The future is ... this Saturday: Six (possible) stars in the making at UFC 282

Paddy Pimblett made his UFC debut successful September 2021. Two months later, the MMA imaginable retired of England traveled to the United States. Pimblett was accosted for photos successful places similar Times Square successful New York and Yard House edifice successful San Diego.

Fast-forward a small much than a year, and "The Baddy" is nary longer conscionable a prospect. He's blossomed into 1 of the UFC's biggest stars. When helium walks the streets now, successful his autochthonal Liverpool oregon successful cities crossed the U.S., Pimblett has to deterioration a hoodie and spell semi-incognito, helium said, oregon he'll beryllium lasting astir taking photos for 15 to 20 minutes.

"Now, it's conscionable a caller level," Pimblett told ESPN. "Everywhere I go. But I ever said this was gonna happen. If you recovered interviews of maine from 10 years ago, I ever said I was gonna beryllium the biggest prima successful this sport. I'm conscionable proving myself right."

Pimblett has his biggest trial connected his biggest signifier to day Saturday astatine UFC 282 (10 p.m. ET connected ESPN+ PPV). The Scouser volition beryllium successful the co-main lawsuit of the year's last large paper against seasoned lightweight Jared Gordon. It volition lone beryllium Pimblett's 2nd clip warring successful the United States, his archetypal clip connected pay-per-view and his archetypal clip successful a co-main lawsuit role.

In different words, it's his accidental to instrumentality his stardom to caller heights -- from idiosyncratic with a large sanction successful the MMA satellite to a mainstream superstar. One tin spot the penning connected the partition already. Leading into UFC 282, Pimblett has been called retired by everyone from Jake Paul to All Elite Wrestling champion MJF.

"It conscionable shows who the lad is," Pimblett said. "It shows I'm the daddy. Know what I mean? I americium the main star, I'm the currency cattle that I ever said I was gonna beryllium earlier I made my UFC debut. My sanction is connected the extremity of everyone's tongue."

Pimblett, 27, has finished each 3 of his UFC fights frankincense far, winning $50,000 Performance of the Night bonuses for each. Gordon presents a antithetic obstacle -- a durable, gritty combatant who has won 4 of his past 5 UFC fights. "The Baddy" is conscionable looking astatine this bout, though, arsenic the adjacent measurement successful his trajectory.

"You can't find anyone that is similar maine to grapple oregon to onslaught with, due to the fact that I'm a proper, unusual weirdo," Pimblett said. "... No 1 fights similar me. I'm conscionable different. I'm not normal. I'm not similar your mean fighter. I'm precise chaotic and unpredictable. You don't cognize what I'm gonna bash next."

That is so what makes Pimblett truthful dangerous, according to 1 coach. He mightiness not beryllium the champion technician successful immoderate 1 area, but helium volition marque it a dogfight.

"Paddy has each the combat successful the satellite and helium has prima powerfulness written each implicit him," Fight Ready manager Santino DeFranco said. "He's physical, has a bully frame. He's got bully conditioning, bully cardio. His grappling is decidedly his beardown suit. ... The happening that benignant of gets him successful occupation is his striking. He's excessively consenting to brawl. He wants to propulsion down. But he's got each the combat successful the world, he's a dog. And helium truly loves to fight."

If Pimblett gets by Gordon, determination volition beryllium a large 2023 ahead. The hope, Pimblett said, is to combat 1 much clip earlier helium gets joined to his fiancée successful May. The contiguous is already agleam for "The Baddy," but his ceiling for stardom successful the aboriginal seems incredibly high, provided helium wins Saturday.

"This is conscionable different measurement guardant successful my career," Pimblett said. "This is conscionable modular process to me. This is conscionable mean practice. I was the people's main lawsuit anyway, earlier I got enactment to co-main event. I was the crushed radical were buying this paper and buying tickets. I was putting the bums successful the seats. It was my prima power."

Pimblett (19-5) volition beryllium joined connected the UFC 282 paper by 5 different names connected the emergence who are nether 30 years old. Here's a look astatine immoderate of the astir breathtaking prospects featured connected the promotion's year-end card.

Purchase the UFC 282 pay-per-view

Bryce Mitchell, featherweight

Saturday's opponent: Ilia Topuria

UFC vocation frankincense far: Mitchell, 28, showed himself to beryllium some a imaginable and rather the quality erstwhile helium was connected the Ultimate Fighter world amusement successful 2018. The Arkansas autochthonal has lone grown successful some regards. Mitchell is simply a flawless 6-0 successful the UFC and has gotten amended with each fight, the astir caller a ascendant unanimous determination triumph implicit Edson Barboza astatine UFC 272 backmost successful March. "Thug Nasty" has immoderate of the champion grappling successful the division, someway convinced the UFC to let him to deterioration camo Venum shorts arsenic portion of his combat kit and is adamant that the Earth is flat. In different words, helium is precise overmuch idiosyncratic to watch.

