LFA 90 | Friday | US

Bantamweight, Zviad Lazishvili (12-0)

Lazishvili won the Georgian Championship in Grappling 6 times in 3 different weight divisions (61kg, 66kg, and 77kg). He also won the Moscow Open tournament in Grappling (66kg). In 2014 he took second place in the amateur World Championship (WKF) in Czech Republic, and in 2015 he became World Champion by Kombat League version in Italy. Other than his last fight, his competition has been lacking, but still, a 12-0 record is impressive nonetheless. He’s got excellent wrestling and can fight at his wrestling-heavy pace all fight with solid cardio. He fights Ricky Steele (6-0).

Bantamweight, Ricky Steele (6-0)

Steel is a karate fighter and he reps that style well. He has solid kicks, that are more than just powerful, and he covers distance very well. He attacks the legs often and then goes to the head, always throwing with absurd quickness. Steele does well at keeping his opponent at range using a lot of sidekicks and oblique kicks and he moves in and out very quickly without taking much damage at all. Along the way Steel has shown to have some solid takedown defense. He fights Zviad Lazishvili (12-0).

Bantamweight, Mando Gutierrez (4-0)

Mando Gutierrez is only 4-0 as a pro but went 7-0 as an amateur winning a few titles as well. He’s impressed with his aggressiveness and the pace he’s able to put on. On the feet, he’s usually bull-rushing forward but does have some kicks in his arsenal. He’s usually striking/kicking to close the distance to get the takedown. Mando wants the fight on the mat to show his slick jiu-jitsu. Even off his back, Gutierrez is very dangerous with fluid hips helping him attack submissions and scramble. He has a smooth back take and has a knack for finishing with a choke. Mando is a big submission threat and seems to have good cardio which is surprising with the amount of pressure he puts on early. He fights Mo Miller (3-0).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxXf4NN-UIY

Bantamweight, Mo Miller (3-0)

Miller has a background as a wrestler being a three-time All-American at Notre Dame. Of course, Miller has good wrestling but he does have some bright spots on the feet. He throws a good one-two and his right hand is dangerous. Miller has the style to go far with his patient but technical approach on the feet and some solid wrestling to fall back on. He fights Mando Gutierrez (3-0).

Bantamweight, Sean McPadden (4-0)

McPadden went 9-1 as an amateur winning the Driller MMA Amateur Bantamweight Championship. Outside of MMA, he has won many first-place medals in grappling. McPadden is a jiu-jitsu guy with three of his four pro wins by submission. Even as an amateur, McPadden has multiple submissions wins. The 25-year-old likes to use kimura locks and rear-naked chokes, and is best described as a flow-focused grappler. He fights Allan Begosso (3-0-1).

 Featherweight, Daniel Argueta (4-0)

Argueta is fighting on the LFA prelims but is still someone to no doubt watch for. I am not fully sold on him as he is still green. He’s very wild on the feet and is one-dimensional. Argueta is aggressive right at the bell and will get easy takedowns. Once on top, Argueta is a big submission threat with three pro submission wins. He has solid jiu-jitsu and is a fast starter with all finishes coming in the first round. He fights Jackson Filho (3-1).

GFC 28 | Saturday | Russia

Welterweight, Nurullo Aliev (4-0)

Aliev isn’t the most exciting fighter but he is a dominant one. With not much on the feet, Aliev is an excellent wrestler. He’s always pressing forward looking to time his entrances. Once on top, Aliev has heavy top control and active ground and pound and solid grappling. He’s not really a finisher but has a solid gas tank to easily go three rounds. He fights Abdurakhman Alimagomedov (9-0).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ttps67LwuU4

ACA 110 | Saturday | Russia

Lightweight, Ali Bagov (29-10)

In his 29 wins, Ali Bagov has beat opponents like Bubba Jenkins, Eduard Vartanyan, Leandro Silva, Herdeson Batista, Khusein Khaliev, and current UFC fighter Ramazan Emeev. Bagov is totally a grappler/wrestler. He doesn’t have much on the feet, but his ability to close the distance and level-change to get the fight to the mat is quite smooth. His nickname is “The Hulk” and it suits him well as he is very strong and tough to get away from when he gets a hold of his opponents. Bagov’s jiu-jitsu is slick as displayed by his 22 wins by submission. His submission threats are complemented by heavy ground-and-pound. He fights Murad Abdulaev (19-7).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYCt82KTbWo

Lightweight, Eduard Vartanyan (19-4)

Vartanyan has been fighting at a high level in Russia for quite some time. His losses have come primarily to good competition, and he’s also beat some quality opponents as well. He holds wins over Magomedrasul Khasbulaev, Sergey Khandozhko, Alexander Shabliy, and Alexander Sarnavskiy. Vartanyan is an excellent pocket striker, counter striker, solid wrestler, and is tough as nails. He fights Mukhamed Kokov (15-4).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QAcc4LxAUAU

