Inspired by the annual NFL Draft festivities, the MMA Fighting team once again gathered to simulate a mock draft, selecting the top fighters and biggest stars in the world of mixed martial arts for 2025. This marks another year for this tradition, following the formats of previous drafts.
As in prior years, four members of the MMA Fighting crew—Alexander K. Lee, Damon Martin, Mike Heck, and Jed Meshew—each take control of one of the major MMA promotions. Their goal is to build a franchise by drafting fighters. After all the picks are made, the readers of MMAFighting.com typically vote to decide which GM assembled the strongest roster.
Rules and Promotions
Let`s quickly go over the setup for this year`s draft. The promotions included have seen some changes compared to last year, reflecting the evolving landscape of top-tier MMA organizations. The UFC and PFL remain participants, as does last year`s winning promotion, BKFC. However, ONE Championship is now less focused on MMA, and while KSW was a fun inclusion previously, this year we`ve decided to feature the newcomer, GFL (Global Fight League), especially as its future existence is uncertain.
The general managers were randomly assigned to new organizations: Damon Martin leads GFL, Alexander K. Lee takes charge of PFL, Jed Meshew runs BKFC, and Mike Heck heads the UFC. As the newest organization, GFL received the first overall pick, followed by PFL, then BKFC, with the UFC picking last in each round.
With the rules set, let the draft begin!
The 2025 MMA Draft Picks
Alexander K. Lee (PFL): Here at “The League,” we`ve promoted Francis Ngannou as MMA`s top heavyweight. Unfortunately, Francis`s MMA career might be short, so we`re bringing in the undisputed *true* No. 1 heavyweight, Mr. Tom Aspinall. Tommy Boy fits perfectly with our global expansion plans, he`s a fantastic ambassador, and incredibly exciting in the cage. Opposition doesn`t matter; we have our new face of the company.
Jed Meshew (BKFC): Some might say I`m shamelessly copying Mike`s BKFC strategy from last year. To them, I say, “Obviously!” Mike and I had similar ideas, but he picked first and snagged the most entertaining fighters. Not this year! “Poatan” might not be a UFC champion anymore, but that means nothing to me and BKFC. I just want to see this man land some bare-knuckle shots. Is that too much to ask?
Mike Heck (UFC): Folks, I won`t sugarcoat it—we`ve been cruising comfortably without trying. However, fan frustration is reaching a boiling point, and we`re close to a critical juncture. So, we need to retain the fighter with the highest potential on our roster, both in skill and star power. Ilia Topuria was the most crucial fighter for the UFC to protect, and we wouldn`t let him out of the first round for obvious reasons.
Damon Martin (GFL): Nobody does the draft like GFL—just look at our previous one! With our second pick, we`re going for the greatest of all time. At 37, Jones is a bit young for our organization, but we`re willing to take the risk. Jones has also indicated he doesn`t have much time left in the sport, which aligns perfectly with our company`s philosophy, as we might not have much time left either!
Alexander K. Lee (PFL): The League is where the best compete, and how can we claim that without the Pound-for-Pound best fighter in the world, Islam Makhachev? Frankly, he fits right in with the style of many of our champions. Even if he doesn`t attract casual fans (who needs them?), he`s both a perfect brand fit and an incredible talent to strengthen our already elite roster.
Jed Meshew (BKFC): I daresay I`ve been Dricus du Plessis`s biggest media supporter since he joined the UFC. So, this pick is as much about what he offers in the ring as what my heart desires. DDP is a special athlete and star. While he has grappling skills, he`ll fit in nicely as a big guy who throws heavy hands. Plus, du Plessis gives us a great entry into South Africa, and considering their love for rugby—which is essentially bare-knuckle football with fighting—I think that`s a massive potential market for us.
Mike Heck (UFC): 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 the UFC needs all the excitement and intrigue it can get. Why wait for contracts to expire? This is the immediate move for Ditcheva. Let`s pull off the band-aid and give everyone—except the PFL—exactly what they want to see.