Potential aboriginal fights to look retired for: If helium beats Topuria, he'll vault into the precocious echelon of the 145-pound division. There's 1 that was expected to hap past period -- Mitchell against Movsar Evloev -- that would person been peculiarly intriguing. Evloev, who withdrew from that scheduled combat owed to injury, has ascendant wrestling and grappling skills. Mitchell is simply a savant connected the ground. It would person been a conflict of possibly the apical 2 guys connected the mat successful the division. What astir a matchup successful the aboriginal with Brian Ortega? That would beryllium a Brazilian jiu-jitsu clinic.

Scouting report, from New England Cartel manager Tyson Chartier: "Obviously, his grappling is top-notch, astir similar a Khabib Nurmagomedov. If helium went successful a muay Thai fight, would helium beryllium a method striker? Probably not. But successful MMA, the fearfulness of the takedown and the crushed crippled is ever the large equalizer for him. He's unsafe connected the feet now, due to the fact that of that, if you look astatine the Edson fight. You could enactment him successful determination present with immoderate of these top-two, -three, -five guys and helium has a accidental of winning each those fights. The ceiling is precise precocious for him, particularly if he's improving his striking."

Ilia Topuria, featherweight

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Ilia Topuria catches Ryan Hall with a large punch precocious successful the archetypal circular of their bout astatine UFC 264.

Saturday's opponent: Bryce Mitchell

UFC vocation frankincense far: Topuria, 25, looks thing but awesome and is idiosyncratic the UFC has precocious hopes for with regards to aboriginal European expansion. Topuria, who is of Georgian descent, is based retired of Alicante, Spain, and the UFC conscionable brokered a concern with elite Spanish shot league LaLiga. Since making his UFC debut successful 2020, Topuria is 4-0 successful the promotion and has finished his past 3 fights via convulsive knockout. In his astir caller bout, helium fought backmost against adversity earlier stopping Jai Herbert with punches successful the archetypal circular astatine UFC London successful March.

Potential aboriginal fights to look retired for: There are respective knockout artists successful the UFC's featherweight part that would precise apt nutrient fireworks against the heavy-handed Topuria. Consider matchups with Josh Emmett, Calvin Kattar oregon Yair Rodriguez. One of the questions astir Topuria's future, though, has to bash with his value cut. The triumph implicit Herbert was astatine lightweight and Topuria is simply a giant, well-muscled 145-pound fighter. Topuria's aboriginal mightiness beryllium astatine 155.

Scouting report, from Xtreme Couture MMA manager Eric Nicksick: "I deliberation Topuria is very, precise bully each around. I wouldn't accidental helium has galore holes successful his game. What's awesome to maine is however good helium does successful stymieing guys' crippled plans. And erstwhile helium hurts someone, the termination shots are evident to him. He is precise businesslike and precise smart, and erstwhile helium finds his openings, that's erstwhile his instincts are precise good. He knows erstwhile to go. He relied connected his grappling successful the Herbert combat and got a nasty decorativeness with that liver punch-overhand combination. He truly utilizes his full accomplishment acceptable to find his way to triumph that's astir apt the slightest evasive. I deliberation this combat volition beryllium a telltale motion of wherever helium tin go."

Dricus du Plessis, middleweight

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Dricus Du Plessis needs conscionable 1 punch to sound retired Trevin Giles successful their prelim bout astatine UFC 264.

Saturday's opponent: Darren Till

UFC vocation frankincense far: Unlike the others connected this list, du Plessis has a satellite of experience. This play helium volition successful his 20th pro fight, contempt being lone 28 years old. The South African was adjacent a erstwhile KSW (Poland) welterweight and EFC (Africa) middleweight champion earlier signing with the UFC. Since coming to the UFC successful 2020, Du Plessis is 3-0 with a brace of KO/TKOs. But helium arguably showed adjacent much successful a unanimous determination triumph implicit durable seasoned Brad Tavares astatine UFC 276 backmost successful July. Du Plessis is not acrophobic to get roped into a brawl, and his robust chin and unorthodox striking marque those types of fights arguably preferable for him.

Potential aboriginal fights to look retired for: This 1 against Till is simply a monolithic one. Till is 1 of the astir fashionable fighters successful the part and is simply a erstwhile welterweight rubric challenger. Du Plessis is inactive trying to marque a sanction for himself successful the UFC, and a triumph implicit Till would not lone bash that, but besides springboard du Plessis into large contender bouts. Bouts with strikers Paulo Costa and Sean Strickland would beryllium peculiarly interesting.

Scouting report, from Nicksick: "Very absorbing benignant of fighter. Very erratic with his cadence. There's ne'er a tell. I don't deliberation he's gonna spell with a rhythm. He'll propulsion a power cross, step-through transverse for nary crushed whatsoever. Not a batch of things are acceptable up disconnected of counters. He has this wrecking shot mentality. He's conscionable gonna benignant of tally done immoderate and anticipation thing lands. I don't mean to beryllium rude erstwhile I accidental it. It's very, precise hard to get a work connected the kid and what helium wants to do. His powerfulness is successful his close hand, but [he] has the capableness of landing from some stances. The 1 happening astir him that stands retired to maine is his toughness. He's gritty and down to f---ing scrap. There's a portion wherever the rival versus the combatant comes out, and he's consenting to conscionable you successful the mediate and scrap. That, to me, is his biggest property -- his willingness to combat you."

Raul Rosas Jr., bantamweight

Saturday's opponent: Jay Perrin

UFC vocation frankincense far: He hasn't had one. Rosas, who turned 18 years aged successful October, is the youngest combatant to ever beryllium signed by the UFC, backmost erstwhile helium was conscionable 17. The Mexican fighter, who lives and trains successful Las Vegas, won his mode onto the roster connected Dana White's Contender Series successful September, beating Mando Gutierrez via unanimous decision. Rosas is simply a legit imaginable who has highly high-level grappling and poise good beyond his age. He's 6-0 successful MMA with 5 finishes.

Potential aboriginal fights to look retired for: It's truthful aboriginal for Rosas that helium has a afloat 5 years to go the youngest champion successful UFC history, which is simply a extremity helium has acceptable for himself. Jon Jones won the UFC airy heavyweight loop astatine 23 years old. Rosas is inactive a teen. Plenty of improvement volition beryllium needed, but if helium makes dependable improvements, helium could beryllium a existent problem. Judging by his archetypal opponent, the UFC won't propulsion Rosas excessively overmuch this soon. Perrin is 0-2 successful the UFC and 10-6 arsenic a pro. If Rosas beats Perrin, 1 would expect an incremental measurement up successful contention opening successful 2023.

Scouting report, from Chartier: "He's a high-level grappler and he's precise assured successful his grappling, truthful overmuch truthful that he'll enactment himself successful atrocious positions to play jiu-jitsu and get a amended presumption down the road. It's hard to enactment immoderate ceiling connected him close now. Unless helium rounds retired his striking, the ceiling isn't arsenic precocious arsenic everyone wants it to be. But it's hard to archer an 18-year-old they can't improve. I deliberation arsenic agelong arsenic he's making the close decisions, surrounding himself with the close radical and improving connected his deficiencies similar striking, past helium tin ascent the division. The entity is the limit. But [with] the accomplishment acceptable now, you can't beryllium a top-10 feline being somewhat one-dimensional. And erstwhile you're astatine that level, you can't spend to enactment yourself successful a atrocious presumption -- you can't marque immoderate mistakes."

Edmen Shahbazyan, middleweight

Saturday's opponent: Dalcha Lungiambula

UFC vocation frankincense far: Shahbazyan was 10 days shy of his 21st day erstwhile helium debuted successful the UFC backmost successful 2018. He came onto the country with a ton of hype disconnected Dana White's Contender Series, and astatine the clip helium was managed by Ronda Rousey and coached by Rousey's longtime mentor, Edmond Tarverdyan. Shahbazyan, present 25 years old, started disconnected reddish hot, winning 4 straight, including 3 via finish. But aft that, the UFC started feeding him existent contenders, and helium has dropped 3 consecutive to Derek Brunson, Jack Hermansson and Nassourdine Imavov. Wrestling and cardio were wide holes successful his game, and helium has since moved to Xtreme Couture successful Las Vegas for his grooming camps.

Potential aboriginal fights to look retired for: He truly needs to get by Lungiambula first. A nonaccomplishment present and Shahbazyan mightiness beryllium released from the UFC and person to enactment his mode back. But helium is the favourite successful this combat and inactive has each the imaginable helium showed 4 years agone erstwhile helium debuted. Maybe helium wasn't acceptable for those types of fights successful his aboriginal 20s. But changing gyms shows a willingness to shingle things up. If Shahbazyan tin drawstring a mates of wins unneurotic aft this weekend, helium could beryllium close backmost successful the plaything of things astatine 185 pounds. Time is inactive connected his side.

Scouting report, from DeFranco: "Edmen has each the skills successful each of the areas that anyone could ever perchance want. His happening is helium quits; helium quits erstwhile it gets tough. And you tin spot it from the start. He's a one-round fighter, and I deliberation he's mode amended than that. He fights precise nervous. It's wherefore erstwhile helium doesn't get the finish, helium benignant of crumbles. It seems similar a intelligence thing. He's got a beauteous jab, beauteous debased kick, his caput question is great. His violative wrestling is not phenomenal, but helium gets the occupation done. It's bully enough, and you mates that with his athleticism and he'll get the combat to the ground. Going to Xtreme Couture is going to beryllium precise bully for him, to beryllium thrown into the fire. I deliberation helium got into the UFC excessively young."