ACA Young Eagles 26 | Russia | Thursday

Middleweight, Baysangur Susurkaev (4-0)

A lot still needs to be answered from Susurkaev but he’s cruised so far in his career. His debut he won in under a minute and in his other three fights he won by knockout. In his last three fights he knocked his opponent out with a knee. Susurkaev is explosive on the feet with his knees and a sneaky good head kick. His grappling as well looks good but it’s hard to tell what level it’s at. He fights Artem Kuzmin (4-6).

Cage Warriors 135 | UK | Thursday

Featherweight, Federico Pasquali (6-0)

Pasquali has a really good jab and a right he throws behind it. He does get hit a lot but has proved to have a good chin. He’s always going to be in the face cutting off the cage. Outside of being a dangerous striker he does have fair wrestling and has slick grappling. It seems as though he does need to work on his cardio, which is perhaps his biggest flaw. Still green but a lot of talent. He fights Paull McBain (7-2).

Bantamweight, Caolan Loughran (4-0)

Wrestling is where Loughran transcends. He’s at best when he’s mixing in his wrestling and striking. His timing on his level changes is usually spot on. If he can’t get the takedown right away he does a good job driving in on the legs and hips to work guys to the mat. Credit his vision, size, and speed for the reason his wrestling is so valuable. Ireland’s Loughran has only shown glimpses of his capability on the feet. What he has displayed in brief flashes is his quick feet and light footwork. He fights Bakhtyaar Oryakhail (1-0).

 Naiza FC 38 | Kazakhstan | Friday

Lightweight, Magomed Kabardiev (7-0)

From Kazakhstan, Kabardiev had an extensive background in Pankration before coming to MMA. His style in the cage you can see his upbringing in Pankration. Kabardiev is a diverse striker/kickboxer at range that moves in and out. He throws a lot of output while being tricky with feints. He blends his kicks/punches together and is good in the clinch with elbows and knees. Kabardiev is good at using them trips in the clinch and has had significant top position in his fights. His takedown defense is sketchy but does scramble really well. He fights former UFC fighter Valmir Lázaro (19-7).

CES 67 | US | Friday

Welterweight, Billy Goff (6-2)

Goff is a bright prospect that has looked much improved lately. Two years ago he lost two consecutively and now has won his last four. Goff can stand and bang, wrestle, grapple, and tough it out going three rounds. His toughness and grit is what’s usually unmatched. He hits hard and throws good output. Goff throws with a lot of weapons and can mix up his attacks. He could just be an action fighter but he does have some real skill. Goff fights former UFC fighter Justin Sumter (8-4) for a chance to become CES double champ.

Lightweight, Eddy George (4-0)

George is all business once the bell rings. Usually, with him, it’s a scrappy fight that doesn’t last too long. George throws a lot of wild output making it an ugly fight which he thrives in. He does throw combinations and can wrestle but tends to just let it all go. I’m not fully sold if he’s a good prospect or not. He fights Emiliano Calderon (1-1).

Cage Warriors 136 | UK | Friday

Middleweight, Christian Leroy Duncan (5-0)

Undefeated as a pro, Duncan had an extensive amateur career mostly for IMMAF. He went 17-6 as an amateur before going pro, where he’s been excelling. All that experience has made Duncan into a well-rounded top prospect out of the UK. On the feet, Duncan is known for his diverse, tricky style. He’s always throwing flashy spinning attacks but he’s done a good job setting it all up. Both his hands and legs are very dangerous. He’s always throwing something different and is tough to read. Duncan is a solid wrestler and grappler as well. He needs work with takedown defense but can very well hold his own and not to mention he’s a submission threat. He fights Djati Mélan (8-0).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHbzGMhZ9YQ&ab_channel=WorldWideWeb

Middleweight, Djati Mélan (8-0)

Melan is the current Cage Warriors middleweight champion. His striking is a bit better but still progressing, though he makes up for it with wrestling chops. He’s a really strong wrestler with a pressure heavy attack. Melan can do it all fight too, with an (almost) endless gas tank. He did gas out his last fight but that was his first time going five rounds. Melan has good ground and pound, strong top position, and is overall a really good grappler. Melan has a bright future ahead of him. He fights Christian Leroy Duncan (5-0).

