ESPN's yearly list of the top 30 fighters under age 30 can be characterized as a look into the future. These are the young fighters who presumably will take over once the sport's top veterans move on.
But this year's ranking is not merely forward thinking.
Consider that the top two fighters -- Joshua Van in the UFC and Usman Nurmagomedov in the PFL -- aren't rising prospects. They are defending champions. No. 3 Ilia Topuria is a former UFC champion. And Natalia Silva, who sits at No. 9, will go for the vacant women's flyweight title this weekend at UFC 332. In MMA, it seems, "the future is now" is not simply a catchy slogan.
There also are up-and-comers in these rankings, as there are every year, and many who have appeared before are now in different positions, as a year's worth of fight results dictates.
Our panel -- Brett Okamoto, Dre Waters, Jeff Wagenheim, Andrew Davis, James Regan, Sam Bruce, James Dielhenn, Marcus Vanderberg and Alecia Hamm -- selected fighters based on their achievements this year and their potential. Okamoto, Waters and Wagenheim provide breakdowns of the top 30 under 30.
1. Joshua Van
UFC men's flyweight champion
Age: 24
2025 rank: 3
It takes a remarkable athlete to lead this type of list -- but to lead it at 24 years old is just absurd. Van is arguably the purest talent the sport has seen in years. No one could have predicted at the start of 2025, when his ascension truly took off, that he would end the year as ESPN's best breakout fighter. He is undeniably the best active flyweight on the planet and has the personality and charisma to match. Sean O'Malley recently proclaimed on his YouTube channel that Van will go down as the "greatest flyweight of all time." After Van's second win over former longtime champion Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 331, who wants to disagree? -- Okamoto
2. Usman Nurmagomedov
PFL lightweight champion
Age: 28
2025 rank: 7
It's unusual for a fighter outside the UFC to establish himself as the best in his weight class, but that's exactly what Nurmagomedov has done with his perfect 21-0 record. It's not unreasonable to suggest Nurmagomedov would be favored against any other 155-pound fighter in the world, including top-ranked UFC lightweights Justin Gaethje, Arman Tsarukyan and Ilia Topuria. Nurmagomedov is currently a free agent, and his next move is one of the biggest questions in MMA this year. -- Okamoto
3. Ilia Topuria
UFC lightweight
Age: 29
2025 rank: 1
Topuria entered the year as the UFC lightweight champion, ESPN's top-ranked fighter under 30 and on the short list of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world. He got his first chance to defend the belt in a main event at the White House on June 14, but the challenger, Gaethje, handed him the first loss of his professional career, retiring him on the stool after four rounds. Despite the loss, Topuria remains one of MMA's best young fighters. -- Waters
4. Michael Morales
UFC welterweight
Age: 27
2025 rank: 5
Fans love a good knockout, and Morales has handed out KOs regularly on his way to the welterweight title picture. Three consecutive first-round finishes have all the momentum on Morales's side, but he hasn't fought yet this year. He's on champion Islam Makhachev's radar as a future welterweight challenger, but he'll likely need one more win against a top contender to get his first title shot. -- Okamoto
5. Dakota Ditcheva
PFL women's flyweight
Age: 28
2025 rank: 2
One of the most destructive figures in women's MMA, Ditcheva is uniquely violent, boasting a 73% knockout rate in the PFL. The question isn't whether she can be a star, it's how big her star can become. With Jake Paul's Most Valuable Promotions acquiring the PFL going into 2027, we will find out what the ceiling is for Ditcheva's exposure. She is exactly the kind of marketable athlete MVP will get behind. -- Okamoto
6. Song Yadong
UFC men's bantamweight
Age: 28
2025 rank: 28
Song put two years of little activity behind him by fighting three times in the first eight months of 2026. He lost a tight decision to Sean O'Malley in January, but he bounced back in May against another champion, choking out Deiveson Figueiredo. But what elevated Song most on this list -- he was way down at No. 28 last year -- was his knockout of Umar Nurmagomedov in August. That stunning result boosted Song's stock as a men's bantamweight contender. Next up should be another ranked opponent, giving him an opportunity to build off of his recent success. -- Wagenheim
7. Josh Hokit
UFC heavyweight
Age: 28
2025 rank: NR
