SFT 29 | Brazil | Thursday

Heavyweight, Acácio dos Santos (13-3)

Acacio dos Santos is a very dangerous and sloppy striker all at the same time. He has the power, speed, and output but lacks badly when it comes to technical ability. His kicks are slightly better, as he doesn’t throw them as carelessly. Santos will get flashy at times but is best when he attacks the lead leg. Santos is usually in control while in the clinch. It’s another position where he uses his size to his advantage, muscling opponents around and making it look easy to land knees.

Santos is an interesting talent with his size and is a dangerous fighter regardless of the deficiencies he has. With an impressive 13-3 record, an eight-fight win-streak, and having not lost a fight since 2015, Santos is seen as a top 205’er out of Brazil for a reason. He fights Marcos Brigagão (13-2).

UAE Warriors 21 | Abu Dhabi | Thursday

Welterweight, Wisem Hammami (5-0)

There isn’t tons of footage on Hammami but from what I’ve seen he’s set himself apart. He has good hands from the looks of things, and seems to have some knockout power. Hammami is more of a wrestler and on top is where he’s comfortable. In the fights I’ve watched he’s been able to quickly get into the mount. From there he’s got good finishing ability with his ground and pound. Hammami fights Omar Hussein (8-2).

ONE Championship | Singapore | Friday

Strawweight, Denice Zamboanga (8-0)

On the feet, Denice Zamboanga is consistent with pressure and output. She has a good right hand and is very accurate with her straight strikes. The jiu-jitsu of Zamboanga is just as good. Her takedown defense has been getting better and off her back, she’s shown to be very hard to keep still. She fights staple Seo Hee Ham (23-8).

Strawweight, Bo Meng (17-5)

Meng is the first person to beat former UFC strawweight champion Weili Zhang. Meng is a well-rounded combatant who has a lot of power in her hands. Enough to stop someone with just one punch. She’s rapid with her output throwing with her hands and mixing in kicks. She’s an even better wrestler with ferocious ground and pound. She fights Ritu Phogat (5-1).

Strawweight, Alyse Anderson (5-1)

Anderson is still very green on the feet, as she needs work on both offensive and defensive fundamentals. She does throw nice straight punches at least.  Her ground game is very dangerous though. Anderson has slick jiu-jitsu, is dangerous on top and bottom, and specializes in chaining from submission to submission. Her offensive wrestling isn’t too good but she is a pretty good counter wrestler. In her last two fights, she was able to score takedowns. She fights Itsuki Hirata (4-0).

Be sure to check out our interview with Alyse Anderson ahead of ONE Championship: Empower.

Combate Global | US | Saturday

Bantamweight, Kevin Cordero (11-2)

Cordero is an absolute action fighter that comes out with the same aggression every time he fights. Cordero is a scrapper. He’ll sit in the pocket and let his hands go and kick the lead leg. Both his right and left hand are dangerous and he doesn’t let up with his volume. He’s a problem on the feet and all that pressure will force opponents to shoot. That’s an issue itself because Cordero is even better on the mat. His offensive wrestling is good as well and holds six submissions. Overall he’s a dangerous guy all around and never in a boring fight. He fights a tough guy in Ricky Bandejas (14-5).

Bantamweight, Eduardo Matias Torres (11-0)

In all likelihood the best prospect out of Chile, Torres holds an impressive undefeated record. The competition Torres has beaten hasn’t been great but he’s disposed of his opponents the way he should. Torres is always bringing forward pressure as he looks to force his way into the clinch. His wrestling needs some work but he does a good job at utilizing trips in the clinch. On the mat is where Torres wants it, where he is dominant. He has very technical grappling where he makes all the right moves and his BJJ IQ is perfect at only 26-years-old. He fights former UFC fighter Nohelin Hernandez (11-5).

EFC 40 | Russia | Saturday

Welterweight, Khabib Nabiev (4-0)

Nabiev isn’t much in the striking department but is an outstanding grappler. Nabiev floats on top and transitions to dominant positions freely. His wrestling looks good enough so far. Even in positions where he’s off his back he’s scrambled and got back in control. All four of his finishes have come from what’s he’s done on top. Nabiev still has a way to come but his grappling alone is to be feared. He fights Aleksandr Verevkin (4-2).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ODwpvZvKXk

Bantamweight, Umar Kunakbiev (6-0)

Kunakbiev is a fun prospect out of Russia that’s well-rounded and fun to watch. On the feet, he has a flashy style. He throws a variety of kicks from different angles. Just a normal roundhouse is his best weapon but he will throw switch kicks and use the cage. He’s an even better wrestler and grappler. Kunakbiev has three submission wins and his ground and pound set it up. A talented guy that’s worth watching out for. He fights Ramazan Amaev (6-0)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T16XGa-IXIY

Road FC 59 | South Korea | Saturday

Featherweight, Soo Chul Kim (16-5-1)

Kim is finally making his return to MMA after a four-year absence. This guy is a very well-rounded fighter. He’s very hard to engage on since he can change levels effortlessly. Kim can use the power in his striking, or he can tie you up in clinch which he is skilled at. I don’t like how he keeps his hands down low and he needs some work on his takedown defense. He goes in for attacks at odd angles and it’s hard to tell what he’s going to throw next, making him very dangerous. He fights Hae Jin Park (8-1).

UAE Warriors 22 | Abu Dhabi | Saturday

Featherweight, Jarno Errens (11-2)

Errens is a top prospect out of the Netherlands with good experience, who is still only 26. On the feet is where he is best, where he can fight at his preferred range. Errens throws straight punches and a lot of leg kicks to maintain the range. He closes distance pretty quickly when throwing bigger shots like the flying knee and spinning attacks. Errens has the volume and mixes up his weapons to keep his opponents guessing. His takedown defense is his biggest flaw. He at least has a good ground game and holds five submissions. He fights Ali Kabdulla (6-0).

Welterweight, Ramazan Kuramagomedov (8-0)

The Russian is very well-rounded, being skillful no matter where the fight goes. On the feet, Kuramagomedov throws a lot of kicks. Throwing with diversity, his kicks come from all over the place. When he decides to just attack the lead leg, that’s when he’s at his best. Overall he’s a flashy but intelligent kickboxer. Kuramagomedov is an even better grappler. Once he gets the fight to the mat he quickly finds dominant positions. In the past Ramazan had trouble solidifying top position but now he’s a fighter with a strong body triangle and has just been dominant on top. You give him anything on the mat, he’s going to get into a better position and he has proved to be a submission threat. He fights Matias Juarez (12-3-1).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BIhe1HMLmPA

Fight Club Rush 9 | Sweeden | Saturday

Lightweight, Sahil Siraj (5-0)

Siraj may be only five fights into his career and is already 31 years old, but he has an extensive background in muay thai and kickboxing with over fifty fights. As expected, Siraj has displayed wonderful striking. He has power in his hands and legs, mixes it up, picks his shots, and his left hand is his money shot. Not sold but his talent can’t be denied. He fights Arbi Mezhidov (13-5).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nChXr2EmC9A

KSW 63 | Poland | Saturday

Welterweight, Roberto Soldić (18-3)

A welterweight out of Croatia, Soldic has beaten some stiff competition including Lewis Long, Michał Materla, Borys Mańkowski, and UFC’s Dricus Du Plessis, winning five titles in his career including this KSW championship. Soldic is always coming forward and always looking for the finish in a controlled chaos manner. Soldic has heavy hands and a very accurate head kick, which he has dropped many opponents with. It’s the constant volume he throws paired with his speed that allows him to do so well. Soldic is always throwing punches behind kicks and vice-versa, showcasing his great striking abilities. He fights Patrik Kincl (24-9).