Featherweight, Kurban Taygibov (10-1)

After coming up short in his pro debut, Kurban Taygibov rebounded winning ten consecutive fights in a row now. The Russian is pretty well-rounded with a methodical but dangerous approach on the feet and a strong wrestling base with a Sambo background. On the feet, he throws a good one-two but often throws single strikes. He gets away with it because of his hand speed and explosiveness. Taygibov has excellent shot selection and precise accuracy. Although he only has four stoppages he’s still dangerous. Taygibov can wrestle just as well but conserves his energy much better on the feet. He has solid takedown defense but off his back would be his biggest weakness. He fights Ramazan Kishev (15-3).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5YUe3QHvF8&t=983s

Featherweight, Askhab Zulaev (7-0)

Askhab Zulaev is another legit up-and-coming Russian prospect. On the feet, he is excellent at distance using a range of kicks, even spinning kicks, often. The Russian is a skilled kickboxer with explosiveness, falling in love with his flying knee. Some other nice qualities he has are solid cardio given the pace he throws at, and excellent takedown defense. Zulaev has some decent wrestling, but his ground and pound is cutting with the elbows he throws. He fights Zhorabek Tesheboev (7-0).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_50G5ECOBk

Flyweight, Murad Magomedov (10-0)

Solely a grappler, Magomedov is well versed on the mat. A tall flyweight standing at 5’9″ he uses his length well. With a strong jab, his length is more useful to him on the mat. He’s really good in transitions taking the back consistently. A bit green still but he is a really slick grappler. He fights Goga Shamatava (15-7) who is a good test.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42R6PTCN0iw

Zeus FC 5 | Saturday | South Korea

Bantamweight, Soo Young Yoo (6-1)

Yoo does have a 13-second finish on the feet but is more so a wrestler. Yoo is pretty aggressive on his takedowns. At times he won’t get the takedown on the first attempt, but he’s good at reshooting and getting it down. Yoo has exceptional transitional grappling and has excellent ground and pound. He’s good with transitions and is good at striking his way to a submission. He fights Sung Joo Hwang (2-5).

EMC 5 | Saturday | Germany

Middleweight, Amiran Gogoladze (10-1)

While I’m not fully sold on him, Amiran Gogoladze is only 22 and seems to be progressing quite well. On the feet, he’s ended fights with his hands and by kick(s). He utilizes a lot of feints, relying on his speed to hit the target. Gogoladze’s biggest issue is his takedown defense but it is a blessing in disguise. He’s at his best on the mat even off his back. He’s a big submission threat with only three submissions but all three he’s finished with are different subs. He fights Pavel Kusch (23-7).

The post Weekly MMA Prospect Report: From LFA to to EMC appeared first on Cageside Press.

Flyweight, Jasmine Jasudavicius (4-0) 

Jasmine Jasudavicius’ opponent Gabriella Gulfin was significantly smaller but the aggressor. It was easy for Jasudavicius to get the Thai clinch and bully Gulfin. Jasudavicius landed many knees to the body and excellent elbows to the head. Jasudavicius hurt Gulfin with an elbow off the break and landed a few good right hands. All the punishment forced Gulfin to shoot for a lazy takedown as Jasudavicius defended and landed knees to the body sending the ref in.
Grade: A

Bantamweight, Herbeth Sousa (15-1)

Herbeth Sousa fought Alexander Keshtov in February, which was a battle between two top prospects in the division. The fight, however, wasn’t even close as Sousa dominated all four rounds. Sousa secured five takedowns showing good chain wrestling in the process. Sousa gave Keshtov no room as he was all over him in the grappling department. It wasn’t a flashy performance but a very dominant one.
Grade: B

Middleweight, Kyle Daukaus (9-0)

It was all Kyle Daukaus in this fight en-route to a second-round finish. Daukaus made this a grappling match showcasing his skills. He went for countless submissions such as the d’arce, arm-triangle, guillotine, and the RNC. His long arms led to a huge advantage on the mat. Daukaus was winning every grappling exchange and won every scramble. In the second round, he finally put his opponent away with the d’arce choke.
Grade: B

Welterweight, Iuri Lapicus (14-0)

Iuri Lapicus had his biggest challenge to date going against Marat Gafurov, the former ONE Featherweight Champion. Lapicus started off the fight landing very hard outside leg kicks forcing Gafurov to tie up. Lapicus hit a beautiful judo throw then scrambled to the back to finish with the RNC. Beautiful finishing sequence.
Grade: A+

Flyweight, Erin Blanchfield (5-1)

Erin Blanchfield fought Victoria Leonardo last month, who is a good prospect and someone we’ve featured here before. Coming in this was a grappler in Erin fighting a striker in Leonardo. Blanchfield couldn’t really get the takedown but she didn’t really need it. In the first, Blanchfield dropped Leonardo with a brutal head kick. Somehow Leonardo survived and made it to the second round. Erin threw that head kick over and over until she once again landed it flush this time sending the ref in. Leonardo is a super tough girl and a grappler just took her out with a head kick.
Grade: B+

Lightweight, Kenny Cross (10-3)

Kenny Cross has quietly flown under the radar with four consecutive wins now, and a 100% finish rate. In this fight, he beat a good fighter in Robert Hale handing him his first TKO loss in his career. Light on his feet, Cross landed a straight left down the pipe buckling the knees of Hale. Cross capitalized with a left hook putting Hale down and the extra punches resulted in the TKO.
Grade: B-

Heavyweight, Cody Brundage (5-0)

Cody Brundage beat Erick Lozano last December via decision. The outcome wasn’t good enough so they rematched and this time Brundage got the early stoppage. Brundage quickly closed the distance and got the fight to the mat. He transitioned into the mount and would lock in the arm-triangle for the tap.
Grade: B-

Lightweight, Gadzhi Rabadanov (14-3)

Gadzhi Rabadanov usually dominates opponents with his wrestling. In this fight though, he excelled on the feet. Rabadanov scored four knockdowns throughout three rounds. He dropped his opponent with two short left hands and a short right hand. In round three, he landed a huge overhand right dropping his foe, but he was really tough. Rabadanov did well in burst and picked his shots well.
Grade: B-

Lightweight, Usman Nurmagomedov (9-0)

Khabib Nurmagomedov has a lot of relatives in the sport and Usman (cousin) has quietly grown into a good prospect. Usman displayed a heavy kickboxing attack throwing at range plus front kicks and roundhouse kicks. While looking good from the outside, Usman landed  key knees in the clinch and some good elbows getting the TKO stoppage.
Grade: C+

Featherweight, Ľudovít Klein (16-2)

L’udovit Klein continues to build his resume with seven straight wins now. In this bout he was able to take out a former UFC fighter in Łukasz Sajewski. The Polish Sajewski was heavy for the takedown at the bell. While Klien did show some solid takedown defense he was eventually taken down. Klein worked his way back to his feet and landed a barrage of punches and kicks. Klein would drop Sajewski with a head kick sending the ref in for the stoppage.
Grade: B-

The post MMA Prospect Watch: The Most Impressive Fighters from February appeared first on Cageside Press.

At Bellator 239 this weekend, Ed Ruth makes something of a star turn. Taking on the vastly more experienced Yaroslav Amosov, Ruth is headlining a Bellator card for the first time. It’s a significant milestone for a welterweight prospect on the radar for years now. At 8-1, Ruth’s only loss came to Neiman Gracie as part of the promotion’s welterweight grand prix. Should he pass this particular test, he may very well leave the prospect label behind.

Heavyweight Tyrell Fortune is in a similar spot. He’s facing his second straight UFC alum in Tim Johnson, after dispatching of Azunna Anyanwu last time out. Fortune (8-0) is considered by many to be the future of the division, despite not even qualifying for a Wikipedia entry (though that is mostly due to the site’s broken notability rules for mixed martial artists). In any case, a win over Johnson, and you can expect to see Fortune begin to clash with some of the bigger names in the division.

Now it’s on to our Weekly MMA Pospect Report!

ACA 104 | Friday | Russia

Heavyweight: Evgeny Goncharov (14-2)

Evgeny Goncharov is another solid heavyweight prospect out of Russia. On the feet, he does have some power, but on the mat is where he wants to be. Goncharov is an excellent wrestler who will get the body lock and get huge power takedowns, showing how strong he is. On top, he has some slick grappling for a big guy, but his ground-and-pound is his best aspect where he throws at a high rate and can do that all fight. He fights Mukhamad Vakhaev (7-4-1).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gePfayuXMvg&t=29s

Lightweight: Ali Bagov (28-10)

In his 28 wins, Ali Bagov has beat opponents like Bubba Jenkins, Eduard Vartanyan, Leandro Silva, Herdeson Batista, Khusein Khaliev, and current UFC fighter Ramazan Emeev. Bagov is totally a grappler/wrestler. He doesn’t have much on the feet, but his ability to close the distance and level-change to get the fight to the mat is quite smooth. His nickname is “The Hulk” and it suits him well as he is very strong and tough to get away from when he gets a hold of his opponents. Bagov’s jiu-jitsu is slick as displayed by his 22 wins by submission. His submission threats are complemented by heavy ground-and-pound. He fights Adam Townsend (19-7).

