Chmerkovskiy rates 'Dancing' competition

Dancing With The Stars professional Maksim Chmerkovskiy has spoken out about the competition on this year's show.

The dancer, who is paired with actress Debi Mazar, told TV Guide that he is already looking out for Donny Osmond, Aaron Carter, Mya and Mark Dacascos.

"Donny Osmond has a fan base that's so massive that he doesn't even need to dance, period. He's a great entertainer," he said.

"Also, people like him bring popularity to the show and we all have a job!

"I think Mark Dacascos, on paper, is great. I remember watching him doing his thing with Jet Li. He could be one of the dark horses people don't think about. I think Debi will be great. [She could be] a dark horse too."

Chmerkovskiy, who is engaged to fellow Dancing star Karina Smirnoff, added that his fiancée is doing well with her partner Aaron Carter.

"Aaron's young, capable, he wants it and Karina wants it. So she finally has a partner that's able. He's physically able to do these things. So it'll be fun. Aaron, Mark, Donny and Mya are probably frontrunners and then everybody else, we'll see," he said.

The ninth season of Dancing With The Stars premieres on ABC on September 21.