There are nearly 700 fighters on the UFC roster, meaning some athletes get lost in the mix.
With so many fighters competing inside the Octagon these days, it’s easy for fighters to get lost in the shuffle.
Advertisement
That’s why we’ve taken a look at five of the most underrated fighters in the UFC today, and they are included in our list below.
The only rules for inclusion on this list are that the fighters must be coming off a win, and they currently cannot be ranked in the Meta UFC Rankings as of July 5, 2026.
With a 5-1 UFC record including four finishes, unranked middleweight Nursulton Ruziboev is one of the UFC’s most underrated fighters right now.
Nursulton Ruziboev: The 185-Pound Finisher Ignoring the Hype
One middleweight fighter who isn’t getting enough buzz is Nursulton Ruziboev.
The 32-year-old Uzbekistan native has an incredible MMA record of 37-9-2, 2 NC, as he recently competed in his 50th professional MMA bout. 34 of his 37 career wins have come by stoppage.
Advertisement
He’s also 5-1 in the UFC, with four wins by finish, and he is currently riding a three-fight win streak, with a vicious submission win over Andrey Pulyaev in his last fight, where he squeezed the life out of his opponent in a viral finish.
His only loss came against Joaquin Buckley when the 6’5″ Ruziboev made the foolish decision to kill himself cutting weight to make 170 lbs. He’s clearly a middleweight, and at 185 lbs, he’s been utterly dominant in the UFC with a 5-0 record in the weight class.
Yet, no one is really talking about Ruziboev as a UFC middleweight contender, and he’s not in the top-15 rankings.
Related: Dana White Hands UFC Rankings to Zuckerberg’s AI – It’s Already a Mess
He deserves the chance to be ranked, though, and the UFC matchmakers would be wise to pair him up with someone in the top 15 for his next bout, as he’s earned that opportunity with his recent string of impressive wins.
Advertisement
Seokhyeon Ko: The Underdog Wrestler Quieting the Doubters
One excellent welterweight on the rise is South Korean’s Seokhyeon Ko, who is a quiet contender at 170 lbs.
In 2024, Ko won a UFC contract when he pulled off a big upset as a +250 betting underdog against Igor Cavalcanti on Dana White’s Contender Series.
Since then, the 32-year-old Ko has won both of his UFC fights, as he dominated Oban Elliott as a +400 underdog and then beat veteran Phil Rowe as a -185 favorite, as the betting public finally smartened up to how good he is.
With Ko’s wrestling chops, the has the ability to go far in this sport.
Advertisement
Ko is set to return against top welterweight prospect Jean-Paul Lebosnoyani at UFC Oklahoma City on July 18 in what is an intriguing bout where he will once again likely be the underdog. Should he win that fight, look for Ko to get a top-15 ranked opponent his next time out.
More sports:
King Green: The Timeless Vet Primed for a Main-Card Scrap
One of my all-time favorite fighters is lightweight King Green, who is 16-12-1, 1 NC since he first entered the UFC in 2013.
The 39-year-old Green has always fought the absolute best of the best since the day he began competing in the UFC. Yes, these fights haven’t always gone his way, but he’s a fan favorite and someone who is always in entertaining fights, having won eight bonuses in his career.
Advertisement
At nearly 40 years of age, Green theoretically should be slowing down in his career. But he’s been on a roll lately with three straight wins, and his hot streak has earned him a big opportunity in his next fight.
On July 11 at UFC 329, King Green battles Terrance McKinney in the opening main card bout of this massive event that features UFC superstar Conor McGregor vs. Max Holloway in the headliner.
The UFC knows what they are doing here. This is an absolutely insane fight, and one that is going to feature someone getting brutally finished, likely in the first round as both Green and McKinney always bring it.
Should Green defeat McKinney, look for him to get a top-15 ranking, or at least the chance to fight someone in the Meta UFC Rankings.
Advertisement
Davey Grant: The Bantamweight Dog Who Refuses to Back Down
Davey Grant is one of my absolute all-time favorite UFC fighters.
The 40-year-old Brit is an absolute dog, and someone who will always fight for your money when you place a wager on him. He goes into the Octagon, bites down on his mouthpiece, and chucks bombs with his often-younger opponents until someone falls or until the allotted 15 minutes are over.
Grant has been in the UFC since 2013, yet he has never once been ranked inside the top 15.
His 9-7 UFC record isn’t great, but Grant is always in competitive fights, and he is often matched up with younger killers who are supposed to beat him. Yet he’s often the one who gets his hand raised at the end of the fight.
Advertisement
He has won six bonuses in the UFC and, quite frankly, he could have won many more.
In his last fight, he won his third Fight of the Night award when he defeated Adrian Luna Martinetti.
Grant doesn’t have his next opponent lined up yet, but based on how the UFC matchmakers have matched him up in the past, expect him to fight someone again who is supposed to beat him on paper, yet look for Grant to once again make it super competitive like he always does.
Iasmin Lucindo: The Dangerous Young Strawweight Ready to Reclaim Her Rank
I’ll admit that I’m cheating a bit with this one, as Iasmin Lucindo is not ranked due to failing a drug test after testing positive for consuming a tainted supplement. After being suspended for nine months for that, she was dropped from the rankings.
Advertisement
But in general, I think Lucindo is one of the most underrated women’s MMA fighters in the UFC.
Just 24 years old, Lucindo is 5-2 overall in the UFC with a decision win over veteran gatekeeper Angela Hill in her last fight.
I’ve liked Lucindo ever since she made her UFC debut in 2022 at age 20 and lost a close decision to Yazmin Jauregui. Since then, she has only lost once, to top contender Amanda Lemos. Otherwise, she’s beaten everyone else she’s fought in the UFC.
When she returns from her suspension this fall, look for Lucindo to get matched up against a top-10 opponent and get a chance to jump back into the Meta UFC rankings.
Advertisement
Related: Five UFC Fighters One Win Away from a Title Shot
This story was originally published by Lindys Sports on Jul 6, 2026, where it first appeared in the Other Sports section. Add Lindys Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
