UFC 30th Anniversary
The Best 30 Under 30 | Athletes 30-21
We Take A Look At Some Of The Best Athletes On The UFC Roster That Are Under 30 Years Old
In 2023, the UFC celebrates its 30th anniversary. Each year, the Octagon is home to incredible performances and moments, some of which belong to rising young fighters or fighters who are hitting their stride before reaching 30 years old.
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.
RELATED: 30 Under 30 | The Honorable Mentions
But which fighters under 30 are the best and/or have brightest futures ahead of them?
You’re about to find out fighters 30-21, who are budding contenders looking to join the ranks of their division’s elite.
30. Serghei Spivac
The heavyweight mauler has faced some top-notch competition since joining the UFC at 23 years old. Wins over respected fighters such as Augusto Sakai, Aleksei Oleinik, and Tai Tuivasa have helped Spivac rise up the ranks. His 2019 submission win over Tuivasa has aged especially well and flashed just how dominant Spivac could be.
Serghei Spivac | This Is Just The Beginning
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Serghei Spivac | This Is Just The Beginning
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Now at 28 years old and with some more experience under his belt, The “Polar Bear” will face former heavyweight title challenger Derrick Lewis in a UFC Fight Night main event on February 4. The fight between Spivac and Lewis was initially scheduled for November 19, 2022, but an illness forced Lewis to pull out of the bout. The fight was immediately rebooked.
Next Up: Beating “The Black Beast” is Spivac’s big chance to break through and place himself in the upper echelon of the heavyweight division.
29. Casey O’Neill
If not for a knee injury in July of 2022, who knows where “King Casey” would have ended up in the rankings by the end of the year. The 25-year-old Scottish-born Australian flyweight got off to a fast start in her UFC career, finishing her first three Octagon opponents.
At UFC 271, O’Neill faced highly respected veteran Roxanne Modafferi and beat her by split decision. Although the judges ruled the fight a split, O’Neill’s performance was highly impressive as she set the new three-round flyweight record for significant strikes landed.
O’Neill currently sits at No. 11 in the flyweight rankings, and a couple big wins in 2023 could move her into title contention. It will be interesting to see how a healthy “King Casey” comes back and fares against the division’s top 10.
28. Grant Dawson
Grant Dawson might be the UFC’s best kept secret.
The 28-year-old American Top Team fighter is 19-1-1, and on an 11-fight unbeaten streak. Unfortunately for Dawson, he’s a member of the always stacked UFC lightweight division.
It can be tough to get noticed with some of the sport’s biggest stars ahead of you, but Dawson has been working on making a name for himself.
See Everything That's Happening In The Lightweight Division
Back-to-back submission wins over Jared Gordon and Mark O. Madsen earned Dawson a spot in the rankings. What’s next for Dawson should be a step up in competition with interesting fights ahead of him no matter what name he gets.
27. Sodiq Yusuff
“Super” Sodiq Yusuff came into the UFC from Dana White’s Contender Series and immediately showcased that he’s a name to keep an eye on.
Yusuff’s only slip-up in the Octagon came at the hands of No.4 ranked contender Arnold Allen. Since then, he bounced back versus veteran Alex Caceres and newcomer Don Shainis.
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2023 will be an important year for Yusuff, who might look to get rebooked against Giga Chikadze or another top 10 fighter in his next bout. It could be Yusuff’s time to establish that he’s going to be a featherweight contender for the foreseeable future.
26. Mackenzie Dern
There is no doubt that Mackenzie Dern is one of the most unique matchups for any strawweight.
The 29-year-old jiu jitsu ace has found her footing alongside the top fighters at 115 pounds. Wins over Virna Jandiroba, Nina Nunes, and Tecia Torres have proven that Dern’s skills have significantly evolved since joining the UFC in 2018.
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Although Dern came up short in her most recent fight opposite of Yan Xiaonan, it’s evident that any time that Dern is scheduled to fight, she is always threatening to finish the fight and give everything she has to get a win.
25. Amanda Ribas
The energetic Amanda Ribas started off her UFC career in style, winning each of her first four UFC bouts and quickly rising up the strawweight rankings (she is currently ranked 9th). One of those wins came against Mackenzie Dern and showcased that Ribas was ready for tough competition.
