I am writing you this article to provide some of the prospects I feel have relatively high potential in the UFC based off what I’ve seen thus far. I am not stating all of these fighters in this full article have the potential to be the champion of their respective division (though I think some can be). However, I am including them because I believe they have the capability of moving up the rankings and obtaining a very good reputation inside the Octagon.
I realize ‘prospect’ can be perceived as a subjective term so I will specify that the fighters in this article I am referring to have no more than 4 fights in the UFC thus far and have made their promotional debut. By no means have these fighters looked perfect in the UFC thus far. In fact, some of these fighters have lost at least once so far in the promotion, but I believe in their long-term growth and future success which is why I am mentioning them in this piece. I hope you enjoy!
Women’s Flyweight
Ariane Lipski
Despite losing twice in the UFC thus far, Ariane Lipski is a bright prospect in my opinion. Ariane is a good technical striker with length for the division with some power in her hands which she showcased in her most recent fight. Ariane’s takedown’s defense can be improved, but I am hopeful she improves in that area as she is young, learning, and gaining more experience. Assuming Ariane improves her takedown defense enough to keep her fights standing for extended periods of time, I believe she will enter the rankings in this weight class and earn a very good reputation inside the Octagon. I am optimistic there will be more wins and impressive performances from ‘Violence Queen’ in the future.
Molly McCann
Molly McCann became the first female UFC fighter from England to win inside the Octagon and since then she has remained a noteworthy fighter in this promotion. I think Molly McCann has the potential to move up quite a bit in the Women’s Flyweight rankings with her glaring improvements and skillset. Molly had a setback in her UFC debut where he was outwrestled and out grappled by Gillian Robertson which led to a submission loss. However, since then, I’ve noticed a lot of positive adjustments in Molly’s game including her wrestling and grappling which she has utilized to win her recent fights. I like to see significant improvements in fighters fight-to-fight and Molly clearly fits this mold. Molly also has very good boxing as she has some power, very good volume, and proficient technique. Molly’s skillet, intelligence, and personality I think will propel her in the top 5 rankings of
this weight class.
Viviane Araujo
Viviane Araujo has looked impressive in the UFC thus far. Viviane is credentialed in BJJ (Black Belt), has a solid, opportunistic takedown game, a threatening striker, fast, and athletic. Viviane lost her last time out against Jessica Eye as she struggled to control Jessica on the ground, check leg kicks, and got tired. As it pertains her cardio, she’s slowed down in all three of her UFC fights not because her cardio is outright bad, but because her cardio management is not optimal. Viviane has a lot of movement when she’s striking which tires her out more than if she didn’t (obvious, yes, but pointing out for those who haven’t seen her fight for reference). I think it’s good to see fighter’s mobile in striking exchanges, but I would like to see this addressed in a way that will enable her to have good cardio for all three rounds. Still being young in her MMA career and training with the likes of Vincente Luque and Gilbert Burns, will only help Viviane improve and move up the rankings at Flyweight.
Sabina Mazo
Since losing her UFC debut to Maryna Maroz, Sabina Mazo has won 2 consecutive fights. In her first win inside the octagon, Mazo landed 108 significant strikes, 4 takedowns, and three guard passes on the ground per ufcstats.com. In Mazo’s second win inside the octagon she landed 118 significant strikes per ufcstats.com. There is no question that Mazo can push a very high pace by landing an abundance of significant strikes over the course of three rounds. This factor, combined with the fact that she is a very good clinch fighter, a technical striker, has power, and has a long reach for the division will mean Mazo will continue to have success striking until she is matched up with a woman who can replicate similar offense and/or outmatch her technique. In addition, Mazo is very well rounded as she is a capable wrestler and good grappler. Training at Kings MMA with the likes of Kelvin Gastelum, Beneil Dariush, Marvin Vettori, and other talented training partners will help Mazo improve as an MMA fighter. Also, Mazo is still young and getting better with each octagon appearance she’s made in the UFC thus far which makes for a bright future in the UFC.
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