Future FC 8 | Friday | Brazil

Heavyweight: Hugo Cunha (4-0)

A former Brazilian National Team wrestler, Cunha is a top heavyweight prospect and is only 26-years-old. Still early in his career, he’s very raw. He kind of reminds you of UFC fighter Juan Adams in terms of style in the sense that he’s a bit sloppy on the feet but once he gets the takedown, he’s in his world. Cunha has stopping ability with big ground-and-pound using his size to stay heavy on top. He still needs a lot of work but is someone to watch for. He fights Henrique Silva (5-1), who hasn’t fought in two years.

Middleweight: Caio Borralho (5-1)

Brazil has many good prospects and many very talented ones slip under the cracks. Borralho is very unknown and part of the reason is because footage is hard to find on him. He’s athletic and explosive and of what I’ve seen on him, he’s really dangerous of the feet. He throws everything with bad intentions. He really looks to be a good prospect but just needs to show more. He fights Robson Ferreira (7-3), who is a good test.

Bantamweight: Gabriel Oliveira (13-2)

A good fighter on the feet, Oliveira mixes in combinations very well between strikes and kicks and has shown power in both. Oliveira looks to be very accurate and the way he cuts the angles to land his combinations is great. He still needs to work on his defense but is a good prospect. He fights Alireza Noei (5-1), who is a good wrestler so it will be a good fight.

Titan FC 56 | Friday | Florida

Featherweight: Jason Soares (13-0)

Soares was a competitor on the 22nd season of The Ultimate Fighter, where he lost his entry fight to Julian Erosa. Soares is a really talented fighter with stellar skills on the mat. He has solid chokes, winning six times by rear-naked choke. He dominates on the mat, maintaining control when his opponent tries to scramble and generally lives up to his status as a jiu-jitsu black belt. He does need to work on his striking defense, though. He fights Andrew Whitney (16-7), who he should beat.

Bantamweight: Danny Sabatello (5-0)

Sabatello, only holding a 5-0 record in MMA, does have experience in wrestling as well. He’s a three-time NCAA Championships qualifier and a two-time 141-pound Big Ten Championships place winner. There really isn’t much footage on him, but of what I’ve seen, the pressure and wrestling stand out. He also has a few finishes on the feet. Sabatello also is training with American Top Team, a top-notch camp, to help him along the way.

Combate 42 | Friday | Nevada

Featherweight: Andres Quintana (18-2)

“The Bullet” has a ground game, but on the feet it where he is a fantastic fighter and is why he has made his name known for Combate Americas. He has a lot of experience in amateur boxing and that has shown so much in his MMA career. He does keep his hands low, but it’s allowed his punches to be less telegraphed. He is always throwing constant volume and is incredibly accurate as his style reminds you of Nate Diaz. He fights Bruno Cannetti (8-6), who is a step-down.

Bellator 225 | Connecticut | Saturday

Heavyweight: Tyrell Fortune (6-0)

Fortune has an accomplished background in wrestling, a Division II champion, and a multi-time high school state champion. His stand-up isn’t bad, as he has some power and is pretty good in the clinch, but he is clearly still pretty green. When Fortune does get the takedown, he’s shown he’s knowledgeable in the top position and possesses some very effective ground and pound, which is one of his best assets. He fights Rudy Schaffroth (6-0), who is a power puncher but his takedown defense is unknown.

Welterweight: Yaroslav Amosov (21-0)

In 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 for mostly chokes. He also has excellent takedown defense. He does need to work on his cardio though. He fights David Rickels (21-5), who I think he matches up well with.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36GlhPm2cSQ&t=1s

Welterweight: Austin Vanderford (7-0)

Vanderford fought last Summer on the Contender Series in a comeback of the year performance. In the end, he didn’t get the UFC contract but Bellator made the big move and inked him to an exclusive deal. Vanderford is a really strong wrestler as he was an amateur wrestling champion. He has excellent chain wrestling and once on top, he is very dominant. He doesn’t have much on the feet but he is growing and he does hold a lot of power in his hands. He fights Joseph Creer (6-0-1), who is 37-years-old.

