8 UFC Stars Set To Dominate 2020

Big things lie ahead in 2020 for these fighters.

by Andrew Pollard
amanda nunes UFC 200
John Locher/AP

It feels bizarre to say that we're now in 2020, but hey, we're in 2020. Yes, for those of us born in certain decades, that makes us feel even older than we are, yet Father Time ticks on, whether we like it or not.

For fighters, Father Time is a major factor in a career. One moment, you're the best in the world. The next moment, you find yourself struggling to keep up with the young fighters of today. Looking at what lies ahead for the UFC in 2020, there are several fighters who are nearing their peak or who are already there - and those fighters could well dominate the fight game throughout this year.

There are already some huge fights lined up for the first few months of 2020 - Conor McGregor vs. Donald Cerrone and Jon Jones vs. Dominick Reyes being two standouts - and this year could prove to be one of the best in recent memory should the stars align.

Some fighters may be emerging talent, some may be established stars, but here are eight fighters who could do some truly special things in 2020.

8. Henry Cejudo

It was always going to take a special fighter to finally dethrone Demetrious Johnson as the UFC Flyweight Champion. After successfully defending his title a stunning 11 times - including an April 2016 win over Henry Cejudo - it was a rematch against The Messenger at UFC 227 that eventually led to Johnson losing the gold.

At last June's UFC 238, Cejudo continued to showcase his skills as he defeated Marlon Moraes for the vacant UFC Bantamweight Championship - making him just the fourth UFC fighter ever to simultaneously hold two championships across two different weight classes.

Only a matter of weeks ago the Olympian announced plans to vacate the UFC Flyweight Championship, with his 2020 focus to be solely on bantamweight action. Unfortunately, a shoulder issue currently has Cejudo on the shelf, but Aljamain Sterling, Peter Yan, Raphael Assuncao, and an inevitable rematch against Marlon Moraes are just some possibilities for Cejudo in 2020.

Following the only two losses of his professional career - at UFC 197 to Demetrious Johnson and at TUF: Tournament of Champions Finale against Joseph Benavidez - Henry Cejudo is currently on a five-fight win streak. And that win streak could well continue throughout the year once Cejudo steps back into the Octagon.

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Once described as the Swiss Army Knife of WhatCulture, Andrew can usually be found writing, editing, or presenting on a wide range of topics. As a lifelong wrestling fan, horror obsessive, and comic book nerd, he's been covering those topics professionally as far back as 2010. In addition to his current WhatCulture role of Senior Content Producer, Andrew previously spent nearly a decade as Online Editor and Lead Writer for the world's longest-running genre publication, Starburst Magazine, and his work has also been featured on BBC, TechRadar, Tom's Guide, WhatToWatch, Sportkskeeda, and various other outlets, in addition to being a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic. Between his main day job, his role as the lead panel host of Wales Comic Con, and his gig as a pre-match host for Wrexham AFC games, Andrew has also carried out a hugely varied amount of interviews, from the likes of Robert Englund, Kane Hodder, Adrienne Barbeau, Rob Zombie, Katharine Isabelle, Leigh Whannell, Bruce Campbell, and Tony Todd, to Kevin Smith, Ron Perlman, Elijah Wood, Giancarlo Esposito, Simon Pegg, Charlie Cox, the Russo Brothers, and Brian Blessed, to Kevin Conroy, Paul Dini, Tara Strong, Will Friedle, Burt Ward, Andrea Romano, Frank Miller, and Rob Liefeld, to Bret Hart, Sting, Mick Foley, Ricky Starks, Jamie Hayer, Britt Baker, Eric Bischoff, and William Regal, to Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones, Phil Parkinson, Brian Flynn, Denis Smith, Gary Bennett, Karl Connolly, and Bryan Robson - and that's just the tip of an ever-expanding iceberg. Where his beloved Wrexham AFC is concerned, Andrew is co-host of the Fearless in Devotion podcast, which won the Club Podcast of the Year gong at the 2024 FSA Awards.