Best of Best Championship 1 | Thursday | Friday

Middleweight, Imam-Shapi Mukhtarov (7-0)

Mukhtarov is an exciting prospect out of Russia with an undefeated record. He’s got a diverse kickboxing style throwing a lot of spinning attacks. He’s always throwing something different and looks very tricky. Mukhtarov has good judo as well and is just as good on the mat with his jiu-jitsu. He fights Arman Saparov (4-4).

CFFC 86 | Thursday | US

Bantamweight, James Gonzalez (6-3)

Gonzalez may not have a good looking record but his three losses are to Mike Trizano twice and Bill Algeo. Gonzalez is a product out of Serra Jiu-Jitsu. He is a jiu-jitsu black belt and on the mat is where he wants to be. Gonzalez has an aggressive submission base attacking in every position and attacking every limb. He’s excellent at transitioning submission to submission. On his back or on top he’s usually the offensive fighter. He fights Levi Mowles (13-4).

Bantamweight, Levi Mowles (13-4)

Mowles is a black belt in jiu-jitsu with diverse skills who holds a very rare twister submission. His wrestling is good, but the work he does on that mat is where he is best. His guard passes, all his transitions, and his movement are all top-notch and even his ground and pound is good. On the feet, at times he is flat-footed but when he lets his hands go he is a good striker who always throws more than one strike and is getting better and better. He fights James Gonzalez (6-3).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKEAkWtRP_M&t=517s&ab_channel=AXSTVFights

Bellator 250 | Thursday | US

Middleweight, Johnny Eblen (6-0)

Eblen has a background as a Division I wrestler for the University of Missouri and he’s absolutely dominated with takedowns in MMA thus far. On the feet, Eblen bounces in and out throwing the outside leg kick well. Eblen times his shots very well grabbing the single leg and pressing his opponent against the cage then dropping levels executing the double leg. Eblen’s hands are improving, but does more crashing forward to close the distance to work in takedowns. He fights Taylor Johnson (6-1) who is an excellent prospect in his own right.

Middleweight, Dalton Rosta (3-0)

Dalton Rosta is an NCAA wrestler, took part in jiu-jitsu and boxing from a young age, and played one year of college football for Youngstown State as a linebacker. He’s 3-0 in Bellator and as a pro and an amateur he has finished all of his fights. Rosta is still raw but is an excellent wrestler and has a good top position. He just needs to work on his striking and cardio. He fights Ty Gwerder (5-1) who is his biggest test to date.

ONE Championship | Friday | Singapore

Middleweight/Light heavyweight, Aung La N Sang (26-10)

It’s tough to call Aung La N Sang a prospect, but he has had a lot of setbacks in his career. However, he has now hit his stride. He’s on a current seven-fight win streak and is the current ONE Championship middleweight and light heavyweight titleholder. N Sang is a warrior who will go out on his shield every time. He will continue to walk forward eating shots to give some of his own. He has a controlled chaos style throwing with the wind but mixes up his attacks very well. N Sang isn’t the prettiest style fighter but his toughness is second to none. He fights Reinier de Ridder (12-0).

Middleweight, Reinier de Ridder (12-0)

Don’t let Reinier de Ridder’s stand-up game fool you: nine of his twelve finishes have come by submission. He’s great in the clinch, and Ridder fights well at a distance as he has an excellent jab. When he lets his hands go, he is really accurate. The mat is where Ridder wants to be, as he is an expert jiu-jitsu practitioner — the sort who can time perfect double-leg takedowns. If Ridder is in the clinch, expect him to get the takedown as his hips are excellent and judo tosses are his best weapon. On top, or even on the mat in general, Ridder is the one in control. He is always moving and searching for submissions and that’s why he has eight submission wins. He fights the ONE double champion, Aung La Nsang (26-10) for the promotion’s middleweight (don’t forget the modified weight rules) title.

