The Senegalese heavyweight had last competed in April of 2021, suffering the first loss of his MMA career when he was unable to continue following two rounds against Kirill Grishenko. A high-profile match-up with Marcus Buchecha had been booked earlier this year, only for Kane to pull out.

Instead of Brazil’s Buchecha, Kane instead returned opposite undefeated Russian Batradz Gazzaev at ONE 161.

It was a successful return for the heavyweight prospect, but Oumar Kane did face some adversity early.

Off the opening bell, it was Gazzaev shooting for a takedown, with Reug Reug defending then reversing his opponent against the fence. Gazzaev broke free, however, shot in again, but was stuffed, reversed, and lit up with several heavy shots from the massive Kane. Gazzaev would go in on a takedown again, landing it this time only for Kane to work back up. A second attempt saw Reug Reug warned for grabbing the fence; Gazzaev put a body lock in place, but struggled when trying to wrench Kane down.

Gazzaev however stayed on a single leg, but Reug Reug eventually escaped over the top, and the pair moved back to center. Kane fired his jab, but was warned by ref Herb Dean for having his fingers pointed forward. Moments later Kane launched a head kick that was blocked; Gazzaev would launch a left, but it was Reug Reug mixing things up, adding a leg kick and forcing the Russian to retreat.

Round two opened with a warning to Kane that he’d be penalized for any further fence grabs. After a wild exchange, Gazzaev would shoot for a takedown, but Reug Reug stuffed that, and dropped a number of hammer fists. Gazzaev refused to let go of the leg, but paid for it, as Kane moved to mount after his opponent turned to his back. Smashing ground n’ pound followed, and it wasn’t long before the ref waved things off!

Following the win, Kane said there was still much for him to showcase, and that he’d show his legs next time out. “You can give me whoever you want. All I want is to take the belt and bring it back to Senegal,” he replied when asked who he wanted next.

Official Result: Oumar Kane def. Batradz Gazzaev by TKO (ground n’ pound), Round 2, 2:15

The post Reug Reug Smashes Batradz Gazzaev in Return to Win Column at ONE 161 appeared first on Cageside Press.

CFFC 106 | US | Thursday

Lightweight, Paris Artis (5-0)

Artis is a highlight-reel finisher holding a few dramatic finishes. He comes out with a high guard chopping with heavy leg kicks and throwing check hooks. Artis has huge power in his hands and kicks with one-shot knockout power. Even on the mat his jiu-jitsu is decent with good scrambling ability and a slick submission attack. I’m not too sold on him but he’s someone you tune in to watch when he’s fighting. Artis fights champ Blake Smith (6-2) for the title.

Cage Warriors 134 | UK | Friday

Featherweight, James Hendin (6-1)

Hendin is a super impressive young man out of England. Hendin is a wrestler who will grind out hard-fought decision wins. He’s always in your face throwing low calf kicks, short powerful punches, and pressing opponents against the cage. Hendin has good wrestling, especially with a beautiful hip-toss he’s hit many times in his career. Hendin has one submission but it’s more of his smothering active ground and pound. Hendin has pressure, technique, and a deep gas tank. He fights Jordan Vucenic (8-1).

Featherweight, Jordan Vucenic (8-1)

Vucenic is mainly a wrestler. He has heavy leg kicks plus good forward pressure, but everything he does on the feet is to get to the takedown. Along with good wrestling, Vucenic has really good top control and really nice fluidity as well. His work rate is impressive with a deep gas tank. Still needs some work on the feet but is scrappy. He defends his title against James Hendin (6-1).

Lightweight, George Hardwick (8-1)

No matter where the fight takes Hardwick he’s going to be comfortable. He’s all about volume on the feet throwing slick combinations to the body and head. Surgical on the inside with his hands and elbows in the clinch he will chop the legs at distance. Hardwick can wrestle as well. He can get takedowns on the legs and from the upper body. His jiu-jitsu is slick. He smoothly takes the back and right away locks in the body triangle. As a pro he’s really good at finding the neck of his opponent. Hardwick fights Lukasz Kopera (10-6).

