Sam Noakes

At #9 in the lightweight rankings, Sam Noakes — "Midge" to fight fans — is past the "prospect" stage. This is contender territory, and every fight from here is a title eliminator in disguise.

Judges are mostly decorative at his fights. 16 of 18 wins have come inside the distance, a 89% KO rate that shapes how every opponent trains for him.

Last time out he beat Benito Sanchez Garcia (TKO R2) — the kind of result that keeps a career pointed in the right direction.