Bo Nickal, Shavkat Rakhmonov top names as fans pick 3 biggest prospects in MMA

A talent stockpile is the least of the UFC's worries. Be it the American Bo Nickal or Kazakh Shavkat Rakhmonov, the future of the UFC looks to be in good hands.

With that in mind, fans have a plethora of young fighters to choose from and root for, and they displayed their support for many on Twitter recently. UFC middleweight contender Derek Brunson asked fans on Twitter to list their top three prospects across any weight in MMA.

UFC Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier responded to the middleweight's tweet with who he thinks is the biggest prospect. Cormier's choice was wrestling prodigy Bo Nickal.

'The Allen Assassin' and 'DC' share a similar wrestling background, with both having represented the United States of America and having dominated national competitions.

Bo Nickal recently won only his second professional mixed martial arts bout on Dana White's Contender Series against Zachary Borrego. He earned a developmental contract from the UFC and is set to return in September for another DWCS appearance that might determine his future in the octagon.

The other most popular pick was Shavkat Rakhmonov, a more experienced mixed martial artist who is ranked No.11 amongst welterweight contenders in the UFC. Rakhmonov is a former M-1 Global welterweight champion and made his octagon debut in 2020 at UFC 254.

'Nomad' is undefeated in 16 career fights and is currently on a four-fight win streak in the UFC. Most impressively, all of his 16 wins have come via finishes, with an even split of eight submissions and eight knockouts.

Fans name their top prospects alongside Bo Nickal and Shavkat Rakhmonov

Another very popular pick amongst fans was Khabib Nurmagomedov's cousin, Umar Nurmagomedov. The bantamweight fighter is undefeated across 15 fights in his career.

He has also fought in the UFC octagon thrice, once as a featherweight. As a former bantamweight champion in two different promotions, 135lbs looks to be his true calling, and he returned to that weight last time out against Nate Maness. He is currently ranked No.14 at bantamweight.

Ilia Topuria also found mention amongst many fans. His Performance of the Night bonus-winning fight against Jai Herbert at UFC London won him much acclaim.

Some fans took the satirical route when answering the question by naming former UFC fighter-turned-comedian Brendan Schaub. Others touted blonde-haired Derek Brunson as a top prospect, too.

About the author

Umar, a journalist at Sportskeeda, specializes in covering MMA and boxing. While he may not be a die-hard fan, Umar approaches combat sports as a purist. He has a deep appreciation for the technical aspects of these sports and is particularly drawn to the stories and narratives that unfold within the MMA world. This passion is informed by his experiences meeting actual UFC fighters and touring their performance gyms, allowing him to provide insightful and well-informed coverage of the sport.

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