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

---

1. Khabib Nurmagomedov
Division: Lightweight
Record: 22-0 (6-0 UFC)
Age: 26

Although he is injured once again and has not fought in 14 months, Nurmagomedov maintains the top spot in these rankings. Why? Three reasons. First, he holds a recent victory over the current lightweight champion. Second, he is undefeated, and no opponent has shown a particularly viable plan for shutting down his suffocating game. Finally, his swagger and penchant for working the mic have only improved as he has grown more confident in his English.

A promoter who cannot sell an undefeated Russian who wrestled a bear in childhood and who has made his way from one of the poorest, most economically depressed places in Russia to the cusp of stardom in the United States frankly does not deserve to be in business. Nurmagomedov understands the importance of self-promotion, and his willingness to reach out to the media to make his views known has helped him rapidly grow his profile.

Take his last appearance on the “MMA Hour” as an example. Two months out from his scheduled fight with Donald Cerrone, Nurmagomedov described him like this: “It’s just funny. ‘Cowboy’ is fake. I don’t think so he’s really cowboy. I think he’s fake. He all the time drink, drunk. I don’t think so he’s really cowboy. I’m really cowboy. I’m mountain guy. I’m training camp all my life. I’m wrestling with the bears. I’m really cowboy. He’s drunk guy. I am Dagestan cowboy, 100 percent.”

That, my friends, is promotional gold. If Nurmagomedov can get healthy and stay healthy, he could be the lightweight champion for a long, long time.

Follow Sherdog.com preview expert Patrick Wyman on Twitter.