Lightweight, Christian Lee (13-3)

Lee is excellent on the feet, being quick and dynamic with outstanding footwork. His abilities on the mat are there when needed, holding four submission wins to date. At only 22, Lee is already a star for ONE Championship. Imagine where he’s going to be in, say, five years. He’s well-rounded, has solid cardio, and gets better in every fight. He fights Iuri Lapicus (14-0).

Lightweight, Iuri Lapicus (14-0)

Lapicus is an excellent prospect out of Moldova. Fighting for ONE Championship he’s beat both Shannon Wiratchai and Marat Gafurov. Lapicus has excellent judo and is primarily a grappler. He has finished all fourteen of his fights; ten of those have come by submission. Not much of a striker but it seems as he’s steadily improving there He fights the ONE champion Christian Lee (13-3).

The post Weekly MMA Prospect Report: ONE, Bellator Return to Action appeared first on Cageside Press.

Due to some foolishness and bias, Mix doesn’t even have a Wikipedia entry. But never, ever let that cloud your judgement on the quality of a fighter. Mix has done nothing but impress in his career thus far, and he’ll look to graduate to star status should he claim the title so early on in his career (if we’re being honest, people tend to overlook his amateur experience).

At 8-0 and fighting Derek Campos, Keoni Diggs has the chance to make a name for himself on the very same card. There’s that, and a lot more action this week, so here’s our Weekly MMA Prospect Report.

Fight Nights Global/GFC | Wednesday | Russia

Middleweight, Vladimir Mineev (14-1-1)

Mineev has several good wins, the most notable being against former UFC fighter Maiquel Falcão, who actually beat Mineev in an awful decision victory in the fight prior. There have been doubts in the past about his cardio, takedown defense, and head movement, but he has grown into a well-rounded martial artist. The Russian has a dynamic offensive striking attack with excellent output with his hands and kicks, and his wrestling is underrated as well. He fights Dauren Ermekov (15-4).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQhGgmTl2zc&ab_channel=FIGHTNIGHTSGLOBALTV

Lightweight, Usman Nurmagomedov (10-0)

A cousin of UFC champ Khabib and brother of fellow prospect Umar, Usman Nurmagomedov on the feet is a kickboxer at heart. He doesn’t throw with much power but he’s flashy and diverse with his attacks. He will throw spinning kicks, roundhouse kicks, and question mark kicks. Usman stays unpredictable attacking with all limbs and throws combos with just his legs alone. His wrestling is good, as well as timing double legs and on top. Simply put, he is a big threat. He fights Svyatoslav Shabanov (18-9-1).

LFA 91 | Friday | US

Bantamweight, Hailey Cowan (5-1)

Cowan has an extensive background in gymnastics and was very accomplished at Baylor University. She won a few tumbling national titles and is a two-time All-American. After coming up short in her pro-MMA debut, she then went on to win her next four fights looking impressive in the process. She’s a big and strong 125er who is moving up to 135 for this fight. Cowan is well-rounded, holding a rear-naked choke and a highlight-reel head kick knockout. She fights Kelly Clayton (1-2).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oagmr_gLLWk&ab_channel=AXSTVFights

Light-heavyweight, Nick Maximov (4-0)

Maximov outside of MMA has put in some time in wrestling and jiu-jitsu. He won the American Nationals for Gi/No-Gi at purple belt, was a National Junior College All American (3rd) at Clackamas community college, and has won multiple regional/state titles for jiu-jitsu as well. Currently 4-0 as a pro, Maximov went 6-0 as an amateur. There isn’t much recent footage but he has the hype behind his name. He fights Johnny James (1-1).

Bellator 245 | Friday | US

Light-heavyweight, Alex Polizzi (6-0)

Polizzi has the recipe to be a big prospect in the 205lb weight class. Polizzi was a D1 wrestler at Northwestern University from 2010-2015 and was a state champion. Polizzi needs work on his stand-up but his wrestling and athleticism will take him far. His ground and pound have been his best weapon to date. He’s never gone the distance but his pressure and relentless style (a.k.a. his cardio) have held up just fine and that’s into championship rounds shown in his last fight. He fights Rafael Carvalho (16-4).

