In this article, I’m going to give you a rundown of some of the best UFC prospects as of right now. Some have recently been signed, some have a few UFC fights, and one is already fighting for a title. These are the top five most exciting and impressive UFC prospects of 2022.
Muhammad Mokaev (8-0-0) 22 years old
Mokaev has been my favorite prospect in MMA, not just the UFC, possibly ever. I’ve been following the young, talented fighters journey from when we were both 19 years old, and watching him progress has been a thrill. His 8-0 Pro record combined with his 23-0 amateur record is insanely impressive.
Mokaev is a Flyweight (125 lb) fighter and has two UFC fights under his belt. Less than six months after being signed Mokaev has two wins, one by KO in the first round, and the other by Unanimous decision. Mokaev is up and coming and has both the grappling and striking to make waves in the UFC. I can’t wait to see what the Dagestani-turned-Manchester fighter will do in the future.
Manon Fiorot (9-1-0) 32 years old
Manon ‘The Beast’ Fiorot is HER. She’s the WMMA prospect we’ve all been waiting for. She is a skilled defensive grappler, but her main draw is her striking. She throws amazing kicks, quick combos, and has the power to knock people out cold. Her only loss was in her pro debut, losing a split decision to current Bellator fighter Leah Mcourt.
Since that loss, Fiorot has had nine straight wins, with six of them coming by KO/TKO. The Frenchwoman is looking for her fifth UFC victory at UFC 280 when she faces Katlyn Chookigan, a skilled and experienced opponent. The matchup should allow Fiorot to focus on her striking, and I’m expecting a KO victory for ‘The Beast’ on October 22nd.
Alex Pereira (6-1-0) 35 years old
Similar to Fiorot, Pereira is not a prospect because of his age, but because of his lack of experience in MMA. That being said, the former Kickboxing world champion is a hell of a fighter, and is best known for knocking out Israel Adesanya in Kickboxing. Pereira has insanely powerful punches and is 3-0 in the UFC with two knockouts.
Pereira and Adesanya have fought twice before in kickboxing. The first fight was a decision victory for Pereira, and the second one resulted in the only KO loss of Adesanya’s combat sports career. The two are set to fight for the UFC Middleweight Belt on Saturday, November 12th.
Raul Rosas Jr. (6-0-0) 17 years old
This kid (I’d like to emphasize that he is, quite literally, a kid) is an incredible prospect. Just this past week Rosas Jr. debuted on the Dana White Contender Series at just 17 years old. He won his fight by Unanimous Decision, pulled off some exciting strikes and submission attempts, and was awarded a UFC contract on the spot. Rosas Jr. does not have a date for his UFC debut, but watching a 17-year-old perform at such a high level was insanely impressive.
The young man made slight work of his older opponent, landing double the amount of strikes almost, and had 12 minutes of control time. Rosas Jr. landed three of his five takedown attempts and looked spectacular in his DWCS fight. He is now officially the youngest fighter in UFC history at 17 years old.
Erin Blanchfield (9-1-0) 23 years old
Erin Blanchfield has started off her UFC tenure in impressive fashion. The young New Jersey native is a skilled grappler who has three victories in the UFC so far. Her first two victories were Unanimous Decisions, while her most recent victory was a submission of JJ Aldrich. Blanchfield is currently lined up to face Molly McCann at UFC 281.
Erin trains with Renzo Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, one of the most prominent and relevant Jiu-Jitsu gyms in the world. Her hard work shows in the octagon as she’s never been finished in ten fights and has a 40% finish rate. Her only loss is to current UFC fighter Tracy Cortez, which is a fight that may be run back in the future. I love Blanchfield’s energy, her abilities, and her determination while grappling. She has great fighter instincts, and I look forward to seeing what she can do with the UFC.