Hokit's antics on the microphone may not have endeared him to UFC CEO Dana White, who said at UFC 331 that he doesn't like anything Hokit says. But the heavyweight's performance in his second year in the Octagon has skyrocketed him to the top of the division. "I say it all the time: I don't have to like you for you to thrive here and you to do well and be successful," White said of Hokit's ascension. With just four UFC fights under his belt -- three this year -- Hokit is set to challenge Ciryl Gane for the heavyweight championship in the main event at UFC 334 in November. Hokit, who earned a contract on Season 9 of "Dana White's Contender Series" just 13 months ago, already has beaten heavyweight stalwarts Curtis Blaydes and Derrick Lewis in two of the more entertaining fights of the year. Ending 2026 with a UFC championship would be an impressive cap to his year. -- Waters
8. Ian Machado Garry
UFC welterweight
Age: 28
2025 rank: 6
Love him or hate him, Machado Garry might be the best UFC welterweight not named Islam Makhachev. He took the pound-for-pound king five competitive rounds in August and is still in great position to accept some of the biggest fights available as he works his way back toward a second title shot. Machado Garry has said he believes that a loss to Makhachev will only make him better, and there are plenty of reasons to believe the 28-year-old's best is still in front of him. -- Okamoto
9. Natalia Silva
UFC women's flyweight
Age: 29
2025 rank: 9
Silva might be a UFC champion by the end of the weekend. By winning 14 fights in a row, the past eight in the Octagon, she has been looking more and more like championship material. Her three most recent wins came against former titleholders Jessica Andrade, Alexa Grasso and Rose Namajunas. With an injured Valentina Shevchenko having vacated the title, Silva is poised to take over if she handles Wang Cong at UFC 332. Women's flyweight is a highly competitive division, with several pound-for-pound elites. It could be Silva's domain until someone figures out how to contend with her slick movement. -- Wagenheim
10. Quillan Salkilld
UFC lightweight
Age: 26
2025 rank: 23
Somehow, even in a division full of potential superstars, Australia's Salkilld has managed to stand out -- and not just because he has a great mustache. Salkilld's got a look and presence on social media that plays well with the UFC's fanbase, and he has substance to back up the flash. He is on a streak of five consecutive first-round finishes, including in his most recent win, in which he beat submission artist Mateusz Gamrot at his own game with a first-round rear-naked choke. Salkilld has that "it" factor, and if he keeps winning, he will collide with some of the sport's biggest names. -- Okamoto
11. Jean Silva
UFC featherweight
Age: 29
Last year's rank: 15
Silva was denied a higher-profile opportunity when his Noche UFC opponent, popular and flashy Yair Rodriguez, withdrew from last month's fight because of injury. Silva did not suffer a letdown against late replacement Jose Miguel Delgado, taking care of business by doing what he usually does: making the fight his showcase. The win was Silva's second in a row after a September 2025 knockout loss ended a 13-fight winning streak. Silva is building himself toward featherweight contention with an aggressive fighting style that is a dream for fans and a nightmare for opponents. -- Wagenheim
12. Tatsuro Taira
UFC men's flyweight
Age: 26
Last year's rank: 22
Taira won eight of his first nine UFC fights, a run of success capped by a knockout of former two-time men's flyweight champion Brandon Moreno in December. But it was a loss that drew more attention to him -- positive attention. Taira ended up being knocked out by current champion Joshua Van in a title fight in May, but it was a back-and-forth fight that lasted into the fifth round. Taira put the champ in trouble with eight takedowns and over 10 minutes of control time. It was fight of the night, keeping the Japanese fighter in the contender conversation. -- Wagenheim
13. Navajo Stirling
UFC light heavyweight
Age: 28
Last year's rank: NR
Entering 2026, all three of Stirling's UFC wins had come by unanimous decision, but that stretch seems like an anomaly now. Stirling earned a UFC contract via a second-round knockout on "Dana White's Contender Series" in 2024 and had knocked out three of his four professional opponents before that. He officially refound his finishing ways this year, winning each of his three fights by knockout, including a first-round TKO over former light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz in August. Stirling may not have opened the year nearing his first title shot, but if he can take down another former champion in JiYí Procházka on Nov. 21, he'll end the year near the top of the light heavyweight contenders short list. -- Waters
14. Thad Jean
PFL welterweight champion
Age: 28
Last year's rank: NR