Bantamweight, Keith Lee (6-3)

Don’t be deceived by Lee’s record at only being .500. His losses are all to good fighters. Keith is the younger brother of UFC star and top contender, Kevin Lee. Keith is very excited and is extremely well-rounded with excellent cardio. On the feet, Lee has a nice jab and throws a lot of kicks. He’s an even better wrestler who actually out-wrestled an excellent wrestler in Shawn Bunch. He fights Vinicius Zani (11-6).

The post Weekly MMA Prospect Report: Patchy Mix, Keoni Diggs Look to Shake Prospect Label appeared first on Cageside Press.

Lightweight, Issac Hardman (9-0)

Issac Hardman hasn’t fought in MMA since October of 2017. Reason being because he is pursuing his boxing career. He’s doing very well as he’s currently 6-0 as a pro with five finishes. Whenever he makes his comeback to MMA, he’s going to be a force. 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 also the former XFC and Australian FC champion.

Welterweight, Jack Della Maddalena (8-2)

After starting off his career losing his first two fights, Jack Della Maddalena is now on a seven-fight win streak. He is also the defending Eternal MMA welterweight champion. On the feet, he hits hard with both his hands and kicks. He’s very technical as well mixing in kicks and punches into combos. Della is solid at attacking the body, going there often and effectively using his elbows. He’s probably a better wrestler who has finished both with ground and pound, and submissions. Della does need to work on his takedown defense, but thus far his exceptional jiu-jitsu has done well for him. He is easily the most proven talent outside the UFC and the chance of seeing him on the big stage is extremely high.

Lightweight, Blake Donnelly (4-0)

Fundamentals are crucial in a fighter and Blake Donnelly displays just that. The Aussie has a good jab, uses a lot of feints, has good cardio, and has already developed good fight IQ. All those qualities are great for such a young fighter to have. He’s already the Australian FC Vacant Lightweight Championship. There is some uncertainty around him due to the lack of competition he has faced outside of David Martinez. With that said, I’m confident 2020 will be a big year for him (what’s left of it that is).

Flyweight, Chelsea Hackett (3-0-1)

Chelsea Hackett comes from a Muay Thai background as she’s a two-time world Muay Thai champion. In her MMA career, the girls so far have tried mainly to put her on her back. However, Hackett has shown good takedown defense and is the one getting takedowns herself. She is much better on the feet, notably in the clinch, with good kickboxing, and combos from the outside. She’s the least experienced in MMA on this list but I’m positive she will go far.

Middleweight, Isi Fitikefu (6-0)

Isi Fitikefu could be the next big thing out of the Australia. Last October he beat a good fighter in Kitt Campbell for the Eternal MMA title. Fitikefu is a solid wrestler who has an aggressive and relentless pace with effective chain wrestling. He has one submission win on his resume, but he relies more on his ground and pound. On the feet, Fitikefu has big power in his hands and his right hand is a loaded gun that puts opponents to sleep. It seems like he can make the move down to 170 eventually, but overall he has all the tools to be a successful middleweight. I’m so high on Fitikefu that I had him on my list of fighters that the UFC should sign this year here.

The post Scouting the Globe: The Five Best Prospects From Australia/New Zealand appeared first on Cageside Press.

Hugo Cunha
Pro record: 5-0
Amateur record: 1-0
Weight class: Heavyweight
Age: 26
Fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

At only 5-0, Hugo Cunha is already considered as one of the best heavyweight prospects today. Outside of MMA, Cunha is a Brazilian National Team wrestler and a BJJ black belt. You will notice his level of competition has been poor as he’s fought three opponents with a 0-0 record. Cunha has still looked dominant thus far in his career and that’s with a 100% finish rate.

