You can step into the Octagon, dominate your opponent, and walk out with a clean W… and still, no one remembers your name. Meanwhile, there’s a guy who just drops a tweet and boom — headlines, podcasts, YouTube thumbnails, all eyes on him like he’s Hollywood with gloves on.
Welcome to the UFC. This ain’t just about winning fights — it’s about selling fights. Dana White loves it. The matchmakers love it. And every fighter chasing a red panty night loves it.
In this post, I’m breaking down who’s the hot topic RIGHT NOW, by the time this post went publish. Not future prospects. Not retired GOATs. I’m talking about the ones lighting up arenas, trending on X, and stacking PPV buys as we speak.
This list? All about my personal opinion. You might agree, or you might rage-type in the comments — either way, go for it, I wanna hear it.
Let’s dive into the faces of the fight game in 2025. 🎤👊

🦴 Jon “Bones” Jones

Duck, duck, duck, duck and 🦆. That’s all I see on X, Insta, Facebook, whatever — people raging that Jon Jones is ducking Tom Aspinall. You’re really all eyes on him, aren’t you? That’s why he’s the biggest name in your topic and UFC loves that.
And let’s hit pause and really look at what’s going on here on this whole ducking drama.
Is Jones really ducking Tom? Or are y’all just playing into the UFC hype machine perfectly?
Think like a businessman for a second:

• Jon wants that big payday — and the UFC already agreed to it. Done deal.
• On the other side, Tom wants his dream fight for the belt — UFC agreed to that too.

So why’s it not happening? Because Jon’s side of the deal needs a superfight to justify that money. That was supposed to be Alex Pereira. Jones even hinted he was down for it. But then Dana stepped in like, “Defend the belt first”, and now… Pereira lost his strap to Ankalaev. Superfight? Dead in the water.
Jones is 37. The next fight could be his last dance. So how do you keep the hype — and the money — alive? Easy: you all keep pushing this “Jones is scared of Tom” narrative. You’re building the next superfight without even realizing it. And that’s exactly what Dana wants. An easy potential business opportunity, who wouldn’t take it?
I believe the Jones vs. Aspinall fight will happen on this, or early next year — it’s just a matter of time. And if Tom actually beats him? It’s not some legacy-crushing L. Jon’s already done everything. There’s nothing left to prove — except maybe to satisfy those haters who’ve been praying on his downfall for like, nearly two decades straight. Wow, congrats, you finally got what you wanted. What a loser, right?
Nah. Even if Jones takes that L, he could walk off into the sunset and still be one of the greatest to ever do it. DC took that loss and still gets called GOAT. Legacy isn’t built on one night. It’s built on everything before it.
But until then, keep feeding the fire. That’s how you sell a superfight. It’s just business. 💸🔥

🌟 Tom Aspinal

If Jon’s the “bad guy” in this ducking shit, then guess who’s the people’s champ? Tom Aspinall. Y’all really did your part hyping this man up — and honestly, it worked:
Before the Pavlovich fight, Tom wasn’t exactly on every fan’s radar. He was talented, sure, but mainstream? Nope. The only reason that fight even happened was because Jon pulled out of his bout with Miocic. Pavlovich vs. Aspinall? That was a last-minute save-the-event special.
But here’s the twist — that chaos made Tom as your favorite. It wasn’t just a win for the interim belt. A spotlight he wouldn’t have gotten if the Jones-Miocic fight stayed intact. Now? Every time you mention Jon Jones, Tom’s name rides shotgun. Be grateful.
And the wildest part? The crowd loves this narrative. Jon’s the aging surrounded with crowd of haters, Tom’s the new blood — it writes itself. Tom’s not just holding a belt now. He’s holding expectations. The fans made him the chosen one to dethrone the GOAT.
Whether he pulls it off or not, that one night changed everything. Good luck try to live up with that hype.

🗿 Alex “Poatan” Pereira

Now this one? Even I was surprised by how fast he blew up.
Back when Izzy was champ and styling on the division, nobody outside of hardcore fans knew who Alex Pereira even was. Maybe just “that guy who KO’d Izzy twice in kickboxing”. Just a ghost from the past. But then he pulled up to the UFC — and made it personal.
He didn’t just join the roster. He came with a mission — prove he wasn’t just Izzy’s ex-dance partner, but his present nightmare. And man, he delivered. TKO’d Izzy in the UFC, took the belt, destroyed his ego one more time, shook up the division. Sure, he lost the rematch — but he didn’t stick around. He leveled up.
Moved to Light Heavyweight, took the gold within a year, and even defended it. Like man was out here running a speedrun on “UFC Career Mode” on Expert difficulty. Title wins in two divisions, highlight reel KOs, moai 🗿 vibes, and now one of the most feared strikers in the game.
He’s not loud. He doesn’t run his mouth. But every stare-down feels like a final boss cutscene. And every time he fights, the whole MMA world tunes in.
From kickboxing legend to UFC megastar — Pereira’s rise? It’s not just fast. It’s mythic.

