Latest Dark-Horse UFC Fighter in Each Weight Class

The UFC is crawling with contenders and top fighters everywhere you look, which is what you'd expect from the biggest and best promotion in the world of MMA.

Right now, we have plenty of contenders in every division, but there are more lurking in the shadows. We call these fighters dark horses.

By "dark horse," we mean a fighter who is not in the title picture yet but could be in the near future. These are fighters who have the ability to contend for a title and possibly become a champion.

With that said, let's take a look at the latest dark-horse fighter in each UFC weight class.

Heavyweight: Todd Duffee

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Current Contenders: Fabricio Werdum, Travis Browne, Andrei Arlovski, Mark Hunt, Junior Dos Santos, Alistair Overeem

When it comes to pure one-strike power, few can match the havoc that Todd Duffee brings with his fists. When he's active and in the cage, he's always a dangerous adversary who can win against anybody.

Duffee is the true definition of a dark horse. He is capable of beating anybody and finishing them. However, his lack of activity has hurt him a bit, though it appears he's ready to busy up his schedule again.

Given how shallow the heavyweight division is, Duffee is the type of guy who can make a run in a hurry. He's a true dark-horse contender that may fly under the radar until he gets a Top 10 opponent. 

Light Heavyweight: Patrick Cummins

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Current Contenders: Anthony Johnson, Daniel Cormier, Alexander Gustafsson, Rashad Evans, Ryan Bader

I know—Patrick Cummins doesn't have the best reputation stemming from that fiasco with Daniel Cormier. However, Cummins, given time, could truly be a contender at 205.

His wrestling base is among the best in the division. He shoots prolifically and achieves takedowns well, which allows him to destroy opponents from the top with his heavy ground-and-pound. 

His striking is still developing, but seeing his bouts since the Cormier fight proves that Cummins is a talented light heavyweight. The next step is a fight against Ovince Saint Preux, who is another guy that is a dark horse in this division.

Middleweight: Thales Leites

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Current Contenders: Vitor Belfort, Anderson Silva, Ronaldo Souza, Lyoto Machida, Luke Rockhold, Yoel Romero, Gegard Mousasi

Ever since Anderson Silva dropped his title to Chris Weidman, the middleweight title picture has opened up greatly, especially for a guy like Thales Leites, who failed in his title bid against Silva not long ago.

Leites has been impressive since returning to the UFC. He is 5-0 in his current run, with finishes against Trevor Smith, Francis Carmont and Tim Boetsch. It has thrown him into bigger things.

Leites is proof that your career isn't over once the UFC gets rid of you. It can be resurrected, and you can come back in a bigger way.

Welterweight: Brandon Thatch

Current Contenders: Rory MacDonald, Johny Hendricks, Tyron Woodley, Hector Lombard

The welterweight division is full of contenders right now. Georges St-Pierre's exit from the division has made the UFC belt into a game of hot potato, with a title change possible at any time.

Enter Brandon Thatch, a guy who can be a future star of the division and has already shown a glimpse of that. Sure, he fell in his biggest career fight against Benson Henderson, but he showed great skills in that bout and was winning it up until the end.

He can recover from that fight, and I am sure he learned a lot. He will definitely be a title contender in the near future.

Lightweight: Tony Ferguson

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Current Contenders: Anthony Pettis, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Donald Cerrone, Benson Henderson

The Ultimate Fighter 13 is one of the worst seasons in terms of talent that the UFC has had. However, it did provide us with a top lightweight in Tony Ferguson, who is now the dark horse at 155 pounds to get into title contention.

Ferguson's progress was hurt not long ago since he was injured and couldn't compete for a long time. Since that layoff, he has gone 5-0, including wins over fellow contenders Abel Trujillo and Gleison Tibau.

Given his well-rounded skill set and rapid improvements, Ferguson is almost a lock to be Top 10 material by the end of the year. He's a finisher who has thrived against talented fighters, a formula that breeds success.

Featherweight: Hacran Dias

Current Contenders: Conor McGregor, Frankie Edgar, Chad Mendes, Ricardo Lamas, Max Holloway

There are plenty of dark horses in the featherweight division because it's one of the deepest weight classes. That's why it's hard to pick just one, but Hacran Dias seems to fit the bill.

Dias has flown very under the radar since coming to the UFC, which is surprising seeing as he has beat some good competition. He is 2-2 but has fought contenders such as Iuri Alcantara, Darren Elkins, Nik Lentz and Ricardo Lamas.

His most recent bout against Elkins re-introduced us as to why he is so talented. If he can keep winning, there is no doubt a title shot is in his future.

Bantamweight: Aljamain Sterling

Current Contenders: Renan Barao, Urijah Faber, Dominick Cruz, Raphael Assuncao

Between guys like Chris Holdsworth and Aljamain Sterling, the bantamweight division is loaded right now. However, I think Sterling has the most upside.

Sterling is athletic, quick, explosive, strong and skilled. He is reminiscent of a young Jon Jones, though his striking isn't to par with the UFC light heavyweight champion at this stage of his career yet.

He's undefeated and has rarely been in trouble. A win over Takeya Mizugaki in his upcoming bout would all but confirm his elite status at 135.

Flyweight: Ray Borg

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Current Contenders: Kyoji Horiguchi, Joseph Benavidez, John Dodson, Henry Cejudo, Zach Makovsky

Ray Borg is one of the youngest fighters in the flyweight division. That said, he's also one of the hottest fighters at 125, as he is rapidly ascending the ranks.

Borg is still developing as an overall fighter, but the future is bright for him. Plus, given how Borg is in a division thin on talent, he could jump to the front of the line quickly.

He is truly the definition of a dark horse in the flyweight division. Don't be surprised to see him fight for a title in the future, sooner or later.

Women's Bantamweight: Amanda Nunes

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Current Contenders: Bethe Correia, Miesha Tate, Jessica Eye

Let's be honest: Ronda Rousey rules the women's bantamweight division, and she's likely not giving up the belt for a long time. However, there is still a dark horse in the division by the name of Amanda Nunes.

Other than a loss to Cat Zingano, a fight that she dominated early on, Nunes has been nothing short of impressive. She has finished Sheila Gaff, Germaine de Randamie and Shayna Baszler, all of which came in the first round.

I don't think any ladies in the UFC right now can beat Rousey. That said, Nunes can emerge as a title contender in the foreseeable future.

Women's Strawweight: Tecia Torres

Current Contenders: Carla Esparza, Joanne Calderwood, Claudia Gadelha

She disappointed on her run in TUF 20, but from what I have realized, the best person doesn't always win in that show. Disregarding that experience, she is still undefeated and one of the best in her young career.

Her only performance since that season of the show was vintage Torres, a fighter we came to know as one of the best at 115. She absolutely handled Angela Magana, winning a lopsided fight with superior striking and grappling.

She's athletic and quick, which is extremely beneficial in this division. If she continues to fight like she did pre-TUF 20, she can no doubt move to the front of the line at 115.