The UFC’s middleweight division has produced some of the most successful champions in the promotion’s history, but it’s no secret that the weight class doesn’t have quite the same depth as the lighter divisions in MMA. There are a number of promising middleweight prospects (under age 30) that aren’t locked in with other major promotions yet, and several of the fighters on this list are already experienced enough where they could make an immediate impact in the UFC.
Be sure to check out our heavyweight and light heavyweight lists as well.
Virgil Augen – 8-0, Age 29, France
The Ares FC middleweight champion, Augen was formerly-ranked in our Top 25 Prospects Worldwide but fell out of the rankings in the most recent update due to inactivity.
Augen is aggressive on the feet, as he’ll look to force opponents backwards with jabs and overhand rights in order to pursue takedown attempts on the fence. He does a good job of using his strikes to set up takedown attempts, and once he gets his hands on an opponent he’ll rinse and repeat takedowns along the cage until he’s able to establish a dominant position. The Frenchman excels at controlling both the wrists and legs of his opposition if they end up on their knees. He’s a threat to finish things with ground and pound if an opponent tires or can’t escape bottom position, but he’ll also look for armbars and arm triangles while ideally trying to jump on the back to finish things by rear naked choke.
Augen seemed a likely candidate for the 2025 edition of Dana White’s Contender Series but unfortunately didn’t fight at all in 2024. A rematch with Henrique Shiguemoto that was originally scheduled for last July is now set to headline Ares FC 37 on January 9, and the UFC should come calling if Augen is able to defend his middleweight title a second time.
Norbert Novenyi Jr. – 9-1, Age 26, Hungary
The son of Olympic gold medalist and former kickboxing champion Norbert Novenyi Sr., Novenyi Jr. has collected two first-round finishes in Hexagone MMA following the PFL’s purchase of Bellator and a request to be released from his contract.
A threat to end things both on the ground and with his striking, all but one of Novenyi’s pro wins have come via stoppage. It’s easy to see that he’s a London Shootfighters product with his work on the feet, as he’s constantly bouncing while looking to jump forward with strikes or time a big counter shot. His dynamism on the feet does present opportunities for opponents to put him on his back, but his scrambling ability and submission skills make him a constant threat to find a finish once a fight hits the mat.
“Magic” closed out his Bellator career with a loss to Dalton Rosta where he was largely outwrestled but found significant success later on as Rosta got tired. The Hungarian has a very fan-friendly fighting style and is still only 26 years old, so he’d be an excellent addition to the UFC’s middleweight division next year after the promotion already signed a number of former Bellator stars in 2025.
Alibek Suleimanov – 7-0, Age 28, Russia
Also boasting a stellar amateur record, Suleimanov is a perfect 7-0 as a professional fighter and has stopped all but one of his opponents during that run.
The 28-year-old utilizes his jab well and will also follow it with a big right hand when he isn’t chipping away from range with a variety of kicks from his rear leg. Suleimanov’s prowess on the ground allows him to kick freely with little fear of being taken down, as any mat exchanges will more often than not end up with him in a dominant position. He’s relentless when he’s able to get his hands on an opponent and will chain attempts together against the fence. “One Such” is more than capable of ending things with vicious ground and pound, but he’s also won fights by a variety of submissions and loves to force his opponents into giving up their backs.
Some of Suleimanov’s professional opponents haven’t been the most credentialed, but he’s also run through the weaker fighters he’s faced and has a wealth of experience from his lengthy amateur career. Fans have already seen plenty of fighters with his style have major success in the UFC, and he could cause some serious problems for a lot of the promotion’s middleweights even while being a bit undersized for the weight class.
David Allakhverdiev – 7-0, Age 23, Ukraine
A title-winning knockout against the previously-undefeated John Moore at LFA 214 in August really solidified Allakhverdiev as a middleweight prospect worth watching.
Against Moore, “King Wolf” got a chance to show off his unique striking style that relies heavily on in-and-out movement before he bursts forward with combinations of punches. Putting Moore on the retreat allowed Allakhverdiev to double up on the right hand and floor the Canadian, but if he backs an opponent to the fence he’s happy to clinch up and try to bring things to the mat. Allakhverdiev’s five submission wins have all come via different methods, and on the ground he also likes to frame off an opponent’s head before dropping down nasty elbows.
The Ukrainian did not face a particularly high level of competition before he won the LFA belt in his promotional debut, but he’s also finished every opponent he’s faced and has only gone past the opening round once. His combination of knockout power and submission skills make him a unique middleweight prospect, and the UFC should certainly look into signing him in 2026 even though the promotion appears to be moving on from its longstanding relationship with LFA.
Jon Kunneman – 10-0, Age 26, USA
Following a brief amateur career, Kunneman turned pro in 2021 and has finished all 10 opponents he’s faced since then and claimed the Anthony Pettis FC middleweight belt in his most recent outing in March.
There are no secrets regarding what Kunneman wants to do when he enters the cage, as he’ll often start a fight with a big overhand right to close the distance before he brings his opponent to the mat. “AK-47” will maintain strong top pressure and look to move into mount so he can land heavy ground and pound. Kunneman is also quick to capitalize as soon as an opponent presents an opening for a submission, and he does a very good job of staying patient once he does lock in a submission attempt to make sure that it brings an end to the fight.
Kunneman is already on the UFC’s radar, as he was booked to meet Cam Rowston on Dana White’s Contender Series but withdrew due to injury. He’ll be strong candidate for a short-notice call heading into 2026, and he seems a likely lock for DWCS next year as long as he doesn’t suffer a loss before then.
