ESPN's yearly list of the top 30 fighters under age 30 can be characterized as a look into the future. These are the young fighters who presumably will take over once the sport's top veterans move on. But this year's ranking is not merely forward thinking. Consider that the top two fighters -- Joshua Van in the UFC and Usman Nurmagomedov in the PFL -- aren't rising prospects. They are defending champions. No. 3 Ilia Topuria is a former UFC champion. And Natalia Silva, who sits at No. 9, will go for the vacant women's flyweight title this weekend at UFC 332. In MMA, it seems, "the future is now" is not simply a catchy slogan.
Our panel -- Brett Okamoto, Dre Waters, Jeff Wagenheim, Andrew Davis, James Regan, Sam Bruce, James Dielhenn, Marcus Vanderberg and Alecia Hamm -- selected fighters based on their achievements this year and their potential. Okamoto, Waters and Wagenheim provide breakdowns of the top 30 under 30.
1. Joshua Van UFC men's flyweight champion Age: 24 2025 rank: 3 It takes a remarkable athlete to lead this type of list -- but to lead it at 24 years old is just absurd. Van is arguably the purest talent the sport has seen in years. No one could have predicted at the start of 2025, when his ascension truly took off, that he would end the year as ESPN's best breakout fighter. He is undeniably the best active flyweight on the planet and has the personality and charisma to match. Sean O'Malley recently proclaimed on his You Tube channel that Van will go down as the "greatest flyweight of all time." After Van's second win over former longtime champion Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 331, who wants to disagree? -- Okamoto
2. Usman Nurmagomedov PFL lightweight champion Age: 28 2025 rank: 7 It's unusual for a fighter outside the UFC to establish himself as the best in his weight class, but that's exactly what Nurmagomedov has done with his perfect 21-0 record. It's not unreasonable to suggest Nurmagomedov would be favored against any other 155-pound fighter in the world, including top-ranked UFC lightweights Justin Gaethje, Arman Tsarukyan and Ilia Topuria. Nurmagomedov is currently a free agent, and his next move is one of the biggest questions in MMA this year. -- Okamoto
Source: ESPN General · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing