PFL 5 | Thursday | New Jersey

Lightweight: Akhmet Aliev (18-4)

Aliev prefers to stay on the feet where he is quick, explosive, and diverse. Aliev loves to spin, sometimes too much, but it is effective to keep range. Aliev has a good kickboxing base with body kicks and leg kicks, but when he puts it behind his combinations, that’s where he shines. Combinations and output are what Aliev is best at as he throws three to four strikes at a time with good speed and a bit of power. The footwork is also sound moving in and out, once again illustrating his quickness. He fights former UFC lightweight Chris Wade (15-5), which will be his toughest fight to date.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8uzmsgdJQhM&t=1s

Featherweight: Andre Harrison (21-1)

“The Bull” is a two-time All-American DII wrestler who lives up to his nickname by pulling his opponents down to the mat and staying on top with heavy pressure. His wrestling is excellent and striking wise he is also dangerous. He has power in his hands, as he has dropped opponents in the past but his wrestling is his bread and butter. He is a grinding type fighter who likes to wear down his opponents and he has used his wrestling to take out some top-notch competition. He fights Movlid Khaybulaev (14-0).

Featherweight: Movlid Khaybulaev (14-0)

Movlid is a very solid fighter all around, he is really technical in his stand-up he throws a lot of spinning attacks, not overdoing it, but that is a good thing. Movlid uses the flying knee often, with which he knocked out his last opponent. With that, he also has good wrestling, he is able to shoot in for a double leg or he can lift and slam you to the mat. Movlid can usually get the fight down multiple times in a fight and from the fights I’ve seen, I see no weakness yet. He fights Andre Harrison (21-1).

Lightweight: Islam Mamedov (17-2)

A top-level wrestler, Mamedov finds the takedown naturally, and on top, he is as good as it gets. He sticks like glue, he moves well and is even excellent at taking the back. His ground-and-pound is very solid – not heavy strikes but constant strikes. Once Mamedov gets the separation, he has a good submission game. On the feet, he is explosive, and he lunges forward with hooks and flying knees. He has power but his ground game is where he is best. He fights Yincang Bao (13-8), who is on a two-fight skid.

Future FC 7 | Friday | Brazil

Bantamweight: Herbeth Sousa (13-1)

With only one loss, Sousa is currently on a three-fight win streak. His latest win coming against Glyan Alves, someone who I was high on. “Indio” is an aggressive grappler who has nine submissions all coming in the first round. His wrestling is solid but obviously, it’s the grappling that’s key. His transitions are smooth and his finishing ability on the submissions is dangerous as he is a black belt in BJJ. He still needs some work on the feet but only 25-years-old. He fights Tiagro Costa (15-4) who is tough but Sousa should win.

Lightweight: Anderson Ferreira (13-1)

Ferreira has a background in Muay Thai with a record of 18-1 (which may not even be up-to-date) and in kickboxing with a 15-2 record, with a WGP title to his name. Obviously, the Brazilian wants to keep the fight standing where he can use his length with his kicks and strikes. After losing his first fight, Ferreira has won all his 13 subsequent fights with a 100% finish rate. He does have an issue holding his chin straight up and his takedown defense is still a work in progress but he is very dangerous on the feet. He fights Jackson Loureiro (8-0), who I’m not too impressed with.

Flyweight: Danilo Adreani (8-2)

Adreani still needs work on the feet on his technique but his explosiveness and speed is good enough. He excels on the mat though and his wrestling is good being very strong against the cage and throwing his foes to their back. Adreani is scrappy on the mat, always moving and throwing constant ground-and-pound for the entire fight with a solid pace. The Brazilian has lost positions before but he can scramble very well making him such a good prospect. He fights Marcelo Dias (10-3), who has lost to other grapplers.

Lightweight: Brendo Bispo (16-4)

With already 20fights at only 25-years-old, Bispo looks to be in his prime since moving up to lightweight, Bispo trains out of Chute Boxe with UFC fighter Charles Oliveira. Bispo is very explosive but needs to throw more leg kicks because his legs are huge. He needs to throw more but he hits hard. He does a good job striking his way into the clinch where he has solid Muay Thai and can prove his strength. Bispo has some good ground-and-pound and is a threat with submissions. He’s really improved and is a good prospect all-around. He fights Luis Fernando de Oliveira Lima (7-4), who is a step down in competition.