Qosim Sardarov – 5-0, Age 24, Tajikistan
Tajikistan’s Sardarov will have the chance to carry a 6-0 professional record into 2026 when he closes out this year by fighting for the Pancrase middleweight belt on December 21.
A multiple-time IMMAF champion, Sardarov closed out his 16-4 amateur career in late 2024 before making his pro debut in 2025, and so far he’s finished every one of his pro bouts. The 24-year-old mixes in hard low kicks and occasional front kicks to the midsection alongside his jab to force things to the fence, and he uses frequent feints to keep opponents guessing before looking for a takedown attempt. Active from top position with strikes to both the head and body, Sardarov will quickly lock up a body triangle as soon as an opponent gives up their back and start looking for a submission.
Sardarov has only been fighting as a pro for less than a year, but his amateur credentials and the way he’s handled his opposition this year make him someone the UFC should be watching very closely. Ryutaro Sato comes into their Pancrase title bout boasting a 9-1 record, so another impressive performance to close out the year should put him squarely on the UFC’s radar for 2026.
Martin Kozák – 5-0, Age 23, Slovakia
Following a 6-0 amateur career, Kozák turned pro last year and has stopped all five opponents that he’s faced since then while never going past the second round.
A southpaw, Kozák boasts a large frame for the middleweight division and makes good use of it when exchanging strikes with his opponents. “CEO” is patient with his approach but prefers to be the aggressor, forcing his opposition to the fence before he starts picking away at them with his jab and left straights. He’ll start to open up more with his strikes when he gets a good read on his opponent or can sense that they might either be hurt or starting to fade. On the ground, he’s also shown off decent scrambling and strong top control punctuated by nasty elbows, as well as the ability to end things via submission.
Kozák hasn’t faced an especially high level of competition thus far, but the way he’s able to utilize his raw physical gifts has allowed him dispatch his opponents in mostly impressive fashion. He’s still got plenty of time to further develop his skills at just 23 years old, and another win or two in the early part of next year could set him up for a call from the UFC.
Vladislav Kovalev – 9-2, Age 27, Belarus
Likely best known to hardcore combat sports fans for his exploits in modified rules fights and bareknuckle boxing, Kovalev went 3-0 in MMA this year and defended the RCC middleweight belt against UFC veteran Arman Petrosyan earlier this month.
The former Hardcore FC bareknuckle boxing champion is unsurprisingly a dangerous opponent any time a fighter decides to stand and trade strikes with him, but it’s the developments in his grappling that have been really impressive over his recent fights. Rather than just eating a big uppercut or hook on the feet, the opposition also needs to be worried about the prospect of “Belaz” bringing them down to the mat so he can try and jump on their back and put them to sleep as well.
It seems like 2025 may have been the year that Kovalev fully shifted his focus to traditional MMA, and both his fighting style and combat sports background make him a unique talent that the UFC should consider bringing in to its middleweight divison.
Mukhamed-Afandi Asipov – 5-0, Age 24, Russia
Displaying an in-cage confidence you don’t often see from fighters as young as himself, Asipov is a former IMMAF junior middleweight champion that’s collected first-round finishes in four out of his five pro fights.
Relying heavily on his jab and long frame, Asipov will chip away at opponents with his lead hand to put them on the back foot and set up his kicking game. He’ll throw kicks to the head and legs of his opponents but is particularly devastating when he can connect with their midsection, and he’ll occasionally mix in some spinning attacks and flying knees as well. The 24-year-old also has good timing on his knees as an intercepting strike when an opponent ducks in and is more than happy to take things to the ground, where Asipov will unload with nasty ground and pound as well as utilize a dangerous submission game.
He only competed once in 2025, but Asipov has already proven himself against some significantly more-experienced opposition during his pro career. The UFC is always eager to bring in fighters with proven finishing skills, and the Russian’s well-roundedness and youth would make him an intriguing addition at middleweight.
Fergus Jenkins – 4-0, Age 24, New Zealand
Although he has the least amount of pro experience of everyone on this list, Jenkins’ 4-0 pro career was preceeded by an impressive 12-1 amateur run that saw him win two IMMAF titles.
As a quick glance at his record might suggest, Jenkins ideally wants to bring his opponents to the ground so he can try to close things out via submission. The New Zealander chains his takedown attempts together well and doesn’t provide any breathing room for his opposition when he gets his hands on them. The 24-year-old has shown off some heavy ground and pound when he’s able to pass into mount, but more often than not he uses his ground strikes to try and force his opponent into giving him an opening to lock up a submission.
Jenkins’ pro career got off to a strong start with three-straight submissions before he also proved he’s capable of going the five-round distance in his last outing against Yuri Anselmo. That victory earned him the Stealth Fighters League middleweight belt in his native New Zealand, and it would be no surprise to see the 24-year-old get a call for Dana White’s Contender Series or step in for one of the UFC’s regular visits to Australia next year.
Honorable Mentions
Balázs Kiss (5-0)
Also boasting professional kickboxing experience, Kiss returned to MMA this year for the first time since 2019. He defeated his first three pro opponents via submission, and this year he joined France’s Hexagone MMA and secured two more finishes in the first round.
David Hervias (2-0)
Hervais closed out his amateur career with a loss to Sardarov in the 2024 IMMAF middleweight tournament finals, but he went 20-2 overall as an amateur and won multiple IMMAF titles during that run. He scored a first-round finish in his pro debut in June for WAR in his native Spain, and in his second outing at WAR 7 he took a unanimous decision over the previously-undefeated Jhonatan Venancino.
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