Lisa Verzosa
Pro record: 5-0
Amateur record: 9-1
Weight class: Bantamweight
Age: 24
Fighting out of Vancouver, Washington, USA

I personally believe every female fighter should have to go through Invicta before signing with the UFC since they have the best talent outside that promotion. Verzosa has done just that with 4 of her 5 fights in the Invicta cage, all against some good fighters. Verzosa has the toughness, heart, and tenacity and you can’t teach that is key for a fighter. Do yourself a favor and see how good she in her latest fight on Invicta FC 38 against Kerri Kenneson exclusively on UFC Fight Pass.

“I usually like to keep my fights on the feet but I have a wrestling background and a purple belt in jiu-jitsu. I want my fights to be exciting and memorable for fans. Right now I’m aiming for the Invicta FC title at 135lbs and hoping to make it into the UFC soon.” -Lisa Verzosa

Blake Donnelly
Pro record: 4-0
Amateur record: 2-3
Weight class: Lightweight
Age: 24
Fighting out of Rosedale, New South Wales, Australia

Fundamentals are important in a fighter and Blake Donnelly displays just that. The Aussie has a good jab, uses a lot of feints, has good cardio, and has already developed good fight IQ. All those qualities are great for such a young fighter to have. He’s already the Australian FC Vacant Lightweight Championship.

“I’m always in my opponents face, what people pay to watch. I find my range, set a pace, and I go to work. The same will go when a fight eventually goes to the ground. I still haven’t given this dream a proper crack in my eyes. There will be a time very soon where I adjust a few things in my life, fight actively and level up even more. I’m only 4-0 but I wasn’t supposed to win my last 3 fights, and the way that I’m beating all of these guys separates me from the rest.” -Blake Donnelly

Jake Hadley
Pro record: 5-0
Amateur record: 7-2
Weight class: Flyweight
Age: 23
Fighting out of Birmingham, England

Jake Hadley is only 5-0 as a pro but in his amateur career, he was successful and was a 4x amateur British flyweight champion. When Hadley was only 3-0 as a pro he fought a top prospect in Nkazimulo Zulu. Hadley beat him for the EFC Worldwide Flyweight Championship. In his latest fight, he beat a very good Blaine O’Driscoll in his Bellator debut.

“What I bring to the table is a mixed bag of MMA. I’m good everywhere and by becoming EFC flyweight world champ 4 fights into my pro career and beating a former UFC signed fighter is unheard of. I’ve beaten two world champ within 5 pro fights which is something that should already have me inside the UFC but 100% I will be going to the UFC this year.” -Jake Hadley

Casey O’Neill 
Pro record: 3-0
Amateur record: 5-2
Weight class: Strawweight
Age: 22
Fighting out of Queensland, Australia

When it comes to young up-and-comers, O’Neill is one of the best. From Scottland, O’Neill has fought her entire pro and amateur career in Australia. In her latest fight, she won the Eternal MMA Strawweight Championship. O’Neill also fights out of an excellent camp in Tiger Muay Thai.

“I live for MMA, I just want to be the best, so my future looks like whatever it takes to get there. Step by step I’m coming.” -Casey O’Neill

Dalton Rosta
Pro record: 2-0
Amateur record: 7-0
Weight class: Light-heavyweight
Age: 24
Fighting out of New Castle, Pennsylvania, US

Rosta is one of the many fighters Bellator has coming up. He’s an NCAA wrestler, took part in jiu-jitsu and boxing from a young age, and played one year of college football for Youngstown State as a linebacker. He’s 2-0 in Bellator and as a pro and an amateur he has finished all of his fights.

“I’m the future of the Light Heavyweight and Middleweight divisions, in all promotions. Anyone who doubts that will be proved wrong very quickly.” -Dalton Rosta

Ian Garry
Pro record: 3-0
Amateur record: 6-1
Weight class: Welterweight
Age: 21
Fighting out of Dublin, Ireland

Among all the top prospects from the UK/Ireland, Ian Garry stand out as the future. He fights for the Cage Warriors promotion which is the best organization out of the UK/Ireland. In his young career, Garry has already proven to be extremely well rounded, fought through adversity, and has already improved greatly.