Featherweight: Gabriel Alves Braga (3-0)

Only 3-0 and 21-years-old, Barga really impressed me in his last fight. He has a solid ground game with his ground-and-pound but prefers to stay standing. Braga is very technical as he loves to throw from all different kinds of angles. He throws a bit of everything including knees, elbows, and ripping all his strikes together perfectly. Braga rips the body frequently and he mixes that into combinations very well. He’s always throwing output mixing, in all his weapons. He fights Jean Inácio Soares (5-2), who is coming off a loss.

Battlefield FC 2 | Friday | Macau

Lightweight: Kaik Brito (12-1)

Brito, at only 22-years-old, is already impressive and well tested for his age. Brito has a background in Muay Thai and really would prefer to keep the fight standing. Brito excels in the clinch, where his Muay Thai comes into play with elbows and knees. At a distance, he is well versed in throwing kicks behind punches, throwing with a lot of power behind them. Brito would need to work on his takedown defense as he does find himself on his back often, but he has a good, active guard and threatens with submissions off of his back. He fights Mateusz Rębecki (9-1), who lacks footage.

Lightweight: Bruno Miranda (12-3)

Miranda is an exciting prospect training out of a top camp in Tiger Muay Thai. Miranda has extensive experience in Muay Thai and it’s shown throughout his MMA career. You will see Miranda attack the leg kicks early and often throughout the fight. The Brazilian is a banger who will come out throwing bombs the entire fight. He is wild though and that’s resulted in him getting tagged but he’s tough and his will breaks opponents. Miranda is a striker/kickboxer by trade but he has some decent wrestling to fall back on. He fights Ricardo Tirloni (23-7) in a fight that is hard to predict.

Featherweight: Julio Cesar Neves (34-1)

 The record this kid has is just insane especially at 25-years-old, though like any Astra Fight Team member there is a lot of sub-professional early-career filler on his resume. With 19 KO/TKOs and 10 submissions, Neves is very skilled everywhere and has a legit BJJ game that he can use to easily neutralize most opponents. On the feet is where Neves is most dangerous, as his Muay Thai is lethal – ending multiple fights by knee strikes – and his kickboxing is dangerous. He’s flashy in the cage but it’s not just to put on a show, as he’s had a lot of success with his unpredictable striking style. He fights Kevin Park (2-1).

Oktagon 13 | Saturday | Czech Republic

Middleweight: Makhmud Muradov (21-6)

The Uzbekistan-born fighter has a lot of experience with 27 total fights. Muradov relies on his explosiveness on the feet with straight punches and loves to throw the flying knees. On the feet, he covers distance very well. Muradov does a great job throwing different attacks and mixing it all together. His takedowns usually come just from him bulldozing over his opponents. He’s at his best on top with smashing ground-and-pound until the ref steps in. He fights former UFC fighter, Wendell Oliveira (31-12). With a win, expect to see him in the UFC next.

Heavyweight: Martin Buday (6-1)

Buday doesn’t have any special qualities but his forward pressure and cutting off angles has done well for him. He doesn’t hit hard but has good timing on when he throws. He’s not fast but uses effective footwork. While he’s not the most explosive heavyweight, he is still on a five-fight win streak with all five finishes. He fights Daniel Dittrich (5-3), who he should beat.

Flyweight: David Dvorak (16-3)

Dvorak has been dominating the last couple years as he is currently on a 12-fight win streak. On the feet, he’s dangerous at range with the angles he cuts, always using a large arsenal of attack with the teep kick being highlighted. He does a great job keeping range with his kicks and footwork but he also cuts his opponents off and explodes in when need be. In the clinch, he is lethal with his knees and elbows. He hasn’t shown much wrestling but has shown solid takedown defense and is a threat if he ends up on top where he has fight-stopping ground-and-pound. He fights Arsen Taigibov (16-2), who lacks footage.

Rise FC 4 | Saturday | Canada

Bantamweight: Jamie Siraj (7-1)

Siraj is underrated, but still one of Canada’s best prospects. His only loss comes to UFC fighter Cole Smith, but since then, he’s on a four-fight win streak. Siraj is well-rounded getting it done on the feet and on the mat. Siraj has a nice flow of output with outstanding shot selection. “The Gremlin” has speed and it really shines when he lets his hands go. He has some solid wrestling as well and that comes with ground and pound and a strong submission base. He fights Blake Sigvaldason (3-1), which is a squash match.

