(Spoiler: One of these guys is probably on this list. PicProps: MMA Bay)
Obviously, it’s a fool’s errand to try to predict the future; just ask all those people who invested heavily in HD DVD instead of BluRay. Here at the Potato, however, we’re nothing if not risk-takers and with a large portion of our tried and true Cage Heroes either retired (Chuck), mired in slumps (BJ) or just living on borrowed time (Randy, Matt), we began to wonder this week: Who will carry the banner of MMA greatness into the next generation? In light of that, we present this list of CP’s Top 10 fighters under 25 years old.

First, a note on our methods: We compiled this group using a super-scientific algorithm that considers age, experience, potential and what Dan Severn might call “brawlability.” Seriously, we’d explain it in more detail, but you wouldn’t understand. Let’s just say graphing calculators were involved. Also, for utility’s sake, the list is restricted to fighters competing in major organizations (mostly the UFC, as it turns out) as well as dudes who are 24 and under. Sorry, Phil Davis.

Anyhow, here are our selections of 10 fighters who could be making noise for the next, oh, 20 years or so …

10. Charles Oliveira

Age: 20
Record: 12-0 (1 fight in UFC)
Division: Lightweight
Accolades: Won Submission of the Night in only UFC appearance; Made Sherdog’s “10 Brazilians to Watch in 2010” list.
Highlights: Defeated Darren Elkins in his UFC debut with a slick arm bar; Has won two separate “grand prix” tournaments in Brazil; Defeated Don Stanco in his American debut at Ring of Combat in Atlantic City in summer of 2009.
Potential: Don’t know if you’ve noticed this, but Brazil is on the rise again, son. The truth is, Oliveira is just one of an army of young lions from the mother country who are creeping on a come-up. With just one fight in the Octagon, this might be a classic “reach” pick, but he’s also the youngest guy on this list. That’s got to count for something. Oliveira will fight Efrain Escudero later this month and that fight should go a long way to telling us what we’re dealing with here.
Fun Fact: Seven of his wins have come during one-night tourneys in Brazil.

9. Stefan Struve

Age: 22
Record: 20-4 (6 fights in UFC)
Division: Heavyweight
Accolades: Submission of the Night winner; Knockout of the Night winner; Rumor is he's pretty tall.
Highlights: Battled back for wins against Christian Morecraft (UFC 117) and Dennis Stojnic (UFC 99); Handed Chase Gormley his first ever MMA loss at UFC 104.
Potential: Granted, watching Struve get KTFOed by Roy Nelson and Junior dos Santos doesn’t exactly inspire confidence in his future, but you gotta remember two things: One, he’s still incredibly young. Two, every time he takes the cage, something fun happens. That’s good not only for his longevity – and given time to develop on the big stage, who knows what will happen – but also threatens to make Struve a fan favorite for a long time to come.
Fun Fact: Everything about this guy is fun. Example: Struve made his pro debut at 17 at an event called “Gentlemen Fight Night.” What's not to like about that?

8. John Hathaway

Age: 22
Record: 14-0 (4 fights in UFC)
Division: Welterweight
Accolades: Kid is 22 and in the UFC. What else do you want from him?
Highlights: Began his UFC career on a 4-0 tear capped when he spoiled Diego Sanchez’s return to welterweight at UFC 114.
Potential: It’s starting to seem like while the UFC was screwing around trying to woo the UK market by turning Michael Bisping into a superstar, the real deal might’ve been sitting right under its nose the whole time. Hathaway is a good striker who – unlike a lot of his countrymen – doesn’t view wrestling as one of the forbidden dark arts. Definitely a comer at 170-pounds.
Fun Fact: Used to be “an open-side flanker” for local rugby team Hove RFC. Whatever that is.

7. Jeremy Stephens

Age: 24
Record: 18-4 (9 fights in UFC)
Division: Lightweight
Accolades: Two-time KO of the Night winner; One-time Fight of the Night Winner; UGC lightweight champion; MCC lightweight champion.
Highlights: TKOed Cole Miller in Jan. 2008; KOed Rafael dos Anjos at UFC 91; Edged Sam Stout by split decision in the FOTN at UFC 113.
Potential: If there is an old war horse on this list of newbs, it’s Stephens. He made his Octagonal debut at UFC 71 in 2007 when he was just 21. His 5-4 record on the big stage might mean he’s never gonna be the champ, but he’s still got some tread left on the tires, so we're willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. His fight against Melvin Guillard this month at UFC 119 will be a good litmus test for his future.
Fun Fact: Nine of his fights (37.5 percent) have been in beautiful Des Moines, Iowa. Didn’t go to decision until the 16th fight of his career.

6. Josh Grispi

Age: 21
Record: 15-1 (4 fights in WEC)
Division: Featherweight
Accolades: Won Submission of the Night at WEC 49.
Highlights: Choked Jens Pulver (WEC 41); Pounded Micah Miller (WEC 35); Subbed Mark Hominick (WEC 32)
Potential: Gotta be honest, I’m about as high on Grispi as you can be on a kid this young and relatively inexperienced. To date, the only thing that has been able to slow him down is injury, as he ignored a lingering ankle ailment until it forced him out of action for much of 2009-10. Ah, the follies of youth. On the flipside, few of the actual humans he’s faced have proved any trouble at all. As of right now, Grispi is the leading candidate for “Most Likely to Fight in a Mega Superfight Almost No One Will Watch” if and when he meets up with Jose Aldo for the WEC 145-pound crown.
Fun Fact: Has only been out of the first round once. Also, he loves dogs.