“There’s nothing special about me. I’m not the biggest, I’m not the strongest and I’m sure there are people with better attributes than me. I’m sure there has been people that’s had a harder upbringing than me. Other people are like “fighting is the only thing I have and without that, I have nothing” blah blah blah. That’s not the case for me. I do this because I love it. I love the competition, I love testing myself and my skills, I love competing, and I love going in there with somebody and putting them to the test. I work harder than anyone. I work my ass off to prove people wrong or right. I may not be the biggest nor the strongest but I’m one of the most efficient.” -Ian Garry

Aviv Gozali 
Pro record: 4-0
Amateur record: 0-0
Weight class: Lightweight
Age: 18
Fighting out of Bat Yam, Israel

Son of longtime fighter Haim Gozali, who also competed in Bellator, Aviv Gozali has looked fantastic in his short career despite being so young. All his wins have come by submission in the first round. Gozali is an aggressive grappler who excels in that department. He jumped right in the pool as a pro and under the big lights having all of his fights under the Bellator banner.

“I’m bringing to the table of the MMA world the new generation of MMA. I’m the youngest fighter in a major organization so basically I’m showing the world that age is just a number and I’m gonna be the youngest champ in Bellator history.” -Aviv Gozali

Hailey Cowan 
Pro record: 4-1
Amateur record: 3-0
Weight class: Flyweight
Age: 27
Fighting out of Waco, Texas, US

Hailey Cowan has an extensive background in gymnastics and was very accomplished at Baylor University. She won a few tumbling national titles and is a two-time All-American. After coming up short in her pro-MMA debut, she then went on to win her next four fights looking impressive in the process. She’s a staple of top regional promotion LFA who always does a great job molding fighters.

“This sport literally re-birthed my athletic career. After finishing my college athletic career with an injury, I came into MMA with fire on my side. I want to grow my game so much that when WMMA is in the conversation, my name has to be mentioned. I want my legacy to be that I dreamed big, and I made it happen… I think that alone will inspire little girls to dream big and never look back. This sport is life-changing. I’m proof of that.” -Hailey Cowan

Santos Curatolo
Pro record: 4-0
Amateur record: 2-0
Weight class: Flyweight
Age: 24
Fighting out of Staten Island, New York, US

Santos Curatolo’s competition hasn’t been too good and his strength of schedule needs work. But that said Curatolo has still looked stellar thus far and has treated his lack of competition the way he should’ve. Curatolo is an excellent wrestler rag-dolling guys around. He’s a pure athlete who I think can jump into the UFC and do well.

The post Top 25 Pro MMA Prospects with Five Fights or Less appeared first on Cageside Press.

Lightweight, Maciej Kazieczko (6-1)

Maciej Kazieczko fought a veteran of seventeen fights in Michael Dubois. The technical kickboxer in Kazieczko got it done quickly with his hands in under a minute. He landed a counter overhand right knocking Dubois out cold. Kazieczko moves to 5-1 in the KSW cage and is now on a three-fight win streak.
Grade: C+

Bantamweight, Bartosz Wojcikiewicz (6-0)

Bartosz Wojcikiewicz looked good here, with this being the first time I’ve sat down and watched him fight. Wojcikiewicz was a bit dynamic on the feet but it was the takedowns he was precise on. On the mat is where he did all the damage, eventually getting the stoppage. Wojcikiewicz was really dominant on top and landed some big cutting elbows. The elbows caused a cut in round two and at the end, in between rounds the doctor called the fight off.
Grade: B-

Lightweight, Shamil Musaev (14-0)

