For the second year in a row, Beyond the Cage has ranked the top 30 male fighters under the age of 30 years old in MMA. The list was compiled by Beyond the Cage hosts Jim Gramm & Dave Sadler by using the following criteria; Championship/title contender status, rank in weight class, record/level of competition in last calender year (Oct. ’12-’13) and potential to improve.
The 2013 list is below along with the list from 2012 for comparison. Let us know what you think the comment section below!
2013 List
(off by age: Nick Diaz #9, Cain Velasquez #10, Jim Miller #21, Donald Cerrone #25, Ryan Bader #28) Removed by Injury/Inactivity #8 Dominick Cruz
*1st year on list (Also included spots moved up or down from 2012 list)
- Jon Jones UFC LHW Champion (last year #1)
- Jose Aldo UFC FW Champion (last year #3) +1
- Mighty Mouse UFC FLY Champion (last year #4) +1
- Renan Barao UFC Interim BW Champion (last year #7) +3
- Anthony Pettis UFC LW Champion (last year #24) +19
- Chris Weidman UFC MW Champion (last year #11) +5
- Junior Dos Santos UFC HW (last year #2) -5
- Alexander Gustafsson UFC LHW (last year #20) +12
- Johny Hendricks UFC WW (last year #14) +5
- Ben Henderson UFC LW (last year #5) -5
- Chad Mendes UFC FW (last year #18) +7
- Pat Curran Bellator FW Champion (last year #13) +1
- Joseph Benavidez UFC FLY (last year #12) -1
- Carlos Condit UFC WW (last year #6) -8
- Phil Davis UFC LHW (last year #16) +1
- Michael McDonald UFC BW (last year #19) +3
- Michael Chandler Bellator LW Champion (last year #30) +13
- Rory MacDonald UFC WW*
- Cub Swanson UFC FW*
- Ben Askren Bellator WW Champion (last year #29) +9
- TJ Grant UFC LW*
- Luke Rockhold UFC MW (last year #17) -5
- Nate Diaz UFC LW (last year #15) -8
- Jake Ellenberger UFC WW (last year #23) -1
- Ian McCall UFC FLY (last year #22) -3
- Eddie Wineland UFC BW*
- John Dodson UFC FLY (last year #27) 0
- Alexander Shlemenko Bellator MW Champion*
- Korean Zombie UFC FW (last year #26) -3
- Eduardo Dantas Bellator BW Champion*
~ 2012 List ~
- Jon Jones UFC LHW Champion
- Junior Dos Santos UFC HW
- Jose Aldo UFC FW Champion
- Mighty Mouse UFC FLY Champion
- Ben Henderson UFC LW
- Carlos Condit UFC WW
- Renan Barao UFC Interim BW Champion
- Dominick Cruz UFC BW Champion
- Nick Diaz UFC WW
- Cain Velasquez UFC HW
- Chris Weidman UFC MW Champion
- Joseph Benavidez UFC FLY
- Pat Curran Bellator FW Champion
- Johny Hendricks UFC WW
- Nate Diaz UFC LW
- Phil Davis UFC LHW
- Luke Rockhold UFC MW
- Chad Mendes UFC FW
- Michael McDonald UFC BW
- Alexander Gustafsson UFC LHW
- Jim Miller UFC LW
- Ian McCall UFC FLY
- Jake Ellenberger UFC WW
- Anthony Pettis UFC LW
- Donald Cerrone UFC LW
- Korean Zombie UFC FW
- John Dodson UFC FLY
- Ryan Bader UFC LHW
- Ben Askren Bellator WW Champion
- Michael Chandler Bellator LW Champion