UFC 316 brought us many entertaining fights and some emerging fighters who are looking to continue their rise in the UFC. In this sport, many fighters often see their hype come and go while others use it to their advantage and show everyone that they’re the real deal. This card presented us with many fighters who continued to show why they deserve their hype, while others made their mark.
UFC 316 Emerging stars
1. Joshua Van
Joshua Van continues to make himself a household name in the UFC and once again showed why, putting up another impressive performance at UFC 316. Van got the TKO finish in the third round against Bruno Silva, showing his crisp striking and his ability to find openings and take advantage of them. ‘The Fearless’ is also only 23 years old and already has an impressive 7-1 record in the UFC.
He recently tied the record for fastest fighter to reach 750 significant strikes, a testament to the battles he puts on and his striking. Van, ranked No. 14 in flyweight, defeated Silva who was ranked No. 11 and is now set up to challenge for a top ten opponent and potentially a title challenge in the near future.
2. Joo Yoo Sang
‘Zombie Jr.’ Joo Sang Yoo gave the fans a highlight thriller, knocking out Jeka Saragih 28 seconds into the first round at UFC 316. A much anticipated UFC debut, Yoo gave everything and more. Backing up and showing patience, Yoo delivered a nasty counter left hook that left everyone stunned and his opponent out cold.
He is the protege to South-Korean counterpart, The Korean Zombie, and now holds a record of 9-0. If he can continue to build off his highlight KO from his debut and continues to learn more The Korean Zombie, ‘Zombie Jr.’ has a promising future and the featherweight division should have their eyes on him.
3. Quillan Salkilld
Quillan Salkilld built off his thrilling debut at UFC 312 and followed it up with another win at UFC 316 with a unanimous decision victory. Salkilld who had a quick KO in his debut as well with a 19-second finish in the first round, was able to build off that hype with a dominant win in his second UFC fight.
The Australian raised his record to 9-1, showing off some impressive grappling and his well-roundedness. Despite finding himself in some rough spots, he’s only 25 years old and still has lots of time to hit his prime. He will continue to get better and make his mark in the lightweight division.