Damon Martin (GFL): With Tommy Aspinall off the board, we need someone for Jones to fight in his GFL debut (possibly his only GFL fight). So, we`re returning to the matchup everyone wanted a couple of years ago. He`s been out of the spotlight in PFL, but Ngannou is still one of the most ferocious fighters in the world. Putting him against Jones is precisely the kind of matchup we need.
Alexander K. Lee (PFL): I see GFL`s move… and I don`t like it. Fortunately, we anticipated a Francis loss and already have some passive-aggressive tweets ready for when his first GFL fight is announced (kidding… or am I?). We thank Ngannou for his service and move on to the newest hotness, now-former UFC star Paddy Pimblett. We have the substance with Makhachev, and now we have plenty of sizzle with the increasingly popular “Baddy” from Liverpool.
Jed Meshew (BKFC): Look, are there “better” fighters available? Probably. But BKFC is as much a lifestyle as a fight promotion, and is there anyone in MMA more suited to our specific brand of chaos right now? Seriously, we`ll even let him take cigarette breaks on the way to the ring and help design custom Marlboro Red fight shorts.
Mike Heck (UFC): First off, this should have been a snake draft, and Paddy Pimblett would have stayed on the roster. But I`ll move on… Since I can`t keep Pimblett, again, the goal for the UFC is fun and excitement, and no division needs it more than heavyweight right now. We`ll matchmake him correctly (referencing pick No. 5, apologies to KSW), and ensure everyone tunes in to watch. Additionally, this pick hurts BKFC and certainly GFL based on fighter age ranges. Excited to have him.
Damon Martin (GFL): Now, I know what you`re thinking—Ronda Rousey is retired. But so was Chris Weidman, and he returned for the honor of competing in the GFL, and we believe Rousey can make a similar comeback. Sure, she hasn`t fought in nine years, but that kind of layoff just screams for a return to action! We already have Holly Holm under contract, so maybe we could run that back, or perhaps this draft presents another option for “Rowdy” in her GFL debut.
Alexander K. Lee (PFL): Listen, I`ll just say it: if you vote for GFL as the winner in any poll, you are a bad person. Explain yourselves in the comments! We`re keeping the momentum going with another buzzy fighter and the second “Fighting Nerd” off the board, “Lord” Jean Silva. His stock couldn`t be higher after defeating Bryce Mitchell, and he`s an incredible addition to our criminally overlooked featherweight division.
Jed Meshew (BKFC): Oof. That stings a bit; I was hoping to grab Silva this round for a Fighting Nerds tag-team scenario, but alas. Great pick for PFL, and we`ll have to adjust our plans slightly by taking my *other* large, adult son, Jiri Prochazka. Aside from the Pudzianowski-Hall fight (which Heck just ruined!), there`s no fight I want to see more in MMA. I don`t need a belt involved, I just need to see these two large, violent weirdos collide. And now I can.
Mike Heck (UFC): There`s no way we`re letting Dustin Poirier have his final fight outside the UFC. There are about five genuinely exciting things that could bring emotion to 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 entertaining careers in UFC history, and it will happen in New Orleans.
Damon Martin (GFL): Listen, we need a little excitement here, and frankly, there`s a chance none of our first four picks actually fight for us—much like we might never stage a show—but not all is lost. With Gaethje, we get a guy who`s still a top lightweight, never has a boring fight, and is remarkably durable and reliable, which is something we definitely need in this promotion.
Alexander K. Lee (PFL): Khamzat Chimaev, I can`t quit you. For the second year straight, I`m gambling on a guy who might be the best fighter in the world? We might never know. But there`s no denying that every time Chimaev walks to the cage, it`s must-watch television. And hey, our stars don`t fight more than once a year anyway, so our schedules match up perfectly!
Jed Meshew (BKFC): Look, is it possible this is a wasted pick? Absolutely. But here at BKFC, we support our own. GFL already took our co-owner in the first round; we can`t afford to lose the face of our promotion. Mike Perry helped build us into what we are, and he remains the perfect embodiment of bare-knuckle fighting.
Mike Heck (UFC): You`re welcome. Referencing pick No. 3, and that`s all I`ll say.
