Poland-born and England-raised, Mike Figlak is an undefeated lightweight at 5-0. Figlak went 10-2 as an amateur, with a key loss to UFC bantamweight Jack Shore. Training out of Worcester, England with Trojan Free Fighters, Figlak is developing under head coach Paul Sutherland. Working alongside Figlak is his slightly older brother Mateusz Figlak, who is someone else to watch out for.
Figlak has been in MMA since he was only 15-years-old. He practiced in boxing and judo but MMA is what drew him to combat sports. He began fighting as an amateur in 2013 and fought for five years before turning pro in 2018. He won the Golden Ticket Fight Promotions lightweight title as an amateur. In his second pro fight Figlak won the Raged UK lightweight title.
He made his first big statement in September 2020 when he made his promotional debut for Cage Warriors. He fought Oban Elliott who was 3-0 at the time (and 7-0 as an amateur). Elliott was riding a lot of hype and was mentioned as the future of Cage Warriors possibly. In what was a fun fight Figlak looked much better and stopped Elliott in the third round.
Figlak is well-rounded. He’s knocked opponents out, won via ground and pound, went the distance, and won by submission as an amateur. He brings pressure, volume, and composure every time he competes. Figlak is a fierce striker. The power isn’t necessarily the danger rather it’s the volume and combinations he throws. Figlak is frequently attacking and does so from different angles and always throws something different. He sometimes strays away from it but his bodywork is wonderful. He mixes it into combinations going body-head. Figlak digs the body making the hands drop and then goes to the head.
Figlak does everything right on the feet. He’s technical, throws volume, mixes in kicks and punches, has good footwork, and uses feints. My only knock on his stand-up is he takes damage. I do rate his head movement quite highly but at times it sits a little too long on the centerline. I’ve noticed it’s the jab he has the most issue moving away from. For the most part, Figlak can take a shot and his striking defense is solid overall. Maybe a good boxer with a good jab will give him trouble but it’s nothing I’d worry about.
Though perhaps not as exciting as his stand-up, his ground game is just as good. To get it there Figlak’s wrestling is relentless. Figlak can get takedowns in space, in the clinch, and he seems to have good judo. His wrestling is as good as it is because it’s complemented by his striking. Other than wanting Figlak to be more aggressive passing the guard he’s a solid grappler. A lot of times when he gets takedowns or defends sloppy shots he winds up in side control or half guard. From there he’s easily transitioning to the mount and soon taking the back. The capability is there but he has yet to get a submission in his pro career. Figlak does rain down frequent ground and pound and has heavy top control.
Figlak is without a doubt someone to watch for. I think a lot of him and I believe he has a bright future. A future I see consists of a Cage Warriors title and a UFC contract if that’s what he wants. I have no real concern about what he’s shown so far. He gets hit but nothing major has come of it. He has excellent takedown defense and the times he’s been on his back and pops right back up. Figlak is well-rounded, smart, and has good endurance — enough to be a real threat in the future. He returns at Cage Warriors 129 on October 2.
Unofficial Stats
Knockdowns: 2
Knocked down: 0
Takedowns: 7
Takedowns failed: 4
Taken down: 1
Takedowns defended: 17
Clinch control: 3:30
Controlled in the clinch: 0:42
Ground control: 7:59
Controlled on the ground: 0:21
Guard passes: 0
Transioted to dominant position: 6
Been in a dominant position defensively: 0
Submission attempts: 2
Submissions fought off: 1
Grades
Striking: A
Kickboxing: B
Movement: B
Output/Volume: A+
Aggression: A
Head movement: B-
Speed: B-
Knockout power: B-
Bodywork: B+
Takedown defense: A-
Grappling: B
Grappling defense: A+
Wrestling: B
Clinch: A
Feints/Fakes: B
Endurance: B
IQ: B
