No UFC, no Bellator, but ONE Championship, LFA, and KSW have action going down this weekend. Here’s who to keep an eye out for when it comes to the rising MMA prospects in action over the next few days.
ONE Championship | Singapore | Friday
Heavyweight, Oumar Kane (1-0)
Oumar Kane made his MMA debut in December of 2019 and looked darn good. Kane is an undefeated Senegalese Wrestling Champion and he displayed that in that fight. He is insanely strong and very powerful. With obvious work to do when it comes to areas outside of wrestling, with the right push, he could develop into a good prospect. He fights the exciting Alain Ngalani (4-5).
LFA 98 | US | Friday
Middleweight, Joshua Fremd (5-1)
Josh Fremd is a product out of Factory X and someone that has a bright future. The only thing that worries me is his suspect cardio and maybe his takedown defense. At least offensively he’s looked finding finishes striking and on the mat. Fremd throws good output with tons of leg kicks and looping hooks in combinations. He’s also a strong wrestler and is a threat with chokes and ground and pound. He thrives in scrambles and is a fast big man. He has a good flow to his output and overall is someone that may be a breakout star in 2021. He fights Bruno Oliveira (8-2) which is a good test of where Fremd is at.
We spoke to Josh Fremd ahead of this one, check that out here.
Lightweight, JJ Okanovich (7-1)
JJ Okanovich has a lot of good experience, fighting and winning on the Contender Series and going 5-0 under the Bellator MMA banner. He’s a product out of American Kickboxing Academy who is on a seven-fight win streak. Okanovich isn’t the most technical fighter as he gets by with his toughness. He’s a decent wrestler, has a good submission game, is active on the feet, and has a good gas tank. Okanovich needs to improve his takedown defense and his grappling defense. He does have solid submission defense when needed. He fights Lucas Clay (6-1).
Okanovich caught up with the Top Turtle Podcast ahead of this one.
Lightweight, Lucas Clay (6-1)
Lucas Clay has wins over good prospects like Brant Moore and Mike Breeden. On the feet, he’s still green but at least fights long. Clay is a grappler and mostly a submission artist. Both his submission wins are from a rare buggy choke. He is too willing to fight off his back but in the same sense, that’s where he’s most dangerous. There’s a lot Clay can improve on but he’s definitely worth a watch. He fights JJ Okanovich (7-1).
Our interview with Clay ahead of LFA 98 can be found right here!
Light-heavyweight, Joshua DaSilveira (3-0)
DaSilveira is only 3-0 but went 4-0 as an amateur in MMA so he does have experience. Not high-level experience but he is in the gym every day with some of the best at ATT. Silveira wrestled in College for Arizona State University and was a Florida high school state champ. With that wrestling pedigree always in his back pocket, he’s able to let loose on the feet. His shot-selection is very on-point with his hands and his left high kick is very sneaky and dangerous. Silveira really checks all the boxes and is a major prospect. He fights Matt Paul (3-2).
Strawweight, Tabatha Ricci (3-0)
Ricci is a judo black belt and a training partner of UFC’s Mackenzie Dern. On the feet, Ricci is a buzzsaw in blitzes dishing out a lot of output. She strikes well to close the distance and once she gets the takedown she’s where she wants to be. Ricci has strong jiu-jitsu, that being her best weapon. You can’t complain about anything she does grappling as she is very good. She fights Vanessa Marie Grimes (1-5).
KSW 58 | Poland | Saturday
Featherweight, Salahdine Parnasse (14-0-1)
Parnasse is an amazing talent who has a bright future in MMA. At only 23-years-old he’s already the KSW featherweight champion. The French native has only fought one opponent with a losing record. Parnasse would prefer to keep the fight on the feet where he can use his effective movement and a good kickboxing base. On the feet, he does a good job of moving in and out and really loves to attack with leg kicks, which set up his strikes better. One of his best attributes is his cardio as he can fight at the same pace for three rounds, which often puts him above his foes. Parnasse has four wins by submission, all coming via choke, so he is well-rounded in all areas. He fights Daniel Torres (11-4).
Featherweight, Daniel Torres (11-4)
Torres is a talented fighter with his biggest downfall being that he’s a slow starter and tends not to commit to anything. Torres has a background as a K1 Kickboxer back in 2019. On the feet, Torres is a good striker but throws wild with looping hooks. He hits hard and kicks well. He even has a decent ground game. Only 26-years-old, he still has a lot of time to improve. He fights Salahdine Parnasse (14-0-1).
Lightweight, Shamil Musaev (14-0)
Russia’s Musaev is a good wrestler with very sound ground and pound. He has a background in Sanshou which explains why he likes to use that spinning kick to the midsection. Musaev is a dynamic fighter throwing with flash but his setups and the speed are impressive. He’s an excellent kickboxer. A lot is unknown about Musaev but keep your eye on him. He fights Uroš Jurišič (11-0).
Welterweight, Uroš Jurišič (11-0)
Fighting out of Slovenia, Uros Jurisic is a savage of a fighter. He has some good wins on his record including a win over Jose Caceres for the Titan FC title. Jurisic is a heavy-handed wild man who will explode forward throwing heavy leather. He will draw opponents in and then sling with some bad intention with everything he throws. Not just a striker, Jurisic has a good ground game as well with nasty ground and pound and some overall underrated grappling. He fights Shamil Musaev (14-0).
