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Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) is a sport that is packed with stars, champions, knockouts, submissions, and viral moments. There are fighters like Conor McGregor who thrive on being in the public eye and have a huge fanbase behind them. However, some fighters are quietly going under the radar, and their resume doesn’t necessarily get the respect it deserves.
These athletes, who all show skill, heart, and determination, but for various reasons such as division depth, lack of promotion, or fighting style, don’t get a lot of love. The UFC is one of the fastest-growing sports brands in the world, and as they continue to grow, these fighters are certainly ones to watch out for when they next step into the octagon.
It sounds strange to say that a current and active UFC champion is underrated, but Alexandre Pantoja is certainly underrated. Pantoja has successfully defended his title four times and is on a win streak of eight fights. What makes Pantoja being underrated even more surprising is that he is one of the most exciting fighters on the whole UFC roster. Whether he gets a highlight reel finish or goes to decision in a war, Pantoja is exciting every time he fights.
Fellow UFC legend Daniel Cormier has since called Pantoja the most underappreciated fighter in the promotion. His record against the top-10 is very impressive, and he is slowly cleaning out the flyweight division. Some fans believe Pantoja doesn’t get in the spotlight because, in modern MMA, the sport is filled with bold personalities who take up the majority of headlines and shape matched betting strategies.
Although he is in the top 15 of the lightweight division, Grant Dawson seems to be the forgotten man. Dawson boasts an impressive record of 23 wins and two losses. His wrestling-heavy style has made him a problem for all lightweights. After having his first fight in the UFC in 2019, Dawson went on a nine-fight unbeaten streak. He was finally starting to get on the radar of MMA fans when he was scheduled to take on fan favourite fighter King Green. Unfortunately for Dawson, he was knocked out very early in the first round, and this set him back massively.
Some fighters find it very difficult to regain their form after suffering a loss like Dawson did, but he has come back with a bang. Since that fight, Dawson has earned another three wins and finds himself on the verge of getting a fight in the top 10.
Similar to Dawson, Mateusz Gamrot is another ranked lightweight fighter who doesn’t get the respect he deserves from MMA fans. Gamrot controversially lost his UFC debut via a split decision, which many people believe he won. After that fight, they want an impressive win streak, beating people like Jereamy Stephens and the current top contender at lightweight, Arman Tsarukyan. Gamrot is another fighter who is known for his chain wrestling and uses his pace and strength to outwork his opponents.
A key reason why Gamrot does not get appreciated is that every time he is about to get his breakout victory, he unfortunately loses. Most recently, Gamrot fought fan favourite Dan Hooker at UFC 305; a win for Gamrot in that fight would have placed him in the top five of the division. He ended up losing the fight via split decision, and he was disappointed to have taken on an unranked opponent whom he had comfortably beaten. Gamrot has long been one of the most avoided fighters because he is seen as too high-risk for a low reward, as he is extremely skilled but not necessarily a big name.
The UFC light heavyweight division is notoriously known for being one of the weakest in the company. With the division being as shallow as it is, this makes Carlos Ulberg being underrated rather surprising. Ulberg has had big moments that deserve to be appreciated by MMA fans, beating high-level opponents like Jan Blachowicz and Volkan Oezdemir. He is stepping up a level each time he fights and is not afraid of anyone in the division.
What has held Ulberg back is his lack of headlining moments. A lot of names around him at light heavyweight have been the main event of their own card; this is a privilege that Ulberg has yet to have. However, as of writing, Ulberg is set to take on former title challenger Dominick Reyes on the 27th of September in the main event of a fight night card. Reyes is one of the most well-known names in the division since his razor-close decision loss to Jon Jones. A win in this fight for Ulberg could see him finally get in the headlines and even potentially earn himself a title shot in the process.
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