Sherdog’s Top 10: Rising Stars, 2015 First Edition

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8. Mirsad Bektic
Division: Featherweight
Record: 10-0
Age: 24

American Top Team has long been one of the best teams in MMA, producing a steady stream of top contenders across multiple weight classes before Robbie Lawler finally brought a UFC belt home. The 24-year-old Bektic is a product of that environment from the early days of his career, honing his skills under the supervision of some of the sport’s best coaches and training on a daily basis with an array of elite fighters.

From a physical perspective, Bektic is a monster. He has incredible athleticism, brute strength and the kind of power that simply cannot be taught, both on the feet and on the ground. No matter how tough they might be, opponents seem to wilt when he lays hands on them, and ruined faces follow soon after the barrage of strikes begins. Physicality is not Bektic’s only asset, though. He boasts a crisp striking repertoire, extraordinary skill in blending his punches and takedowns that has drawn comparisons to Georges St. Pierre and a functional, violent top game.

Bektic’s future prospects are not harmed by his compelling life story. A native of Bosnia, he fled the violence and civil war with his family as a child and spent time in refugee camps in several countries before finally settling in Nebraska. Bosnian sports fans, a rabid and supportive bunch both in the United States and abroad, have embraced Bektic and spread the gospel far and wide.

The sky is the limit for Bektic, and he could well be the future king of the featherweight division.

Number 7 » A former male model and actor, his good looks, skill on the mic and presence could take him a long way. Add to that a degree in creative advertising, and it is clear that the Canadian knows how to market and brand himself. None of that would truly matter, however, if he were not a tough and aggressive fighter. He is quick, athletic and mean, with the kind of pace and cardio that wear down his opponents over the course of the fight and lead to devastating finishes as they tire.