2025 MMA Draft: Which 28 fighters are the best building blocks for MMA promotions?
The 2025 NFL Draft kicks off Thursday in Green Bay, Wis., and so in the spirit of the festivities, like we did last year, and the year before, and the year before, the MMA Fighting Crew is back to divvy up the best fighters and biggest stars in the world of MMA.
If you don’t remember what happened last year, it’s simple: Alexander K. Lee, Damon Martin, Mike Heck, and Jed Meshew take the reins of one of the four top MMA promotions in the world, and then draft their choice of fighters to build their franchises around. Once it’s all said and done, the fine readers of MMAFighting.com determine who has assembled the best collection of talent.
Let’s briefly run down the rules as a reminder.
- Any individual in the MMA world is available to draft. Drafting a fighter locks them into a five-year contract with the organization.
- Getting a fighter under contract does not mean the fighter has to fight for that organization; they just cannot compete for any other MMA organization. For instance, if you draft Jon Jones, you run the risk of him failing a drug test, getting arrested, or simply not wanting to fight.
- The draft is seven rounds this year (mirroring the NFL draft). At the end of the exercise, any fighter who is undrafted reverts to the company they are currently under contract with.
Last year, the MMA promotions were BKFC, ONE Championship, PFL, KSW, and the UFC, with Heck’s BKFC roster emerging as the winner. Of course, things are slightly different this year as top-level MMA promotions continue to fall off the face of the Earth, so we have once again mixed things up. The UFC and PFL remain part of the exercise, as does last year’s winner, BKFC; however, ONE Championship is barely an MMA organization anymore and KSW was a fun include last year, but we decided it makes more sense to include the new kid on the MMA block, GFL, especially since this might be the only year we can do so.
All general managers have been randomly reassigned to new organizations, with Damon Martin taking over GFL, Alexander K. Lee heading up PFL, Jed Meshew running BKFC, and Mike Heck taking the reins at the UFC. As the new kid on the block, GFL has the first pick, then PFL, then BKFC, with the UFC ending each round.
Got it? Good. Let’s get drafting.
Round 1
GFL: Conor McGregor
Martin: At GFL, we’re not trying to create viral moments — we’re just attempting to put on a single show! But with our first pick, none other than Conor McGregor, that might actually allow us to get up and running. While most fighters who are the No. 1 pick are looking for a big contract, we’re hoping that Conor might be able to float us a loan so we can promote our debut card.
He can be the face of the promotion, we’ll call him president if that’s what he wants. Just make sure the check clears!
PFL: Tom Aspinall
Lee: Over here at “The League,” as my boy Donn Davis and I like to call it, we’ve had a pretty good thing going with Francis Ngannou being touted as MMA’s true No. 1 heavyweight. Unfortunately, Ngannou’s time in the fight game is likely to be short, so let’s bring in the true true No. 1 heavyweight in the game, Mr. Tom Aspinall.
Tommy Boy fits in perfectly with our plans for global domination, he’s a great ambassador for the league, and he’s as exciting as anyone when he steps in the cage. Opposition is not important, we have our new face of the company.
BKFC: Alex Pereira
Meshew: Some people will look at this pick and say, “Jed, you’re shamelessly ripping off Mike’s strategy with BKFC last year!” To which I respond, “Duh.” Mike and I had the same strategy last year; he just picked before me and sniped all the most fun fighters. Well, not this year, baby!
“Poatan” may no longer be a UFC champion, but that doesn’t matter at all to me and the fine folks at BKFC. I just wanna watch this man BOOP some people in bare knuckles. Is that so much to ask?
UFC: Ilia Topuria
Heck: Folks, I’m not going to sugarcoat it—we’ve just been cruising along without a worry in the world, and we haven’t had to try at all. At some point, the frustrations of our fan base are going to reach a boiling point, and as we’re well aware, we’re getting close. So we need to keep the guy with the highest ceiling on our entire roster, both in skill and star power.
Ilia Topuria was the biggest must-protect fighter in the UFC, and we weren’t letting him out of the first round for more-than-obvious reasons.
Round 2
GFL: Jon Jones
Martin: Nobody does the draft better than the GFL—just look at the one we put on previously! So with our second selection, we’re going after the greatest of all time. At 37, Jones is still a little on the younger side for our organization, but we’re willing to take a risk on him.
Jones has also made it clear that he doesn’t have much time left in the sport, and that matches our company philosophy because we probably don’t have much time left either!
PFL: Islam Makhachev
Lee: The League is where the best compete—Donn: Have you seen how many of our athletes are ranked on Fight Matrix???—and how can we continue to make that claim without the Pound-for-Pound best fighter in the world, Islam Makhachev?
Frankly, he fits right in with the fighting style of many of our league champions, so even if he won’t exactly help us rake in the casual dollars (who needs ya), he’s both an on-brand selection and an incredible talent to bolster our already elite roster.
