Why this year’s class impresses with poise and potential

The UFC is back at its Apex facility in Las Vegas this weekend, with a bantamweight main event between Cory Sandhagen and Song Yadong.

Off the title, 33 years old Chidi Njokuani will make a third appearance at the UFC against Gregory Rodrigues. Njokuani is not a mixed martial arts beginner. He made his professional MMA debut in 2007, and his brother, Anthonywas a fixture of the WEC and UFC for many years.

Technically, however, Njokuani (22-7) To be a UFC rookie this year – and he’s enjoying a great rookie season. He had two first round finishes below his belt, more than Marc-Andre Barriault and Dusko Todorovic. The middleweight is poised for new blood, and if Njokuani can keep winning, he could soon find himself in a big fight against a championship contender.

Besides Njokuani, what other UFC rookies are coming together to make a great 2022? Here are five names that turned heads in their first calendar year with the UFC.

Jailton Almeidalight weight / heavy

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Jailton Almeida takes a dominant win at UFC 279 with a submission against Anton Turkalj.

• UFC debut: First round TKO against Danilo Marques on February 5

• MMA records: 17-2-0, 6-1 by (T) KO, 11-0 by SUB

• Records in 2022: 3-0

Almeida is a potential problem – in two directions. The 31-year-old is in a sweet spot between light and heavyweight, but that could be a good deal as it looks like he could win at both. A Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, Almeida has solid wrestling and athletic abilities along with submissive skills on the ground. He is a proven accomplished player, with most of his career shots coming in the opening round. Right now, he says he’s going to compete at heavyweight, but we’ll see. The UFC has two fairly open divisions that are ripe for a newcomer to join and make a statement.

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Muhammad Mokaev beat Charles Johnson to stay unbeaten in the UFC.

• UFC debut: First round submission against Cody Durden on March 19

• MMA records: 8-0, 2-0 by (T) KO, 3-0 by SUB

• Records in 2022: 2-0

If you want someone who better fits the definition of “rookie”, it’s Mokaev. But while the 22-year-old is just a rookie with a professional record of just 8-0, it should also be noted that he has devoted his time to the youth teams. Mokaev’s amateur record is 22-0 and dates back to 2015. A dominant wrestler from Dagestan, the same Russian republic with the Nurmagomedov family, Mokaev has broken a record of 12 knockouts in a three-round bout in his second appearance at the UFC. Mokaev has matured after the age of 22 and has said that he does not anticipate fighting for long. But one goal he has set is to become the youngest champion in UFC history, a title currently held by Jon Jones (23).

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Jack Della Maddalena beat Pete Rodriguez on his UFC debut with a beautiful left hook at UFC 270.

• UFC debut: Qualifiers with Pete Rodriguez on January 22

• MMA records: 12-2, 10-1 by (T) KO, 1-1 by SUB

• Records in 2022: 2-0

There’s no reason for the UFC to rush to chase Della Maddalena through its weight classes, other than that he’s really good and could be ready for it at 26. Representing Perth, Australia, a region less Known in the MMA world than in the eastern part of that country, Della Maddalena thrived as an independent fighter, a deft striker. Since losing the first two games of his professional career, he is 12-0 with 11 finishes. All but one of those endings came by knockout. His only career win was against another UFC 2022 rookie, Ange Loosa, during a Contenders Series match last year. Della Maddalena has as much confidence, power and motivation as one can have by the end of 2022.

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Michael Morales delivered a powerful blow to Adam Fugitt in the third round to drop him to the frame and win TKO.

• UFC debut: Qualifiers with Trevin Giles on January 22

• MMA records: 14-0, 11-0 by (T) KO, 1-0 by SUB

• Records in 2022: 2-0

Morales is a 23-year-old Ecuadorian prospect fighting in Tijuana, Mexico. He’s not as polished as some of the other names on this list, but the UFC may have discovered a hidden gem here. He has already earned a contract as a contestant on Dana White’s Contenders Series in 2021, as a rather significant underdog team compared to Kazakhstan. Nikolay Veretennikov. He showed off his punching prowess in a quick finish against Giles, before showing his determination and tenacity in a back-and-forth fight against his late substitute. Adam Fugitt in July. Don’t mistake Morales for a finished product, but he has a lot of untapped potential. Much.

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Andre Fialho managed with his left hand knocking out Cameron VanCamp to win the knockout.

• UFC debut: Agree to lose Michel Pereira on January 22

• MMA records: 16-5, 13-3 by (T) KO, 1-0 by SUB

• Records in 2022: 2-2

This year’s Fialho record of .500 won’t jump off the page, but let’s put it into context. On short notice, he made his debut against a top 15 talent in Pereira. Then he won the knockout round against quality opponents in Miguel Baeza and Cameron VanCamp. He’s about to lose TKO with Jake Matthews in a war that might not have been announced. Staying active was one thing, but the battle with Matthews was Fialho’s fourth in six months – and it was his second in 35 days. Whether fatigue led to that result or not, the 28-year-old Fialho was eliminated the right into the mix at 170 pounds. He is experienced, comprehensive and has the ability to finish. And obviously, he enjoyed fighting the regular.