Bellator 239 | Friday | US

Welterweight: Ed Ruth (8-1)

Ed Ruth is a very accomplished wrestler. His accolades include 2012, 2013, 2014 NCAA D1 Wrestling Champion, a 4x All-American, and a 4x Big Ten Champion. With his wrestling background and training with top camp Jackson-Wink MMA, Ruth has really developed into a promising prospect. He’s been getting easy takedowns and the mount along with controlling back position, showing off his BJJ background. Ruth has also shown finishing ability with heavy ground and the wrestler has even scored a knockout by a punch by a knee, showing that he has been improving on the feet. He fights Yaroslav Amosov (22-0).

Welterweight: Yaroslav Amosov (22-0)

In Yaroslav Amosov’s stand-up, he combines his kicks and punches extremely well. He moves in and out fluidly with his punches and uses his reach well too. Yaroslav doesn’t have a lot of knockout power, but he is a finisher, finishing all but four of his wins. Amosov also has very good submission skills with nine submission wins, using his long arms mostly for chokes. He also has excellent takedown defense. He does need to work on his cardio though. Amosov fights Ed Ruth (8-1).

Heavyweight: Tyrell Fortune (8-0)

Tyrell Fortune has an accomplished background in wrestling, as an NCAA Division II champion, and a multi-time high school state champion. His stand-up is improving; he has some power and is pretty good in the clinch, but is still pretty green. When Fortune does get the takedown, he’s shown he’s knowledgeable in the top position and possesses some very effective ground and pound, which is one of his best assets. He fights former UFC fighter Tim Johnson (12-6). We spoke to Johnson ahead of the fight, who is of the opinion that Fortune is already bucking the prospect label.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHfFbaiVjDQ

Light Heavyweight: Valentin Moldavsky (8-1)

Valentin Moldavsky is mainly a wrestler. He knows how to effectively position himself for the takedown, whether that is in the clinch, where he is at his strongest, being able to control the position. Or if he just grabs a single leg for the takedown. On top, Moldavsky is as heavy as you can be as he is strong on top due to his background in Sambo. On the feet, he doesn’t go right for the knockout as he is more of a counter striker with a lot of power coupled with solid defense. Just a few adjustments would make him a complete fighter. He fights Javy Ayala (11-7).

Light heavyweight: Christian Edwards (2-0)

Christian Edwards is only 2-0 as a professional but went 3-0 as an ammy as well. Edwards is one of the hottest prospects today coming out of Jackson-Wink MMA and is a sparring partner of UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones. He’s 2-0 in the Bellator cage with a highlight-reel head kick knockout win in his latest fight. A young kid but he has the attributes to go really far in this sport. He fights Marco Hutch (3-2).

Lightweight: Shamil Nikaev (9-0)

Shamil Nikaev is mainly an aggressive wrestler, often shooting for double-leg takedowns to set up powerful slams. On top, Nikaev is as heavy and as skilled as they come. He passes guard very easily and is able to get dominant positions in every fight. His stand-up isn’t bad since he can kick, has good hands, and has shown some good power. He does get wild at times as shown in his war against current UFC fighter, Christos Giagos. He fights a good test in Bobby Lee (11-4).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=esn0e0XeUJA

Welterweight: Kyle Crutchmer (5-0)

Kyle Crutchmer has a background in wrestling with a very successful Division I career at Oklahoma State University. He was a two-time All-American and a two-time Big 12 champion. There isn’t much MMA footage on Kyle, but he has finished three of his five fights. Based on what’s out there on Kyle, he obviously has excellent wrestling. He’s also shown good and active ground-and-pound. He fights Scott Futrell (11-9).

Bantamweight: Josh Hill (18-3)

Josh Hill is more so a veteran who only has losses to Marlon Moraestwice and Taylor Lapilus. Hill is a solid wrestler with good ground and pound and solid top control. On the feet, his leg kicks are arguably his best weapon. He’s gone the distance at times which has proven that his cardio is one of his stronger abilities. Hill fights Vinicius Zani (1-5).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kR1AFSP6gychttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKzxf-e1AKk

The post Weekly MMA Prospect Report: Ruth, Fortune Look to Shake Prospect Label appeared first on Cageside Press.

WXC 82 | Wednesday | Michigan

Welterweight: Willis Black (7-2)

Coming off two consecutive losses in 2017, Black is now on a four-fight win streak and the current WXC champion. Black, who has three wins by submission, is mainly a striker who has a 100% finish rate. “Silverback” relies on his striking power and explosiveness as he has that one-punch knockout power. He does need work on his takedown defense and off his back once against a good striker. He fights Anthony Ivy (7-2).

Welterweight: Anthony Ivy (7-2)

Like Black, Ivy is on a four-fight win streak with a 100% finish rate. Ivy has some good qualities on the feet with good clinch work and an explosive head kick. He’s primarily wrestler who chains his takedowns together well. In the grappling realm, Ivy can be a bit over-aggressive but has good BJJ. He fights Willis Black (7-2).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=datlcO5mcrM

Bantamweight: Jose Johnson (10-5)

After starting out his career at 6-5, Johnson is now on a four-fight win streak. For someone that has half as many losses as he has wins, Johnson has looked stellar as of late. He’s a very technical fighter who uses a lot of teep kicks to maintain distance to where he can throw at a lot of angles. Johnson is excellent in the clinch with elbows and knees using his length. His takedown defense is much better than what it was and his BJJ is getting better and better. He’s only 24-years-old, so the future is bright. He fights Terrence Mitchell (12-2), who is a good test.

