Middleweight, Virgil Augen (6-0):
Augen is not not a big 205er at just six-foot but he’s been muscling guys around. Augen lacks in height but he’s so strong and his wrestling and pressure is a compliment to all that. His wrestling has been solid with strong hips and being able to get on the legs. His offensive grappling has checked out. He’s smothered with top position, ground and pound, and can sink the choke in pretty quickly. He’s coming off a one-sided win over Contender Series alum, Henrique Shiguemoto where he showed vast improvements
Lightweight, Daniel James Allen (5-0):
Allen was the biggest snub of last seasons contender series. He easily beat a LFA champ in JaCobi Jones and shockingly didn’t get a contract. Allen is a product of AKA and has been very dominant in his MMA career. So dominant he’s shown no weaknesses at all. Allen is billed more of a wrestler but his striking is both sharp and clean. He answered a lot of questions in his last fight proving he’s a legit level UFC fighter.
Featherweight, Losene Keita (12-1):
Not just the best fighter out of his country but arguably the best worldwide. His only loss is to a good fighter but only lost because of injury. Keita is a fighter that’s shown a bit of everything. He swings with some real stopping power in his hands. His wrestling is good but jiu-jitsu is still a work in progress. He does have good power and when he puts his hands together he’s even more lethal. Keita has shown glimpses of good boxing using the jab and going body-head. He’s a free agent currently and the UFC needs to be calling.
Flyweight, Fatima Kline (5-0):
Kline came to MMA with an extensive jiu-jitsu background. Kline is a BJJ black belt with much success in the sport. Only 5-0 but Kline is way beyond her years. Beating Sidney Trillo, Laura Gallardo, and Natasha Kuziutina are all damn good wins for a young pro. Kline, in my opinion, is the best female prospect in the world no doubt about it. I’m never this high about a female prospect but I am Kline. I’m so confident with the career trajectory Kline is heading towards that I think she’s a future world champion.
Lightweight, Ramazan Gitinov (4-0):
Gitinov was one of the best amateur prospects at the time. He has won a slew of medals in his long career. He’s a five-time gold medalist ranging from world championships, European, Open, and Oceania medals. He’s very adaptable but is a high-level wrestler. His ability to close the distance and elevate his opponents is nice to see. Gitinov can chain wrestle at a high clip as well. Although wrestling is his safe space, he’s a technical fighter on the feet and has a lot of offer.
