The major players are all taking the week off in MMA land, with the UFC, Bellator, and PFL all sitting out. ONE Championship has a tape delayed card, which leaves us with a handful of regional events to look at to see prospects in action.
FEN 32 | Poland | Friday
Bantamweight, Jonas Magard (12-4)
Magard isn’t entirely comfortable on the feet, though he still does hold some power and has good movement — it’s just not where it needs to be at a high level. Magard though is a grappling ace with five submission wins and five via a rare Japanese Necktie. His wrestling has gotten much better over time. His single leg is what’s highlighted in his wrestling. As shown in his last fight he can wrestle heavy for five rounds. Magard fights Frans Mlambo (9-5).
Bantamweight, Ekaterina Shakalova (5-1)
Ukraine’s Shakalova has already made quite the impact this year. With a win over a good prospect in Róża Gumienna and recently beating former UFC fighter Izabela Badurek, things are looking up. Those two wins have skyrocketed her to one of the top bantamweight prospects. Shakalova is a three-time grappling world champion and a four-time European grappling champion. Her wrestling to showcase that grappling is outstanding. Shakalova has classic wrestling skills and likes to use a lot of arm drags which is something you don’t see much in MMA. She also changes levels for well-executed double legs and is known for some high amplitude takedown in her repertoire. Shakalova is very good at moving into side control and letting off some relentless ground and pound. Her striking needs work but her wrestling and grappling is top-notch. She fights Jamila Sandora (5-0).
ACA 123 | Russia | Friday
Flyweight, Aren Akopyan (11-2-1)
From Russia, Akopyan is quietly one of the best prospects out of the country. On the feet, he’s a quick guy with a lot of bounce and movement. He does a good job throwing out feints and freezing guys while being able to let his hands go. He’s an even better wrestler and his ground game is very dangerous. He fights Charles Henrique (13-2).
XFC 44 | US | Friday
Lightweight, Tom O’Connor (9-1)
O’Connor is an endurance athlete who wins on pressure, pace, and cardio. The Canadian fighter has solid wrestling. His level changes are so low on the legs it’s tough to fend him off. His positional grappling is on point as he’s able to control guys while just bullying them around. The footage does lack so right now it hard to tell how good he is. O’Connor fights Damonte Robinson (6-1-1).
MMA-Series 33 | Russia | Friday
Heavyweight, Oleg Popov (10-1)
Popov is a wrestler who has some decent power in his hands. He’s an aggressive guy constantly shooting and what he lacks in size he makes up for with his strength. Not entirely someone who will blow you away on the mat but he has some heavy top control. Popov is getting better and better with each fight. He fights Marcos Brigagão (13-2).
Superior Challenge 22 | Sweeden | Saturday
Light heavyweight, Karl Albrektsson (11-3)
Albrektsson has only three losses in his career, all three to stellar fighters in Valentin Moldavsky, Phil Davis, and Jiri Prochazka. He has also beaten good competition such as former UFC fighter Josh Stansbury and Bellator light heavyweight champ Vadim Nemkov. “King” has a background in BJJ and in Sanshou, in which he was the 2014 European champion. His weak point would be on the feet, as he’s often seen fighting too stiff. He excels on the mat though, looking better in each fight. Just last month, he beat Nemkov’s brother, Viktor, so he’s staying active. He fights Rab Truesdale (10-6-1).