The PFL has asked several figures to be the "face of the company" over the years with mixed results. Recently much of that promotional expectation has been heaped on Jean, the 28-year-old who won the 2025 welterweight tournament. Jean has legitimate skills and highlight-reel potential. He's styled on the opponents he should have, and has proven his world-class merit with hard-fought wins over tougher opponents such as Logan Storley and Jason Jackson. -- Okamoto
15. Gabriel Bonfim
UFC welterweight
Age: 29
Last year's rank: 21
Bonfim is another fighter on this list who could be nearing a title shot. He only has competed once this year, but was dominant in a five-round unanimous decision win over former welterweight champion Belal Muhammad. All three judges scored the fight 50-45 for Bonfirm, who claimed the No. 7 spot in ESPN's divisional rankings as a result. Bonfim's biggest hurdle going forward will be the rise in competition in a stacked 170-pound division. His next test will come against No. 6-ranked Sean Brady on Nov. 7. -- Waters
16. Salahdine Parnasse
UFC lightweight
Age: 28
Last year's rank: NR
It's been an interesting year for Parnasse. In January, he defended his lightweight championship in the Polish fight promotion KSW, winning by knockout. He vacated that title to fight on the first MMA card for Jake Paul's Most Valuable Promotions brand. Parnasse scored a first-round knockout over Kenneth Cross on the undercard of the most-watched MMA event ever. Last month he made his UFC debut, scoring another knockout -- his sixth in a row. The first-round finish of Dan Hooker doesn't make Parnasse a contender, but he's someone to keep watching. -- Wagenheim
17. Ateba Gautier
UFC middleweight
Age: 24
Last year's rank: NR
Gautier is an absolute wrecking ball of a human. Nine of his 11 career wins have come by knockout, including seven in the first round. Potential? Off the charts. Momentum? Undeniable. The only question around Gautier isn't about him, but his opposition. His five UFC opponents have a 4-14 combined record inside the Octagon. That will change when he meets Roman Kopylov (15-5) this weekend at UFC 332. If Gautier knocks out Kopylov, his hype will be validated. -- Okamoto
18. Erin Blanchfield
UFC women's flyweight
Age: 27
2025 rank: 11
Blanchfield has been included on ESPN's list of top young prospects nearly every year since she signed with the UFC in 2021. She was ESPN's No. 1 prospect under 25 in 2023, but missed the cut the following year after suffering a one-sided drubbing to Manon Fiorot. She bounced back from that loss with back-to-back wins over Rose Namajunas and Tracy Cortez and is scheduled to take on Jasmine Jasudavicius on Oct. 17 in a battle of top-10 flyweights. -- Waters
19. Payton Talbott
UFC men's bantamweight
Age: 28
2025 rank: 20
You know a young fighter is someone the UFC considers a rising prospect when you start to see him booked against championship-decorated opponents. Talbott is coming off a December win that was convincing enough to send former two-division titlist Henry Cejudo into retirement. This weekend at UFC 332, Talbott will take on another former belt-holder, Deiveson Figueiredo. These kinds of fights draw attention, even when they're against faded stars. If Talbott is successful again, he could be on his way toward ranked opposition and a slow, steady build. -- Wagenheim
20. Lone'er Kavanagh
UFC men's flyweight
Age: 27
2025 rank: NR
He can't live on one performance forever, but Kavanagh's five-round victory over former champion Brandon Moreno in February -- in Mexico, on short notice -- said a lot about this 27-year-old's capabilities. He's 1-2 in his past three appearances, but Kavanagh has a tantalizing amount of potential. How big would a Joshua Van vs. Lone'er Kavanagh title fight be, if Kavanagh were to get on a roll and give England a shot at its next UFC champion? -- Okamoto
21. Paul Hughes
PFL lightweight
Age: 29
2025 rank: 16
Hughes came up short in two attempts to take the PFL lightweight championship from Nurmagomedov last year. Despite losing both fights by decision, Hughes proved himself to be one of the best lightweights in the world. He has been out of action this year due to a knee injury, but now that Nurmagomedov is a free agent, there's a chance for Hughes to challenge for the PFL title again immediately upon returning to active status. -- Waters
22. Gable Steveson
UFC heavyweight
Age: 26
2025 rank: NR
Steveson was about 12 seconds from being a whole lot higher on this list. As an Olympic wrestling gold medalist and two-time NCAA Division I national champion, he was as highly anticipated a prospect as the sport has seen when he transitioned to MMA last year. After winning his first four pro fights by first-round knockout, including his UFC debut in July, Steveson looked like a heavyweight with which to be reckoned. He still might turn into that guy, but getting KO'd by the second punch heavy underdog Sean Sharaf threw at him at UFC 331 two weeks ago put the brakes on the Steveson hype train. The big dude has work to do. -- Wagenheim