The post Weekly MMA Prospect Report: Legit Prospects in Action This Week appeared first on Cageside Press.

Caio Borralho is a 26-year-old Brazilian prospect who has stoppages in all five of his career victories. He’ll be taking on Otavio Sagas this week at Future FC 8 and we caught up with him before the fight.

First of all, how did you get into MMA?

I was a judo athlete at the time, and passionate about fighting and competition my entire life. When I was 19, I started in jiu-jitsu, and at 20 in Muay Thai, doing my first amateur kickboxing fight. That adrenaline was the beginning of my passion for MMA and the entire game. At 21, I did my first amateur MMA fight and on that day I knew I wanted to do this for a living.

Do you have a background in any other sports? If so, explain.

Yes, I have a Judo background and started at six-years-old. I quit training every day because of the demand for MMA training.

What is your career or is MMA your full-time job?

MMA is my full-time job, but I’m finishing my graduation in physical education at the end of this year.

Who are you currently training with and who are some of your main sparring partners?

Its an honor for me training every day with Demian Maia, Mauricio Shogun, Luiz Cane, Elias Silvério, Michelle Nicolini and all the Team of Vila da Luta and Combat Club.

What is your list of accomplishments such as titles, belt ranks, etc.?

I don’t have a lot of accomplishments in MMA yet. Future FC is the first big event in my career. In Judo, I was State and National Champion a few times.

What has been the high of your career and what has been the low?

As I said before, the Future FC fight is the high of my career so far. The low was after my surgeries doing the rehab and strengthening because it’s hard to stay confident and focused after this kind of thing happens.

With that one loss in your career, how has that changed you as a fighter and what did you learn from that night?

I know its cliche, but that loss was the beginning of the Caio that you all will see on August 23. That loss was in my native city in front of my entire family and friends, and it changed a lot in the way I see this game. After that, I started studying and training striking like crazy and did something around 15 boxing fights and 20 kickboxing/Muay Thai fights to improve my game and get used to this adrenaline that is so different than in a judo or jiu-jitsu match.

What are your favorite striking and grappling technique?

I really like all kinds of arm triangles. In striking, I like to use my left uppercut on the chin.

How is the cut to 185?

Cutting is never easy, but I don’t suffer a lot cutting from 208 to 185 compared to how I suffered when I made 170.

You’re set to fight Otávio Sagas coming up. What do you think about him as an opponent and how do you see this fight playing out?

He is a young and hungry guy that always comes forward and has a dangerous bottom game, but I think he doesn’t have the weapons mentally and physically to stop me doing my thing up there. It will be a great fight, a good test and I’m ready to put on a show on August 23.

If you weren’t fighting where would you be today?

Actually, it is a funny story. I have done three years of graduation in Industrial Chemistry. I was teaching chemistry and math in some schools and private as well. When the opportunity to come to São Paulo to train came I just quit and started to pursue my dreams. But don’t get me wrong, I love chemistry too.

You will talk to most fighters and their goal is usually always the UFC. Can you say the same?

Of course, I think the UFC is the ultimate goal for every fighter that wants to be remembered and get to the top of the sport. And I’m coming for the belt, not just being part of the UFC.

What does your nickname “Cara de Kombi” mean?

Another funny story. No one calls me that, it was a joke from the guys in the gym I was training. They sent it to the promoter of my first MMA fight (amateur) and it went to my Sherdog. But if you go there today, this nickname is not there anymore. You can call me The Natural.

Last question. Why do you fight and who do you fight for?

I fight because I love competition, and I think there’s no other pure form of doing that than fighting. I fight first for myself, but all my family is in this dream with me. My mom, dad, grandparents, and girlfriend support me so much, and I will make them proud one day, mark my words. One thing that I want so much is to make my coach proud and he will be world champion with me. My dream is his dream, I know that. I want everyone to see if you have faith in God and don’t stop believing in yourself no one can stop you to achieve your dreams.

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