FFC 40 | Wednesday | Peru

Lightweight: Rudy Gavidia (12-2)

The Peru native is quite the showman and he has every right to be stringing together all his 11 wins in a row after losing his first two fights. Gavidia has a background in jiu-jitsu and was a boxing champion in China in 2008 and 2009. Gavidia is well-rounded as he has a good jab with leg kicks on the feet. He moves well on top but is very heavy as well and while he has good ground-and-pound, he does hold five submissions. Rudy still has a lot to prove as his competition has been weak and his takedown defense is a concern. He fights Alan Parra (9-4), who is coming off a loss.

United Donbass 2 | Friday | Ukraine

Middleweight: Vladimir Mineev (12-1)

Before transferring over to MMA, Mineev was an accomplished kickboxer holding titles as an amateur and a pro as he has a pro record of 23-2. Mineev has some glaring holes in his game like his cardio wears as the fight goes, his takedown defense could be better, and he lacks head movement. With that said, the Russian has a dynamic offensive striking attack with excellent output with his hands and kicks. Mineev is also very good at attacking the leg kicks. He fights Diego Dias (10-2)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9rNKOcaLgI

GFC 17 | Friday | Kazakhstan

Lightweight: Usman Nurmagomedov (6-0)

Nurmagomedov on the feet is a kickboxer at trait. He doesn’t throw with much power but he’s flashy and diverse with his attack. He will throw spinning kicks, roundhouse kicks, and question mark kicks. Usman stays unpredictable attacking all limbs and throws combos alone with just his legs. His wrestling is good as well as timing double legs and on top, he is a big threat. He looks to be a good talent but he needs a step-up in competition. He fights Ruslan Tuyakov (3-0).

ACA 99 | Friday | Russia

Lightweight: Ali Bagov (27-10)

Bagov is a well-experienced fighter at only 28 years of age with 37 pro fights to his name. In those 27 wins, Bagov has beat guys like Bubba Jenkins, Eduard Vartanyan, Leandro Silva, Herdeson Batista, and current UFC fighter Ramazan Emeev. Bagov is totally a grappler/wrestler. He doesn’t have much on the feet, but his ability to close the distance and level-change to get the fight to the mat is quite smooth. His nickname is “The Hulk” and it suits him well as he is very strong and tough to get away from when he gets ahold of his opponents. Bagov’s jiu-jitsu is slick as displayed by his 22 wins by submission. His submission threats are complemented by heavy ground-and-pound. He fights Khusein Khaliev (19-1).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKafYRORTdM

Lightweight: Khusein Khaliev (19-1)

Khusein Khaliev is a fantastic, well-rounded fighter. He has 11 wins by submission, but it’s his stand up that really illustrates his skill. The way he strings together his kicks, including his spinning kicks, in with his combinations is amazing. On the feet, he mainly relies on his kickboxing. He attacks every limb and has the ability to use spinning kicks, which he executes better than most fighters. He has good wrestling but he’s not the guy to pick his opponent up and slam him to the mat. He’s very good at timing his takedowns and getting trips. On the mat, he has excellent control and at times, he has relentless ground-and-pound. The prospect has a good submission base with 10 submissions. He fights the aforementioned Ali Bagov (27-10).

Flyweight: Azam Gaforov (11-0)

Gaforov is well rounded showing his background in Wushu Sanda. Being well-rounded, Gaforov prefers to stay on the feet where I would say he has a “controlled chaos” style. The Tajikistan born will always stay in his opponent’s face cutting off their angels and throwing hard looping punches over the shoulder landing flush. Gaforov has been in tough situations in the past but has always overcome everything to come back and win the fights, showing why he’s undefeated over some good talent. He fights ACA champ Yunus Evloev (23-8).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvfm3G1zceY

Lightweight: Denis Kanakov (11-1)

Kanakov has finished eight of his fights and has done it with his ground-and-pound and his stopping power in his hands. He’s aggressive and he does a great job getting the trip takedown with the body-lock applied. He doesn’t do much on top as he just keeps the position. I believe he’s better on the feet as he has heavy hands but is also quick and throws with a lot of volume. He fights Baz Mohammad (10-4).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VmjUCn0oY-w

Middleweight: Magomed Ismailov (14-3-1)

