Top 5: Fighters on the Rise at UFC Vegas 115
· Yahoo Sports
Abdul-Rakhman Yakhyaev seems to possess all the tools necessary to blossom into a full-bloom star in the Ultimate Fighting Championship light heavyweight division.
The aptly named “Hunter” will put his perfect professional record on the line when he confronts Brendson Ribeiro in a featured UFC Fight Night 272 attraction on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Yakhyaev, 25, has finished seven of his first eight opponents, six of them inside one round. The former Ares Fighting Championship and Khan Fight titleholder made his Octagon debut at UFC Fight Night 265, where he needed just 33 seconds to dispatch Raffael Cerqueira with a rear-naked choke on Nov. 22. It was his third sub-minute stoppage victory. Yakhyaev, who punched his ticket to the UFC via Dana White’s Contender Series some seven months ago, holds the prestigious Master of Sports designation in combat sambo and mixed martial arts.
The 13-fight lineup at UFC Fight Night 272 features several fighters on the rise, with Yakhyaev at or near the top of the list. Four others to monitor:
Rafael Estevam
Bantamweight | 14-0 (3-0 UFC)Estevam finds himself in the middle of a slow but steady ascent in the 135-pound weight class. The unbeaten Nova Uniao export toes the line against Ethyn Ewing in a compelling three-round bantamweight showcase. Estevam, 29, was a Shooto Brazil champion before he arrived in the UFC three-plus years ago. He last fought at UFC on ESPN 71, where he outpointed Felipe Bunes to a unanimous decision on Aug. 2. Estevam has recorded 16 takedowns in his three appearances inside the Octagon—victories over Bunes, Jesus Santos Aguilar and Charles Johnson.
Alice Pereira
Women’s Bantamweight | 6-1 (0-1 UFC)Pereira’s talents as a high-ceiling prospect are undeniable, but she remains unpolished as someone who linked arms with the promotion as a teenager. The Brazilian, now 20, returns to the cage to face Hailey Cowan in a three-round women’s bantamweight prelim. Pereira made her promotional debut to mixed reviews at UFC Fight Night 259, where she wound up on the wrong side of split scorecards against Montserrat Rendon on Sept. 13. She had won her first six bouts as a pro, five of them via finish and four of them inside one round. Young fighters are known to make significant strides from fight to fight—a tendency the UFC hopes Pereira follows in her latest test at the sport’s highest level.
Tommy McMillen
Featherweight | 9-0 (0-0 UFC)McMillen provides some welcomed depth to the featherweight midcard. The 28-year-old Red Hawk Academy product makes his organizational debut opposite Manolo Zecchini in a featured clash at 145 pounds. McMillen has delivered eight of his nine wins by knockout, technical knockout or submission. The Great Falls, Montana, native secured his spot on the roster via DWCS on Sept. 2, when he posted a majority decision over David Mgoyan. McMillen marches into his first UFC assignment with a championship pedigree, as he captured a Fusion Fight League title during his rise through the regional ranks.
Dakota Hope
Lightweight | 11-1 (0-0 UFC)Hope answers the UFC’s call to arms for the first time under less-than-ideal circumstances. The once-beaten Texan jumps up a division when he locks horns with Kai Kamaka III in an impromptu lightweight prelim between two men who typically compete at 145 pounds. Hope trains alongside current UFC flyweight champion Joshua Van at the 4oz. Fight Club in Houston. The Peak Fighting titleholder last saw action under the Fury Fighting Championship banner on Feb. 20, when he punched out Mauricio Gomez less than two minutes into their confrontation. Hope now boasts five first-round finishes on his resume.
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