Fury FC 50 | US | Sunday

Lightweight, Anthony Romero (9-0)

Romero has won multiple titles as an amateur, is 18-1 as a pro and amateur combined, and last year he won on the Contender Series. Despite a very impressive performance over a tough Mike Breeden, he wasn’t awarded a contract. Romero is a Taekwondo black belt and a world IBJJF bronze medalist. Romero is extremely well-rounded. He has excellent wrestling, a good ground game, is very technical on the feet, and has a great gas tank. He fights JJ Okanovich (7-1).

The post Weekly MMA Prospect Report: ONE Kicks Off Atomwieght Grand Prix appeared first on Cageside Press.

UWC 28 | Mexico | Thursday

Bantamweight, Christian Quiñonez (15-3)

Quinonez has some solid wins including one against Vinicius de Oliveira who is a top Brazilian prospect. In fact, the combined record of the opponents he’s beat is 98-36. Quinonez is a strong wrestler and grappler with a submission base and very good ground and pound. With all the experience he has Quinonez is still only 25-years-old. He fights Jaime Londono Alvarez (4-1).

Bantamweight, Braian Gonzalez (8-1)

Gonzalez is a good striker that does a fine job cutting off the cage and firing at his opponent. On his back foot, he’s a solid counter striker as well. He’s very technical and precise but once he sits on his punches he has some big power in his hands. Gonzalez is a decent wrestler with a better top position. He fights Brandon Uruchurtu (0-3).

PFL 2021 #7 | US | Friday

Welterweight, Magomed Umalatov (10-0)

Fighting out of Russia, Umalatov is a very good wrestler. Umalatov has a good jab, a bomb of an overhand right, and strikes to wrestler so well. When Umalatov gets the fights down his positional grappling really shows out. The ground and pound is his best feature as it’s steady, heavy, and fight-ending. A really good prospect PFL has here. He fights Micah Terrill (15-8).

Welterweight, Michael Lombardo (11-2)

Lombardo has been on the Contender Series twice and won his last time out. He was never awarded a UFC contract after that win because it was frankly a boring performance. That having been said, it was a very dominant performance from Lombardo. Wrestling comes first with the style of Lombardo. He does have really sound wrestling and has solid chain wrestling as well. Along with the wrestling, he has good grappling as well. Lombardo fights Kyron Bowen (9-6).

Lightweight, Elvin Espinoza (5-0)

Espinoza is a strong wrestler who has manhandled guys lifting and slamming them down to the mat. He is a grinder on top who is heavy with position and will take anything his opponents give him. On the feet, I want to see him move his head more but he’s held his own. He has good hands that are improving with each fight. He fights Hopeton Stewart (5-1).

Bellator 264 | US | Friday

Bantamweight, Magomed Magomedov (18-1)

Magomedov is a good striker that has improved over the years but owns a better kicking game. He likes to get flashy at times, throwing a lot of spinning kicks which may be his best weapon. He is an excellent wrestler with superb grappling and can wrestle/grapple during the duration of the fight with his tremendous endurance. His only loss has been to the former UFC bantamweight champ Petr Yan. But he also has beaten Yan in the past so that says a lot about him. He fights Raufeon Stots (16-1).

Bantamweight, Raufeon Stots (16-1)

Stots is a former NCAA Division II national champion in wrestling at the University of Nebraska-Kearney. Stots is a fantastic wrestler but his stand-up has come along nicely with some good Muay Thai and a developing jab. Still, the Roufusport product is primarily a wrestler. His timing on his shots is excellent and the execution is perfect. It’s going to take a good fighter to beat Stots and to neutralize his wrestling. He fights Magomed Magomedov (18-1).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6VZNGnoxi0&t=2s

Heavyweight, Davion Franklin (3-0)

I’m not too sold on Franklin due to his showing against Ras Hylton last year. The fact is Franklin has not been built up slow and right away has been tested. His three opponents had thirty-eight fights combined. That’s pretty good for someone that made his MMA debut a little over a year ago with no prior MMA experience. Franklin has huge power in his hands, athletic, an explosive double-leg, and is dangerous on top. He fights Everett Cummings (15-0).

Combate Global | US | Friday

Strawweight, Yasmine Jauregui (5-0)

Born and raised in the same area as UFC flyweight Champion Brandon Moreno, Tijuana, Mexico is where Jauregui calls home. Still very green, Jauregui has really impressed in her career thus far. Her style is reminiscent of UFC fighter Maycee Barber in a few ways. Jauregui is still very young at only 22 so to think she’s even near her prime is silly. She will throw a lot of volume with her kicks and punches putting it all together well. Yasmine is always throwing and looking to end the fight. She does need to work on some things like her movement and striking defense. With that said, she can be very good. Jauregui fights Stephanie Frausto (8-7).

Strawweight, Criszaida Adames (4-0)

Going 4-0 as an amateur, Adames is 4-0 as a pro as well. Adames is a spitfire blitzing in and out with offense. She could be more technical but is active enough to create issues. Adames has taken down opponents as well as being able to mix it up on the feet. Her best aspects are her striking coming forward and her work rate. She’s still raw but has potential. She fights Yajaira Cunningham (3-2).

EFC 88 | South Africa | Saturday

Bantamweight, Cameron Saaiman (3-0)

Saaiman is a young bright prospect who is a protege of UFC fighter Dricus Du Plessis. Saaiman is so comfortable on the feet with his creative striking and diverse kickboxing while having really light movement. He will make it seem like he’s only a kickboxer before changing levels for a takedown. Saaiman is a really talented grappler who constantly hunts to end the fight. His ground and pound and RNC is his best weapon on the mat. He fights Roevan De Beer (3-4).

RCC Intro 15 | Russia | Saturday

Lightweight, Milson Castro (13-3)

Castro is on a big 12-fight win streak and not only is he successful in Brazil he’s highly regarded in Mexico fighting there multiple times. Having fought for years Castro has won three different regional titles. Castro is a stand-up fighter with a solid Muay Thai base. He is a scrapper that will stand toe-to-toe with anyone he stands across from. He does take a lot of shots on the chin but he can take one to give one. He fights Timur Nagibin (18-5).