Middleweight, Will Currie (6-2)

Currie has only lost to one person and it was twice to Christian Leroy Duncan. He is  primarily a grappler with a submission base. As a pro, he’s finished with an RNC, arm-bar, americana, keylock, triangle and an arm-triangle. Wrestling-wise he has good timing on his entries and has a strong body lock. Currie has been very impressive on the mat with that submission base, aggression, and smooth transitions. Only being 23, Currie has a bright future. He fights Patrick Vallee (12-12-2).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fytaxeZqRAU&ab_channel=WorldWideWeb

 Flyweight, Lone’er Kavanagh (2-0)

Kavanagh is a very skilled and intriguing young man. Where he’s best at is unequivocally on the feet. He’s light on his feet, doing a lot of bouncing around. Kavanagh is excessively fast specifically with his movement, hands, and his legs. The Englishman throws a nice lead uppercut, is a well-executed counter striker, and has a good one-two. Kavanagh fights behind his kicks, setting the tone of his fights that way. He’s such a flashy guy and he doesn’t telegraph his strikes at all. Kavanagh is a true 125-er that brings speed, athleticism, explosiveness, and a recurrent rapid pace. He fights Ryan Morgan (1-0).

iKON FC 2 | US | Friday

Middleweight, SD Dumas (5-0)

The first thing you notice when watching Dumas is how often and quickly he lets his kickboxing set the pace. He loves to chop away at the legs and then go high – sometimes to the opposite side. All his work he does with his legs opens up his striking even more. Dumas has really good distance management on the feet, with of course his kicks but his striking as well. He has a stiff jab and strikes really well long, keeping guys at the end of his punches. He fights very patiently picking his spots and it’s a big reason why he can fight as well as he can later in fights. Here is an extensive piece I did on Dumas. He fights Aaron Highbaugh (9-5).

PFL Challenger Series 5 | US | Friday

Lightweight, Bruno Miranda (13-3)

Miranda has extensive experience in Muay Thai and it’s shown throughout his MMA career. You will see Miranda attack with leg kicks early and often throughout his fights. The Brazilian is a banger who will come out throwing bombs the entire bout. 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 Carson Frei (9-4).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETI3azNVfRE&ab_channel=JeffSainlarVisuals

Eternal MMA 64 | Australia | Saturday

Lightweight, Josh Kuhne (3-0)

It’s hard to get a good read on Kuhne because his fights end so quickly. The storm he brings right out of the gate is so heavy his opponents so far couldn’t withstand it. Kunhe has massive power in both his hands and knees. So much is unknown about him but to put on a show is what he’s all about. There is a reason they call him Kamikaze. Kuhne fights Blake Donnelly (5-1).

The post Weekly MMA Prospect Report: London’s Calling appeared first on Cageside Press.

Featherweight, Mate Sanikidze (7-2)

Personally, I don’t know how I missed out on this guy considering he’s fought for ACB and M-1. Crazily enough, he was fighting for those big promotions at around 19-years-old. Now he is a bit more seasoned at 23. Sanikidze, since losing two consecutively in 2018, is on a nice four-fight win streak.

His biggest knock is he lets his opponents walk him down allowing them to set the pace. That’s because he’s so confident with his abilities he doesn’t mind fighting off his back foot. One reason being that his counter striking is arguably his best attribute. Not to mention he has some excellent takedown defense. Outside of just one missing fight to find footage on, he’s never been taken down.

More of a striker/kickboxer but lately he’s decided to wrestle more. I wouldn’t say he’s a great wrestler but he’s come a long way compared to a few years ago. Not the type of guy to chain wrestle. Instead, he blends in his striking and takedowns together so well it’s tough to know when he will shoot. He’s the same way with his striking as he mixes in kicks and punches, always throwing something different. Overall he’s hard to read. Sanikidze has a nice flow to him on the feet. He throws some slick combinations while the release and hands are quick from the hip.

At his age and with his skillset already, you can imagine how much better he will be in a few years. Sanikidze isn’t even near his prime and that’s a scary thought. He could use a few minor adjustments and where he’s fighting now in Oktagon out of the Czech Republic he’ll develop greatly over time.

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