There are over 225 fighters on the UFC roster under the age of 30, and that crop of UFC fighters will likely lay the foundation for the UFC for many years to come.
UFC 30TH ANNIVERSARY EXPERIENCE
But which fighters under 30 are the best and/or have brightest futures ahead of them?
You’re about to find out in this four-part series that kicks off with fighters earning honorable mentions and who could easily be in the Top 30 by the end of the year.
Jack Shore
The former Cage Warriors bantamweight champ made a flawless transition to the UFC in 2019, rattling off five victories in a row and landing in the UFC bantamweight rankings. At 27 years old, Jack “Tank” Shore brings a well-rounded game to the Octagon and has shown flashes of being a force to be reckoned with.
Shore came up short in his most recent bout with Ricky Simon, which moved his professional record to 16-1, but it will be interesting to see how he bounces back from his first career loss in his next outing.
Manel Kape
Manel Kape entered the UFC from Rizin as a highly touted flyweight prospect, and while it took him a few fights to get his footing, the 29-year-old has validated the hype.
Three straight wins have landed him in the flyweight rankings and with the potential for some big fights in 2023.
Michel Pereira
There might not be another fighter in the UFC like Michel Pereira. From wild walkouts to just craziness inside the Octagon, Pereira is the type of all-action fighter that fight fans can’t wait to watch.
Pereira has backed up his must-watch style with five big wins in a row. Defeating the likes of Khaos Wiliams, Niko Price, André Fialho, and Santiago Ponzinibbio have likely helped the 29-year-old Brazilian earn a big time welterweight showdown.
Jimmy Crute
Jimmy Crute jumped into the deep water straight out of Dana White’s Contender Series and quickly worked his way into the light heavyweight rankings. Back-to-back losses to title contenders Anthony Smith and Jamahal Hill prompted the 26-year-old to take some time off from the Octagon.
The 28-year-old star successfully came over from Cage Warriors and has won all four of his UFC appearances so far. Pimblett will surely be a central figure in the lightweight division as he continues to make his UFC rise.
Tracy Cortez
The 26-year-old finished his debut year in style, going 3-0 with three first-round knockouts. He’s slated for a big jump up in competition, as he will face Randy Brown when the UFC returns to his hometown of Perth, Australia for UFC 284 on February 12th.
Maycee Barber
With eight UFC fights under her belt at the age of 24, Maycee Barber has established herself as a real contender at flyweight.
“The Future” started her career off with three impressive knockout wins before hitting a rough patch against veterans Roxanne Modafferi and Alexa Grasso. She went back to the drawing board and has since rattled off wins over Miranda Maverick, Montana De La Rosa, and Jessica Eye. 2023 will be an important year to see if Barber can truly find her name amongst the flyweight elite.
Terrance McKinney
“T.Wrecks” is just one of those fighters that you can’t help but love. Not only because of his big smile and fun-loving personality, but because the 28-year-old puts on crazy fights each time he steps in the Octagon.
McKinney’s seven-second debut KO over Matt Frevola jumpstarted his UFC career, and other than a small hiccup versus veteran Drew Dober, McKinney has truly been dynamite.
Bo Nickal
We’ve yet to see this man make his UFC debut, but fight fans everywhere are excited to see what Bo Nickal can do.