Damon Martin (GFL): The steal of the draft! Technically, Gina Carano never retired, so she`s fresher than Rousey (despite not competing for almost 16 years). Carano almost made a comeback a few years ago, deep in talks with the UFC for a potential Rousey showdown. Well, potential is all we have here, so why not try to put together the Carano vs. Rousey fight in 2025 that nobody was asking for?
Alexander K. Lee (PFL): We can`t entirely shrug off losing Ngannou, as the money fight with him and Aspinall was right there. So, we pivot to probably the only ONE Championship name likely to be drafted: the enigmatic Oumar Kane, a.k.a. Reug Reug. No one expected Reug Reug to last a round with Anatoly Malykhin last November, but somehow the Senegalese man of mystery went the distance and won (via a highly questionable split decision, but still). It`s a shame he hasn`t fought since, but we`re ready to offer him a massive Aspinall matchup immediately.
Jed Meshew (BKFC): This pick is purely for me. I have nothing but love for The Greatest Featherweight of All Time and think his UFC booking during his golden years is a travesty. Fortunately, in BKFC, we know the last thing anyone wants is someone desperately hugging Jose Aldo`s waist hoping for scorecards—and that`s not on the menu in a BKFC ring. Let`s see what one of the best fighters ever can do with a final chapter in bare knuckle.
Mike Heck (UFC): Call it a hipster pick, but I call it a selfish one. Hot take: I believe Gadzhi Rabadanov is the most underrated fighter in the world right now. And of course, we feel bad that—barring injury or a slip on a banana peel—we`ve cost Rabadanov $500,000, because if we didn`t draft him, he`d win the PFL lightweight tournament. I think this guy might be a top-ten lightweight globally right now, and we`ll never know if that`s true without this move.
Damon Martin (GFL): We need to finish strong, and honestly, there`s a chance none of our first four picks actually compete for us. But not all is lost. With Diaz, we get a fighter who is still a top lightweight, never has a boring fight, and is remarkably durable and dependable, something we definitely need in this promotion.
Alexander K. Lee (PFL): I genuinely thought Damon drafted “Nick Diaz,” and the fact that the confusion was even possible makes me so angry. We`re thinking way outside the box for our last pick, with many champions, stars, and PFL names I probably should have protected still available. But hear me out: We get Themba Gorimbo, and we get The Rock. You might not realize they`re friends since they never mention 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 friend Themba. And if there`s one thing we know about The Rock after this past WrestleMania, it`s that when he commits to a story, he follows through (multiple smirk emojis, prayer hands)!
Jed Meshew (BKFC): And now it`s time to look to the future. BKFC has a specific brand, and finding fitting prospects isn`t always easy, but this one looks good. Hughes is always ready for a fight, and he`s an emerging talent who can also talk. Hughes is our succession plan for when Mike Perry and our aging talent pool start moving towards retirement.
Mike Heck (UFC): Oh, Jed, you stole my pick, but that`s okay; I have a wonderful backup plan. Doumbé-mania is coming to the UFC, and unlike PFL, we will matchmake Doumbé correctly. No wrestlers, no grapplers (at least not anytime soon), just highlight reels. This is why Doumbé got into the sport, and PFL polished him nicely 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, Oumar Kane (Reug Reug), Themba Gorimbo
- BKFC (Jed Meshew): Alex Pereira, Dricus du Plessis, Mike Perry, Jiri Prochazka, Michael “Venom” Page, Jose Aldo, Bryce Hughes
- UFC (Mike Heck): Ilia Topuria, Dakota Ditcheva, Marcin Tybura, Dustin Poirier, Phil De Fries, Gadzhi Rabadanov, Cedric Doumbé
Neville Woodall 
Duncan Priestley
Damon Martin (GFL): Here at GFL, our immediate goal isn`t viral moments, it`s simply getting a single show off the ground! With the first pick, we`re taking none other than Conor McGregor. While most top picks look for a big contract, we`re hoping Conor might actually lend us some money to fund our debut event. He can be the face of the promotion; we`ll even call him president if he likes. Just please make sure the check clears!