UFC 324: Gaethje vs Pimblett - Rising Stars to Follow

As always, this series will look to shine a spotlight on a trio of athletes that feel poised to make some noise on the weekend and throughout the course of the year. While each event features a collection of established competitors, these lesser-known or ascending hopefuls flashed enough upside over the course of their respective UFC tenures to capture our attention and stand as individuals you should be paying attention to as well. Fight By Fight Preview | UFC 324: Gaethje vs Pimblett A couple might be familiar to you if you’ve been following this series for the last year, while another is a new addition to the FOTR family. It’s time to get 2026 started with the debut instalment of Fighters on the Rise. Ateba Gautier One of the top newcomers in 2025, Gautier made a pair of appearances in this space last year after blowing through Jose Daniel Medina in his promotional debut in Mexico City at the end of March. Following his dominant performance earning a contract on Season 8 of Dana White’s Contender Series, it wasn’t clear whether Gautier was an athletic dynamo that could thrive right out of the gates or was going to struggle due to his lack of experience. After crushing Medica at Arena CDMX, he did the same to Robert Valentin and Tre’ston Vines, never leaving the first round, showing that while he’s still green and has a ton of room to grow, his raw power, athleticism and physicality are going to be too much for many in the middleweight ranks. WATCH: UFC 324 Countdown The Manchester Top Team representative is going to be on every list of potential breakout talents in 2026 (for good reason) and gets the opportunity to kick things off right away in a clash with fellow Class of ’24 alum Andrey Pulyaev, who rebounded from a loss in his debut to score a second-round finish and collect his first UFC win last August. Gautier has all the elements you look for in an athlete with top-end upside: he comes from a great gym that has a history of developing talent (see Lerone Murphy) and has helped him build a sound foundation and strong fundamentals, plus he there is tons of room for him to continue to grow and expand his game as he gains more experience. Add in that he’s 23 years old, has won eight straight (all by stoppage) and competes in a division where opportunities abound, and you have a fighter that could very well rocket up the ranks in 2026. MORE UFC 324: Hernandez Comfortable | Crucial Bantamweight Stretch | Johnson’s Hard Way | UFC 324’s Best Finishes | Charles Johnson’s Storm | Paddy Pimblett on UFC Unfiltered | No Slowing Cortes Acosta | Derrick Lewis Is Different Pulyaev is a sound challenge for Gautier to face to begin his year, as he too comes from a good team, has a solid base of skills and fundamentals, and could force the Cameroonian middleweight to showcase more of his defensive grappling than we’ve seen to date. Expectations are high for Gautier because of how great he looked in his first three outings, but just remember: development is not linear. Even if he doesn’t look as dominant as he did in Year One, it doesn’t mean he can’t reach the heights everyone is forecasting him to reach in the future. “The Silent Assassin” is going to be a star; it’s just a matter of how quickly he can make that happen. Modestas Bukauskas