With a background in combat sambo, Ismailov is a powerhouse athlete who is very fun to watch. He does have power on his feet but Ismailov has every desire to get his fights to the mat. When you tune in to watch Ismailov you would think you’re watching a professional wrestling match with the way Ismailov picks guys up and drives them to the mat. It’s just awesome. He’s insanely strong and can elevate his opponents at any time and put them down. He has a few submissions but has better ground-and-pound. He fights Artem Frolov (12-1), which should be a great fight.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2YIn9Z21-AQ

Featherweight: Alexey Polpudnikov (28-5-1)

Polpudnikov is a very dangerous fighter who has finished 22 of his 28 fights. He likes to stalk his opponent down and pile on the pressure. Polpudnikov is a good, precise striker and is very proficient at attacking the body with his hands and knees, as he just has some beautiful boxing skills. His wrestling is also solid, as is his counter wrestling but needs to tighten up his takedown defense still. He fights Arman Ospanov (9-2), who is a good challenge.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1maMdSqBSXY

Bellator 227 | Friday | Ireland

Featherweight: James Gallagher (9-1)

Gallagher fights at a karate stance who is a solid kickboxer. Gallagher is very unpredictable with his kicks he goes to the legs, body, and head and throws spinning kicks and throws with some heat. Even though he is so good on the feet, all of his best work is on the mat. James has very good wrestling and movement on the mat he can get dominate positions, rain down ground and pound, and go for the chokes. He fights former UFC fighter Roman Salazar (13-9), who he should beat.

Middleweight: Norbert Novenyi (3-0)

Novenyi is only 3-0 as a pro but had some experience as an amateur at 3-0 as well. He is a Hungary native, but he trains out of a top camp in the UK, London Shootfighters. Novenyi is a primary wrestler that has slick jiu-jitsu with three career submissions. He hasn’t stayed on the feet too much but has some nice footwork and a good kicking attack along with nicely cut angles showing his training with the London Shootfighters. The cardio does worry me so it will be interesting to see the longer his fight goes. He fights Will Fleury (6-1), who is a step up but someone I’m not impressed with.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ySVhG3EkXz0

Flyweight: Jake Hadley (3-0)

England’s Hadley may only be 4-0 as a pro but he went 7-2 as an amateur and has mainly been dominate thus far. He hasn’t really had much time on the feet, but it seems he knows what to do if he can’t get the fight to the mat. Hadley is a good wrestler but it’s his jiu-jitsu that is his best aspect. His transitions are smooth as his ability to take the back is well done. He’s a big submission threat with eight career submissions. He fights Blaine O’Driscoll (7-2), who is a good test.

Bellator 228 | Saturday | California

Featherweight: Juan Archuleta (22-1)

Archuleta is a wrestler first who has yet to find a foe who can stuff all of his takedowns. Archuleta times his offensive wrestling well and he is very strong on top, and he moves well and constantly throws ground-and-pound in any position. His striking has come a long way and that’s with his feints and big knockout power. Archuleta is riding a lot of momentum with 18-straight wins. He fights Patricio Pitbull (29-4) for the featherweight title.

Featherweight: AJ McKee (14-0)

McKee has very good wrestling and is able to get many takedowns in a fight. McKee’s athleticism means he can get the easy double leg or just suplex his opponent to the mat. On top, McKee moves well but his control and top position are what stand out. McKee’s striking is good and still improving, he is strong in the clinch and likes to use knees, and from range he’s started to use more of his kickboxing skills, even getting a head kick KO in his career. McKee is also getting better at keeping his opponent at his preferred range, even with his ever-improving striking, the mat is where he really shows his high skill level. He fights Georgi Karakhanyan (28-9-1)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZU_MbXBt_c

The post Weekly MMA Prospect Report: Bellator’s Two Events and Beyond appeared first on Cageside Press.

Hex Fight Series 18 | Friday | Australia

Welterweight, Kitt Campbell (10-3)

Kitt Campbell is well-rounded overall. On the feet, he has power in his hands and is quite explosive and quick. He is good in the clinch throwing relentless knees and lethal elbows too. His wrestling is good as well with solid entrances to his takedowns leading to good follow-throughs. On top, Campbell has good ground-and-pound and is a submission threat. He moves well for a big man. At times, he is stationary but once on the mat, he is fluid with his movement. He fights Beau Rawiri (7-5-1), who is not on his level.

CES 55 | Friday | Connecticut

Welterweight, Jeremiah Wells (6-1-1)

Just a year ago, Jeremiah Wells was only 3-1-1 and on the cusp of turning 32. Now, even at 32, he’s got a good record and is the current CES title holder. Wells is a very explosive fighter who will attack in bursts and is willing to throw flying knees and superman punches. He also has some decent wrestling to fall back on. Overall, he’s very fun to watch and a win here may just earn him a spot on the Contender Series. He fights Vinicius de Jesus (7-2) who is a good test for Wells.

