Picture these worst-case scenarios for the UFC:
1. Jon Jones and Brock Lesnar receive full two-year suspensions from MMA for their recent doping violations (with Lesnar presumably retiring for good this time).
2. Conor McGregor loses to Nate Diaz again and decides he's through with MMA.
3. Ronda Rousey stars in an "Entourage" sequel that grosses $2 billion worldwide and settles down to start a family of little Rouseys with Travis Browne.
Okay, that last scenario may be too far-fetched even for the purposes of this exercise (a successful Entourage film?), but there's no arguing that the UFC's star-driven business model is at risk of collapsing at any moment.
The promotion could need someone to step up soon, and while it's possible that the next big thing isn't even on the radar yet, here are five fast-rising names who could become crossover stars in the near future.
Rose Namajunas
Rose Namajunas has been on a tear since losing to Carla Esparza in "The Ultimate Fighter 20" finale. In her past three fights, "Thug Rose" claimed submission wins over future Invicta FC champion Angela Hill and fellow prospect Paige VanZant, and avenged a loss to Tecia Torres in April.
The 24-year-old strawweight has a style all her own, sporting a freshly shaved head on fight nights and maintaining an active social media presence.
The in-cage accomplishments are piling up, so if the UFC markets her properly, they could have another legitimate female draw on their hands.
Michael Page
This is a cheat, since Michael "Venom" Page is currently administering his unique brand of violence for Bellator MMA, not the UFC. Rumor has it he's re-upped with them, too, meaning he's at least a year away from becoming a free agent.
Whenever he becomes available, you can expect Dana White will give him a call. The 29-year-old Englishman has shown he can talk a good game and deliver on fight night, stringing together finish after finish inside the Bellator cage.
This weekend, he went viral with his Pokemon-inspired celebration following a brutal knockout victory. That's the kind of hype that can't be manufactured, and it's exactly what the UFC craves.
Mackenzie Dern
The next Ronda Rousey?
Mackenzie Dern hasn't even had an MMA fight, and she's already been touted as a potential star in the women's 135-pound division. Like Rousey, Dern has the grappling credentials to back up the hype, having won a gold medal at the illustrious Abu Dhabi Combat Club Submission Wrestling Championship in 2015.
The 23-year-old is the daughter of Brazilian jiu-jitsu master Wellington "Megaton" Dias, so she's been bred for combat since day one.
Her greatest accomplishment may have been an April 2015 win over the feared Gabi Garcia, a grappler on a seven-year undefeated streak who outweighed Dern by 70 pounds.
Expectations are sky high for Dern as she makes her MMA debut for Legacy Fighting Championship on July 22.
Doo Ho Choi
Prospects don't come much brighter than "The Korean Superboy."
Just 25 years old, Doo Ho Choi looks more like he should be stressing about some kid stealing his Lunchables than a seasoned cage fighter. But in his first 13 MMA contests, he knocked out 10 of his opponents.
Any worries that he wouldn't be able to replicate those results in the Octagon have been erased, as he's gone a perfect 3-0, with none of his opponents making it out of the first round.
Related: Choi smokes Tavares for 3rd straight 1st-round KO
More than just a lovable knockout artist, Choi could be the Asian star the UFC has long sought to break into that untapped market.
Lando Vannata
Few fighters have made an impact in a losing debut quite like Lando Vannata.
Called in on 15 days notice to fight top-three lightweight Tony Ferguson, "Groovy" looked as loose as a rubber band in a first round that saw him hurt and nearly finish Ferguson.
He dropped his hands, bobbed his head, threw strikes from unorthodox angles, and did everything possible to impress, even though he was completely overmatched on paper.
Vannata was submitted in the second after tiring out, though it's reasonable to blame that on his short training camp, and the fact that he was competing outside his weight class.
Related: Ferguson survives manic Vannata to win wild fight by submission
The 24-year-old is still a mystery, but he's shown that he has the charisma and chutzpah to be a marketable commodity when he drops down to his more natural class of featherweight.
