Five Unranked UFC Fighters To Watch In 2024

Every calendar year, some fighters start out relatively unseen or unnoticed, and by the end of the year, they are fan favorites or already inside of the Top 15 rankings … for example, Benoit Saint-Denis, who was 2-1 in Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), being known as the guy who got the life beat out of him in his UFC debut but now is 5-1 with five finishes and on the edge of a huge contender fight.

So, as 2023 comes to a close and with 2024 only a day away, several UFC fighters should be on your radar going into the new year … and we’ve got you covered.

Here are five unranked fighters who must be on everyone’s radar for 2024.

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Rinya Nakamura (8-0)

It is no secret that Japan desperately needs a UFC star, and they could have one. Rinya Nakamura is an undefeated Bantamweight who has looked phenomenal so far in his UFC career. “Hybrid” got to the UFC by running through Road to UFC Season 1, finishing all his opponents in the first round and eventually winning a contract by flatlining Toshiomi Kazama in 33 seconds. In his most recent outing, he dominated Fernie Garcia in Singapore to pick up a unanimous decision.

Nakamura is unique because of his incredible power, but he comes from wrestling, in which he was a World Champion and gave up on his Olympic dreams to become a fighter.

The guy is an exceptional athlete who will go far. Oh, and he speaks English, which is always a plus.

He is set to fight Brady Hiestand at UFC 298 in Feb.

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Diego Lopes (23-6)

There is an argument for Diego Lopes to be the UFC rookie of the year, and he is probably on your radar, but if he isn’t, hop on the Lopes train.

Lopes was grinding on the regional scene for a decade and even lost on Contender Series before getting the short notice call to fight Top 10 ranked Movsar Evloev that changed his life forever. The Brazilian came up short in his UFC debut but gave Evloev absolutely everything he could handle, even receiving his win money in a loss by UFC CEO Dana White.

He followed up his incredible UFC debut by tapping Gavin Tucker in the first round at UFC Nashville and then knocking out Pat Sabatini in 90 seconds.

Lopes will get a shot at the Top 15 rankings soon, maybe even in his next fight.

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Mateusz Rebecki (19-1)

Just like Lopes, Mateusz Rebecki ground on the regional scene for years before getting a shot at the UFC, and thus far, he has turned heads with his talent. While his first fight in the promotion was eyebrow-raising, it ultimately came down to a short-notice opponent switch-up that was completely different from what he was preparing for.

His second and third fights in the UFC were eyebrow-raising in the complete opposite way because he dominated Loik Radzhabov and Roosevelt Roberts, finishing them both.

Rebecki is incredibly well-rounded, has finished 16 of his 19 fights, and has lost in almost ten years. Plus, he is another fighter from Poland, a country that the UFC wants to return to.

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Joe Pyfer (12-2)

Joe Pyfer has had a rocket ship strapped to his back since he earned his UFC contract on season six of Contender Series and has delivered.

He made his UFC debut in 2022 in violent fashion by starching Alen Amedovski in less than four minutes and has been just as violent since. He went 2-0 in 2023, finishing Gerald Meerschaert at UFC 287 and then put Abdul Razak Alhassan to sleep with an arm triangle.

Pyfer holds a 92% finish rate with eight knockouts, is very fun to watch, and can talk trash with the best of them … which he backs up.

Pyfer faces his toughest test to date in Feb., when he takes on No. 10 ranked Middleweight Jack Hermansson, in his first UFC main event.

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Vitor Petrino (10-0)

Another Brazilian knockout artist named Vitor? Yep!

Vitor Petrino had an excellent 2023, going 3-0 with two finishes. In his last outing, he knocked out Modestas Bukauskas at UFC Sao Paulo, and before that, he tapped Marcin Prachnio at UFC 290

“Icão” seems to be the real deal in the Light Heavyweight division to be a legit Brazilian contender. He is well-rounded with seven knockouts, looks the part, and already has a following.

With the Light Heavyweight division being in disarray since Jon Jones left, a few more wins could see Petrino climb the rankings and do some damage.

That’s it, Maniacs! Do any of these fighters pique your interest? If so, let us know.

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