In a sport as dynamic, global and ever-evolving as mixed martial arts, any given calendar year is likely to offer a number of fighters breaking through to new competitive heights and fame, and 2018 was no exception.
Think of Ray Cooper III, who began the year as an unheralded entrant in the Professional Fighters League welterweight division and the answer to a trivia question, only to slug his way to the playoff final on the strength of four straight sensational knockouts. Or Anthony Smith, who opened 2018 as a solid middleweight -- albeit one who had never been a contender or even ranked -- then bumped up to light heavyweight and won three straight fights via stoppage, cementing himself as a Top-5 fighter in his new division and earning a potential title shot against Jon Jones in 2019.