Russian Shamil Musaev took out a tough opponent in Grzegorz Szulakowski, a former KSW title challenger, and made it look easy. Musaev started off early with his kicks taking out the legs and going to the body. Later, it looked like Musaev was throwing a spinning kick but came with a back fist instead, and it landed flush. That stunned Szulakowski and the extra punches sent the ref in. Flawless performance and now 2-0 for KSW.
Grade: A

Featherweight, Salahdine Parnasse (14-0-1)

Salahdine Parnasse took on his biggest challenge in the well-known veteran Ivan Buchinger. Parnasse passed the test with flying colors and kept the interim KSW title. For five rounds he battered Buchinger putting him in danger many times, having him on skates for a majority of this fight. Parnasse showed excellent defense stuffing all takedown attempts. His head movement was slick slipping punches and finding home with his left hand many times. His speed was just too much of a difference and he used his speed to pick Ivan apart.
Grade: A+

Lightweight, Blake Donnelly (4-0)

Fundamentals are important in a fighter and Blake Donnelly displayed nothing but that in this fight. His jab was crisp and on point landing countless times. Donnelly doubled up on the jab and really made a mess of his opponent’s face swelling up his eye. Donnelly used plenty of feints and landed a lot of lead leg kicks. As the fight went on he got better and better and always had control with his striking. In round three the doctor called a stop to the fight. This is also his first title win beating a tough guy in David Martinez winning the Australian FC title.
Grade: B-

Bantamweight, Daniel Marcos (12-0)

Arguably the best prospect out of Peru, Daniel Marcos continued his undefeated run in December. He did a fine job cutting off the cage and landing significant shots against Gaston Gomez Manzur. Marcos put together leg kicks and strikes up until the finish. While mixing it up he landed a big knee in the clinch stunning his opponent. Off the clinch, Marcos landed a textbook uppercut scoring the knockdown. The extra strikes being hammer fists put the man out cold. It would be nice to see him be a bit more technical as he gets a bit wild at times.
Grade: C

Strawweight, Denice Zamboanga (6-0)

This was a very good fight between Denice Zamboanga and Jihin Radzuan. This was also the first time Zamboanga fought someone with a win, and she looked just as good. The fight spent a large amount of time on the mat. With some brief exchanges on the feet, Zamboanga was really getting the best of Jihin busting her nose up. She probably could have found the finish if it stayed standing as she was landing her left hand with ease. It was Jihin getting the takedowns but Zamboanga quickly hitting nice sweeps. Lots of back and forth on the mat with position and submissions but Zamboanga had more control. Very good fight and two good prospects.
Grade: B-

Lightweight, Chang Min Yoon (4-0)

At the begging of the fight, it was back and forth with some leg kicks. While his opponent landed more, Chang Min Yoon was landing heavier kicks. The second half of the first round, Yoon got the fight down and controlled with position and ground and pound.  Second round Yoon was very much in his groove landing heavy leg kicks. He landed a jumping knee into a tight ninja choke for the submission win.
Grade: B-

Bantamweight, Matheus Mendonça (5-0)

This was a scrap all the way up until the finish. Matheus Mendonca fought through some adversity getting tagged on the feet. He recovered very quickly and took the fight right back to the mat. Mendonca secured three solid takedowns and displayed some good BJJ. In the brief exchanges on the feet he was a bit behind but very much held his own. On the mat, he looked good in scrambles and mainly dominated there. Mendonca finished the fight getting into the mount and transitioning into an armbar. He switched to a triangle and finished with the straight armbar.
Grade: B+

Featherweight, TJ Laramie (11-3)

Going the full five rounds TJ Laramie dominated his entire fight against Andrew Cruz winning the vacant PFC Featherweight Championship. This time Laramie only used his wrestling lightly and instead got some work on the feet. He fought behind his left jab which was his most active and proficient weapon. Laramie coming off the jab found a home with his right-cross multiple times. He also chewed up the body with the lead left leg to the liver and digging the left hook in there as well. He looked good the entire fight always throwing while showing solid takedown defense. Laramie went for the guillotine many times which allowed him to win every scramble.
Grade: A-

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