Dark-Horse Contenders for Each UFC Weight Class in 2015
Several UFC fighters stepped up to the plate and made names for themselves in 2014. Some talked their way into title contendership, while others flourished in the underdog role and earned the respect of their peers.
Fighters like Yoel Romero, Kelvin Gastelum and Conor McGregor ran through opponents en route to establishing divisional dominance. This year will feature a new crop of prospects looking to pave their way toward Top Five territory.
So who will be this year's Gastelum? Brazilians Charles Oliveira and Edson Barboza sure hope it's them. A win or two may be all it takes to turn a prospect into a contender. Here are 10 buzzworthy candidates who are primed for a big year in 2015.
Flyweight: Kyoji Horiguchi
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In the flyweight division, it seems a fighter is just one win away from leapfrogging fellow prospects up the standings. Horiguchi is exactly the case we're talking about.
Japan's Horiguchi picked apart Louis Gaudinot for a unanimous-decision victory at UFC 182. With the win, he moved from No. 11 to No. 8 in the 125-pound rankings.
The 24-year-old has kept opponents guessing with his elaborate striking style—he's a black belt in karate—and is difficult to control. He sports a 4-0 record inside the cage and has two wins since his drop to flyweight. His movement and ability to hit without being hit are going to continue to mystify his opponents.
Horiguchi, who trains with Kid Yamamoto, should receive a significant upgrade in competition for his next bout, and there's no shortage of potential opponents at flyweight. He could face anyone from Jussier Formiga to John Dodson.
Bantamweight: Iuri Alcantara
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Following a disappointing 2013, the ninth-ranked Alcantara took the bantamweight division by storm with victories over Russell Doane, Vaughan Lee and Wilson Reis in 2014.
The 34-year-old veteran has fast hands and a high-level ground game. For most of his UFC career, Alcantara has put on exciting performances and has never been finished.
His two lackluster performances have come against the more talented members of the division in Urijah Faber and Hacran Dias. The former Jungle Fight lightweight champion could realistically see Raphael Assuncao or Takeya Mizugaki in his next outing.
Featherweight: Charles Oliveira
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Expectations are high if you're a UFC newcomer with 12 straight finishes and several of them coming in the first round. Such was the case with the Brazilian featherweight Charles Oliveira. The Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt has muddled through an up-and-down UFC career, consistently fighting the best in his division.
2014 marked a turning point for the 25-year-old, as he won three straight over Andy Ogle, Hatsu Hioki and Jeremy Stephens. The streak currently has Oliveira sitting at No. 9 in the featherweight rankings.
His renowned ground game was on full display during his streak, including this anaconda choke that earned the seventh performance bonus of his UFC career. This impressive run has Oliveira headed to the top of the food chain at 145 pounds, and he could conceivably face Dustin Poirier, Cub Swanson or Dennis Bermudez, who are all coming off losses.
Whoever he meets in the Octagon, Oliveira will want to make sure his striking game is better than it has been in the past before taking on the elite.
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Lightweight: Edson Barboza
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The electrifying Barboza went 2-1 in 2014 and has won five of his last six fights. He began the year with a debilitating first-round submission loss against Donald Cerrone but finished on a roll by defeating Evan Dunham and Bobby Green.
The 28-year-old is a supremely talented striker who can tee off on an opponent at will. Barboza is most famous for his kicks, which he used to defeat Green for the biggest win of his career.
The win catapulted him to No. 6 in the lightweight division, which calls for an increase in competition. Why not a meeting with Gilbert Melendez? The former 155-pound title challenger is elite in every facet of the sport and would be a great test to see if Barboza has truly evolved.
One thing that the former Ring of Combat lightweight champion will want to work on before moving forward is his striking defense. Twice he has gotten caught and been put away early in the opening round of a fight.
Welterweight: Jordan Mein
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The No. 13-ranked welterweight Jordan Mein may have only fought four times in the UFC, but the 25-year-old Canadian is a veteran in every sense of the word.
Mein, who was competed professionally since he was 16, went 2-0 in 2014, scoring victories over Hernani Perpetuo and Mike Pyle. The latter victory over Pyle was Mein's quickest in the UFC to date.
