Argentina
There are a lot of prospects from Argentina that stand out. A lot of good records and young fighters. Of everyone, I ended up narrowing it down to Mauro Mastromarini (16-2). He’s a guy that will always go out on his shield and put on a war. He can stand a bit flat-footed and his takedown defense needs to be better. He makes up for that with huge explosive ability. Mastromarini usually throws one strike at a time, and he’s a good counter striker. He’s even better when he explodes forward with strikes and some sniper head kicks at the end of combos. Mastromarini also has underrated wrestling and a good ground game. The UFC has signed a lot of Argentinian fighters recently and Mastromarini would do well in the UFC.
Armenia
All the best fighters from Armenia are already in the UFC. Those are Armen Petrosyan, Melsik Baghdasaryan, and of course, Arman Tsarukyan. The only one I like not signed to a major promotion is Martun Mezhlumyan (14-3). He’s talented but is inconsistent. Losing to Islam Mamedov is one thing, but his other losses are bad. He does have quality wins but Valeriu Mircea stands out. He has that killer instinct from the opening bell to the finish. Throwing output from the beginning Mezhlumyan really loves to throw his lead elbow over and over. He’s tricky with his style and a dangerous guy all around. He’s someone that still needs to prove himself.
Australia
Over the last few years, Australia has developed a lot of good prospects from the area. The UFC also is always looking for fighters from the area given they go ever so often, and have a new deal in place for Sydney. There are a lot of choices to pick from but personally, I really like Cody Haddon (5-1). His only loss is to UFC’s Steve Erceg in what was a competitive fight. He’s well-rounded. He has both solid wrestling and strong grappling. On the feet, he’s the full package. His vision, hand speed, bodywork, and volume all don’t go unnoticed. Haddon is the real deal and needs to be watched closely. Haddon is currently Australia’s best-kept secret.