Middleweight, Arseniy Smirnov (9-1)

Smirnov is a dangerous guy who is well-rounded. On the feet, he’s technical with his hands always throwing in twos with big power. He will throw combinations up to four strikes. Smirnov is always throwing a lot of output and with multiple weapons including front kicks, body kicks, knees, and elbows. Everything he throws is with fight-ending intention. Smirnov has strong wrestling and smashing ground and pound on top. He fights Lucas Alsina (8-2).

CFFC 99 | Saturday | US

Featherweight, Deandre Anderson (4-0)

Anderson is undefeated as a pro and went 5-1 (1 NC) as an amateur. He’s also competed in other disciplines, i.e. boxing and kickboxing. Anderson was a standout wrestler in high school and that has been his most valuable weapon in MMA. His striking has looked good with each fight but the wrestling is his bread and butter. Anderson is a strong athletic wrestler who will explode on the double leg. There isn’t a lot of pro footage but he has some hype behind him.

WFL MMA 6 | Sunday | Netherlands

Welterweight, Losene Keita (5-0)

I’m not fully sold on Keita due to his poor level of competition but the talent is there. He seems to be a well-rounded fighter who has no issue taking fights to the mat. Keita is more of a dangerous guy on the feet. His speed, athleticism, and explosiveness is scary. I’d like to see him show more footwork but makes up for it in blitzes and explosions. Once he gets going he’s throwing a lot of volume as well. He fights Maarten Wouters (12-8).

The post Weekly MMA Prospect Report: Bellator, PFL Shine appeared first on Cageside Press.

PFL #5 | Thursday | US

Light heavyweight, Marthin Hamlet Nielsen (7-1)

Hamlet has a background as a Greco-Roman wrestler and has wrestled since a young age. He’s won a few championships along the way with an Olympic scholarship. His only loss is to UFC fighter Modestas Bukauskas. Hamlet is a tank of a wrestler being able to throw guys around. Once on the mat, he is in his world. His ground and pound is really good and he has a strong submission base. He fights Cory Hendricks (7-3).

AMC 102 | Friday | Russia

Light heavyweight, Armen Petrosyan (4-0)

Petrosyan is a kickboxer so on the feet at range is where he’s comfortable. He does struggle with takedown defense and getting opponents off of him. Once he does though, and he gets separation, Petrosyan can finish the fight at any time. He fights behind kicks to set everything up. He’ll chop away at the lead leg and then go to the body and head. He has a good jab and snapping long punches. Overall if he can tighten up his defense Petrosyan is going to be a problem. He fights Hasan Yousefi (6-4-1).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ZLj4Tw_N0o&t=412s

Middleweight, David Barkhudaryan (12-3)

Barkhudaryan is mainly a striker and a very dangerous one. He has a one-two he loves to throw, chopping powerful leg kicks, and a firing straight jab. Beware of rushing in on him as well as he’s a dangerous counter-striker. Barkhudaryan has lights out power in his hands and can stop the fight at any time. He’s currently on a six-fight win streak and looking at the peak of his career. He fights Vyacheslav Vasilevskiy (35-8).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pk-ryTkiMns

EFC 37 | Kazakhstan | Friday

Welterweight, Shakhban Alkhasov (4-0)

Like many Dagestanians, Alkhasov is primarily a talented grappler. Most of his takedowns come from body locks and inside trips. His wrestling could be better when it comes to getting takedowns in open spaces. Alkhasov is raw on the feet but he is good at utilizing his kicks, going right upstairs which is rather impressive given his own 6’3″ height. He fights Yuriy Ermolenko (3-3).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMDXcI0rYOQ

UAE Warriors 20 | Abu Dhabi | Friday

Featherweight, Martun Mezhlumyan (11-2)

Mezhlumyan seems to be a promising prospect but fight footage does lack on the young Armenian. He has that killer instinct from the bell to the finish. Throwing output from the beginning Mezhlumyan really loves to throw his lead elbow over and over. He’s tricky with his style and a dangerous guy all around. He fights Attila Korkmaz (11-5).

Welterweight, Daniel Skibińsk (17-5)

Since a pair of losses in mid-2016, Skibinski has won his next eleven fights. Outside of MMA, he was an ADCC Polish Championship in 2019 and won gold in No-Gi in Poland. Skibinski has strong wrestling with heavy top control. He’s a grinder with a good gas tank going the distance in ten of his wins. He’s not the flashiest fighter but has a high fight IQ and is really dominant. He fights Acoidan Duque (16-2).

Flyweight, Lucrezia Ria (8-2)

Ria is a long fighter who uses her reach well. She throws a lot of output in bursts and hits really hard. Although she is exceptionally good on the feet she is even better on the mat. All her finishes are by submission and she is dangerous on top or off her back. She’s one of the best prospects out of Italy. She fights Carolina Jimenez (6-0).

Welterweight, Amiran Gogoladze (11-1)

Gogoladze is a highlight-reel finisher on both the feet and on the mat. He is extremely slick on the mat, especially off his back. He’s a sharp submission hunter and that shows with three submission victories by three different submissions. He’ll utilize a lot of feints on the feet which sets up the eventual finish. Gogoladze throws a dangerous head kick and is just very tricky and explosive. He fights Handesson Ferreira (15-3-1).

Oktagon 25 | Czech Republic | Saturday

Heavyweight, Martin Buday (7-1)

Buday is a prospect that’s stood out in the last few years. He is arguably the best prospect out of the Europe Eastern. Besides being 7-1 as a pro he went 3-0 as an amateur. Outside of MMA, Buday is a 2x IBJJF European NoGi champion and an ISFA European grappling champion. Buday doesn’t have any special qualities, but his forward pressure and ability to cut off angles has served him well. He doesn’t hit hard but has good timing when he throws. He’s not fast but uses effective footwork. While he’s not the most explosive heavyweight, he is still on a six-fight win streak with all six wins being finishes. He fights Kamil Minda (7-1).

The post Weekly MMA Prospect Report: A Hodge-Podge of Promotions In Action appeared first on Cageside Press.

PFL 2021 #4 | US | Thursday

Featherweight, Movlid Khaybulaev (15-0-1)

Khaybulaev is a very solid fighter all around, and he is really technical in his stand-up. He throws a lot of spinning attacks, not overdoing it, but that is a good thing. Khaybulaev uses the flying knee often, which he’s used to knock out opponents. With that said, 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. Khaybulaev can usually get the fight down multiple times in a bout. He fights Sheymon Moraes (11-5).