Bantamweight, Tony Gravely (17-5)

Before transitioning over to MMA, Gravely was a standout wrestler in high school who was All-State four times, an All-American three times, and a two-time state and regional champion. He also became a two-time conference champ at Appalachian State University. His wrestling is solid as he shows a lot of quickness and athleticism when he shoots in with a near-perfect takedown percentage. On the mat, he is at home as he has perfect control while always being in the right place when there are scrambles. On top of that, his ground-and-pound has fight-ending capabilities. He is a bull on the feet, pressing forward and while he doesn’t have a knockout in his career, he does possess heavy hands. However, they are used more to close the distance. He fights Darren Mina (10-7) who is on a two-fight skid.

*Also watch for Fabio Cheran and William Knight on this card.

Bellator 219 | Friday | California

Bantamweight, Dominic Mazzotta (14-2)

Obviously, his wrestling is his bread and butter. Dominic Mazzotta has judo, trip takedowns, slams, double legs, and just tearing his opponent down to the mat. He has decent ground and pound, but it’s when he takes the back that he is most dangerous, with seven submissions coming via rear-naked choke. On the feet, he doesn’t do much, but he has good power in his hands and solid kickboxing. His only two losses are to former UFC champ Cody Garbrandt and Bellator contender AJ McKee. He fights Shawn Bunch (8-3), who just beat Joe Warren, so this is a big fight for Mazzotta.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37u5t6EgknM

LFA 63 | Friday | Texas

Featherweight, Jake Heffernan (7-0)

Nicknamed “The Grinder,” he holds true to that title. Jake Heffernan will take no time putting his opponent to the cage, eliminating space and tiring his opponent out. He is a good wrestler who has excellent level changes with well-executed double leg takedowns, but does a great job of using trips to get his opponents to the mat as well. Heffernan has good jiu-jitsu where he is more dangerous with submissions off his back, as he is always active. Heffernan also has some good ground and pound where he loves the elbows. He does tend to slow a bit, but that’s because he is always working. He fights Gabriel Silva (6-0), who we’ll break down below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cd1eOi_R1zs

Featherweight, Gabriel Silva (6-0)

Gabriel Silva is the younger brother of former UFC fighter and current Bellator fighter, Erick Silva. On the feet, he is a very good striker marching forward firing the right hook after the left hook over and over again with a lot power and excellent precision landing on the chin. He is always moving forward landing but he can also shoot in and get the takedown cause he does very well with his wrestling. On top, he has good BJJ he knows how to pass guard and transition to better positions but can unload ground and pound also. Overall a solid all-around fighter but this is his first fight in two years. He fights the aforementioned Jake Heffernan (7-0).

Middleweight, Kailan Hill (4-0)

Hill is only 4-0 but he also went undefeated as an amateur at 3-0. The Puerto Rico native is a very explosive fighter with a high finishing rate, putting all but one of his opponents away. Hill has a powerful and very quick head kick he loves to throw. He does have a problem spamming the head kick and not setting it up enough. So far he has gotten through his fights with pure athleticism, but he does have a good future. He fights Jhonoven Pati (4-2), who is a banger, so expect a finish.

M-1 Challenge 101 | Saturday |  Kazakhstan

Light Heavyweight, Khadis Ibragimov (7-0)

The Russia native has a background in Combat Sambo as he is the former World Universal Combat Champion, the winner of the Russian Combat-Sambo Cup, and a European champion. He’s still very green and relies heavily on his strength and athleticism. He needs to work on not being so wild with his striking and needs to not allow his opponents to push him against the ropes as much. In the clinch, Ibragimov does utilize trips and has excellent judo throws he likes to use. He fights Rafal Kijanczuk (7-0), who will be broken down below.

Light Heavyweight, Rafal Kijanczuk (7-0)

The 26-year-old Polish fighter brings an undefeated record with wins over quality competition over more experienced foes. He is a legit finisher with all seven wins via KO/TKO and four of them under 20 seconds. He’s very athletic and has very good footwork as he cuts angles and explodes in very well. He hits like a truck and has shown pretty solid cardio as well, so it looks like he is the real deal. He fights the aforementioned Khadis Ibragimov (7-0).

ACA 94 | Saturday | Russia

Lightweight, Ali Bagov (27-10)

Bagov is a well-experienced fighter at only 28 years of age with 37 pro fights to his name. In those 27 wins, Bagov has beat guys like Bubba Jenkins, Eduard Vartanyan, Leandro Silva, Herdeson Batista, and current UFC fighter Ramazan Emeev. Bagov is totally a grappler/wrestler. He doesn’t have much on the feet, but his ability to close the distance and level-change to get the fight to the mat is quite smooth.