BKFC: Dricus du Plessis
Meshew: I will venture to say that there has been no bigger proponent of Dricus du Plessis among MMA media than yours truly since his arrival in the UFC, so this pick is just as much about what he can do for us in the ring as what my heart wants. DDP is a special athlete and star, and though he has plenty of grappling chops, he’ll also fit in quite nicely as a big dude who throws lunchboxes at people.
Plus, du Plessis gives us a lovely inroad to South Africa, and given their love for rugby — which is basically bare-knuckle football, with fighting — I think that can be a huge market for us moving forward.
UFC: Dakota Ditcheva
Heck: If Ilia Topuria was No. 1 on our must-keep list, Dakota Ditcheva is No. 1 on the must-have list.
The fans want it, Ditcheva clearly wants it, and we at the UFC need as much excitement and intrigue as we can get. Why wait until the contract expires? This is the immediate move for Ditcheva. Let’s rip the Band-Aid right off and give everybody—except the PFL—exactly what they want to see.
Round 3
GFL: Francis Ngannou
Martin: With Tommy Aspinall off the board, we’ve got to find someone for Jones to fight in his GFL debut (possibly the only fight he’ll have for the GFL), so we’re going back to the matchup everybody wanted just a couple of years ago. He’s been out of sight, out of mind in PFL, but Ngannou is still one of the most ferocious fighters in the world, and putting him up against Jones is exactly the kind of matchup we need.
PFL: Paddy Pimblett
Lee: I see what GFL is doing... and I don’t like it.
Fortunately, we factored a Francis loss into our plans and already have a few passive-aggressive tweets ready for when his first GFL fight is announced (kidding... or are we?). We thank Ngannou for his services and move on to the newest hotness, now-former UFC star Paddy Pimblett.
We’ve got the steak with Makhachev, and now we have a whole lot of sizzle with the increasingly popular “Baddy” from Liverpool.
BKFC: Carlos Prates
Meshew: Look, are there “better” fighters to pick here? Probably. But BKFC is as much a lifestyle as it is a fight promotion, and is there anyone in MMA right now more fitting for our particular brand of shenanigans? Heck, we’ll even let him rip heaters on the way to the ring and help facilitate some custom Marlboro Red fight shorts.
UFC: Mariusz Pudzianowski
Heck: First off, this should’ve been a snake draft, and Paddy Pimblett would’ve remained on the roster. But I digress...
Since I can’t retain Pimblett’s services, again, the name of the game for the UFC is fun and exciting, and no division needs it more than heavyweight right now. We’ll matchmake for him correctly (see draft pick No. 5, and apologies to KSW), and make sure everyone tunes in to watch.
Additionally, this hurts BKFC and certainly GFL based on the fighter-age range. Excited to have him.
Round 4
GFL: Ronda Rousey
Martin: Now I know what you’re thinking—Ronda Rousey is retired. But so was Chris Weidman, and he came back for the honor of competing in the GFL, and we believe Rousey can make that same kind of comeback. Sure, she hasn’t fought in nine years, but that’s the kind of layoff that just begs for a return to action!
We’ve already got Holly Holm under contract, so maybe we could run that back, or perhaps this draft will present another option for the “Rowdy” one in her GFL debut.
PFL: Jean Silva
Lee: Listen, I’m just going to say it: If you vote for GFL as the winner in the poll below, you are a bad person. Explain yourself in the comments!
We’re keeping the good times rolling with another buzzy fighter and the second Fighting Nerd to come off the board, “Lord” Jean Silva. His stock could not be higher right now after disposing of Bryce Mitchell, and he’s an unbelievable addition to our criminally overlooked featherweight squad.
BKFC: Jiri Prochazka
Meshew: Oof. That one stings a little as I was hoping to grab Silva this round for a Fighting Nerds Bash Brothers situation, but alas. Great pickup for PFL, and we will have to switch our plans up slightly, by taking my other large, adult son, Jiri Prochazka.
Aside from the Pudzianowski-Hall fight (that Heck just ruined!!!!!), there is no fight I want to see more in MMA. I don’t need it to be for a belt or anything, I just need to see these two large, violence weirdos collide. And now I can.
UFC: Dustin Poirier
Heck: There’s no way we’re allowing Dustin Poirier to have his final fight outside of the UFC.
There are about five things that are realistically exciting and could provide emotion in the UFC in 2025, and Poirier’s Last Dance is one of them. Poirier vs. Holloway 3 is a fitting way to end one of the most fun careers in UFC history, and it’ll happen in New Orleans.
Round 5
GFL: Justin Gaethje
Martin: Listen, we need a little bit of excitement in here, and we’ve got to be honest, there’s a chance none of our first four picks actually end up competing for us—much like we probably won’t ever put on a show—but not all is lost. With Gaethje, we get a guy who is still a top lightweight, he never puts on boring fights, and he’s remarkably durable and dependable, which is something we definitely need in this promotion.
PFL: Khamzat Chimaev
Lee: Khamzat Chimaev, I cannot quit you.
For the second year in a row, I’m rolling the dice on a guy who might be the best fighter in the world? We may never know. But there’s no denying that every time Chimaev has made the walk to the cage, it’s appointment viewing.
And hey, our stars don’t fight more than once a year anyway, so our schedules line up perfectly!
