No. 1-15
1. Akbar Abdullaev
Upon entering the UFC, Abdullaev will be instantly ready to take on the best. On the feet, his power is matched by his dynamism. His grappling is well above average both offensively and defensively. He is a finisher of the highest level. Before his DWCS fight, his last 5 opponents combined for a 59-6 record. He finished them all. There is no reason the 29-year-old phenom shouldn’t instantly be fighting in the top 15 of the UFC. Moicano and Nolan fight in 2 weeks, and he should be fighting the loser, or even the winner, of that fight.
– Ben Keith
2. Bilal Hasan
I was lucky enough to have the #1 overall pick in this year’s prospect GP, and Hasan was an easy choice. Anyone who watches his dynamic striking is drawn in by the blend of polished fundamentals and flashy explosions. His grappling is also strong and he keeps improving between fights. He’s young, athletic, exciting, and is already adding to his highlight reel in the UFC.
– James Colwell
3. George Staines
George Staines is my safest pick in this year’s DWCS class. His defensive responsibility is remarkably mature, and he rarely lets his opponent draw him into their game. He’s patient when he needs to be, but always ready to explode offensively when the opportunity presents itself. Staines has proven he can maintain an elite pace over a full fight while still delivering show-stopping highlights. He is absolutely the real deal and should be one to watch for years to come.
– Nicholas Holt
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4. Sean Clancy Jr.
One of my favorite prospects for two years, I was ecstatic to see Clancy Jr. finally get his shot this season. The performance wasn’t as stellar as expected, but my colleagues and I trust our evaluations of Clancy Jr. from his regional tape against better competition. As long as that Sean Clancy Jr. is the one we get in the UFC, then we have a dangerous prospect added to an already stacked weight class. If he reaches that potential, Clancy Jr. will be Scotland’s greatest fighter of all time.
– Pat Danna
5. Marcos Degli
Degli didn’t manage his DWCS fight the way I expected, but his decision to grapple with Moran rather than engage in a striking battle showed just how versatile he really is. He’s a legitimate double threat who can cause problems for plenty of flyweights on the UFC roster. I expect some people to underestimate him based on his DWCS performance, only for the Brazilian to surprise them with some nasty knockouts once he settles into the UFC. He has the tools to be a much more dangerous prospect than that one fight might suggest. Don’t get me wrong, he’s entering one of the UFC’s most competitive weight classes, but I see him as a perennial top-10 fighter.
– Cédric Dumas
6. Aieza Bertolso
Aieza Bertolso is our highest-ranked female prospect of the season, and for good reason. She’s spectacular on the ground while also being capable of holding her own on the feet. As the reigning LFA champion, she lived up to the hype despite stepping in on short notice, securing a quick inverted triangle submission on DWCS. Including her amateur career, Bertolso has now won 22 consecutive fights. She has all the tools to become a serious contender, and I see her going a long way in the UFC.
– Cédric Dumas
7. Ronald Humphrey
Humphrey might be a bit green to be this high on this list but if the UFC develops him his potential is insane: elite measurements, great athleticism, technically polished and good fight IQ is a deadly combination. The guy is even charismatic too. If everything clicks he may become one of the most important names in the sport in a few years
– Cangrejo Ruiz
8. Anthony Wint
Anthony Wint is showing the fight world what happens when a true athlete enters the heavyweight division. Line them up, he’ll knock them down. His grappling still has a way to go, but he can melt people on the feet. Since his signing in August, he has already won 2 UFC fights, both in the first round. If they keep giving him replacement-level heavyweights, he’ll start a Goldberg-esque winning streak.
– Ben Keith
9. Alvi Dasuyev
I’ve had Dasuyev higher than most, and after his fight on the CS, his stock hasn’t gone down or up, IMO. In the fight with Ortega, it wasn’t pretty. In fact, if Ortega wasn’t so concussed, he maybe would’ve won. Most guys aren’t surviving Dasuyev’s onslaught. I was still impressed with his ability to dig deep and come out as the clear winner. This fight should be a good learning experience for him going forward and help him fix any overconfidence. I expect big things from him in the UFC.
– Shawn Bitter
10. Christian Natividad
Natividad may not have the incredible ceiling of Hasan or Degli, given he’s 29, but it’s hard to complain much about his skillset. He can wrestle, strike at distance or in the pocket, and has composed BJJ skills on the mat. He knows when to use each one of his tools and shed his reputation for decision wins with a highlight-reel KO to earn his spot. He should have a long and successful UFC career.
– James Colwell
11. Cristian Perez
At the time of writing, I am 14 hours removed from watching Cristian Perez separate Kyle Nelson from consciousness in under 30 seconds. “Puas” possesses grappling that can be suffocating. His pressure on the feet is unrelenting. His confidence in his power is rightfully growing. In a division that has Rafa Garcia, Perez is the most talented Mexican lightweight.
– Ben Keith
12. Isaac Moreno
Moreno’s performance on DWCS wasn’t the best, to the point many people had him losing that fight, so this ranking spot might be too high for some, but truth is his tape doesn’t lie. A natural athlete with a great bag of weapons, he should be able to establish himself as top 25 guy in the division, maybe higher if his upside is reached
– Cangrejo Ruiz
13. Mateus Soares
The smallest bantamweight of the season somehow may be the most powerful, as Mateus Soares is simply a wrecking ball. Soares is still extremely young and mixes flashes of intense aggression and power with methodical kicks and strong wrestling. I am the highest on Soares from Prospect Vault, and I truly see shades of a young Jose Aldo in his game. His development under Pedro Rizzo and Jorge Filho will be crucial, and the size will obviously cause issues against bigger opponents.
– Pat Danna
14. Roman Puga
I wasn’t privy to Roman Puga before he was rumored to be on DWCS, but after going through his tape, it was evident why he deserved to be there. A former undefeated amateur boxer, Puga brings a level of technical polish and striking creativity that’s hard to come by. His performance against Taner Trembley was an instant classic, and I’m expecting plenty more entertaining fights from him in the future.
– Nicholas Holt
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15. Quentin Pasley
One of the bigger surprises of the season was how damn good Quentin Pasley looked. It was hard to judge him based on his extremely poor level of competition, but that didn’t matter at all when he stopped into the cage with my top light heavyweight Arlind Berisha. Pasley was methodical with every movement and smashed through Berisha with some devastating GnP elbows in a thorough dismantling. Dana White compared Pasley to Jon Jones after the win, and while I think that’s a step too far, he has an extremely high ceiling at 205lbs.
– Pat Danna
