Fighters on the Rise | UFC London

“Taco” really made the absolute most of his opportunities in 2024, and will look to continuedoing so as he ventures across the pond to square off with local favorite Jai Herbert on Saturday.

Called into duty on short notice in April, the 29-year-old Padilla registered a first-round submission win over James Llontop that was one of the biggest betting upsets of the year. Less than five months later, he was back in the win column after earning a second-round stoppage win over Rongzhu, forcing the stoppage with a vicious elbow that promptly caused the returning Chinese fighter’s left eye to swell shut.

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What has really stood out about Padilla’s game through his first two UFC appearances is how polished and comfortable he is inside the cage. Even though he was a debuting fighter last year, he didn’t operate with the same anxious energy or nervous hesitation you see from many younger fighters in that position. Instead, he was confident in his abilities, stayed within himself at all times, and capitalized on the opportunities that presented themselves to him.

The fight with Rongzhu — and the fight-ending sequence itself — are prime examples of this, as the inside elbow Padilla landed was a shot he purposely shifted to eight minutes in after recognizing how his opponent was coming forward and loading up on shots. As the jab came out, Padilla came over the top of it with a crushing elbow, and soon after, the bout was halted.

Saturday in London, Padilla will get the chance to author another upset as he takes on Herbert, a long-time staple of the UK fight scene who has struggled to find consistency inside the Octagon, but remains one of the most beloved British stars in the sport. Though this one may not be a betting upset should Padilla emerge victorious, there won’t be many people in attendance happy about the outcome should that come to pass.

The California native is one of the prototypical types of athletes I want to constantly feature in this series: an unheralded talent that has already started to enjoy some success and could be set to collect the biggest win of his career this weekend. Beating Herbert won’t vault him into the rankings, but a three-fight winning streak in the lightweight division is nothing to sneeze at, and if Padilla gets it done inside the distance again, he’s likely to end up standing opposite someone with an even bigger name next time out.

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And honestly, his nickname is “Taco” — how can you not want to follow and root for him?

Lone’er Kavanagh

We transition from an under the radar competitor to one of the most highly touted young talents on the roster today as the spotlight shifts from Padilla to Kavanagh. 

Unbeaten in eight professional bouts, the 25-year-old Kavanagh earned his spot in the flyweight ranks with a first-round knockout win over fellow undefeated prospect An Tuan Ho in the very first fight on Season 8 of Dana White’s Contender Series (DWCS). A little over three months later, he made his promotional debut in Macau, collecting a unanimous decision win over Jose Ochoa in a quality fight that I’m certain is going to end up being one of those “he fought him then?” type deals somewhere down the line, because Ochoa looks like a quality young talent as well.

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Kavanagh garnered a ton of buzz during his four-fight run under the Cage Warriors banner, where he earned a highlight reel finish of Davide Scarano before outworking Shawn da Silva in his first appearance of last year. What makes him stand out, in addition to his explosive finishing ability, is the composure he shows for someone his age, with his level of experience. He looks like a seasoned veteran in there, not someone with just eight appearances under his belt, and understands that finding ways to ensure your win is better than forcing things and landing on the wrong side of the things. 

It’s honestly uncanny how mature and professional he is already, which is a huge part of why many, myself included, are sky-high on the GB Top Team man.

This weekend, he returns to London to take on Felipe dos Santos in a bout that will serve as an instant opportunity to gauge where Kavanagh is at within the divisional hierarchy. While the Chute Boxe Diego Lima product is just 1-2 through his first three starts, he showed serious upside in his debut, short-notice loss to Manel Kape, and is in that age range at 24 where things could start to click at any point.

The Brazilian has the striking game to potentially test Kavanagh, but the Londoner is quick and varied on the feet, utilizing a lot of kicks and movement, and could very well turn in a strong effort in front of a partisan crowd this weekend. Should that happen, don’t be surprised if the undefeated British newcomer gets a crack at someone with a number next to their name in the very near future.

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Kavanagh has genuine championship potential; now we just wait to see if he’s able to put it all together and reach those lofty heights.

Mick Parkin

And now we go from a British fighter hoping to one day earn a place in the rankings to one of two stationed in the Top 15 at heavyweight.

A member of the DWCS Class of ’22, Parkin has won each of his first four starts under the UFC banner to advance to 10-0 heading into his critical clash with Polish veteran and Top 10 mainstay Marcin Tybura on Saturday. After going the distance with Jamal Pogues, Caio Machado, and Mohammed Usman in his first three outings, Parkin turned in the best performance of his career at UFC 304 last summer at The O2, knocking out Lukasz Brzeski in the first round and earning himself a Performance of the Night bonus for his efforts.

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It’s honestly surprising to me that more people aren’t talking about Parkin, both heading into this weekend and in general, since we’re constantly on the lookout for fresh, emerging names in the heavyweight ranks, and he’s an unbeaten fighter that has still yet to turn 30. Some of that is surely down to the string of decisions that opened his UFC tenure, but it’s also likely due to the fact that he’s a “bangers and mash” type: someone with sound fundamentals, including a quality jab, and zero flash, who gets by on sticking to what he does best and never putting himself in too much trouble.

But here’s the thing: Parkin has been one of the main training partners for former UFC fighter and long-reigning KSW heavyweight kingpin Phil de Fries at Team Fish Tank for a number of years now, and those lads occasionally mix in with interim champ Tom Aspinall and his crew out in Atherton, as well, so you know he’s getting properly schooled in every sense of the word. 

Additionally, we always talk about how difficult it is to win at this level (because it is) and that is all Parkin has done, despite touching down in the UFC with just six appearances to his name. He’s learning on the fly at the highest level in the sport, and is coming off a breakout performance last time out, which makes him another prototypical FOTR candidate, especially given what’s on tap this weekend.

Tybura is the type of sturdy veteran every division needs somewhere in its ecosystem: a battle-tested and skilled veteran that has shared the cage with all the top names at one point or another that is still competitive, which then makes it clear what a win over said individual means. The 39-year-old Polish fighter stopped Jhonata Diniz last time out, and filled this roleopposite both Alexandr Romanov (whom he beat) and Aspinall (whom he did not beat) earlier in his career.

This is the right time for Parkin to take this particular test, and if he can pass it, he’ll likely find himself with a single digit next to his name next week and a chance to face someone else ahead of him in the rankings in his second 2025 appearance, whenever that may come.