Pereira, Jones, Pena among 25 fighters who will shape UFC landscape in 2025

Every year there are a collection of competitors that dominate and shape the UFC landscape, both inside and outside of the Octagon. Many are familiar, established talents, while some rise through the ranks to enjoy breakout campaigns.

As we head into 2025, here are 25 athletes who could have a major impact in the upcoming year, setting the table for what is shaping up to be another wildly entertaining 12 months of UFC action.

Jon Jones: The heavyweight champion heads into the new year as the centre of attention, as everyone wait to see what his next move will be. Which direction Jones decides to go and how quickly he makes that decision will have immediate and undeniable ramifications on the heavyweight division and the UFC as a whole.

Tom Aspinall: No one wants to know Jones’ plans more than Aspinall, the reigning interim champion who already successfully defended his title once, and is aching to face “Bones” in a title unification bout. The talented Brit is stuck in limbo for the moment, but regardless of whether he fights Jones next or not, Aspinall will be an impact player once he’s back in action.

Alex Pereira: “Poatan” was either first or second on most 2024 Fighter of the Year lists, and is always a top contender to land there again because he likes to compete frequently and has proven incredibly difficult to defeat at light heavyweight. There are options for him within his own division, and he’s the third man in this lingering Jones saga, so count on Pereira to be a major factor again in 2025. Chama!

Islam Makhachev: After making just one title defence last year, Makhachev is slated to defend his belt in January, and heads into the year as one of the most intriguing figures in the UFC. He’s been champ for over two years, has won 14 straight fights (two shy of tying the record), and has already expressed interest in venturing to welterweight at some point. The best pound-for-pound fighter on the planet will be heard from a great deal in the coming year.

Arman Tsarukyan: Not only is he challenging Makhachev for the title at UFC 311, but Tsarukyan is also looking to avenge his previous defeat to the Russian standout. Should he claim the title, it would open a host of new options at the top of the lightweight division as the only tenured contenders he’s faced thus far are Charles Oliveira and Mateusz Gamrot.

Ilia Topuria: The featherweight champ has ensured we’re talking about him heading into the year by declaring he’s ready to give up his title and move to lightweight, which is something everyone assumed would happen at some point, but not quite yet. Topuria promised Alexander Volkanovski a rematch, and fights with Diego Lopes and Movsar Evloev loom, but facing off with Makhachev in a “Champion vs. Champion” bout would be incredibly appealing as well.

Julianna Pena: “The Venezuelan Vixen” is a lightning rod atop the women’s bantamweight division — a polarizing figure who promotes herself and her bouts well, and whose efforts and success can’t be denied at this point. Whether it’s Kayla Harrison or Amanda Nunes next, you know Pena will do a good job of commanding the spotlight and forcing people to pay attention to the first women’s bantamweight title fight of the year.

Kayla Harrison: After going 2-0 in her first year in the UFC, Harrison is in line to challenge for the title in 2025, and between her overall success (and prior Olympic triumphs), her ability to sell herself and her matchups on the mic, and the tensions that exist between her, Pena, and Nunes, there is no way the two-time gold medalist doesn’t have another high impact year as a sophomore on the UFC roster.

Amanda Nunes: Some might view this as a wild card selection, but Nunes has two people itching for her to come back, and that makes her a genuine person of interest heading into 2025, in my mind. “The Lioness” departed the sport as the greatest female fighter of all time less than two years ago, and a return to face either Pena or Harrison with gold hanging in the balance would be a massive fight in the second half of the year.

Merab Dvalishvili: The bantamweight champ dominated Sean O’Malley to claim the title at UFC 306, running his winning streak to 11 in the process, and yet it feels like he’s being looked at like a “transitional champion” as his first title defence approaches. With a victory at UFC 311, “The Machine” will cement his status as the top man in the 135-pound ranks and set up an interesting year for the veteran class in the most talent-rich division in the organization.

Umar Nurmagomedov: “Cousin Umar” is set to challenge Dvalishvili for the title in January and opened as the betting favourite. While he wasn’t as dominant in 2024, Nurmagomedov enters this year with a perfect 18-0 mark and can usher in a new era in the bantamweight division by ascending to the throne on January 18 in Los Angeles.

Belal Muhammad: After claiming the title in July with a five-round mauling of Leon Edwards, Muhammad was supposed to defend his belt at UFC 310, but was forced out with a bone infection. He has won six straight, is unbeaten in his past 11, and more people now like his chances of holding onto the welterweight strap after how the UFC 310 co-main event played out.