Flyweight, Gerardo Fanny (11-2)

Gerardo Fanny of the Netherlands is a stud. Since moving down to flyweight Fanny has looked better and you can tell it’s where he should’ve been fighting for a long time. Beating guys like Connor Hignett and Liam Gittins is no joke. Fanny is the type of guy you tune in to watch every time. He will get taken down but if you don’t finish him there he’ll catch you on the feet. He’s explosive, powerful, and quick. Fanny fights Aaron Aby (12-4-1).

Flyweight, Dylan Hazan (7-0)

Hazan has a background as a two-time Italian freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling champion. He’s a smothering wrestler/grappler always pressing and making the fight ugly.  He does a lot of stalling but is dominant in positions. He can even be a little boring at times but he knows what to do when he’s inside his preferred range. Hazan fights Raymison Bruno (12-3).

Lightweight, Ndiaye El Hadji (4-0)

The book is still wide open on Hadji as footage lacks and competition lacks as well. Hadji is a taekwondo black belt and a blue belt in BJJ. Although he shows that taekwondo style with his flashy kicks he’s a better grappler. Hadji has scored some excellent takedowns in his highlight package. On the mat he has finished with ground and pound and submission. So much is unknown but he looks really talented. He fights Adam Cullen (3-0).

Lightweight, Adam Cullen (3-0)

Cullen has looked stellar so far in his pro career. He’s won all three of his fights in the first round all by the way of an RNC. Cullen is aggressive out of the gate with pressure. He has some pop behind his left hand but expect him to shoot. The wrestling has looked solid being able to readjust when needed. Cullen on top will posture up and give space and let his opponent make his move. As soon as they do Cullen easily takes the back and finds the RNC super quickly. He fights Ndiaye El Hadji (4-0).

 XMMA 4 | US | Saturday

Featherweight, Adli Edwards (8-1)

Edwards was supposed to fight on Dana White’s Contender Series back in 2019 but an injury forced him out of the bout. Since then he has earned two more wins including a victory against Contender Series veteran Lance Lawrence. Edwards has a good amount of experience and is at his peak at 32-years-old. He fights Josh Harvey (8-1-1).

Serbian Battle Championship 40 | Serbia | Saturday

Welterweight, Predrag Bogdanović (11-0)

I’m not fully sold on Bogdanović but he’s got some potential. He’s primarily a wrestler/grappler. Not much on the feet and that’s why he usually shoots for the legs as early as possible. Bogdanović has a solid single-leg takedown he uses to get the fight down. Real proficient on the mat, he’s methodical with his transitions. Bogdanović has four submission wins including a north-south choke which is something you don’t see often. He fights Jackson Loureiro (12-1-1).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Si1LLBBBYd0&ab_channel=SidoslavOfficial

National Fighting Championship 8 | Germany | Saturday

Featherweight, Jarno Errens (12-2-1)

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 Mert Özyildirim (9-3).

Welterweight, Islam Dulatov (5-1)

Since losing his first fight, Dulatov hasn’t lost again winning his next five bouts. Dulatov is huge at 6’6″ and uses his length to his advantage. He’s a really rangy guy with a good jab and straight punches. He makes opponents pay coming in with step-in knees and is just difficult to close the distance on. I’m not fully sold on him but lately, he’s been impressive. Dulatov fights Michael Rirsch (9-5-1).

The post Weekly MMA Prospect Report: Cage Warriors Double Header Leads the Way appeared first on Cageside Press.

