20 UFC Prospects Destined For Big Things In 2020

As we've already discussed with Gregor Gillespie, being a prospect in the lightweight division is a rough task for anyone. It's one of, if not the, most competitive division in the entirety of MMA, with every fighter in the top-15 having the ability to challenge for the title. Of course, there's also the fact that Khabib Nurmagomedov sits atop of the division and defeating him is a hell of task.

However, that doesn't mean lightweight is devoid of upcoming talent. Along with Gillespie, Dagestani wrestler and teammate of Nurmagomedov Islam Makhachev might be the best unsung fighter in the entire promotion. However, it won't be very long until he's being talked about alongside the other contenders.

Makhachev has a similar wrestling style to Nurmagomedov, taking opponents down and crushing them until they've got zero energy left and can barely attack. However, unlike Khabib, who has more of a crushing style to his grappling, Makhachev is a bit more adventurous when going for submissions.

He's not reckless by any means, but he's certainly not afraid to attempt things. While they're both about equal on the ground, Makhachev is actually a little better at striking than Nurmagomedov, which makes him an interesting problem for his opponents.

Whatever happens, it won't be very long until Makhachev is competing against the top fighters at 155 lb. Just don't be too surprised if he ends up beating a few of them.