Rizin 17 | Saturday | Japan

Lightweight: Mikuru Asakura (10-1)

Asakura is an exciting prospect who has steamrolled all but one of his opponents. Asakura is a very adept grappler who has some proficient judo/wrestling, along with exceptional jiu-jitsu. Having said that, on the feet is where Asakura is most dangerous. Holding huge knockout power, you could describe Asakura as having dynamite in his hands. He uses that innate power with good set-up technique, including counters and feints. He is a sniper with explosiveness. He fights Yusuke Yachi (20-8), who is on a two-fight skid.

Light Heavyweight: Ivan Shtyrkov (16-0-1)

Considered one of the top light-heavyweight prospects in the world. Shtyrkov has the power on his feet to drop anyone but tends to get hit a lot. Luckily, he has shown a good chin and is willing to take one to give one. Shtyrkov does have better wrestling then you might expect for a brawler, with a wide variety of takedowns including body-lock takedowns, to double-leg takedowns, to trip takedowns that show his power and athleticism. On top, he is a real submission threat with six of his wins ending with a submission and five of them by armbar, something uncommon for the big guys. He fights Hoon Kim (10-12-2).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bE9PP4Qewi8

Lightweight: Roberto de Souza (8-0)

Souza grew up doing judo and jiu-jitsu and would later become very successful in BJJ. His grappling record (on paper) is 61-15 with 37 submission wins. He has many achievements in BJJ, and you can read them all here. While MMA is an entirely different sport, Souza still has got it done on the mat with six submissions. His striking has been coming around, as in his last fight, he fought off his back foot and landed the jab over and over. Souza, as shown, can get it done on the feet with his hands as well. He fights Mizuto Hirota (18-10-2).

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

The post Weekly MMA Prospect Report: PFL 5, RIZIN 17, and More appeared first on Cageside Press.

Born and raised in Bragança Paulista, a countryside of São Paulo state, Anderson Ferreira was brought into this world on March 4, 1990. At a young age, Ferreira was a very troubled kid getting into many fights and he would explain how his past is the reason he carries the nickname “Buzica”.

“When I was young I was very, very naughty. I would be fighting all the time, and my brother’s nickname was Buiu and I was nicknamed Zica. In Portuguese, Zica means something like misfortune. I would always be behind my brother and people in the neighborhood started calling me little Buiu, or Buiuzinho. Then they started mixing our nicknames and calling me buiuzika which eventually got to Buzica, and that one stuck. So today I carry that with me with a lot of pride, Anderson Buzica!”

As a kid, Buzica had a strong passion for kickboxing and as that was his ambition he had to hear something a young kid with a dream never wants to hear but he didn’t let that stop him.

“Kickboxing was always a passion of mine since I was a kid. I always wanted to be a kickboxer but I had an issue with my heart and the doctors told my family I shouldn’t do any physical activity. One day, I just decided I wanted to and I was going to train and go against medical advice, so I started to train kickboxing without my parents knowing. There I knew it was the path for me. I always wanted to be the best I could. I was the best in my gym, then my city, then the state, and now I believe I am the best in my country. The next step is to work towards being the best in the world. That is my only obsession. My biggest accomplishment is being recognized where I go and that’s a major thing for someone who had no hopes of becoming anything, even more in the sports world.”

Despite a lot of doubt from others, Ferreira fought through adversity and became a very successful fighter in kickboxing and Muay Thai. His accomplishments are WGP Kickboxing Champion, Fight Pro Muay Thai Champion, National Kickboxing Champion by CBKB, National Muay Thai Champion by WBC, and World Champion at Lumpinee Stadium at welterweight.

In 2012, Anderson saw fellow Brazilians at the top of the mountain in MMA, prompting him to try out the sport himself.

“I started to train MMA when the big MMA boom was going on over here in Brazil, with names like Anderson [Silva], [Jose] Aldo and [Renan] Barão was on the top of the game. So I decided to give it a try on this new style.”

More so every year you will see fighters from other disciplines relocate to MMA from wrestling, football, Muay Thai, judo, and kickboxing among others. For many, it’s tough to get the hang of a new sport with only limited skills and Ferreira explains that.

“My transition was very, very tough. I was in a time where my team was mostly of grapplers and they really put me to the pace and every class I would be flying all over the place being thrown by them. I had to change so much, even the way I walked and paced myself in combat in order to adapt to a more MMA-efficient game. It was very tough, but I am very thankful to all of them. I always look for the finish and that usually in my case means a KO. But being able to pull a submission is for sure a great sign that I can surprise people with other things.”