ACA 124 | Russia | Friday

Lightweight, Pavel Gordeev (17-2)

Gordeev has shown he is a promising prospect, beating four undefeated fighters, former UFC fighter Mickael Lebout and Shane Campbell, and other solid competition. Gordeev is mainly a striker who loves to use the jab often. The Russian has good long straight punches and his speed can be a real factor. Gordeev has also shown the ability to land at a high rate as well. His wrestling is decent enough to be effective with good scrambles and an active ground game. He fights Denis Silva (16-5).

UWC 27 | Mexico | Friday

Featherweight, Aaron Cañarte (6-0)

Canarte is undefeated as a pro and went undefeated as an amateur going 5-0. Outside of MMA, Canarte has competed in kickboxing fighting for WGP. He has lights-out power in his hands and some heavy kicks as well. He’s well-versed on the feet throwing kicks and punches together. I’m not fully sold on him due to his lack of competition but his technical ability is good enough to keep an eye on. He fights Alexander Barahona (12-6).

Bellator 260 | US | Friday

Welterweight, Yaroslav Amosov (25-0)

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 and altogether has gotten better and better. He fights champion Douglas Lima (32-8).

Welterweight, Jason Jackson (14-4)

Jackson is a good striker who is technical with an excellent jab and a crushing right hand. This product out of the former Blackzilians gym is a very good wrestler as well as being very well-rounded. He’s super athletic and seems to get better every time he fights. He already has career wins against Benson Henderson, Jordan Mein, Neiman Gracie, Dhiego Lima, and Kiichi Kunimoto. The last few years Jackson has looked great. He fights Paul Daley (43-17-2).

Featherweight, Aaron Pico (7-3)

Pico has competed in folkstyle, freestyle, and Greco-Roman wrestling, winning a championship in all three. He has competed in multiple wrestling-based matches and has become very successful. Pico also has a background in boxing, winning many belts and also being named Junior Golden Gloves champion in 2009. Pico has had a few setbacks already but is back on a three-fight win streak. He has excellent boxing techniques with power and precision. Also, he has high-level wrestling. At only 24, he has the overall skill set to be champion one day. He fights Aiden Lee (9-4).

Welterweight, Levan Chokheli (9-0)

Chokheli is a little known but exciting prospect, finishing all nine (ten, but one was overturn to a no contest) of his fights. There’s not really a ton of footage out there on him, but from what can be seen, he’s one to watch out for. Chokheli is an explosive fighter with a lot of power and speed. He’s got good dangerous kickboxing, good hands, and has shown how explosive he can be holding a flying knee knockout. There still needs to be a lot more shown from Levan but he no doubt has the hype behind him. He fights a solid prospect in Kyle Crutchmer (6-0).

Featherweight, Justin Gonzales (11-0)

Undefeated as a pro, Gonzales also went undefeated as an amateur at 8-0. Gonzales has always been an excellent wrestler who was an All-American, but he’s been adding a lot of striking to his resume. J-Train could use better footwork, but he stays aggressive and has good right and left hooks. He really just uses strikes to set up takedowns. Overall, I think he’s good, but there is still room for improvement. He fights Tywan Claxton (6-2).

Open Fighting Championship 5 | Russia | Saturday

Welterweight, Sharaf Davlatmurodov (17-3-1)

Davlatmurodov is a fun fighter with a lot of good experience. He has wins over some good competition and has lost to only solid fighters. On the feet, Davlatmurodov throws a lot of volume throwing with different patterns and mixing it up very well. He has good kickboxing and from the outside has real good long striking. Mixing it up, Davlatmurodov will explode on the hips taking his opponents down. At times he can be too aggressive on the mat but has RNC’s for a reason. He’s really good. Mostly he just needs to improve small things— but the takedown defense should be his biggest concern. He fights Kleber Silva (20-10).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QNF7kTb7sY&t=1s

EFC 86 | South Africa | Saturday

Featherweight, Igeu Kabesa (12-1)

Kabesa’s only loss is to UFC fighter Danny Henry, which was a rematch of their first meeting, which Kabesa won. Of the two, Kabesa has a much higher ceiling. “Smiley” is one of the two best prospects out of South Africa along with Demarte Pena. He is the current EFC Worldwide featherweight champion and is on a four-fight win streak. Kabesa is a very decorated wrestler being a 10-time Wrestling Nationals Champion. He is young and solid everywhere. Kabesa has amazing wrestling and grappling, he can move well on the mat and can reach mount fairly easy. His striking is good too, moving in-and-out with explosive punches quickly and his slips and counters are solid. He fights Reinaldo Ekson (15-5).

Flyweight, Gian Souza (7-0)

Souza is another prospect who has been flying under the radar but has been killing it on the regional scene. He’s an aggressive fighter who is a brown belt in Jiu-Jitsu. Across the span of his seven fights, Gian has been very successful with his wrestling. On the feet, the Brazilian is technical and possesses heavy hands. Training with Bellator MMA’s Pitbull Brothers, Patricio and Patricky Freire, should raise his ceiling even more. He fights Luthando Biko (7-2).

RIZIN 28 | Japan | Saturday

Lightweight, Tofiq Musayev (18-3)

Musayev shocked the world last December when he won the Rizin lightweight grand prix. Among the names he beat in the GP are former UFC fighter Johnny Case and the well-known Patricky Pitbull, which was a big shock. Musayev is good just about everywhere as he has striking with knockout power, combinations, and counter-striking. Along with some decent wrestling and some effective ground-and-pound. A plus to his output is that as the fight goes on he gets better and better. He fights Roberto de Souza (11-1).

Lightweight, Roberto de Souza (11-1)

Souza grew up training in judo and jiu-jitsu and would later become very successful in BJJ. His grappling record (as far as official matches go) is 61-15 with 37 submission wins. He has many achievements in BJJ. While MMA is an entirely different sport, Souza still has got it done on the mat with seven submissions. His striking has been coming around as well, meaning he can get it done on the feet with his hands also. He fights Tofiq Musayev (18-3).

The post Weekly MMA Prospect Report: Pico Returns, RIZIN in Action appeared first on Cageside Press.

BRAVE CF 48 | Bahrain | Thursday

Middleweight, Nemanja Kovač (13-3)

Fighting out of Novi Sad, Serbia Kovac is someone that always brings it. After losing three consecutive fights in 2018 he’s now on a six-fight win streak. Kovac will constantly come forward landing some powerful hooks. He has heavy leg kicks that he uses to target the legs, body, and head. Kocac does a solid job attacking the body and just breaking guys down. Not sure if he’s high-level yet but is fun to watch. He fights Ahmad Labban (9-4).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXvJgTfQ6L8

Light heavyweight, Murtaza Talha Ali (2-0)

Only 2-0 as a pro, Ali is one of the highest level light heavyweight amateurs in a long time. Ali is a two-time IMMAF world champion which is the biggest accomplishment out there as an amateur. Ali is a good striker and is an excellent wrestler. He’s had no issue closing the distance and powering guys to the mat. Ali has solid ground and pound and can grab the neck at any time. Ali has the blueprint to be the next big thing at light-heavyweight and I think he will. He fights Cameron Meintjies (6-1).

