It’s a busy weekend in Asian MMA with Brave CF 23 taking place in Jordan, and RIZIN 15 in Japan. Here are the prospects to pay attention to on these cards.
Here’s who to watch out for in our latest Weekly MMA Prospect Report. Also, I will highlight the three prospects who I believe have the highest ceiling with an asterisk.
Brave CF 23 | Friday | Jordan
Welterweight, Abdoul Abdouraguimov (9-0)
The Russia native had a background in freestyle-wrestling and Brazilian jiu-jitsu before switching over to MMA to boost up his undefeated pro record. Abdouraguimov needs to work on a few things like his footwork as he tends to get more flat-footed as the fight goes on, and that’s because his gas tank wears quickly. He slows fairly quick because of how aggressive he is early and his grapple-heavy style. His wrestling is decent, but he could use his setups better. However, he does close the distance fairly well and is willing to take risks getting the fight to the mat because he scrambles so well. On the mat, he is solid with grappling, but on the feet, he is unpredictable and just needs to be more technical. Abdouraguimov also has a win over former UFC fighter Viscardi Andrade. He fights champion Jarrah Hussein Al-Silawi (13-2).
Welterweight, Jarrah Hussein Al-Silawi (13-2)
Jarrah Hussein is well-rounded with exceptional cardio and that has won him the Brave CF welterweight title. The Jordan native is currently on an eight-fight win streak with those wins over opponents with a combined record of 61-16. On the feet, once he gets warmed up, he’s a skilled striker. I really don’t like when he utilizes his head kicks because they are telegraphed. I do like the way he kicks the legs after combinations, though. His striking defense could be better and so could his takedown defense but I think he’s at his best on the mat. He has five submissions and can threaten from both on the top and bottom. Hussein has good jiu-jitsu and while he is a bit more of a slower fighter, he has good technique. He fights the aforementioned Abdoul Abdouraguimov (9-0).
Welterweight, Mounir Lazzez (7-0)
Mounir Lazzez has been wrecking guys, winning six of his seven fights by KO/TKO as he captured a regional title in the process. Lazzez has the nickname “The Sniper” and that couldn’t be truer – his accuracy is awesome and once he connects flush, it’s lights out. He is athletic, quick, and well-rounded. He can get the takedown and work on top, but on the feet, that’s where he can let loose, where he is really at home. He also holds two awesome head kick knockouts. With all that said, Lazzez can get a little sloppy. He fights Eldar Eldarov (10-1)
Welterweight, Eldar Eldarov (10-1)
The Russian was a former World Cup of Sambo champion and a former European sambo champion. He hits hard on the feet, but he wants to close the distance and get the takedown. His last loss came in 2009 and that was against current UFC lightweight champion, Khabib Nurmagomedov. Eldarov relies on his top control but has eight submission wins as well. He fights the aforementioned Mounir Lazzez (7-0).
Lightweight, Abdul-Kareem Al-Selwady (10-1)
Abdul-Kareem Al-Selwady is only 23-years-old and is really getting better and better each fight. Al-Selwady is a wrestler first-and-foremost as he closes the distance very well and has the strength to elevate his opponents and slam them to the mat. As I said, Al-Selwady is getting better and that showed with his striking where he’s really quick on the release along with showing accuracy and power. Last year, he won the Brave CF lightweight title against former UFC fighter Lucas Martins. He fights Luan Santiago (13-3) who is legit, so this should be a good test.
Middleweight, Ikram Aliskerov (8-0)*
Ikram Aliskerov is a two-time world combat sambo champion out of Makhachkala, Russia, along with other accomplishments. From what I’ve seen from Aliskerov, while he has the wrestling background, he likes to stand and trade with his opponents. He has a good jab along with some impressive accuracy and timing on both his strikes and level changes. A lot is still unknown about him, but with the power, speed, and accuracy he shows on the feet while being an accomplished wrestler, I like his future at only 26-years-old. He fights Khamzat Chimaev (4-0) who I haven’t watched much on but has a lot of hype around him.
Flyweight, Amir Albazi (11-0)
Amir Albazi has an impressive record as a pro but was also the IMMA world champion as an amateur in 2015. He trains out of London Shootfighters with some top-notch fighters around the world. Albazi is solely a grappler, but with that, he has excellent takedowns utilizing trips and takedowns along the cage. He excels on the mat with his effortless grappling and high IQ. Albazi thrives in scrambles with six submissions. He is high-level on the mat and although he hasn’t shown much on the feet, he hasn’t had too. He fights former UFC fighter Jose Torres. This is a huge fight for Amir.
Lightweight, Akhmed Magomedov (5-0)
Magomedov has a background in freestyle wrestling and was the Russian National Jiu-Jitsu champion in 2017. The Russian only has five fights, but three finishes, getting it done on the mat with submissions and ground and pound. He’s a smart fighter and could be someone to watch for in the future. He fights Steven Goncalves (6-1) who he should beat.
Check out the prospects from RIZIN 15 on page two.