Behind every great fighter is a good team, and Ferreira trains with WGP Kickboxing Champion Diego Gaucho, who was on Dana White’s Tuesday Contender Series: Brazil last summer. Master Munil Adriano took in Ferreira and helped him so much as a coach and a friend in life.

Ferreira fought at 145 at the beginning of his career and would later move up to 155. Many fighters nowadays lack knowledge of their weight cut, even on the bigger stages such as the UFC. Ferriera, though, doesn’t have an issue with his weight cut.

“It’s not very tough. I walk around at 165-pounds when I’m not getting ready for a fight, so the cut is very easy on me to lightweight. I have very little body fat on me and I am pretty tall. To cut to featherweight, I have to go on a much more severe diet and finish it dehydrating myself, but I believe I am at my best at lightweight.”

Thus far in his MMA career, he feels he is one of the best lightweights around while fighting through many injuries.

“Things have been going well in my MMA career. People seem to like my style and the longer the fight goes, the more aggressive I get and it seems to work well with the fans. My coach always has to help me control myself in fights so I don’t get too carried away. I am considered one of the best prospects at my weight class so that is great. I made all the efforts of fighting injured with a broken hand, sprained knee and all that. I believe that makes me a proper fighter, I really live to fight!”

Ferreira is currently 12-1 and plans to move his win streak to 13 on February 22 at Future FC 2 in Indaiatuba, São Paulo, Brazil. Standing across the cage from him will be Ismael Bonfim who is 12-3 and on a six-fight win streak. Ferreira knows this is a huge fight for him with a lot to gain and so much to lose.

“Ismael is a very good athlete, I hope he comes in prepared because I am working my ass off to be at my best. It was good matchmaking as he is in a similar situation that I am in Brazil, and I believe this is a crossroads in my career, beating him will put me in a very good place and a loss will set me back quite a bit. The real big winner in this fight will be the audience, that is guaranteed.”

With a win, Ferreira has huge at maybe signing with a big promotion. While the UFC is still on the top of the heap, you have other big promotions such as ONE Championship, ACA, RIZIN, Bellator, and more. After asking if the UFC is his goal, his response was easy.

“Yes, the UFC is the biggest dream. Even to just get one fight in and have my name called to the Octagon would have made all the work that was done by me so far worthwhile.”

Lastly, I asked Ferreira why he chooses to fight for a living, his response:

“I believe fighting chose me, I dream at times that I had been a gladiator in past lives. I had no chance of being a fighter acording to the doctors, but here I am. I believe this calling comes from a stronger place, maybe something in my past. I live to fight and I fight to live, I really identify with so many warriors of the past, the vikings for example who faced death in combat as an honor.”

Also, fight-lovers, if you’re also a video gamer Ferreira is a PS4 aficionado. Add him on PSN at andersonbuzika.

The post Future FC 2’s Anderson Ferreira: “I Had No Chance of Fighting According to Doctors” appeared first on Cageside Press.

UFC Prague is set to go off Saturday, with young talents like Gillian Robertson on the card. But ONE, Bellator, LFA and others are set to go down as well. That means plenty of prospects to take a look at — including a trio of middleweights this week in Roman Kopylov, Brendan Allen, and Moses Murietta.

ONE Championship | Friday | Singapore

Lightweight, Saygid Guseyn Arslanaliev (6-1)

Saygid has shown impressive explosiveness in blitzes with a barrage of strikes and kicks as everything he throws is with ill intentions. That includes his wrestling as well. Though it might better be described as him rag-dolling his opponents, showing the ability to suplex his opponent with ease. Saygid has two submissions and overall is very slick with his jiu-jitsu. At only 24 years old the sky is the limit.

WTFK | Friday | Russia

The post Weekly MMA Prospect Report: A Middleweight Trio to Keep An Eye On appeared first on Cageside Press.

Here’s a look at last year’s list, with Chris Fishgold and Ottman Azaitar both making it to the UFC in 2018:

• Issac Hardman
• Killys Mota
• Chris Fishgold
• Robert Watley
• Ottman Azaitar
• Arman Tsarukyan
• Joseph Lowry
• Tim Barnett
• Nate Andrews
• Damian Norris

“Pretty Boy” Troy Lamson

27 | 6’1″ | East Lansing, Michigan | 12-2 | 10 Finishes | 4 KO/TKO, 6 Submissions (3 Rear-Naked Chokes, 2 D’Arce Chokes, Arm-Triangle) | Combined Opponents’ Record: 66-42 | Best Win – Kyle Prepolec (10-4)

Lamson had a lengthy amateur career, but a very successful one as he went 17-0. Lamson competed in wrestling competitions since a young age including time at Division 1 with Michigan State University. Those wrestling chops have translated nicely to MMA thus far leading to his 12-2 record.

