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10 Middleweight Prospects the UFC Should Sign in 2022

Shawn Bitter — Sun, 09 Jan 2022 18:51:04 +0000

The middleweight division remains ruled by dazzling kickboxer Israel Adesanya, who will defend his title this February against Robert Whittaker. That’s the second straight rematch for “The Last Stylebender,” who is quickly running through all the opponents he can find at 185lbs.

We’ve got 10 picks for additions the UFC could make to the weight class this year. But before we get started, here’s a look at last year’s list, featuring current UFC roster members Alex Pereira, Caio Borralho, Isi Fitikefu, and Rinat Fakhretdinov all signing with the UFC in 2020.

Alex Pereira
Aaron Jeffery
Ayub Gimbatov
Caio Borralho
Hashen Arkhagha
Isi Fitikefu
Rinat Fakhretdinov
Ramazan Kuramagomedov
Shamil Abdulaev
Vladimir Mineev

Before we move on, here’s the previous entries in our 2022 “10 Prospects” series.

10 Heavyweight Prospects the UFC Should Sign in 2022

10 Light Heavyweight Prospects the UFC Should Sign in 2022

The post 10 Middleweight Prospects the UFC Should Sign in 2022 appeared first on Cageside Press.

Weekly MMA Prospect Report: Bellator 221, PFL, and More

Shawn Bitter — Thu, 09 May 2019 14:00:15 +0000

There’s a solid weekend of MMA upon us and several prospects worth your while will be featured at Bellator 221 and PFL 2019 1 among other events.

PFL 2019 1 | Thursday | New York

Lightweight, Kayla Harrison (3-0)

Kayla Harrison is a very accomplished grappler who won the gold medal in judo at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics and gold at the 2011 and 2015 Pan-American Games. The judo practitioner has also a black belt in judo and has won two national championships. In her latest fight, she blitzed her opponent getting the quick takedown with an inside trip. Harrison would land solid ground and pound until she took the back and would set up and execute a beautiful armbar finish. She fights former UFC fighter Larissa Pacheco (11-2).

Middleweight, Gamzat Khiramagomedov (7-0)

The Russian hardly ever shoots for takedowns, and while he has success when he does so, his stand-up is far superior. Gamzat does have a problem throwing single shots with not much volume. With that said, he does have laser accuracy and has a quick release. He does a great job at controlling range with an aggressive opponent moving backward landing beautiful counters. Gamzat is very diverse and creative with his hands and legs while cutting slight angles perfectly. Earlier in his career, he would show a bit of Anthony Pettis’ style using the cage to try to land the big shot. He’s shown no flaws and against some good competition, this guy is legit. He fights former UFC fighter, Glaico Franca (19-5) who is a big test for Gamzat.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8i9wd5Hi74&t=142s

Welterweight, Chris Curtis (20-5)

Curtis is on a seven-fight win streak including two title defenses for CES, winning both the 170 and 185-pound title on the Canadian scene for Fight Night Medicine Hat. When you talk about a technical striker, Curtis fits that to a tee as his boxing is outstanding. The way he uses head movement is so fluid and the way he mixes in body shots in with combinations is superb. He fights Andre Fialho (10-1), who is good but Curtis should outstrike him.

Combate Americas 37 | Friday | California

Heavyweight, Eduardo Perez (2-0)

Perez is only 2-0 as a pro and went 4-0 as an amateur, but at heavyweight, which lacks talent, he looks good. He’s a good technical striker with power and exceptional hand speed. He hasn’t shown wrestling necessarily but good top position defending takedowns. He’s 6’5″ and a big boy so he uses his weight on top and lands good ground-and-pound. Perez is also training out of American Kickboxing Academy so that alone will make him better. He fights Giovani Sarran (5-3), who is coming off a loss.

LFA 66 | Friday | Utah

Light Heavyweight, Emilio Trevino (4-0)

On the feet, Trevino fights with a karate style who throws his strikes and kicks together very well. Trevino fights behind a good jab and his counter ability is excellent. He’s a distance striker and as soon as his opponent rushes in he will close the distance and get the double leg. He’s dominated on top with good positional grappling and his ground-and-pound is solid. Trevino is already much improved but his competition hasn’t been good. He fights Joe Rodriguez (8-5).

Bantamweight, Hunter Azure (5-0)

The MMA Lab product had an extensive background in wrestling before transitioning to MMA. He went 8-1 as an amateur and in his third fight as a pro, he won a regional title. The wrestler has been showing massive strides in his stand-up with powerful kicks and technical striking. He fights Lynn Schulz (6-4).

