romero is a force to be reckoned with.
With some of the best wrestling in the sport and the punching power to finish the likes of Tim Kennedy, the 37-year-old Cuban poses an interesting threat to champion Chris Weidman.
Obviously, guys like Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza and Luke Rockhold hold more value as potential suitors for the title, but Romero doesn't seem to be slowing down one bit.
One or two more victories and he could very well find himself fighting for UFC gold.
Light Heavyweight: Rashad Evans
9 of 10
Former light heavyweight kingpin Rashad Evans may be 35 years of age, but he's still one of the very best fighters in the world.
Having lost to only champion Jon Jones and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira since 2009, it's a shame that people are starting to write Suga off.
The bottom line is that with the wrestling and drive that Evans incorporates every time he steps inside of the cage, it's impossible to count him out of any title hunt.
Obviously, the more attractive title fights lie with challengers like Daniel Cormier and Alexander Gustafsson, but if Evans can get his hands on The Mauler in his return to the Octagon, don't be surprised if the future Hall of Famer swarms the Swede.
Heavyweight: Mark Hunt
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Mark Hunt was once in a position to fight his way into a heavyweight title fight, and he fell to Junior Dos Santos via third-round spinning heel kick.
Now it seems as if the unbreakable 40-year-old is on the doorstep to yet another such opportunity.
With a recent knockout victory over Roy Nelson and his infamous clash with Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva still fresh in everybody's minds, it wouldn't be all that crazy if Hunt received a title shot after one more decisive victory.
Should Stipe Miocic get past JDS, a fight opposite Super Samoan would make sense, and the same goes for Travis Browne should he finish Brendan Schaub at UFC 181.
In any case, Hunt is looking like the heavyweight version of Matt Brown right now, and people love that.
For more UFC news and coverage, Follow @DHiergesell
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