The 170-pound prospect has impeccable power and a keen sense of timing. However, he needs to work on a few things, such as composure and takedown defense, after being overwhelmed by the likes of Matt Brown and Tyron Woodley in the past.
Mein meets Thiago Alves at UFC 183 later this month. It will be a chance for the Canadian to prove his worth against a former top contender who can strike with the best of them.
Middleweight: Thales Leites
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The middleweight division isn't chock full of bright prospects, but one former title challenger hopes that, with a couple of more victories, he may be fighting for gold again.
The No. 11-ranked Leites finished both Trevor Smith and Francis Carmont in 2014. His hands weren't nearly as effective during his first stint in the UFC, which at one point saw the 32-year-old plead with former 185-pound kingpin Anderson Silva to jump into his guard at UFC 97.
The Brazilian's blistering TKO of the Canadian striker Carmont showcased his improved stand-up and willingness to let the leather fly. Leites, a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, will receive hard-nosed wrestler Tim Boetsch as his next opponent at UFC 183.
Boetsch can test Leites' takedown defense and chin. If the Nova Uniao fighter can defeat him rather handily, it will go a long way to proving he belongs in the Top 10 of the 185-pound division.
Light Heavyweight: Ovince Saint Preux
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The No. 8-ranked light heavyweight Saint Preux put a huge exclamation point on his last appearance in the Octagon in 2014 by dismissing future Hall of Famer Shogun Rua in just 34 seconds.
The win, which brought Saint Preux to 3-1 on the year, was one of the nastiest knockouts of the entire year and earned him the second performance bonus of his career. He has a freakish build, almost like fellow divisional top dog Phil Davis, and has overwhelmed all those put before him with his athleticism.
However, no one man is impenetrable. Ground fighters are his kryptonite, as he has lost to some of the more talented ground fighters in the division such as Ryan Bader and Gegard Mousasi.
Unfortunately for Saint Preux, he doesn't have many options in the near future, with the rest of the division booked currently. He could face the loser of Alexander Gustafsson vs. Anthony Johnson or recent title challenger Daniel Cormier.
Heayweight: Matt Mitrione
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Meathead arguably had the most impressive year of any divisional contender in the entire UFC in 2014.
The former The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights competitor loves a slugfest and knocked out Shawn Jordan, Derrick Lewis and Gabriel Gonzaga all in the first round. In fact, all of his knockout victories have come in the first round, aside from three of them.
Mitrione hasn't even attempted a single takedown in any of his 11 UFC fights. That's not to say he's lacking in the wrestling department—he trains with the staff of the heralded Purdue wrestling team near his home state of Illinois—but Meathead is all about the performance bonuses. He's totaled three for his career thus far.
Matchups are plentiful for the No. 11-ranked heavyweight. Alistair Overeem, Ben Rothwell and Roy Nelson would all make for exciting bouts.
Women's Strawweight: Joanne Calderwood
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Calderwood may not have become the first woman to be crowned the UFC strawweight champion, but she did receive a $25,000 Fight of the Season bonus for her bout against Rose Namajunas on TUF 20.
The No. 6-ranked strawweight would end the year on a positive note, taking out Seo Hee Ham in a 15-minute war. Calderwood's striking is among the best the 115-pound division.
The former muay thai champion has little holes to shore up in her game, aside from her slow starts and submission defense. A matchup with fellow muay thai fighter Tecia Torres could produce fireworks.
Women's Bantamweight: Bethe Correia
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Move over Miesha Tate—Ronda Rousey may have found her next rival.
The Brazilian bantamweight Correia disposed of Rowdy's two training partners, Jessamyn Duke and Shayna Baszler, in 2014. The 31-year-old has set out to prove that Rousey and her collective, dubbed "The Four Horsewomen," are a "joke." If her vicious TKO of Baszler is any indication, Correia is well on her way.
The eighth-ranked Correia was also caught in multiple submission attempts by Baszler, which is one aspect of a fight she could ill-afford not to prepare for before a meeting with the fellow undefeated Rousey. Jessica Eye and Alexis Davis are two suitable future opponents.
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