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Fighters on the Rise | UFC 313: Pereira vs Ankalaev
Identifying Three Emerging Talents To Pay Close Attention To Inside The Octagon This Weekend
Weeks like this are when this series is the most important, in my opinion, as the pay-per-view spotlight understandably shines brightest on the headlining combatants and the handful of high profile names that join them on the main card, making it even more difficult for the emerging set to garner attention.
It’s different for events at the UFC APEX or Fight Night events on the road, like the one in Seattle a couple weeks back. While the main event fighters still draw the lion’s share of the attention, there is often a greater dispersal of interest throughout the card because there are fights with the same kind of gravitational pull as this weekend’s lightweight title clash between Alex Pereira and Magomed Ankalaev and the combustible co-main event featuring Justin Gaethje and Rafael Fiziev.
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And so, with those two bouts captivating fans and media in the build to UFC 313 on Saturday night at T-Mobile Arena, it’s imperative that we take this time to introduce you to three ascending talents that you really should be keeping close tabs on this weekend, as well.
Meet this week’s collection of Fighters on the Rise.
Iasmin Lucindo
The youngest female on the roster — and fourth youngest fighter overall — Lucindo has already accomplished a great deal despite having just turned 23 at the start of the year.
The strawweight standout brandishes a 17-5 record that includes a 4-1 mark inside the Octagon, having rebounded from her debut loss in 2022 with four consecutive victories, which have carried her to No. 7 in the strawweight rankings. Last time out, the streaking Brazilian collected a split decision win over long-time contender and divisional fixture Marina Rodriguez, which in turn set her up for this weekend’s showdown with Amanda Lemos.
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Obviously, there are a lot of reasons to be excited about a prospect like Lucindo, who should still carry that label despite the fact that she could potentially take up residence in the Top 5 with a win on Saturday. What’s most impressive about her thus far (to me) is the combination of her ability to fight within herself and her uncanny gameness for someone so young.
Here’s what I mean: with a lot of young fighters, they try to do too much — either in terms of throwing spinning and flying attacks that needlessly burn energy, or are simply looking to do things that aren’t really in their arsenal — but Lucindo largely sticks to her fundamentals and the things she’s good at, which is utilizing her solid striking game and mixing in grappling when the situation calls for it.
On top of that, she genuinely wants to be in there and doesn’t shy away from the moment, regardless of who she is in there with. In her debut loss to Yazmin Jauregui, which came when she was still 19 years old, the Academia Fight House representative stood in there with her Mexican counterpart the whole way, despite Jauregui being a massive favorite and fighting relatively close to home in San Diego.
Those are things that often take a great deal of time to develop and build in fighters, if they’re able to develop or build those traits at all, and Lucindo already possesses them. It’s honestly wild that she doesn’t get more attention because she’s the largely actualized idea of what everyone hopes young fighters like Raul Rosas Jr. can grow to become, minus the “but we still have to wait and see” of it all.
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Lemos is a massive test and a former title challenger, but she has also toggled between wins and losses for her last couple fights, and with 38 on the horizon, this could be a good time for Lucindo to pick off her fellow Brazilian and claim her place in the upper echelon of the 115-pound weight class.
Rizvan Kuniev
Speaking of competitors with a chance to potentially catapult themselves into the thick of the divisional chase with a win this weekend…
Kuniev, like Lucindo, steps on against the athlete currently stationed at No. 5 in the divisional rankings on Saturday, making his promotional debut at UFC 313 against Curtis Blaydes in a bout that was originally ticketed for Seattle a couple weeks back, but was shuffled here instead.
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The 32-year-old Russian is 13-2-1 overall with one no contest, having garnered a win, but not a contract, on Season 5 of Dana White’s Contender Series (DWCS) before retuning last season and collecting both by stopping Hugo Cunha on the horn at the end of the opening round. Between those two appearances, Kuniev stopped UFC veteran Anthony Hamilton under the Eagle FC banner, and out-worked Renan Ferreira in the PFL before the bout was ruled a no contest.
Overall, he’s unbeaten in a dozen straight, and getting this instant pairing with Blaydes should serve as an indication of what the UFC thinks about his upside as an incoming heavyweight. The Chicagoland native and Denver-based Blaydes has been a Top 5 competitor in the heavyweight division for the last several years, with his only setbacks coming against champions and title challengers, making him the ultimate measuring stick for Kuniev here.
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He’s been training at American Top Team for nearly a year now, and has the requisite baseline grappling you would expect to see someone from Dagestan possess, while his sudden finish of Cunha showed there is quick, deadly power in his hands as well. Kuniev is a wildly intriguing addition to the big boy ranks, and could emerge as a legitimate contender with a win on Saturday.
You absolutely have to pay close attention to him this weekend.
Mairon Santos
Despite being around since 2005, the reality of The Ultimate Fighter is that the long-running franchise continues to pump out quality talent.
Season 23 winner Tatiana Suarez just challenged for the strawweight title and was favored to beat incumbent Zhang Weili heading into the contest, Macy Chiasson continues to close in on a championship opportunity at bantamweight, and Bryan Battle is one of the top ascending stars in the welterweight division. This weekend, Santos, who won the featherweight competition on Season 32, faces off with fellow up-and-comer Francis Marshall in a compelling assignment for the promising Brazilian.
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Just 24 years old and already brandishing a 14-1 record, Santos has earned a pair of victories since suffering the lone loss of his career to TUF and UFC alum Dan Argueta in an LFA main event three years ago. Training out of Xtreme Couture, the proud new dad claimed the TUF 32 victory by stopping Kaan Ofli in the second round, showing far more of his dynamic and dangerous skill set than he did in the house, where ensuring he was on weight was his greatest concern.
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Mairon Santos Octagon Interview | UFC Fight Night: Cannonier vs Borralho
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Santos is another of these young, clearly skilled fighters coming through the Las Vegas outpost that has obvious upside, but a wealth of room to grow, as well, much like his teammate (and fellow FOTR alum) Mansur Abdul-Malik. Right now, he’s a bundle of potential and someone that shows flashes of brilliance, and it’s exciting to think about what he could become if he stays on the same developmental track going forward.
Marshall is a great introductory dance partner for the Brazilian newcomer — a 25-year-old DWCS alum who has already logged four trips into the Octagon, bookending setbacks against William Gomis and Isaac Dulgarian with wins over Marcelo Rojo and Dennis Buzukja. He’s 8-2 overall, has been training at American Top Team with a host of killers, and should stand as a solid test for the UFC debutant on Saturday.
The landscape in the featherweight division has shifted dramatically in recent weeks, creating even more openings and opportunities as we ready to crown a new champion next month. While he’s a long way from the rankings, a big victory out of the gate would go a long way to establishing Santos as a key part of the emerging set in the 145-pound weight class, and ensure more eyes will be on him whenever he makes his second foray into the Octagon.
UFC 313: Pereira vs Ankalaev took place live from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on March 8, 2025. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!
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