Sherdog’s Top 10: Rising Stars, 2015 First Edition

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9. Thomas Almeida
Division: Bantamweight
Record: 18-0 (2-0 UFC)
Age: 23

The resume speaks for itself: 18 wins, zero losses and 17 finishes. Sao Paulo, Brazil, native Almeida has been the darling of hardcore fans for some time, crushing overmatched competition in both Brazil and the United States on his way to the big show in incredibly entertaining fashion. His May 2014 fight with Vinicius Zani was a back-and-forth masterpiece and one of the best scraps outside a major promotion last year. Now two bouts into his UFC career -- both of which won him a post-fight performance bonus -- Almeida is a bantamweight on the rise.

The basis for the young Brazilian’s success is his next-level striking repertoire. He is, simply put, one of the most exciting young fighters in the UFC today. He excels at working his way into the pocket, drawing out a response from his opponent and then dropping counter combinations that he punctuates with vicious left hooks to the liver. Pace and output are hallmarks of Almeida’s game, and no foe has thus far been able to stand up to the relentless violence of his offensive onslaught. He is hittable, to be sure, but even if his defense never improves, he will still be one of the all-time great action fighters. If it does get better, Almeida looks like a potential future champion.

The bantamweight division is starved for new blood, and Almeida has the potential to be one of the fighters that makes it a marquee attraction for the UFC.

Number 8 » From a physical perspective, he is a monster. He has incredible athleticism, brute strength and the kind of power that simply cannot be taught, both on the feet and on the ground. No matter how tough they might be, opponents seem to wilt when he lays hands on them, and ruined faces follow soon after the barrage of strikes begins.