BRAVE CF 49 | Bahrain | Thursday

Welterweight, Benoit Saint-Denis (6-0)

Saint-Denis is an undefeated fighter from France that has done quite well for himself in the Brave CF promotion. He’s more of a wrestler/grappler; while he does throw a lot on the feet he is just a little sluggish. Saint-Denis is a solid wrestler though and that’s his main go-to. One drawback, he’s a bit too comfortable going to his back. With that said he does a good job creating space and getting out from underneath. His grappling is arguably his best weapon. He can be a little over-aggressive but winning by four different submissions he’s always dangerous. He fights Luan Santiago (15-4) which is a tough fight.

Flyweight, Muhammad Mokaev (4-0)

Worldwide, Mokaev is one of the prospects with the most hype. Mokaev has an outstanding amateur career going 23-0 and was a four-time IMMAF gold medalist. The young 20-year-old has looked stellar and dominant. Mokaev has excellent wrestling and is very skilled on the mat. His positional grappling and ground and pound are very good. On the feet, he has a nice flow with his kicks and mixes in strikes and kicks together very well. Mokaev is extremely well-rounded and I see no flaws in him yet. He fights Abdul Hussein (7-1).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hF_koymoV9M

Flyweight, Abdul Hussein (7-1)

Hussein won the 2016 IMMAF world championship gold medal in the bantamweight division. He is well-rounded being dangerous both on the feet and on the mat. On the feet, he will need to tuck his chin better and keep his hands up higher, mind you. He really picks his shots on the feet being very conservative with his energy but has good accuracy with everything he throws, mixing it up well. Hussein is a decent wrestler but his work on the mat is better as he has good jiu-jitsu and some brutal elbows in his ground and pound. He fights Muhammad Mokaev (4-0).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xb6FFQ1x-6E

Bantamweight, Bernardo Sopai (8-1)

Sopai is a product out of Allstars Gym Sweden which is a fantastic team. Crazy enough, Sopai is only 20-years-old and a complete fighter already. On the feet, he has a Muay Thai background. The Albanian is a solid striker with excellent kicks and slick short combinations. He doesn’t really have knockout power but does throw a lot of volume and gives a lot of different looks. I’ve been impressed with the wrestling from the setups, speed, and his ability to slam guys to the mat. Sopai has three wins by submission and overall his grappling could be where he’s best at. This kid is a major problem with a bright future. He fights Francesco Nuzzi (8-1).

Bantamweight, Francesco Nuzzi (8-1)

Nuzzi is an unknown prospect from Italy and is one of the country’s brightest up-and-comers. After his first five fights (as a pro and amateur) he was only 2-3. Now Nuzzi has won his last seven fights winning a regional title along the way. From a technical standpoint, his stance kind of resembles Stephen Thompson’s, keeping his opponent guessing what his next move will be and counter-striking with precision. Unlike “Wonderboy,” though, he’s not afraid to move forward, looking for an opening to put somebody to sleep. “The Berserker” is constantly improving on his wrestling while on the ground he’s getting close to being a polished product. He fights Bernardo Sopai (8-1).

Middleweight, Ikram Aliskerov (10-1)

Aliskerov is a two-time world combat sambo champion out of Makhachkala, Russia, along with other accomplishments. From what I’ve seen from Aliskerov, while he has the wrestling background, he likes to stand and trade with his opponents. He has a good jab along with some impressive accuracy and timing on both his strikes and level changes. A lot is still unknown about him, but with the power, speed, and accuracy he shows on the feet while being an accomplished wrestler, I like his future. He fights Miro Jurković (13-3).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdxE5bwIbzk

Venator FC 6 | Italy | Friday

Featherweight, Federico Pasquali (5-0)

There isn’t a lot of fight footage out there on Pasquali but on what’s available I’ve been personally impressed. He has a really good jab and a right he throws behind it. He does get hit a lot but has proved to have a good chin. Outside of being a dangerous striker he does have fair wrestling and knows what he’s doing on the mat. It seems as though he does need to work on his cardio, which is perhaps his biggest flaw. Still green but a lot of talent. He fights Luca Marzioni (2-1).