Cage Warriors 120 | UK | Friday

Featherweight, James Hendin (5-0)

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 doesn’t have any submissions but has smothering active ground and pound. Hendin has pressure, technique, and a deep gas tank. He fights Paul Hughes (6-1) which is an awesome fight.

Middleweight, Will Currie (5-0)

Currie is a primary grappler with a submission base. As a pro, he’s finished with a RNC, armbar, americana, keylock, 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 22, Currie has a bright future. He fights Christian Leroy Duncan (2-0).

Lightweight, Mike Figlak (4-0)

Poland’s Figlak made his name known when he beat top prospect Oban Elliott five months ago. Figlak is well-rounded and is everything you look for in a young fighter. On the feet, Figlak gets right at it throwing combinations, never throwing single strikes. He’s very accurate with everything thrown and his right hand over the shoulder is his best weapon. If Figlak isn’t impressive enough with his striking his wrestling is just as good if not better. I like Figlak so much I think he’s a future Cage Warriors champion. He fights Steven Hooper (5-3).

Featherweight, Ben Ellis (3-0)

Ellis is only 3-0 and I usually don’t mention uber young (career-wise) fighters in this feature but he’s impressed me a lot. It’s not like he only has three fights, as he had eight amateur fights going undefeated. As an amateur Ellis won the Budo Fighting and Cage Warriors lightweight title. Ellis is an excellent wrestler with solid positional grappler and has damaging ground and pound. He fights Manny Akpan (2-0).

EFC 34 | Russia | Friday

Bantamweight, Sharapudin Magomedov (4-0)

Russian Sharapudin Magomedov is only 4-0 as a pro but has some good experience as he had a 15-1 amateur record. Magomedov has been very dominant thus far in his pro career especially with his ground game. He does have some heavy hands but is a much more dangerous wrestler/grappler. Magomedov is dominant once on top with excellent ground and pound and heavy position control. He fights Renat Khavalov (3-0).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1UjEtsk6Wog&t=4s

Featherweight, Busurmankul Abdibait Uulu (12-3-1)

The former M-1 veteran Busurmankul Abdibait Uulu makes his return to the cage after a year and a half layoff. Uulu’s last three fights went to a decision but on the other side has nine stoppages in the first round. He can stand and trade in a brawl, wrestle, and grapple all very well. Uulu has a bombshell of a right hand, heavy kicks, strong wresting, and solid ground and pound. Arguably the best prospect out of Kyrgyzstan. He fights Vladislav Korolevskiy (8-4).

Middleweight, Imam-Shapi Mukhtarov (8-0)

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 Magomed Nurov (6-2).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92NWS4UQ6WU&t=165s

Welterweight, Samandar Murodov (5-0)

Muradov the 21-year-old Russian is a top-notch grappler. His wrestling looks good as well. But once on the mat, he’s in full control. Muradov uses his length on the mat controlling the position, winning the scrambles, and his defensive grappling is solid. His jiu-jitsu is very glue-like as he as a strong body-lock and a tight mount. Just a grappler but a dangerous one. He fights Abdurakhman Alimagomedov (10-0).

Cage Warriors 121 | UK | Friday

Lightweight, Agy Sardari (13-2)

Being a Dutch fighter, of course Sardari has good kickboxing. He actually comes from a karate background and is an instructor. Sardari does have solid kicks, a good one-two, and nicely done footwork, moving in with two to three shots and back out. Sardari is well rounded and to me his wrestling and grappling is where he’s best. Sardari has strong wrestling and when he gets it to the mat he moves well on top. Off his back he’s super busy. As the fight goes on he gets better. He’s going to be a tough guy to beat. He fights Donovan Desmae (14-5).

Bantamweight, Jack Cartwright (9-0)

Cartwright has been wrestling since the age of five and has a background as a former ABA boxer. Cartwright just recently began showing his striking; with his power and timing he’s just as good as he is as a grappler. The Brit is a good wrestler and more of an exceptional grappler. He’s got a very dangerous guillotine and d’arce he’s finished with a few times. Cartwright is the real deal and one of my favorite prospects out of the UK. He fights  Sylwester Miller (9-3).

Welterweight, Ian Garry (5-0)

Among all the top prospects from the UK/Ireland, Garry stands out as the future. In his young career, Garry has already proven to be extremely well rounded, fought through adversity, and has already improved greatly. Garry is a dangerous fighter on the feet with a long jab and a flashy kicking arsenal. He likes to stay standing but does have an underrated ground game as well. He fights former UFC fighter Rostem Akman (6-2).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QS6QKYf9_HI&t=2s

The post Weekly MMA Prospect Report: Lots of Talent Around the Globe appeared first on Cageside Press.

Age: 30-years-old
From: Sunninghill, Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa
Height: 5’7”
Reach: 64.2”
Weight class: Bantamweight
Record: 11-0 (2 NC)

Who is Demarte Pena?

Born on September 29, 1989, Demarte Pena has been in martial arts ever since a young age. He trained Shaolin Kung Fu and Muay-thai as an amateur going 6-0 before transitioning to MMA. He also competed in Judo and Karate as well as grappling, collecting several amateur titles.

Pena got into MMA while he was in high school, messing around in the sport with a few of his friends. Wanting to test his skills, he was beaten by a relatively weaker guy. Pena was fascinated that he was submitted by a “weaker” opponent and decided to pursue MMA. He  captured an amateur record of 4-1 before going pro in 2011. He’s fought for EFC Worldwide his entire career and won their featherweight title. He was their first EFC featherweight champion and their youngest champion in promotion history. Pena later moved down to bantamweight and won the title in that weight class in 2014.

In his last two fights, Pena defended his title against a very talented Irshaad Sayed but both fights were overturned to a no-contest. The reason being Pena, testing positive for testosterone and signs of anabolic steroid use. After his second offense in December 2017, Pena would be banned for four years and would later relinquish his title. Being away from the sport for quite a while he will be eligible to return soon, between November and sometime next year (Pena was given credit for time served during his provisional suspension, and had his wins overturned dating back to 2016).

