Top 10 MMA Prospects in Australia & New Zealand

Identifying elite prospects is always a balancing act between what a fighter is now and what they could realistically become. My list blends current ability with projected upside, leaning towards fighters with higher long-term ceilings rather than those whose games may already be closer to fully realised. That said, upside alone is not enough. If a fighter is already operating at a genuinely high level, they belong in the conversation regardless of where they sit on the development curve.

Cutting this list down to just ten fighters and the honourable mentions was exceptionally difficult. The depth of talent currently emerging from Australia and New Zealand is as strong as it’s ever been, with a volume of legitimate prospects that continues to grow each year. Relative to the size of the talent pool available, the region is beginning to compare favourably with established global powerhouses such as the United States, Brazil, and Russia – a notable development given the vastly different population bases and infrastructure those regions draw from.

To maintain clarity, fighters competing in the Road to UFC final have been excluded. Should any of them come up short in that final, they will become eligible for re-inclusion moving forward. You will also notice some familiar names from yesterday’s Top 10 Prospects with Under Five Professional Fights in Australia & New Zealand article. Where a fighter appears in both lists, the write-up has been carried over unchanged because nothing significant has changed in the 24 hours since the initial update.

What follows is an assessment of the region’s leading prospects – fighters who combine technical proficiency, composure under pressure, athletic attributes, and developmental runway; positioning them to make a meaningful impact beyond the regional scene.

If interested, you can find parts one and two of this three-part series here:

Part One – Top 10 Amateurs in Australia & New Zealand

Part Two – Top 10 Fighters with Less than 5 Pro Fights in Australia & New Zealand