Identifying Three Ascending Talents To Pay Attention To This Weekend In Saudi Arabia
By E. Spencer Kyte • Jan. 28, 2025
The year hasn’t exactly gotten off to a roaring start for the athletes that have been profiled in this space so far in 2025.
The first fighter to grace the Octagon from the initial triumvirate of talents spotlighted on the opening event at the UFC APEX, strawweight standout Fatima Kline, turned in an outstanding effort, finishing Viktoriia Dudakov in the second round. Since then, however, it has been a series of setbacks, with recent Dana White’s Contender Series (DWCS) graduates Nicolle Caliari and Austin Bashi suffering setbacks before the unbeaten trio of Clayton Carpenter, Rinya Nakamura, and Payton Talbott all suffered their first professional losses at UFC 311.