🧹 Islam Makhachev

Another day, another ducking accusation. And once again, it’s aimed at a Dagestani fighter — Islam Makhachev.
Let’s be clear: this man defended the UFC Lightweight title four times. That’s more than his brother Khabib. That’s historic. Yet somehow, it’s like none of that matters to the loudest voices online.
I remember when Islam showed interest in moving up to Welterweight to challenge Leon Edwards. People were hyped — champ vs. champ. But the second he turned down a matchup with newcomer to Lightweight Ilia Topuria? Ducking drama all over the place. And just like that, Islam became public enemy no.2 (The no.1 spot for Jones) to a fanbase that only seems to care when a Dagestani says “no”.
And thanks to that? He gained more fame just by sitting down and saying “I don’t care”.
These fandoms today? Toxic AF. If you don’t jump at every fantasy matchup the internet dreams up, you’re instantly labeled a “duck”. Doesn’t matter if you’ve already fought killers, defended belts, chased legacy — you’re guilty if you don’t feed the drama.
Islam ended up vacating the title. Happy now? And what now? The same crowd screaming for the Topuria fight? Dead silent. Like they never cared about the fight — just wanted someone to hate.
Say what you want about Islam, but he’s already done more than most: built a legacy, fought absolute savages, took back-to-back Volk fights (on short notice, don’t worry I’m not forget — as the haters love to remind).
If that’s ducking? Then the word don’t mean anything anymore.

🐂 Ilia “El Matador”/”La Leyenda” Topuria

Alright, I’ll be real — I never liked Conor McGregor. So I sure as hell don’t like this McGregor 2.0 version either.
But has to tell the truth: Ilia Topuria is a damn good fighter. Dude straight-up knocked out two featherweight kings — Max Holloway and Alexander Volkanovski. No joke. That’s legacy-level build up already.
But here’s the problem: He talks way too much. Feels like watching a drunk karen trying to get attention at a bar. Always yappin’, switching nicknames like changing underwear — first “El Matador”, then “La Leyenda”, and back to “El Matador”? Bro, just pick one and stick with your brand.
He might earn a lightweight title shot soon — and maybe he deserves it. But keep it 100: most of his hype feels like it’s built on a bubble. Fans are obsessed with his KO power, yeah, and he proved them, but no one’s really asking the deeper question: Can he handle elite grappling?
Sure, he’s scored a few takedowns in his career, but look at the names — ain’t nobody on that list a top-tier grappler. Maybe Ryan Hall? This guy’s more of a one-trick pony with the Imanari roll — fun to watch, but easy to shut down once you know it’s coming, not a good name either way. We haven’t seen Topuria swim in deep waters yet. And sure Oliveira’s here to test.
Still, he’s up. The fans love him. He’s trash-talking his way into the money fights. Whether you love or hate him, he’s sitting at the top tier of the UFC business ladder right now and I give him credit for that.

🐺 Khamzat “Borz” Chimaev

Another victim of the anti-fan era. Since storming into the UFC in 2020, Khamzat’s been straight-up terrifying. Most of his early fights? His opponents couldn’t even land a clean strike. But whether he can handle real adversity? Still up in the air. We’ve seen glimpses — the Gilbert Burns war, the Usman bout. He struggled, showed some holes, but still came out on top.
Now? He earned his title shot after ragdolling Robert Whittaker and breaking his teeth in the process. He shut up doubters, gained even more haters, and somehow turned silence into static.
Love him or hate him, Khamzat’s already a top name in the game. And come August, he’s stepping in to possibly claim the Middleweight throne against Dricus Du Plessis.
If you’re one of those fans that can’t stand wrestling-heavy fighters — too bad. Borz ain’t going anywhere.

🌈 Sean “Sugar” O’Malley

Rainbow hair, tattoos, TikTok vibes. Love him or hate him, the Sugar Show is must-see TV. This dude went from Contender Series highlight reel to Bantamweight champ — and did it all his way: loud, flashy, and sniping fools with perfect precision.
People used to clown him for getting “easy fights”, calling him the UFC’s golden boy. But now? He’s got the strap, defended it once, and made it look easy — except for Merab. That was different.
Fans either worship him like McGregor or pray for his downfall every fight week. But one thing’s guaranteed: you’re watching and UFC loves that. Walks like a boss, talks like a Twitch god, fights like a COD headshot machine.
Now we wait for the rematch with Merab — the cardio machine. Can Sean adapt? Will we see something new? Not gonna lie, I’ve got my doubts… but you never count Sugar out.

🧠 Final Thoughts: Stars Burn Bright — Until They Don’t

The UFC isn’t just about skills or belts — it’s about moments, drama, and who moves the damn needle. Some of these fighters talk wild. Some stay silent killers. But all of them? They’re in your feed, your fight nights, your arguments with MMA on the internet.
These are the superstars of 2025 — not based on GOAT debates or P4P rankings, but on who’s got the world watching right now. Whether you’re riding with the hype or screaming “overrated”, their names stay echoing in the fight game.

👀 But who did I miss?
👊 Who do you think should’ve made the cut?
🗣️ Drop your take in the comments — even if it’s spicy.

And if you’re matching the vibe with this kind of breakdown, don’t forget to share, bookmark, and follow for more raw takes, stat-fueled insights, and fight stories that hit even harder.

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