Striking

From compared to how his striking was when he first started fighting it’s come a long way. His reach is only 64.2″ (163 cm) so it’s hard for him to find his range a lot of the times. With his limited wingspan, he tends to have to reach a lot. Despite that he has dropped opponents with his hands. On the feet Pena relies on his speed to burst in and out or counter his opponents coming in. He throws a good left hook to the body and throws at a pretty good rate. He is technically improved and has power in his hands despite not having a knockout win. Grade: C+

Kickboxing

Though mainly a wrestler, Pena has always had good kickboxing. Pena will throw sidekicks, switch kicks, ax kicks and hook kicks. He’s a lot better staying technical just landing kicks to the lead leg going to the outside and inside. He’ll mix it up going to the leg so much and then going to the head. He’s scored a few knockdowns in his career from a head kick. You can see in his fight with Wentzel Nel, Nel was super aggressive early on by the continuous leg kicks to the lead leg slowed him down completely. Grade: B-

Clinch

In the clinch Pena will at times get takedowns using trips and dropping levels. He throws good elbows and muay thai plum knees. He is better once he separates and throws combinations on the break. A lot of times he’s pressed against the cage and has trouble circling out. Grade: C+

Movement

Pena is light on his feet and has a good bounce to his step. He doesn’t move around much unless he’s stepping in and out throwing flurries. Nothing special stands out with his movement/footwork but he is quick enough to bounce right out of the way. Grade: C+

Wrestling

The wrestling of Pena is his best weapon by far. While he’s getting more comfortable on the feet the wrestling is always a natural fallback he has. Pena is really good at exploding forward with the double leg. Almost always completing the first shot, he’s always there to chain-wrestle which he does so well. In the clinch, he’s good at just using inside and outside trips and dropping levels for the double leg. As he likes to fight off his back foot that’s when he times his double legs perfect when his opponents are coming forward. Grade: A

Ground game

With such a good wrestling base, Pena finds himself on the mat quite often. His submission game isn’t too strong: he does have two subs but it’s nothing he goes for. He’s heavy on top with strong head positioning and upper body pressure. Once he lets up on the pressure giving space he unloads with ferocious ground and pound. Pena will rain down hammer fist staying active, actively looking for the ground and pound stoppage. Grade: B-

Cardio

Pena has gone the distance seven times. He has been a champion since 2011 and has defended his EFC title ten times. He has gone into the championship rounds nine times. His output may slow down a bit but he still fights the same throughout five rounds. Pena does a good job pacing himself never putting too much energy in early on. Grade: A

Defense

Pena has been taken down before and has been dropped but overall has an excellent defense all around. In the last couple of fights, he hasn’t really found himself in any danger on the feet. His speed allows him to move just right out of the way defensively. Pena though will hold his hands low being a matter of time before he gets cracked. His takedown defense is pretty darn good, as he has only been taken down a handful of times in his career. Pena fights so low it’s easy for him to get out of the way. Grade: A

Fighter comparison: Hunter Azure

Overall thoughts: Coming back soon from a long layoff and from a doping violation it’s unknown how Demarte Pena will look. Still, at the time he was active he was one of the hottest prospects out there. Speaking on what he’s shown, he’s a fighter that would do very well in the UFC. His competition isn’t great but beating guys like Nkazimulo Zulu and Irshaad Sayed (twice, albeit they were overturned) is respectable. Over time Pena has steadily improved and with this time off he may have really put in the work and could be even more of a beast than what he was. Since Pena moved down to bantamweight he is faster, stronger, and holds more power.

The post MMA Prospect of the Month: Demarte Pena appeared first on Cageside Press.

XFC 43 | Friday | Australia

Featherweight: Mohammad Alavi (5-0)

Mohammad Alavi has been very impressive in his short MMA career with a 100% finish rate. He has three submission wins and that comes from his solid grappling. More impressively, his wrestling is a very dangerous weapon thanks to his timing and ability to chain wrestle. On the feet, he likes to maintain distance with kicks and does have a dangerous left head kick he throws often, which has led to one knockout. Still young in his career, but someone to watch for. He fights Ricky Camp (11-4).

GFC 22 | Friday | Russia

Flyweight: Tagir Ulanbekov (10-1)

Like many fellow Russians Tagir Ulanbekov has a background in combat sambo, where he holds a world championship and a few national championships. Ulanbekov is primarily a wrestler who has all six finishes on the mat with five by submission and the other by TKO. He’s a very tall fighter for the weight-class standing at 5’7″ and he uses his length very effectively with scrambles, back takes, and submission attempts. He fights Denilson Matos (12-3).

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

Bantamweight, Timur Valiev (15-2)

Aside from competing in Freestyle Wrestling, BJJ, Grappling, and Kickboxing, Timur Valiev is a three-time Russian style Unifight champion, as well as a Russian Pankration Champion, European Pankration Champion, and a Dagestan/New Jersey Grappling Champion. His accolades speak for themselves. The Jackson-Wink MMA product is a top prospect to watch for. He fights Taigro Costa (15-5).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzLd3fUa1QQ&t=444s

ACA 103 | Saturday | Russia

Light Heavyweight: Dovletdzhan Yagshimuradov (17-5-1)

Dovletdzhan Yagshimuradov is well-rounded and is dangerous on the mat and on the feet. He shows a lot of athleticism on the feet with the ability to throw nice spinning heel kicks, but he also hits like a truck, picking up a few one-punch knockouts. Yet, believe it or not, Yagshimuradov is even better on the mat. He has good power wrestling, has solid jiu-jitsu and his ground and pound is a fight changer. He fights Alexey Butorin (15-3) who is dangerous.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q04EXH2-tdU

Bantamweight: Rustam Kerimov (13-0)

Rustam Kerimov is a product out of a top camp in DagFighter and is one of the best up-and-comers out of Russia right now. Like most Dagestan fighters, Kerimov is an excellent wrestler. Kerimov has beat solid competition, most notably a good prospect in Alexander Peduson, Abdul-Rakhman Dudaev, legend Takeya Mizugaki, and Oleg Borisov. Kerimov is obviously a good wrestler but it’s his timing on his shots that is done so well to complement his best weapon of ground-and-pound. On the feet, he is a good kickboxer along with good power in his hands. He fights Francisco Maciel (15-3-1).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0j8MvI2TdY

Featherweight: Yusup Raisov (15-1)

Yusup Raisov is a world-class talent at only 24 and has suffered just one loss to former ACB lightweight champion Marat Balaev, who he rematched later on and took the title from. His stand-up is very technical but still explosive. He uses a lot of spinning kicks and flying knees but he throws them so fast that opponents can’t really react quick enough to counter. Raisov is just exceptionally fast and very light on his feet. Raisov moves in and out very well and on the mat he has six submission wins, so he is more than dangerous there as well. But his wrestling is a big weapon for him as he can get takedown after takedown, beating his opponents physically and mentally. He fights Raimundo Batista (12-0), who doesn’t have much footage available.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnPHRRI62aM

RCC 7 | Saturday | Russia

Light Heavyweight: Ivan Shtyrkov (17-0-1)

Ivan 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 arm-bar, something uncommon for the big guys. He will make his middleweight debut against Yasubey Enomoto (19-11). The ‘Ural Hulk’ was briefly under contract to the UFC earlier this year, but ran into USADA troubles.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bE9PP4Qewi8&t=2s

Featherweight: Armen Gulyan (8-0)

Armen Gulyan is a solid prospect out of Russia who as a kid took part in Combat Sambo and Judo. Guylan also has some experience in boxing but thus far in his MMA career, he hasn’t displayed that. He is a beast of a wrestler who is excellent at shooting single legs and using foot sweeps against the cage. Gulyan is dominant on top as he’s very physically strong and a danger to finish with ground and pound and submissions. He really likes to get the crucifix position and unload punches/elbows. His competition hasn’t looked good but he looks very skilled. He fights Aleksandr Osetrov (5-1-1).

