The UFC Fighters We're Most Excited to See in 2015
It was a wild and wooly year for MMA in 2014. But now it's over.
We missed a lot of fighters this year, and saw some great performances from newcomers. In 2015, we fans are going to welcome back some new and familiar faces and look forward to seeing who can keep their momentum rolling.
Here are fighters we're most excited to see in the coming year, ranked by excitement level. Although that may seem like a subjective measurement, it's not. No argument allowed. Thanks in advance.
10. Joseph Duffy
1 of 10Division: Lightweight
Record: 12-1
Finally, an Irish fighter nickname used by a real Irish person!
"Irish Joe" Duffy signed with the UFC just a few days ago, and the 26-year-old veteran of Britain's respected Cage Warriors promotion looks ready to slide right into the loaded 155-pound division. After a long hiatus to pursue a boxing career, Duffy returned to the cage with a vengeance in 2014, picking up a win by submission and a win by knockout.
His main strength is a wicked ground game, which he once used on a fighter you might have heard of: a Mr. Conor McGregor. That was back in 2010, and no one has beaten McGregor since.
9. Neil Magny
2 of 10
Division: Welterweight
Record: 13-3
Sure, there are sexier fighters out there. But no one else in the UFC did in 2014 what Neil Magny did in 2014. All Neil Magny did was go 5-0 on the year.
That's good enough to tie a UFC record for the most wins before the calendar flips.
Did the wins come against top contenders? No, they did not. But they didn't all come against cans, either.
Magny gets his 2015 going in February against Kiichi Kunimoto, who is unbeaten in three UFC tries. It will be interesting to see if Magny can keep it rolling.
8. Brandon Thatch
3 of 10
Division: Welterweight
Record: 11-1
Before Brandon Thatch faces Stephen Thompson this Valentine's Day, what you're gonna want do it, you're gonna want to batten down those hatches. Batten them down, I say.
Because you will be in for a masterstroke of professional striking violence. Thompson, the karate wunderkind, is 5-1 in the UFC and interesting in his own right.
Thatch, though, brings the intrigue to another level. When we last we saw the vicious muay thai hitter, he was forcing veteran Paulo Thiago to tap to strikes. But that was in 2013; Thatch sat out all of 2014 with a broken toe.
This fight is a heck of a welcome back.
7. John Dodson
4 of 10
Division: Flyweight
Record: 16-6
Absence makes the heart grow fonder.
Plenty of MMA fans used to lament Dodson's presence, which in public forums involved a lot of unhinged giggling and similar histrionics.
But oh, what I wouldn't give to hear that giggle right now. When Dodson (hopefully) returns from his ACL surgery rehab this summer, he'll return to a flyweight division that looks a lot like the one he left: with the insanely talented but emotionally bland Demetrious Johnson ruling with an iron fist.
The only fighter who seems even remotely equipped to deal with Johnson is the lightning-fast Dodson. The two fought in January 2013, with DJ taking the decision. If Dodson can win a warm-up fight or two, it might be time for a rematch.
6. Carla Esparza
5 of 10
Division: Women's strawweight
Record: 10-2
It didn't look good for Carla Esparza. Fighting to become the UFC's first strawweight champ on the finale of The Ultimate Fighter 20, Esparza looked a little lost in the moment.
As her opponent, the charismatic Rose Namajunas, bounced around on the opposite side of the Octagon, Esparza, the season's top-seeded fighter, stood motionless. But not motionless in a menacing way. Motionless in the way a sick person stays motionless for fear that moving will cause them to vomit.
And she looked a little blanched in there too, which only embellished that effect. But it all changed when the horn sounded.
Esparza dominated much of the action, using her wrestling and ground-striking to control the flashier Namajunas. It was a thorough and thoroughly impressive victory, and it earned Esparza a place in UFC history.
What does she have in store for us as a follow-up? Her next fight hasn't been scheduled yet, but I know this: She's not going to lull me to sleep again.
5. Holly Holm
6 of 10Division: Women's bantamweight
Record: 7-0
Holly Holm isn't your average 33-year-old UFC debutante. She's a former world champion boxer and has plowed through absolutely everyone who has been brave enough to stand in her path.
The UFC signed her last year, but her debut has been delayed by injury. Now she's set to face Raquel Pennington at UFC 184 February 28.
The UFC has to be slavering at the proposition of matching Holm with champ Ronda Rousey. Holm could make a very high-octane babyface to Rousey's heel. We'll find out this year if such a thing is a real possibility.
4. Conor McGregor
7 of 10
Division: Featherweight
Record: 16-2
If you were tired of Conor McGregor last year, you may want to seek shelter here in 2015.
If he beats Dennis Siver on January 18 in Boston, the stage will be set for one of the year's most anticipated matchups. That would be McGregor in a title shot against Jose Aldo.
UFC brass have confirmed that the shot is McGregor's if he gets past Siver, and there are hints it would happen in a large venue in Ireland. Imagine that frenzy. And if McGregor can win that? I can't even imagine.
3. CM Punk
8 of 10
Division: Middleweight
Record: 0-0
He's listed as CM Punk on his official UFC profile, so CM Punk it shall be for the artist known to the government as Phil Brooks.
No matter how you personally feel about the UFC signing a 36-year-old retired pro wrestler with no professional MMA experience whatsoever, you have to admit that Punk's Octagon debut will be appointment viewing.
He has already said he'll debut in 2015. No opponent has yet been named. That's half the battle right there. My money's on Tom Watson.
2. Khabib Nurmagomedov
9 of 10
Division: Lightweight
Record: 22-0
The best fighter to emerge out of the prospect-rich Dagestan area of Russia is also a pretty entertaining personality. He was vocal about getting the next shot at champion Anthony Pettis, and he actually had a pretty strong case, seeing as how in his last fight he manhandled Rafael dos Anjos, the man who eventually did get the shot.
The UFC made Pavlovian dogs out of every MMA fan when it announced a bout between Nurm and Donald Cerrone. Unfortunately, Nurm sustained a knee injury literally minutes after the fight was confirmed. But he'll surely get a top-flight opponent when he returns this year. That one will be well worth watching, given that my guess is he's the next guy to wear the strap.
1. Anderson Silva
10 of 10
Division: Middleweight
Record: 33-6
This one's self-explanatory.
Anderson Silva, the GOAT of MMA for at least a little while longer, is coming back from a horrendous leg fracture that sidelined him for over a year and capped his second consecutive loss to Chris Weidman, which were his first two losses in approximately his last 500 fights.
Later this month, he fights Nick Diaz at UFC 183. That might move the needle a little bit. And UFC officials have said he'll get a title shot if he handles Diaz. So that might be exciting, since Weidman still has the belt and everything.
Scott writes about the serious and less-serious aspects of MMA for Bleacher Report. For more stuff like this, follow Scott on Twitter.
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