Babilon MMA 20 | Poland | Friday

Light heavyweight, Łukasz Sudolski (8-0)

There isn’t a lot of footage on Sudolski but there is some hype behind him. With an impressive record of 8-0 he’s got the fight done on the feet and on the mat. It seems like his grappling is his strong suit. He has some stopping power in his hands as well. Still, a lot needs to be seen here — but he seems solid. He fights former UFC fighter Joachim Christensen (15-8).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBo7vHGVLcw

Featherweight, Dawid Smielowski (7-0)

Smielowski is a highlight-reel fighter. He has a 100% finish rate with 5 KO/TKOs and two submissions. Among those wins, he has finished with a bulldog choke, a flying knee, and a head kick. Smielowski, being a tall, rangy fighter, is a solid kickboxer. And while he can be technical, he’s a showman, throwing caution to the wind always looking for the kill shot. His takedown defense does need work but even off his back he’s shown to be at least promising. Smielowski does have improved grappling and at only 24 he has a high ceiling. He fights Krzysztof Gutowski (8-0).

ACA 120 | Russia | Friday

Featherweight, Felipe Froes (20-4-1)

Froes is solid all around. In his stand-up, he throws a lot of kicks to keep distance but his hands are where it’s at. Froes has a very nice straight right hand that he lands more than anything but still throws with both. His wrestling is good as he can get the double leg or the trip in the clinch. On the mat, he has good ground and pound and is excellent at taking the back. He is always the one in control, the only thing he needs to work on is his takedown defense. He fights Magomedrasul Khasbulaev (32-8).

Featherweight, Bibert Tumenov (10-1)

Tumenov is a high-caliber striker/boxer. Tumenov is an in your face pressure fighter who throws nothing but fire in his hands. The left straight/hook, left hook to the body, left uppercut, and the jab is all money. He’s incredibly dangerous with both hands even though his left hand is his lead hand. Tumenov is never gun-shy; he is constantly letting his hands fly with combinations. He’s really good at cutting opponents off and landing strikes while headhunting. He’ll headhunt quite often but his bodywork and mid combinations do quite a number on his foes. Tumenov compliments his striking with wonderful head movement slipping and returning. As a striker Tumenov is high-level. He fights Islam Omarov (9-0).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H006h9Mk9iQ

Featherweight, Islam Omarov (9-0)

Omarov is an undefeated Russian that is all action from start to finish. He’s an excellent wrestler and he strikes well to wrestle. He’s always moving and always throwing to break his opponents down. Omarov has a solid gas tank and with the constant forward pressure, it’s very impressive. He fights Bibert Tumenov (10-1).

Light heavyweight, Muslim Magomedov (8-0)

Magomedov has only been competing in MMA for a few years but prior to that, he had experience in Combat Sambo. In his first fight as an amateur, he suffered his only defeat in MMA. That loss was to current UFC contender Magomed Ankalaev. Magomedov went on to have a successful amateur career winning the WMMAA 2018 European Championship. In only his fifth pro bout, he dominated former UFC fighter Chris Camozzi. Despite not offering much on the feet, Magomed is an excellent wrestler. His timing on his shots is fine and the way he shoots so low makes his execution near-perfect. The work he does on top is his best aspect. He has a good top position and his ground and pound is strong, active, and lands hard. He fights Leonardo Silva (17-4).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-T497_Y4ZM

LFA | US | Friday

Bantamweight, Fernie Garcia (8-1)

Garcia is a product out of Fortis MMA, which has become a top camp. Garcia is primarily a wrestler whose stand up has improved, especially his boxing. He’s got solid wrestling and heavy top control. Once he gets the takedown with his heavy top control he can also easily takes the back. He holds three rear-naked choke victories in his career. Strong wrestling, good grappling, has a good pace, and improving striking. Garcia is someone to watch out for. He fights Isaiah Batin-Gonzalez (4-1).

