UFC 130: Michael McDonald and the 10 Next Big Stars of the UFC

These 10 fighters are some of the best up-and-comers in the sport and are starting to make a name for themselves in the UFC.

Some have been described as the next "Georges St. Pierre" and others the next great action stars of the sport. Whatever it may be, once they start to make their way up the ranks—and some already have—their fanbase will continue to grow.

Not every one of them will be the next big star, but they are on their way to being one, and that's good enough to keep fans interested in seeing where their careers go.

No. 10: Erich Koch (12-1)

It only takes one big knockout to get your name in the public's eye, and featherweight Erik Koch did just that against WEC veteran Rafael Assuncao with a brutal one-punch knockout.

Koch's only loss is to Chad Mendes, who may be UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo's next title challenger.

At 12-1, Koch has only been the distance twice, and that is what fans like. They want to see excitement, and there is no shortage of that in the featherweight division because of fighters like Koch.

Koch's next test is Cub Swanson at UFC 132.

No. 9: Chris Weidman (5-0)

Wrestlers get a bad rep in MMA, but Chris Weidman showed in his bloody battle with Alessio Sakara that that shouldn't be the case.

The best division to be a wrestler in is the middleweight division, especially if you plan on defeating Anderson Silva.

Weidman is an NCAA Division I wrestler with an MMA record of 5-0. Still young in the sport, expect to see Weidman continue his rise in a division where he could be in title contention in the next year or two.

His next fight will be against Jesse Bongfeldt at UFC 131.

No. 8: Pablo Garza (11-1)

Two finishes in spectacular fashion make Pablo Garza have a great start to building his highlight reel video for when he makes it onto the main card,

Garza introduced himself to UFC fans with an amazing knockout at the Ultimate Fighter finale last year.

He followed up on it with a flying triangle-choke at UFC 129 to earn his second victory in the Octagon and 11th win overall. He also earned a huge $129,000 bonus check for "Submission of the Night."

No. 7: Shane Roller (10-3)

UFC fighter Shane Roller gave former WEC champion Ben Henderson everything he could handle in their first-round battle before he suffered a TKO loss from the resilient Henderson.

Following that defeat, Roller came back to defeat Jamie Varner and Thiago Tavares. He finished both, including one by submission and one by knockout.

Up next for the 31-year-old is the very tough, fast and experienced Melvin Guillard at UFC 132.

That will be a big test, but it's a chance for him to take a big step in the lightweight rankings.

No. 6: Michael McDonald (12-1)

This 20-year-old from Modesto, California made his UFC debut against Edwin Figueroa earlier this year and put on the "Fight of the Night." He won a unanimous decision.

It was three rounds of exciting bantamweight action, and it really elevated the status of his young career. It was also the only time he had been to a decision in his career and was probably his best fight, so remember to check this guy out the next time he is fighting.

His next fight will be against Chris Cariaso at UFC 130.

No. 5: Alexander Gustafsson (11-1)

Many people count out this 21-year-old, but he is probably one of the best fighters on this list and may have the most potential out of all of them.

His only loss is to standout wrestler and light-heavyweight contender Phil Davis.

Of his 11 victories, he has only been to a decision once. His UFC career is 3-1 with all three victories coming by knockout or submission. He has wins over very credible opponents, including Cyrille Diabate, Jared Hamman and James Te-Huna.

No. 4: Edson Barboza (8-0)

With some of the most vicious leg kicks in the UFC, lightweight Edson Barboza is one of the fastest-rising and most dangerous prospects in the division and in the UFC.

Against Mike Lullo and Anthony Njokuani, he displayed a wide variety of striking with crisp boxing skills, leg kicks and various head kicks.

His next test will be a big one in the form of Ultimate Fighter winner Ross Pearson at UFC 134 in Rio.

No. 3: Jake Ellenberger (25-5)

Jake Ellenberger is the most experienced fighter on this list, and he is only 26.

He recently defeated the very tough Canadian fighter Sean Pierson. Pierson had been one of the best early stars of Canadian mixed martial arts, but Ellenberger knocked him out two-and-a-half minutes into the very first round.

His only loss in the UFC was to Carlos Condit. He had the former WEC champion hurt many times but was unable to finish him. Condit, as he always does, came back to rally in the end but taught Ellenberger a valuable lesson for his next fight.

He came back and won his next four UFC bouts.

No. 2: John Makdessi (9-0)

Four days shy of his 26th birthday, John Makdessi earned a highlight-reel knockout with a spinning back fist at UFC 129.

It was his ninth win in MMA and his second inside the Octagon. His first performance against Pat Audinwood was very fun to watch, and his knockout over Kyle Watson was even more fun to watch.

He also has a 22-0 kickboxing background and trains at Tristar Gym with UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre.

No. 1: Rory MacDonald (11-1)

At 21, Rory MacDonald has one of the best skill sets of any prospect coming up in the division.

He recently defeated Nate Diaz at UFC 129, his second UFC victory.

His only loss is to Carlos Condit, which was a fight he was winning till the referee stopped the bout with seven seconds left in the third round.

It was a devastating defeat, but MacDonald persevered and came back to look better than ever before.

He also trains at the Tristar gym with GSP. Expect big things from him because he is not slowing down at all.