Lamson doesn’t tend to strike much despite his power, but then again, he finds it much easier to get the takedowns, take the back, and unleash ground-and-pound. In 2016, Lamson lost two in a row, but to his defense, they were against two solid regional prospects in Justin Jaynes and Nick Browne. Since those two losses, Lamson has won his next six fights, including a regional title. The Michigan native has the growing skill-set to compete in the big show today but has the personality and look a big promotion would love.

Issac “Headsplitter” Hardman

23 | 5’11” | Brisbane, Queensland, Australia | 9-0 | 7 Finishes |
7 KO/TKO | Combined Opponents’ Record: 49-24 | Best win – Kieran Joblin (20-8)

Hardman is arguably the most UFC-ready prospect coming out of Australia right now and he’s somehow only 23-years-old. Hardman is a killer with all seven of his finishes by TKO/KO. The power in his hands is ridiculous along with impeccable hand speed and accuracy. Hardman is predominantly a striker, but he has solid takedown defense and has showcased big ground-and-pound. He’s the reigning XFC and Australian FC champion and with a win or two, Hardman will make his debut in the UFC. He was on my list last year but was sidelined for the duration of 2018 due to an injury.

Yusup “Wolf” Raisov

23 | 5’9” | Grozny, Russia | 14-1 | 9 Finishes | 2 KO/TKO, 7 Submissions (4 Rear-Naked Chokes, 2 Arm-Triangles, Triangle-Armbar) | Combined Opponents’ Record: 136-47 | Best Win – Marat Balaev (9-0)

Raisov has mainly fought for ACB (now known as ACA) his entire career and is their current champ. He’s used that platform to express interest in the UFC. His only career loss is to Marat Balaev who was the ACB champion until Raisov won their rematch, taking the belt with him. His standup is very technical but still explosive. He uses a lot of spinning kicks and flying knees with speed that limits his opponent’s counter opportunities. Raisov is exceptionally fast and very light on his feet. He moves in-and-out very well, and on the mat he has seven submission wins, so he is more than dangerous there as well. Wrestling is a big weapon for him, securing takedown after takedown, beating his opponents physically and mentally.

Anderson “Buzica” Ferreira

28 | 6’0” | Sao Paulo, Brazil | 12-1 | 100% Finish Rate | 11 KO/TKO, 1 Submission (Guillotine) | Combined Opponents’ Record: 40-16 | Best Win – Nathan Batista (7-3)

Ferreira has a background in Muay Thai with a record of 18-1 and a combined 15-2 record in kickboxing as a pro and an amateur, winning a WGP title in the process. Obviously, the Brazilian wants to keep the fight standing where he can use his length with his kicks.

After losing in his professional debut, Ferreira has won all 12 of his victories consecutively with a 100-percent finish rate. He does have an issue with holding his chin straight up and his takedown defense is still a work in progress, but he is very dangerous on the feet. The perfect finish rate speaks volumes and with the Brazil Contender Series around the corner and the UFC coming to Brazil many times a year, he would be a solid signing.

Soren “The True Viking” Bak

26 | 5’9” | Storstrøm, Denmark | 12-1 | 9 Finishes | 2 KO/TKO, 7 Submissions (4 Rear-Naked Chokes, 2 Triangles, Arm-Triangle) | Combined Opponents’ Record: 67-20 | Best Win – Paddy Pimblett (14-2)

With just one blemish on his record, Bak has been an absolute force, dominating all of his wins. He doesn’t have much on the stand-up side but he’s been improving, showing glimpses of power in his hands. His wrestling and grappling are outstanding, though, with an incredible top game paired with vicious ground-and-pound and natural skills to pass guard. Bak has seven submissions as well showing a diverse attack once he gets the fight to the mat. “The True Viking” is a very smart but aggressive fighter who could have a bright future. He has beaten solid competition but defeating the well-known Paddy Pimblett last September for the Cage Warriors title proved his worth.