Shavkat Rakhmonov: While he bested Ian Machado Garry in the recent “battle of unbeaten contenders” (which came together after his title bout with Muhammad was scuttled), Rakhmonov wasn’t as dominant as he’d been in his previous outings, failing to finish an opponent for the first time in his career. He’s no longer being talked about as the “champion in waiting,” but could still very much end up atop the division before the midway point of the year.

Whether he or Muhammad lead the division into the back half of the year, welterweight stands as the most compelling division heading into 2025 in my opinion, which means both are sure to be major players in the UFC’s plans this year.

Dricus Du Plessis: “Stillknocks” claimed and successfully defended the middleweight title in 2024, and is poised to put the belt back on the line in a rematch with Sean Strickland at UFC 312 in February. His unconventional style leads people to underestimate or maybe even devalue him a little, but the South African champion only turns 31 years old in January and could very well be on the precipice of a long run atop the 185-pound weight class.

Weili Zhang: It was a bummer to only get one appearance from Zhang in 2024, but she’s already scheduled to defend her title at UFC 312 in Perth in February, which, in theory, should guarantee we see her at least twice in 2025. If she holds onto her title, a possible trip to flyweight would ensure that the two-time champion has a massive impact on the UFC landscape in the coming year.

Tatiana Suarez: The oft-injured Suarez has a massive opportunity in front of her to begin the year when she faces Zhang for the belt in Australia. She’s been tabbed to top the division since arriving on the scene more than eight years ago, and if she can do so while also staying healthy — which are both massive question marks — there are numerous intriguing matchups waiting for her at strawweight and flyweight potentially.

Valentina Shevchenko: Now back atop the flyweight ranks, Shevchenko has options heading into the new year, and options usually mean you’re going to make waves. The division is flush with fresh contenders thanks to her three-fight series with Alexa Grasso, while there is also the potential of Zhang or Suarez coming up from strawweight or Shevchenko returning to bantamweight, where she already holds a second-round submission win over Pena.

Manon Fiorot: “The Beast” has been waiting for her championship opportunity since besting Erin Blanchfield at the end of March in Atlantic City, and already took to social media to tell Shevchenko to sign the contract or move on. She’s been a force since arriving in the UFC, and claiming the title would bring the deep and competitive division to the fore, with Fiorot at the vanguard.

Jasmine Jasudavicius: The Niagara Top Team representative is one of the top ascending Canadians on the roster, and someone whose standing continues to grow with each passing appearance and victory. Jasudavicius has a massive fight on deck with Mayra Bueno Silva at the start of February, and a win there could land her another marquee assignment — and some prime real estate — whenever the UFC comes north of the border in 2025.

Alexandre Pantoja: The flyweight champ is a little further down this list because after fighting in December, it’s hard to forecast when he’s going to return. It’s also difficult to know who he’s going to face, but whenever it is and whoever it is against, you know Pantoja will garner tons of attention as he stays focused on following up his statement-making effort against Kai Asakura in another dominant title defence.

Payton Talbott: Arguably the most intriguing prospect on the roster, Talbott generates interest every time he competes, and his matchup with Raoni Barcelos at UFC 311 should be no different. If he can get by the Brazilian veteran in Los Angeles, the DWCS Class of 2023 grad will be knocking on the door of the Top 15 in the bantamweight division, and even more people will be eager to see what comes next for him.

Khamzat Chimaev: Last year showed both the reason everyone is so high on Chimaev, but also why we’re all so leery as well, as he stormed through Robert Whittaker, but only after their matchup was postponed because Chimaev was forced to withdraw. He’s in line to challenge for the title in the back half of the year, and will likely be heard from plenty in the lead-up to February’s championship rematch between Du Plessis and Strickland.

Max Holloway: “Blessed” is set to embark on a new chapter in the lightweight division, and after his masterful and memorable performance against Justin Gaethje at UFC 300, it’s impossible not to be excited about what he could do in the 155-pound ranks. He’s one of the most beloved fighters on the roster and should land a marquee opportunity whenever he’s ready to begin his 2025 campaign, with a win potentially catapulting him into a championship opportunity.

Joe Pyfer: If you’re looking for an unranked fighter who might end the year in contention, Pyfer could be your guy. The DWCS grad bounced back from a February main event loss with a knockout win at UFC 303, and should continue to get quality opportunities to work his way up the rankings in a surprisingly compelling middleweight division in 2025.

Paddy Pimblett: Whether the fight he hinted at on social media comes together for UFC London or not, “Paddy the Baddy” is always garnering attention and making waves. He enters 2025 with a 6-0 mark in the UFC, coming off his best performance to date, and with the organization headed back to The O2 Arena in March, he could get an early start on a high-impact year.