4. Al Iaquinta
One of the most popular lightweight fighters out there today, Al Iaquinta’s rise over the last couple of years has been nothing short of astonishing. He was always there or thereabouts as a top-10 contender in the lightweight division, but was more famous for his feuds with the UFC. That would all change when he was a last-minute replacement for Tony Ferguson against Khabib Nurmagamedov at UFC 223.
Despite losing, his stock definitely improved and he’s become one of the most popular fighters in the division, despite only competing twice since then. He’s a journeyman but a proper fighter. Losing to Michael Chiesa in the Ultimate Fighter 15 didn’t hurt him at all.
