The Beaten Path: Top 25 MMA Prospects for 2016, Part 1

No other sport needs prospects the way MMA needs prospects. The machine is always hungry.  

With it being a bloodsport and all, not to mention an individual sport, and an extremely difficult sport, there are a million reasons why deadly Atropos may descend with her shears to sever the thread of an MMA career. 

Fortunately, as the sport continues to grow, so, too, does the legion of men and women lured from around the world to MMA's siren song of innumerable riches, or at least glory. It definitely beats yard work. As such, there are always scores of young fighters available, champing at the bit to step into the light.

With so many prospects always grinding their way up one of the planet's many minor league fight circuits, it can be hard to separate wheat from chaff. Thank your lucky stars, then, that you have us.

We are The Beaten Path, and for a few years now at Bleacher Report MMA, we've been finding, interviewing, profiling and ranking the brightest up-and-comers around the sport. Each year, it all culminates with our list of the top 25 MMA prospects in all the land. This is that list.

Part 1 is what you have on your screen. In it, I'll take you up to No. 13 on our list. In a few days' time, Patrick Wyman, our senior analyst, will publish part 2, closely exploring the 12 best prospects, all the way up to No. 1.

Before we proceed, a few ground rules. No UFC fighters are eligible, nor is any pro fighter whose MMA career has lasted six years or longer.

Fighters from Bellator, World Series of Fighting or ONE Championship are included judiciously and are ineligible if they've ever held a title for any of those organizations. Fighters over age 30 are typically not considered prospects, though occasional exceptions are possible for those who switch over to MMA later in their athletic careers after high-level runs in other sports (like Holly Holm, for example). 

In a case where a fighter is competing for multiple promotions, the most recent promotion listed on his or her record is the one listed here. 

Ready? Ready to do this? All right. 

All record information courtesy of Sherdog.com. 

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