We Love MMA 51 | Saturday | Germany

Welterweight: Adrian Zeitner (7-1)

Still a bit raw on the feet, Germany’s Adrian Zeitner is a dangerous athlete on the mat. He shoots a good single leg but he will at times shoot from too far away. He is clearly comfortable fighting off his back. Zeitner has a 100% finish rate with all finishes coming on the ground. Six of those have come by submission from a RNC and triangle chokes. Solid BJJ but still green as he still is only 23-years old. He fights Marcel Quitsch (7-4).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDr99zG5Y4g&t=395s

  FightStar Championship 19 | Saturday | UK

Featherweight, Farid Basharat (4-0)

A product out of a good camp in London Shootfighters, Farid Basharart has some potential. On the feet, he fights comfortably with his hands low relying on counters. He also switches stances frequently and uses a lot of backward movement. Basharat on the feet mainly fights in bursts throwing many flying knees, that said he takes a lot of risks. He’s stronger on the mat and to get it there he has a good single leg and trips along the cage. Jiu-jitsu is his best weapon even if that is just with control or winning important scrambles. He fights Nicolae Mezdrea (0-2)

EFC Worldwide 83 | Saturday | South Africa

Middleweight: Dricus Du Plessis (12-1)

Dricus Du Plessis is only 25-years-old. His only losses are to former UFC fighter Garreth McLellan and top prospect Roberto Soldic who he beat first, under the KSW banner. He is a good wrestler, with eight of his twelve wins coming by submission all by some form of choke. So his ability to get the back is very good and he can drop for a guillotine and lock it up in an instant. He is a South African K-1 kickboxing champion who has been improving on the feet as well. He fights Brendan Lesar (3-0).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1PX6x7QLOK0

Flyweight: Amanda Lino (4-1)

Fighting out of Ballito, Durban, South Africa, Amanda Lino is the best female prospect out of the nation in my opinion. Lino is the Extreme Fighting Championship Worldwide (EFC) flyweight and bantamweight champion. Lino may only have five fights as a professional but went 6-0 as an amateur. The talent in South Africa isn’t too challenging but features a fun fighting style. She fights Manon Fiorot (1-1) at flyweight.

Krepost Fighting Championship | Saturday | Russia

Featherweight: Magomed Yunisulau (7-0)

Magomed Yunisulau doesn’t have much to offer on the feet other than an overhand and a good one-two. What he does do well is strike to close the distance. The Russian has solid wrestling and is outstanding on top. His timing on his takedowns to his top control is perfectly done. Once he gets the takedown Yunisulau’s not coming off. He has active ground and pound, which could be his best aspect. Not only active but intelligent going to the body and head. He’s not the most exciting fighter but a very dominant one. He fights Marcos Rodrigues (16-4).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5sOfXhIqfQ0

Ares FC 1 | Saturday | Senegal

Middleweight, Glenn Sparv (21-6)

Glenn Sparv is a bull once the bell rings as he will walk his opponent backward to close the distance. Sparv has good Muay Thai but is excellent at getting the fight to the mat. As his grappling and scrambles are good, Sparv is very dominant on top with active ground and pound. He fights Gregory Babene (19-11).

Featherweight: Joanderson Brito (11-2-1)

Brazilian Joanderson Brito has been on a roll since his last loss in 2015, going 10-0-1 in his last eleven fights. Brito is a bull walking his foes down and throwing huge looping hooks with big power. He’s a power striker on the feet but has some good wrestling and better top position to fall back on. Brazil has a lot of good prospects but Brito is one of the ones that really stand out. He fights Asikerbai Jinensibieke (19-8).

The post Weekly MMA Prospect Report: A Stacked Week of Possible Future Stars appeared first on Cageside Press.

On April 13, 2019, a major upset took place on the African continent. Virtually unknown Englishman Jake Hadley (then 3-0-0 as a professional) walked into the premier MMA outfit in Africa, EFC, and dominated one of the promotion’s biggest stars in Nkazimulo Zulu to capture the EFC flyweight title. I recently caught up with the newly-minted flyweight champion to talk EFC, competing outside of his home country of England and his goals as a mixed martial artist.

The grappling specialist honed his skills on the local amateur circuit before turning pro.

“The amateur scene in the UK is big to be honest, especially at that time when I was an amateur. The flyweight division had a lot of big names. I fought all the best guys in my weight class in the UK and Ireland and won four amateur titles, but I was really struggling to get fights. I had a lot of pull-outs, so I decided to go pro. My amateur career definitely helped me get where I am today as competing as an amateur is a learning process and I learned a lot from my fights at the amateur level.”

After a successful amateur career that saw him capture four flyweight titles, Jake Hadley turned his attention to the pro ranks. He quickly compiled a 3-0-0 record, with all of those triumphs coming inside of the first round. The EFC soon came calling.

“Well, the EFC has known me since I was an amateur fighter. A few of my teammates have fought on there shows, and I traveled to South Africa to corner then-EFC middleweight champ Yannick Bahati when he fought [Michiel] Opperman. When I turned pro, it was very hard to get opponents in the UK to fight me so I turned to the EFC and they offered me a contract.”

It came as a shock to many when it was announced that Hadley would be challenging Zulu for the flyweight championship in his promotional debut, especially when considering his first three victims leading up to the bout were a combined 4-25-0 at the time overall. The title match wasn’t the first offer, however.

“When I first signed with the EFC, they offered me Gary Joshua, which I said yes to. They then came back to me with the Zulu fight. I know Zulu has been having a hard time finding willing opponents to fight him. I do feel like I was brought as a sacrificial lamb because Zulu was on the verge of signing with the UFC, but I wasn’t bothered at all, and I knew I was going to get the win,” said the newly-crowned flyweight champion. “I knew Zulu was the favorite but it didn’t bother me one bit. I’ve been watching Zulu for years and I knew I had the skills to beat him. I have fought good opponents before Zulu but I just made them look average.”

Although he made it look easy at times, Hadley contends that the bout was the toughest of his mixed martial arts career.