His nickname is “The Hulk” and it suits him well as he is very strong and tough to get away from when he gets ahold of his opponents. Bagov’s jiu-jitsu is slick as displayed by his 22 wins by submission. His submission threats are complimented by heavy ground-and-pound. He fights Khusein Khaliev (19-1), who will be broken down below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mZ17x9vIZo

Lightweight, Khusein Khaliev (19-1)

Khusein Khaliev is a fantastic, well-rounded fighter. He has 11 wins by submission, but it’s his stand up that really illustrates his skill. The way he strings together his kicks, including his spinning kicks, in with his combinations is amazing. On the feet, he mainly relies on his kickboxing. He attacks every limb and has the ability to use spinning kicks, which he executes better than most fighters. He has good wrestling but he’s not the guy to pick his opponent up and slam him to the mat. He’s very good at timing his takedowns and getting trips. On the mat, he has excellent control and at times, he has relentless ground-and-pound. The prospect has a good submission base with 10 submissions. He fights the aforementioned Ali Bagov (27-10).

Heavyweight, Evgeny Goncharov (12-2)

Evgeny Goncharov is another solid heavyweight prospect out of Russia. On the feet, he does have some power, but on the mat is where he wants to be. Goncharov is an excellent wrestler who will get the body lock and get huge power takedowns, showing how strong he is. On top, he has some slick grappling for a big guy, but his ground-and-pound is his best aspect where he throws at a high rate and can do that all fight. He fights Mukhamad Vakhaev (7-4-1), who is good but I think Evgeny gets the win.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Lk-gpyz32k&t=326s

Bantamweight, Goga Shamatava (14-4)

Goga Shamatava is a striker at heart. He has good kickboxing and mixes his attacks with body strikes and spinning techniques. He has good, long strikes from a distance, often picking his opponent apart. But in the clinch is where he thrives with excellent Muay Thai. His very dangerous and relentless knees are his best weapon by far. He does need to work on his takedown defense, but he is very sound off his back and has shown good control of his opponent. Offensively, he has good jiu-jitsu and holds five submission wins, and is riding a 12-fight streak. He fights Rasul Albaskhanov (8-3).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmmsO-wH11g

Featherweight, Askhab Zulaev (5-0)

Askhab Zulaev is another legit up-and-coming Russian prospect. On the feet, he is excellent at distance using a range of kicks, even spinning kicks, often. The Russian is a skilled kickboxer with explosiveness, falling in love with his flying knee. Some other nice qualities he has are solid cardio with the pace he throws, and excellent takedown defense. Zulaev has some decent wrestling, but his ground and pound is cutting with the elbows he throws. He fights Otavio dos Santos (12-3), who is a big test for Zulaev.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iaN5J7xAc4o

SFT 10 | Saturday | Brazil

Welterweight, Diego Bianchini (5-0)

Diego Bianchini brings a Capoeira style on the feet as he throws a lot of switch kicks and spinning kicks. He is very explosive and a human highlight reel as he throws caution to the wind. He has a variety of superman punches, crazy elbows from odd angles, and he is very quick. The Brazilian is also good on the mat. He has slick jiu-jitsu and is dangerous on top or bottom with three submission wins. Bianchini, though, hasn’t fought in two years so he may be rusty. He fights Kevem Felipe (5-2), who is coming off a loss.

One Championship | Sunday | Japan

Flyweight, Angela Lee (9-0)

Arguably the best female fighter outside the UFC, Angela Lee has very good judo and fights like a vet on the mat. Lee has really good control and can go from position to position easily and has with six of her nine wins by submission. Lee’s grappling is her most advanced aspect, as she has excellent back takes and finishing ability with the RNC but is dangerous everywhere. She even holds a rare twister submission victory. Her striking has been improving a lot and only getting better. She fights Jingnan Xiong (13-1), who will be broken down below.

Flyweight, Jingnan Xiong (13-1)

With Jingnan Xiong, there isn’t much technical ability nor really any defense all around. But what does have is toughness and heavy aggression and that alone has won her the One Championship title. On the feet, she does get wild but her always pressing forward style, throwing constant hooks, really breaks her opponents down as she can take damage to deliver some of her own. Her takedown defense is also an issue that could need some work, but she does scramble well and has never fought off her back too long. Xiong does have decent wrestling and on top, has good grappling and solid ground and pound. She fights Angela Lee (9-0).

Lightweight, Garry Tonon (3-0)

Garry Tonon is well-known in the world of BJJ as he holds accomplishments such as IBJJF Pan-American No-Gi Champion, IBJJF World No-Gi Champion, EBI lightweight champion, and much more here. Tonon has looked stellar in his MMA career, and has even looked great on his feet. Tonon uses nice footwork, landing one-twos and landing with a lot of output while moving in-and-out. He showed good wrestling getting double-leg and trip takedowns. The mat is his world, as he finds dominant positions easily and while his ground and pound is very good, he is obviously a big submission threat. He fights Anthony Engelen (8-5), who Tonon should beat.

The post Weekly MMA Prospect Report: Bellator 219, LFA 63, and More appeared first on Cageside Press.