The 29-year-old has since bounced between weight classes due to some short-notice opportunities at flyweight. She’s gone 1-2, with her two losses coming to top contenders Katlyn Chookagian by split decision and to Marina Rodriguez.
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Next Up: Ribas is booked to face No. 7 flyweight Viviane Araújo at UFC 285: Jones vs Gane on March 4 as she continues to climb the ranks at flyweight.
24. Umar Nurmagomedov
Umar Nurmagomedov Knocks Raoni Barcelos Out In Round 1 | UFC Fight Night: Strickland vs Imavov
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Umar Nurmagomedov Knocks Raoni Barcelos Out In Round 1 | UFC Fight Night: Strickland vs Imavov
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There is a connotation of greatness that comes with the last name “Nurmagomedov,” and if fight fans didn’t think Umar Nurmagomedov was the real deal, his emphatic knockout win over Raoni Barcelos at UFC Fight Night: Strickland vs Imavov likely did the trick.
At 16-0, the 27-year-old undefeated bantamweight is one of the hottest names in the division and he’s looking to make big strides in 2023.
See What Nurmagomedov Said After Knocking Out Barcelos
The biggest hurdle that Nurmagomedov has faced so far in his UFC career is inactivity, as he’s just had four UFC fights in two years with the organization. Hopefully starting off 2023 with a great victory early can help Nurmagomedov get multiple trips to the Octagon before the calendar year is up.
If he can do that, we’ll see Nurmagomedov up against the bantamweight division’s best.
23. Muhammad Mokaev
At age 22, flyweight Muhammad Mokaev is one of the brightest young prospects in the division.
Muhammad Mokaev's Quick Round 1 Submission | UFC Fight Night: Volkov vs Aspinall
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Muhammad Mokaev's Quick Round 1 Submission | UFC Fight Night: Volkov vs Aspinall
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Mokaev started his UFC career off with a bang, submitting Cody Durden in under a minute, and he ended his rookie campaign with two more dominant victories.
Those performances earned Mokaev a spot in the rankings and showcased that even though he’s fairly green when it comes professional MMA experience (9-0-1 overall), he’s more than ready to compete with some of the killers at flyweight.
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Next Up: Mokaev will fight Jafel Filho at UFC 286 in London on March 18th. It will be Mokaev’s third time making the walk at the O2 in London and if he can make it 3-0, there are big fights ahead for him at 125 pounds.
22. Erin Blanchfield
New Jersey’s Erin Blanchfield has all the makings of a future star.
At just 23 years old, “Cold Blooded” has lived up to her nickname en route to highly impressive wins over Miranda Maverick, JJ Aldrich, and Molly McCann. The win over McCann was particularly eye-opening for fight fans, as Blanchfield completely overwhelmed McCann under the bright lights of Madison Square Garden.
WATCH: Blanchfield Reacts To Defeating McCann
Next Up: The UFC took notice of Blanchfield’s performance against McCann and slated her to go up against title challenger Taila Santos at UFC Fight Night: Vera vs Sandhagen on February 18. A win over Santos could be Blanchfield’s fast track to fighting for the UFC flyweight title by the end of 2023.
21. Adrian Yanez
Fight fans have been eagerly waiting for the return of Adrian Yanez – and for good reason.
Adrian Yanez Octagon Interview | UFC Fight Night: Kattar vs Emmett
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Adrian Yanez Octagon Interview | UFC Fight Night: Kattar vs Emmett
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Yanez introduced himself with a stunning 39-second knockout win on season 4 of Dana White’s Contender Series and hasn’t looked back since. The 29-year-old Houston native has won each of his five UFC bouts thus far, including blistering knockouts wins over Victor Rodriguez, Gustavo Lopez, Randy Costa, and Tony Kelley.
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Those victories have positioned Yanez, who hasn’t competed since June of 2022, for big fights in 2023.
It’s yet to be seen how Yanez’s in your face, stand and bang style will translate when he’s up against other bantamweight contenders, but you can guarantee fight fans will be tuned in to see how he handles the level-up in competition.
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