“The fight with Zulu was my hardest to date, and the first time I’ve gone outside of the first round at the pro level, having done 5x5s for the belt. I feel I dominated him, easily winning four of the five rounds. I arguably took all five and the first two rounds were arguably 10-8. I feel after watching the fight back that he is definitely a true fighter, and is very tough with a big heart and will never quit. I feel that I’m just levels above him.”

For “White Kong”, capturing the belt of a major MMA promotion was a great moment, but what made it even better was the fact that he took it from a man the caliber of former champion Nkazimulo Zulu.

“It means everything to me and was probably the happiest moment of my life so far, winning that title. Not just that, beating Zulu meant a lot to me because he has been a champion for a long time.”

Hadley’s performance was met with boos several times through the course of the fight. I asked if he noticed the reaction from the South African fans in attendance, and if the reception bothered him.

“It didn’t really bother me. I know they just wanted their hometown boy to win, but he was getting his ass kicked by me,” Hadley laughs. “It did feel like I was fighting in enemy territory at first, but no, I’ve been and fought in South Africa before. I can feel the love of the fans. I think next time I’m there you will hear a lot more cheers for me. The response from the South African fans has been great overall.”

”Zulu Boy” has since moved up to bantamweight and will now attempt to capture the interim 135 title on August 10. Hadley believes it will be a good night for the man he dethroned back in April.

The new flyweight champion is already eyeing potential challenges to his throne.
“Bokang [Masunyane] is no longer with EFC, but Marino Cutendana was meant to fight Zulu a few times and Marino is on a two-fight win streak. I feel he deserves a shot vs. me, or Fafa Dwama who’s on a four-fight win streak in the division.”

Jake Hadley continues to work towards completing his ultimate goal in the sport of MMA.

“My goal is to be the greatest flyweight of all time, and to become the UFC world champ,” Hadley continued. “In my spare time, all I do is watch fighting on TB and study to get better as an MMA fighter.”

How soon can fans expect to see Jake Hadley back in action? He says an announcement is just around the corner.

“Fight news is coming soon. Look out for that, it’s a big one. I can confirm my next fight is outside of the EFC. That is all I can say for now.”

“White Kong” hasn’t made it this far alone. He wanted to thank those who make it possible for him to achieve his goals in the sport.

“I would like to thank my team, Fearless MMA in Birmingham, they helped me a lot. I can’t thank them enough. Shout out to Kaish, Kamby Banger, Ryan Hewitt, Richard Kallos, Amy Phillips and Ash Begg. My sponsors, Casino 36, Elephant Mobile, Feel Supreme, Green Hill, Xercise4Less, UK Risk LTD, and Fearless MMA.”

The post EFC Flyweight Champion Jake Hadley Discusses Life After Upset Win appeared first on Cageside Press.

• What do you like to do outside of fighting?
  Spend time with my wife and kid doing whatever we feel like doing.
• Favorite striking and grappling technique?
  I don’t really have a favorite, I work on lots of new things and I try a lot of new things so it’s hard to answer which is.
• Any MMA fighters that inspired you?
  Well, Demarte Pena is one and uhh the rest I just liked but not really inspired me.
• Favorite current fighter?
  I’m my own favorite fighter
• Lion King or Toy Story? 
  Lion King.
• PlayStation or Xbox? 
  PlayStation.
• Skittles or M&M’s? 
  M&M’s.
• Favorite song? 
  Idols Become Rivals by Rick Ross ft Chris Brown.
• Favorite TV show? 
  Spartacus.
• Favorite Movie?
  Must be all Marvel and DC movies.
• Cats or dogs?
  Dogs.

Born in Johannesburg, South Africa, Igeu Kabesa now lives in Germiston with his wife and kid. At a young age, Kabesa started in wrestling, joining a wrestling school at the age of eight. Kabesa saw MMA on TV and with his love of competition and trying new things he joined a gym and started his amateur career.

After going 10-0 as an amateur, Igeu Kabesa made his pro debut in November of 2013. Starting his pro career at lightweight, he went 6-0. In his seventh fight, he got the chance to earn the EFC title in the featherweight division. That he did with a unanimous decision win over Danny Henry. Two fights later, he rematched Henry, this time getting caught by a D’Arce losing for the first and only time of his career. After that, Henry was signed to the UFC and is 2-1 for the promotion. Since that setback, Kabesa regained the EFC featherweight title and has defended it twice. He’s only fought in South Africa for the EFC promotion but has staked his claim as one of the best pound-for-pound South African fighters in the world.

Follow Kabesa on social media:

Facebook
Instagram
Twitter

The post Fighter Bio: Get to Know EFC Champion Igeu Kabesa appeared first on Cageside Press.

The UFC has not had much success in the South Africa region bringing in Ruan Potts and Garreth McLellan, as the two didn’t perform as expected, the UFC hit a spark with lightweight Don Madge who looks the part after a very impressive promotional debut. Prospect in the heavier divisions are hard to come by, so the UFC will try to strike gold in South Africa once again, signing Dalcha Lungiambula.

Dalcha “Champion” Lungiambula
5’10″
Light Heavyweight
33-years-old
Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa
Team Champion
9-1
4 KO/TKO
1 Submission (Armbar)

Get to Know Dalcha Lungiambula:

Dalcha Lungiambula was born in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. At the young age of 8-years-old Dalcha’s father brought him his first gi. He’s practiced in judo ever since and soon after, gained his black belt. Dalcha was a multi-national championship as he was apart of the National Judo Team in 2007, 2008, and 2009. In Abu Dhabi, he competed in the BJJ world competition ADCC in 2016, coming in first place in the African trials. In 2010, Lungiambula switched over to MMA. He later moved to Tableview, Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa, as he was fighting for the top promotion in South Africa in Extreme Fighting Championship Worldwide (EFC). In August of 2016, Dalcha won the EFC light heavyweight title. In June of last year, he won the EFC heavyweight title holding both belts at 265 and 205 simultaneously. Prior to his UFC contract signing, he had a number of deals from other big organizations but ultimately signed with the UFC last December. Lungiambula’s management team is Grind Sports Agency, located in Cape Town, Africa, and London, England.

How Will Dalcha Lungiambula Fare in the UFC:

Dalcha doesn’t spend a lot of time on the feet. He at times has shown decent boxing with a stiff jab and more notably, a big overhand. He relies on his athleticism and explosiveness to get inside and work takedowns. Dalcha has fantastic judo throws and is very creative with his takedowns in the clinch. On the mat, Dalcha is good enough with his jiu-jitsu to give his foes problems. Overall, he’s going to fight a higher competition in the lower tier of the UFC then he did in EFC. Lungiambula biggest weakness would probably be his cardio and it’s due to the amount of energy he puts in early on. He also needs to work on his takedown defense, being taken down by lesser wrestlers far too easily in the past. Lungiambula is a fun addition but at his age, I don’t expect a lot from him.

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