23. Muhammad Mokaev
Brave CF men's flyweight champion
Age: 26
2025 rank: 27
One of the most unique -- and frustrating -- careers in MMA continues to play out outside the UFC. It's now been 26 months since Mokaev parted ways with the promotion. It's worth noting that Mokaev's last fight in the UFC was a victory over Manel Kape, who is widely expected to be the next title challenger for Van. Will we ever see a day when Mokaev can return? At the moment, there doesn't seem to be much of a thaw from the UFC side. But Mokaev is still 26 years old and still unbeaten. He's so young and freakishly good that it's impossible to count out any opportunity forever. -- Okamoto
24. Valter Walker
UFC heavyweight
Age: 28
2025 rank: NR
Walker has been the epitome of a one-trick fighter so far in his UFC career. But if his one trick isn't broken, why fix it? Since losing by unanimous decision in his UFC debut in 2024, Walker has been on an absolute tear, beating each of his past five opponents by first-round submission. Four of those finishes have come via heel hook. It wasn't until his most recent victory over Thomas Petersen that the submission ace had to show more of his ability, transitioning from his signature heel hook attempt into a calf slicer submission for the finish. -- Waters
25. David Martinez
UFC men's bantamweight
Age: 28
2025 rank: NR
Look no further than the UFC's matchmaking to decipher how promising Martinez is. The UFC tried to pair him with Umar Nurmagomedov in July, but Martinez was forced to withdraw because of injury. He has quietly taken out some of the most respected veterans in the bantamweight division -- Dan Ige, Marlon Vera and Rob Font -- over the past 12 months and is on the cusp of a top-five ranking. Martinez lacks some of the star power of other names on this list, but he's likely to draw big-name opponents in the near future. Consistent results would inevitably skyrocket every aspect of his career. -- Okamoto
26. Tommy McMillen
UFC featherweight
Age: 28
2025 rank: NR
McMillen, who trains with former UFC men's bantamweight champion Sean O'Malley, has had a breakout performance this year. He earned a UFC contract on "Dana White's Contender Series" a year ago and has strung together three straight wins since. He was tested in his most recent bout, a unanimous decision win over Marwan Rahiki, but he outpointed Rahiki on all three of the judges' scorecards. He's earned the right to take a step up in competition in his next Octagon appearance. -- Waters
27. Jose Miguel Delgado
UFC featherweight
Age: 28
2025 rank: NR
Delgado was victorious in four of his first five trips to the Octagon before running into Jean Silva in the main event of Noche UFC last month. Fighting on short notice, Delgado lost by third-round submission, but he won the first round and held his own until running low on energy, whereupon Silva took over. His success in the early rounds gives Delgado building blocks for the future. -- Wagenheim
28. Raul Rosas Jr.
UFC men's bantamweight
Age: 21
2025 rank: 30
Still just 21 years old, Rosas is 7-1 in the UFC -- and the context around some of those wins is starting to grow. No longer is Rosas a phenom teenager operating on UFC prelims. Coming off his first UFC main event on Sept. 26, Rosas now holds two significant wins over proven veterans in Rob Font and Raoni Barcelos and is a ranked UFC bantamweight ... all before his 22nd birthday next week. There is no comparison to Rosas when it comes to experience gained at such a young age. There are plenty of steps between where he is now and a UFC championship, but he's certainly on the right path. -- Okamoto
29. Baisangur Susurkaev
UFC middleweight
Age: 25
2025 rank: 25
Susurkaev, a longtime training partner of former champion Khamzat Chimaev, made a name for himself last summer when he earned a UFC contract on "Dana White's Contender Series" then made his official debut four days later at UFC 319. He finished both of his opponents in those contests. In his lone appearance this year, Susurkaev picked up another finish, beating Djorden Santos by third-round submission in May. Next, he'll take on a fellow unbeaten prospect Donte Johnson at UFC 334 in November. A win over Johnson could establish Susurkaev as a future problem for top middleweight fighters. -- Waters
30. Iasmin Lucindo
UFC strawweight
Age: 24
2025 rank: 29
Lucindo had won five of six fights and was on the rise before an injury and a failed drug test in September 2025 derailed her. She withdrew from a fight with strawweight contender Gillian Robertson and ended up being suspended for a year, while Robertson went on to a title challenge. Lucindo is eligible to compete again, and at 24 years old she has time to build herself back up to contendership in the 115-pound division. -- Wagenheim