BKFC: Mike Perry
Meshew: Look, is it possible that this is a wasted pick? Absolutely. But here at BKFC, we stand by our own. GFL already took our co-owner in the first round, we cannot afford to lose the face of our promotion. Mike Perry helped build us into what we are today, and he remains the perfect avatar for what bare-knuckle fighting is all about.
UFC: Eddie Hall
Heck: You’re welcome. See pick No. 3, and that is all.
Round 6
GFL: Gina Carano
Martin: The steal of the draft! Technically, Gina Carano never retired, so she’s fresher than Rousey right now (despite not competing for almost 16 years). Carano nearly plotted her comeback a few years ago when she got deep into talks with the UFC about a potential showdown against Rousey. Well, potential is all we’ve got around here, so why not try and put together the Carano vs. Rousey fight in 2025 that nobody was asking for?
PFL: Reug Reug
Lee: We can’t completely shrug off the loss of Ngannou because the money fight was right there with him and Aspinall. So we pivot to the only ONE Championship name likely to come off the board, the enigmatic Oumar Kane, a.k.a. Reug Reug.
No one expected Reug Reug to last a round with Anatoly Malykhin this past November, but somehow the Senegalese man of mystery not only went the distance but emerged victorious (via a highly questionable split decision, but still). It’s a shame he hasn’t fought since, but we’re prepared to offer him a massive Aspinall matchup right away.
BKFC: Jose Aldo
Meshew: This is a pick for me.
I have nothing but love for *ahem* The Greatest Featherweight of All Time, and consider it a travesty how the UFC is booking him during the golden years of his career. Fortunately, we in BKFC know that the last thing anyone needs is someone desperately holding Jose Aldo’s waist and praying they take the scorecards, and that’s not on the menu in the BKFC ring. Let’s see what one of the very best fighters to ever live can do with a final chapter in bare knuckle.
UFC: Gadzhi Rabadanov
Heck: Call it a hipster pick, but I call it a selfish one. Hot take: I think Gadzhi Rabadanov is the most underrated fighter in the world right now.
And, of course, we feel bad that we’ve—barring an injury, or a slip on a banana peel—cost Rabadanov $500,000, because if we didn’t draft him, he’s winning PFL’s lightweight tournament. I think this guy might be one of the ten best lightweights in the world right now, and we’ll never know if that’s true without this move happening.
Round 7
GFL: Nate Diaz
Martin: We’ve got to close down things strong, and there may be no better way to get Conor to give us access to his bank account than finally setting up a rubber match with him against old rival Nate Diaz. Their initial encounters were two of the biggest-selling UFC shows of all time, and who’s not going to watch a third? Plus, Diaz turned 40 this year, so he’s right in the prime of his career when it comes to the GFL!
PFL: Themba Gorimbo
Lee: I legitimately thought Damon drafted “Nick Diaz,” and the fact that the confusion was even possible makes me so angry.
We’re going way outside the box for our last pick with numerous champions, stars, and PFL names I should probably be protecting still on the board, but hear me out: We get Themba Gorimbo and we get The Rock. You might not realize they’re pals since they never talk about it (smirk emoji).
The League is all about generating mainstream buzz, and what better way than to get Dwayne Johnson on our side to promote the inspiring story of his buddy Themba. And if there’s one thing we know about Rocky after this past WrestleMania weekend, it’s that when he commits to a story, he follows through (multiple smirk emojis, prayer hands)!
BKFC: Paul Hughes
Meshew: And now it’s time to look to the future. BKFC has a very specific brand and finding scheme fits is never easy, but this one seems nice. Hughes is always down to get down, and he’s an emerging talent with a penchant for talking as well. Hughes is our succession plan for when Mike Perry and our aging talent pool start moving into retirement.
UFC: Cédric Doumbé
Heck: Oh, Jed, you stole my pick, but that’s OK, I have a wonderful backup plan.
Doumbé-mania is going to run wild in the UFC, and unlike PFL, we will matchmake for Doumbé the right way. No wrestlers, no grapplers (at least not anytime soon) and nothing but highlight reels.
This is what Doumbé got into the sport for, and PFL shined him up nice for us; now, we can make him the star he deserves to be.
Final draft results:
GFL (Damon Martin)
- Conor McGregor
- Jon Jones
- Francis Ngannou
- Ronda Rousey
- Justin Gaethje
- Gina Carano
- Nate Diaz
PFL (Alexander K. Lee)
- Tom Aspinall
- Islam Makhachev
- Paddy Pimblett
- Jean Silva
- Khamzat Chimaev
- Reug Reug
- Themba Gorimbo
BKFC (Jed Meshew)
- Alex Pereira
- Dricus du Plessis
- Carlos Prates
- Jiri Prochazka
- Mike Perry
- Jose Aldo
- Paul Hughes
UFC (Mike Heck)
- Ilia Topuria
- Dakota Ditcheva
- Mariusz Pudzianowski
- Dustin Poirier
- Eddie Hall
- Gadzhi Rabadanov
- Cédric Doumbé