4 – Tyson Pedro
It’s not easy to return to the Octagon after a long layoff. Tyson Pedro’s layoff doesn’t count as long. His is in its own category – call it the Cruz, after former bantamweight king Dominick Cruz, who made it a habit of doing the impossible after being sidelined for years at a time. So when Pedro made his first start since December of 2018, there were an endless amount of question marks. But in less than five minutes, Pedro at least answered most of them in halting Ike Villanueva. Is the Aussie all the way back? That remains to be seen, but at least he’s back and with the same potential to make some noise at 205 pounds that he had before his layoff.
Order UFC 274: Oliveira vs Gaethje
5 – Maycee Barber
Talent can get you to a certain point in any sport. But only experience can teach you how to win when the water gets deeper, and Maycee Barber, still just 23 years old, is starting to get that intangible under her belt. Of course, “The Future” roared out of the gate with three straight stoppage wins in the UFC, but after losses to Roxanne Modafferi and Alexa Grasso that sandwiched a year-long layoff, some wondered if the obvious talent was going to be enough. But Barber adjusted, gutted out a close win over Miranda Maverick, and then did what was necessary to turn back Montana De La Rosa last Saturday. No, the wins won’t always be spectacular, but a win is a win, and getting her hand raised consistently is the quickest way to a world title.
UFC 274 FREE FIGHTS: Namajunas vs Andrade 2 | Ferguson vs Lee | Esparza vs Namajunas 1 | Gaethje vs Chandler | Oliveira vs Poirier
