Bellator 274 saw the promotion set to return to the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT this weekend, while the PFL kicked off its Challenger Series at light heavyweight. Which prospects should you keep an eye on? Let’s break it down.
Eagle FC 45 | Russia | Friday
Featherweight, Busurmankul Abdibait uulu (14-3-1)
Uulu can stand and trade in a brawl, wrestle, and grapple all very well. Uulu has a bombshell of a right hand, heavy kicks, strong wresting, and solid ground and pound. Arguably the best prospect out of Kyrgyzstan at the moment. He defends his title against Rasul Magomedov (9-3).
Welterweight, Shakhban Alkhasov (5-0)
Like many Dagestanis, Alkhasov is primarily a talented grappler. Most of his takedowns come from body locks and inside trips. His wrestling could be better when it comes to getting takedowns in open spaces. Alkhasov is raw on the feet but he is good at utilizing his kicks, going right upstairs which is rather impressive given his own 6’3″ height. He fights Arsen Nersesyan (25-10-1).
Titan FC 74 | US | Friday
Bantamweight, Ryan Kuse (5-0)
Kuse is a young fighter with a lot of promise. On the feet, Kuse fights at distance with kicks and long punches. He’s just as good of a wrestler as he is a striker. Kuse has been dominant in top position and is smooth in transitions. His ground and pound is arguably his best weapon. He’s well-rounded but needs a step up in competition. Kuse fights Asa Ten Pow (1-0).
Flyweight, Victor Dias (10-2)
Brazil’s Victor Dias is the reigning Titan FC champion. It took a while before Dias hit his stride, winning by thin margins and losing close decision losses. It’s easy to tell that since training with American Top Team, he’s a more fearsome fighter. Dias is a black belt in BJJ and a national champion as well. A prospect with a high-level ground game is how you can sum up Dias. He fights Gaston Manzur (11-7).
Lightweight, Landon Quiñones (5-1-1)
Quinones fights for the first time after a year and a half layoff. He’s a good striker with a lot of good techniques. Quinones throws a good straight left. He mixes it up well using kicks going to the body and legs well. He’s shown solid TDD, which allows him to be more comfortable on the feet. He fights Myktybek Orolbay Uulu (6-1).
Ring of Combat 75 | US | Friday
Featherweight, Dennis Buzukja (6-2)
Buzukja is the current Ring of Combat champion and fought on the Contender Series in 2020. He lost that fight on the Contender Series to Melsik Baghdasaryan but did fight injured. Since that, he’s gone 2-0 and defended his ROC title. Buzukja is a relentless combination striker with heavy hands and is dangerous everywhere on the feet. He trains out of LAW MMA so he’s growing day after day in camp. He fights Josh Rohler (6-4).
Bantamweight, James Gonzalez (8-4)
Gonzalez may not have a good-looking record but his four losses are to Mike Trizano twice, Levi Mowles, and Bill Algeo. Gonzalez is a product out of Serra Jiu-Jitsu. He is a jiu-jitsu black belt and on the mat is where he wants to be. Gonzalez has an aggressive submission base attacking in every position and attacking every limb. He’s excellent at transitioning submission to submission. On his back or on top he’s usually the offensive fighter. He fights Phil Caracappa (8-2).
PFL Challenger Series 1 | US | Friday
Light-heavyweight, Josh Silveira (7-0)
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. Just recently he became the second-ever LFA double champ winning the light heavyweight and middleweight titles. He fights Mohamed Juma (8-2).
Light heavyweight, Bruce Souto (14-3)
Souto has fought for M1, ACB, Jungle Fights, and Future FC. He’s on a nine-fight win streak beating some solid dudes. Souto is a good striker with a lot of forwarding pressure. He does well at coming forward closing the distance and tripping his opponents to the mat. Where he does his best work is on the mat. His ground and pound is good and is just as dangerous as a submission threat. Souto has excellent cardio which sets him apart. He fights Travis Davis (10-5).
Arena Global 16 | Brazil | Saturday
Light-heavyweight, Bogdan Guskov (11-2)
Guskov is impressively 9-1 in his last ten fights. He’s been fighting since 2015 and all his wins have come inside the distance. Guskov is a very dangerous guy with a lot of power. He throws knees, hooks, kicks, and fires something different every time he throws. He also has lights-out power and a nasty counter game. His looping right hook may be his best weapon but his ability to mix it up makes him dangerous. Guskov even has wrestling in his back pocket but it’s hard to tell the level that’s on. He fights Rodrigo Carlos (26-21).
Heavyweight, Valter Ignacio (4-0)
Ignacio is the brother of UFC fighter Johnny Walker. Johnny is more of a striker and kickboxer where Ignacio likes to take guys down and smash them. He’s a big dude at 6’6″ and uses all that size to impose his will. Once on top he has smothering control while landing good ground and pound. Tape is limited and he still needs to be tested though. He fights Wagner Maia (7-3).