Welterweight, Josh Quinlan (4-0)

Josh Quinlan only has four pro fights but did go 6-0 as an amateur. As an amateur, Quinlan was the Real MMA and the Tuff-N-Uff welterweight champion. Quinlan is a good striker throwing a lot of heat. He throws chopping leg kicks and has very clean hands. “The Renegade” is a prospect to watch for this year. He fights Dallas Jennings (3-1).

Nação Cyborg 8 | Brazil | Friday

Heavyweight, Andre Miranda (7-2)

Miranda started off his career at 0-2 but has hit his stride and won his next seven fights. Miranda utilizes a lot of feints/twitches to keep his opponents guessing. “Monstro” has solid hand speed, often firing right down the middle. He also throws some heavy kicks mixing it up well. He tends to get drawn into brawls and he’s just relentless with his hands. He fights José Rodrigo Guelke (22-19-1).

Oktagon 22 | Czech Republic | Saturday

Bantamweight, Javid Basharat (10-0)

Basharat is an excellent prospect to keep an eye on but the competition he has beat has been lackluster. Basharat is well-rounded as he has finished from both on the feet and off the mat. His footwork is quite advanced; the way he cuts angles and moves side to side is perfectly done and if I’m not mistaken he has a background in taekwondo. Basharat isn’t just a flashy striker he is also an excellent wrestler that has a strong submission game and does a great job at creating space and landing big ground and pound. He fights Luca Iovine (16-6).

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Bantamweight, Francesco Nuzzi (8-1)

Francesco Nuzzi is an unknown prospect from Italy and is one of the country’s brightest up-and-comers. After his first five fights (as a pro and amateur) he was only 2-3. Now Nuzzi has won his last seven fights winning a regional title along the way. He really needs a step up in competition to prove his worth to the big stage. Nuzzi would benefit from maybe fighting three more times before getting the UFC call-up at year’s end (given the current situation, even one more fight would be nice). From a technical standpoint, his stance kind of resembles Stephen Thompson’s, keeping his opponent guessing what his next move will be and counter-striking with precision. Unlike “Wonderboy,” though, he’s not afraid to move forward, looking for an opening to put somebody to sleep. “The Berserker” is constantly improving on his wrestling while on the ground he’s getting close to being a polished product.

Featherweight, Federico Pasquali (5-0)

There isn’t a lot of fight footage out there on Federico Pasquali but on what’s available I’ve been personally impressed. He has a really good jab and a right he throws behind it. He does get hit a lot but has proved to have a good chin. Outside of being a dangerous striker he does have fair wrestling and knows what he’s doing on the mat. It seems as though he does need to work on his cardio, which is perhaps his biggest flaw. Still green but a lot of talent.

Flyweight, Lucrezia Ria (8-2)

Lucrezia Ria fought last Summer on Dana White’s Contender Series and beat a good fighter in Marilia Santos. While she won that bout, she didn’t come out with the UFC contract. That said, Ria proved to have some potential. 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 is dangerous on top or off her back. Maybe another look on the Contender Series?

Bantamweight, Davide Baneschi (19-6, 1 NC)

Davide Baneschi has a lot of experience with 26 total fights, but he is still a prospect as he’s never had a chance on a bigger stage. In his latest fight, Baneschi won the Venator FC title which is a big deal in Italy. He doesn’t have much to offer on the feet outside of some good leg kicks he throws. He’s a grinder up against the cage, where he will work in some tough takedowns. Baneschi is known for his grappling holding twelve submissions. He’s dangerous on top or off his back as his submission attack is by far where he’s the most dangerous.

Featherweight, Federico Mini (7-0-1)

Federico Mini is about at the point of shaking that prospect label as he’s knocking on the door of 32-years-old later this year. He’s still young in fight years only fighting eight times as a pro. Mini really impressed me in his last fight stopping Emrah Sonmez, someone I really liked, and winning the Venator FC title in the process. That fight was nearly two years ago so that is an unfortunate layoff. He has decent wrestling and does have two submissions but I think on the feet he’s much more dangerous. Mini has a lot of power mainly from a monster right hand he throws. Also highlighted on the feet is some heavy leg kicks and solid counter striking.

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