Arman Tsarukyan

22 | 5’8″ | Armenia | 13-1 | 10 Finishes | 5 KO/TKO, 5 Submissions (3 Rear-Naked-Choke, Guillotine, Anaconda) | Combined Opponents’ Record: 132-63 | Best Win – Júnior Assunção (16-6)

The Armenia native, Tsarukyan, has a background in freestyle wrestling which has converted over to his MMA career nicely. Tsarukyan may be a bit one-dimensional but no one has been able to stop his takedowns yet, as they are set up well and executed perfectly. Additionally, Tsarukyan is excellent at taking the back and sinking in the rear naked choke. He also has fight-changing ground-and-pound and his transition grappling is high-level. Arman is a solid prospect as he showed in recent wins over former UFC fighters in Takenori Soto, Junior Assuncao, and Felipe Oliviera. At only 22 years of age, Arman has a high ceiling.

Rafael “Ataman” Fiziev

25 | 5’9″ | Phuket, Thailand | 6-0 | 100% Finish Rate | 5 KO/TKO, 1 Submission Rear-Naked Choke) | Combined Opponents’ record: 22-18 | Best win – Nandin-Erdene Munguntsooj (7-3)

Fiziev’s stand up is great. He brings perfect head movement – basically like the Matrix – being able to bend his back extremely far to evade kicks. His striking is stellar: he has incredible power, and his timing and precision is a game changer, and he goes to the body and head better than many more established fighters. He can counter-strike very well and Fiziev does not shy away from attacking with leg kicks. While he’s a very dangerous fighter, Fiziev is a methodical fighter who will pick you apart. He was supposed to fight on last summer’s Contender Series but visa issues stopped that from happening. That proves the interest from UFC brass. At only 25, with an experienced Muay-Thai background and training out of a top camp, Tiger Muay Thai, the sky is the limit for this guy.

Cesar Balmaceda

24 | 5’10” | Atlantic City, New Jersey | 6-0 | 3 Finishes | 3 KO/TKOs | Combined Opponents’ Record: 22-4 | Best Win – Damian Norris (10-2)

Of his thirteen total fights, Balmaceda has only lost one and that was as an amateur when he lost to current UFC fighter Mike Trizano. Balmaceda is a very skilled martial artist who was a high school wrestler that has shown well-executed takedowns in his MMA career. He is an even better striker with power in his hands and is dangerous in bursts. Stamina is a concern as he can slow as the fight goes on, but he is always in the fight. Ultimately, this 23-year-old has a great future. He is now signed with Cage Fury Fighting Championship (CFFC) which has always been a great pipeline of solid talent for the UFC over the years.

Mike “Beast Boy” Davis

26 | 6’0″ | Daytona Beach, Florida | 6-1 | 100% Finish Rate | 6 KO/TKO | Combined Opponents’ Record: 19-16 | Best Win – Elvin Leon Brito (9-7)

Davis appeared on the Contender Series last Summer but would fall short to Sodiq Yussuf. To the credit of Davis, Yusuff is a great fighter and the fight between the two was arguably the best of the season. Since then he has gotten back on the board with a win so his next fight could be in the UFC. He has a purple belt in BJJ, has wrestling, has an undefeated record in Muay Thai and boxing, and was 10-0 as an amateur in MMA.

His striking is solid. The way he throws combinations and uses his head movement is fantastic and is reminiscent of UFC fighter Shane Burgos. Overall, on the feet, he is very dangerous. The wrestling of Davis is good as well as he executes his timing and double leg takedowns very well, leading to a top game where he is smooth in transitions and getting dominant positions with effective ground-and-pound.

Austin “Thud” Hubbard

27 | 5’10” | Denver, Colorado | 10-2 | 6 Finishes | 4 KO/TKO, 2 Submissions (Guillotine, Rear-Naked Choke) | Combined Opponents’ Record: 60-40 | Best Win – Killys Mota (11-0)

Hubbard is the current LFA champion, capturing it last December with a mauling performance over the tough Killys Mota. Hubbard is primarily a wrestler, but that doesn’t hold him back from standing and trading. He is a naturally strong guy and once he is on top, he is excellent at controlling position and can finish with a submission or ground-and-pound. On the feet, he hits hard and throws a bit of everything, but it’s his cardio and pace that make the difference. He’s a machine when it comes to aggression and is a fighter that can go five rounds no problem.

The post 10 Lightweight Prospects the UFC Should Sign in 2019 appeared first on Cageside Press.