5. Efrain Escudero

Age: 24
Record: 13-1 (4 fights in UFC)
Division: Lightweight
Accolades: Won season eight of “The Ultimate Fighter”; JUCO national wrestling tournament placer in 2007; Also won 8 MMA fights that year.
Highlights: Beat the highly touted Phillipe Nover to claim the TUF 8 crown; Had the pleasure of choking Junie Browning in the semifinals of that tourney; Won 9 of his first 10 fights by submission.
Potential: Expectations were tempered a bit after Escudero lost to Evan Dunham in January. “Hecho en Mexico” would’ve certainly been higher on this list prior to that defeat, and still has an extremely bright future in the lightweight division. Fights Oliveira on Sept. 15.
Fun Fact: Went to the same junior college as Drew Fickett, Jamie Varner and Jesse Forbes.

4. Sarah Kaufman

Age: 24
Record: 12-0 (4 fights in Strikeforce)
Division: Women’s welterweight.
Accolades: Strikeforce women’s welterweight champion; HCF women’s bantamweight champion.
Highlights: Her brutal slam of Roxanne Modafferi at SF Challengers 9 was enough to make even the most forward-thinking individual wonder if someday one of these girls isn’t going to get seriously injured; Began her career with eight straight stoppage victories.
Potential: Kaufman sneaks onto this list, since she turns 25 later this month. Some of you aren’t going to like it, but she’s here, so deal with it. She's good enough that she hasn’t really been tested by any of the other women in her weight class. Granted, those three consecutive decisions to begin her Strikeforce career didn’t exactly wow us, but the string of stoppages from 2006-09 leads us to believe there are some fireworks in store for the future. Will defend her title against Marloes Coenen in Oct.
Fun Fact: If not a professional fighter, Kaufman might've been a cardiovascular surgeon.

3. Rory MacDonald

Age: 21
Record: 10-1 (2 fights in UFC)
Division: Welterweight
Accolades: King of the Cage world lightweight champion; KOTC Canadian lightweight champion; Won Fight of the Night bonus at UFC 115.
Highlights: Began his career with four consecutive first-round submission wins; Arm barred Mike Guymon in UFC debut; Was pretty much handing Carlos Condit his ass until losing in the final 10 seconds at UFC 115.
Potential: Is in indefensible to put a guy who is 1-1 in the UFC this high on this list? Maybe, but MacDonald is one of those dudes who makes you feel like the game, as we know it, is about to change. Obviously, he makes this list on expectation alone, as he hasn't been in the UFC long enough to show us much.
Fun Fact: What were you doing at 16? That's the age MacDonald debuted as a professional MMA fighter.

2. Jon Jones

Age: 23
Record: 11-1 (6 fights in UFC)
Division: Light heavyweight
Accolades: New York high school wrestling champion; JUCO national champion; Fight! Magazine Newcomer of the Year (2009); Sherdog.com Breakout Fighter of the Year (2009); Won KO of the Night for jacking up Brandon Vera's face.
Highlights: Broke Vera’s orbital socket with an elbow; Tossed Stephan Bonnar around like a bag of dirty laundry; Beat-up Matt Hamill in ways not even MMA’s unified rules would allow.
Potential: You know the deal. Jones has pretty much been hailed as the second coming of Rickson Gracie – meaning he’s gonna go like 10,000-0 during his career – since he showed up on the scene during the summer of ’08. We’re all expecting pretty big things from Jonny Bones. Soon as the UFC gives him a real opponent, we’ll find out if he’s up to it.
Fun Fact: At 6-4, 230-ish, he’s the runt of the family. Both his brothers are defensive linemen in football.

1. Jose Aldo

Age: 23
Record: 17-1 (7 fights in WEC)
Division: Featherweight
Accolades: WEC Featherweight Champion; Pancrase 2007 Neo-Blood Tournament winner; Has won WEC KO of the Night bonus four times.
Highlights: Pretty much every time he goes out there. Has back-to-back wins over Mike Brown and Urijah Faber; Knocked out Cub Swanson with a jumping double knee straight out of “The Matrix.”
Potential: The only thing standing between Aldo and superstardom is that Zuffa has yet to absorb the WEC into the UFC. When it does, expect him to become one of the company’s best future PPV draws. Like Anderson Silva, only cool and likeable.
Fun Fact: Got his trademark facial scar when as a baby, his sisters rolled him into a BBQ pit. That’s growing up hard, people.

Honorable mentions:
Todd Duffee (24, 7-1) – Probably would’ve made the list if he hadn’t been knocked stiff by fat guy Mike Russow at UFC 114.
Anthony Pettis (23, 11-1) – Next fight will be for the WEC lightweight title. After that, we’ll talk.
Micah Miller (23, 14-4) – Possibly not even the best fighter in his own family, but still pretty good.
Dan Lauzon (22, 12-4) – See above. Early UFC experience was too much too fast for D-Lau.
Terry Etim (24, 17-3) – Was streaking before his loss to Rafael dos Anjos at UFC 112.
Matthew Riddle (24, 5-1) – Just got the biggest win of his career over DaMarques Johnson, but needs more fights be considered a true blue-chip prospect.
Chris Camozzi (23, 13-3) – Is going to get a heck of a test against Dongi Yang at UFC 121.
Others receiving votes: Steve Cantwell, Alexander Gustafson, Christian Morecraft.