Bellator 221 | Saturday | Illinois

Welterweight, Michael Page (14-0)

Page is known for his tactics in the cage, being a very cocky but comfortable fighter that plays mind games with his opponents. Page is a dynamic kickboxer who is accurate and as athletic as you get when you look for a top prospect. He’s excellent on the feet as he is a threat at all times but many think once he fights a good wrestler he may have trouble. No matter what anyone says about the guy, he is a top-shelf prospect. He fights the well-known Douglas Lima (30-7) which is a major test for Page.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qj6sb-LJ7SM

Featherweight, AJ McKee (13-0)

McKee has very good wrestling and is able to get many takedowns in a fight. McKee’s athleticism means he can get the easy double leg or just suplex his opponent to the mat. On top, McKee moves well but his control and top position are what stand out. McKee’s striking is good and still improving, he is strong in the clinch and likes to use knees, and from range he’s started to use more of his kickboxing skills, even getting a head kick KO in his career. McKee is also getting better at keeping his opponent at his preferred range, even with his ever-improving striking, the mat is where he really shows his high skill level. He fights former Bellator champion Pat Curran (23-7), who is the biggest challenge to date for Mckee.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPrs70jusLw

Featherweight, Tywan Claxton (4-0)

Undefeated as a pro, Claxton also never lost in his amateur career as well going 7-0. Claxton made waves when he scored a highlight reel finish with a crazy explosive flying knee knockout on Bellator 186. Claxton though is primarily a wrestler with a background in wrestling as a Divison II All-American. He has excellent level changes and the speed behind his shots are perfect and is the reason his nickname is “Speedy”. On top is where he does his best work as his posture control is solid but it’s the constant and huge ground-and-pound he throws with elbows as well that makes him special. Claxton doesn’t play too much on the feet, but he does a great job faking the level changes and using his explosiveness and athleticism to get on the inside of his opponents. He fights James Bennett (4-1), who he should easily beat.

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

Featherweight, Adil Benjilany (5-1)

The Moroccan is a good developing prospect who does have holes. Benjilany does need to tighten up his takedown defense a bit and while he is a striker/kickboxer, he does tend to keep his hands too low. Benjilany has a Muay Thai background and it plays to the success he has on the feet. He has a large arsenal of attacks on the feet as his kicks are his main weapon, but he also loves the step-in elbow. Adil is always throwing a lot of volume, mixing it up well, and has a good pace for three rounds. He fights Cris Lencioni (4-2) who is on a two-fight skid.

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10 Middleweight Prospects the UFC Should Sign in 2019

Shawn Bitter — Mon, 21 Jan 2019 20:20:57 +0000

As we head into the first major MMA event in 2019, we look outside the UFC at 10 lightweight prospects that should be in the Octagon by year’s end.

Here’s a look at last year’s list, with Bevon Lewis and Anthony Hernandez (who headlined the prelims of UFC Brooklyn on ESPN to kickoff 2019) both making it to the UFC in 2018:

Anderson Goncalves
Reinier de Ridder
Roman Kopylov
Mike Shipman
Bevon Lewis
Anthony Hernandez
Idris Gezalov
Cezary Kesik
Brendan Allen

Jun Yong Park

Jun Yong Park started off his MMA career with an up-and-down record, going 3-3 in his first six fights. Park hit a spark with a win in November of 2016 and then went on to win his next six fights with five finishes. Park is arguably one of the best Korean prospects right now, and is for sure the best in the middleweight division.

Park has the fan-friendly style Korean fighters are known for and loves to put on a show. When Park fought Glenn Sparv in July, Sparv was riding a six-fight win streak and was close to a deal with the UFC. Park ruined Sparv’s UFC hopes with a three-round beatdown in a very impressive striking performance. Park also has a win over Ray Cooper, who has been tearing it up over at PFL.

Gamzat Khiramagomedov

Gamzat Khiramagomedov is a name that has flown massively under the radar. With already a few big setbacks in his career, not fighting often has had him go unknown to even the more hardcore fans. If Gamzat is healthy, he can be one of the top prospects in Russia. The Russian hardly ever shoots for takedowns, but he has success when he does so, meanwhile, his stand-up is far superior. Gamzat does have a problem throwing single shots with not much volume. With that said, he does have laser accuracy and a quick release.

He does a great job at controlling range when facing an aggressive opponent while moving backward, landing beautiful counters. Gamzat is very diverse and creative with his hands and legs while cutting slight angles perfectly. His contract with ACB may hold him back from the UFC but I do think if there is an opportunity he’s a must for the division.

Brendan “All In” Allen

Brendan Allen has already been in so many memorable fights at a young age of just 23. His only losses are to current UFC fighters Eryk Anders, Trevin Giles, and Anthony Hernandez. His grappling is outstanding. He has great scrambles and moves very freely on top, and he can take the back or the mount with ease. Allen can either rain down elbows for the TKO or grab a choke, so it will take a skilled fighter to beat him on the mat.

In terms of stand-up, he’s not bad at all. He keeps good distance by throwing long strikes and leg kicks, but doesn’t have a lot of power. He likes to get into the clinch to get knees flowing, along with mixing in takedowns. Allen is finally the LFA champ and in my opinion, there is no rush getting him to the UFC, but the Contender Series would be a good idea.

Isi Fitikefu

As Australia is producing talent more each year and more at a higher level, Fitikefu could be the next big thing out of the country. It is hard to tell right now how good Fitikefu is, as he hasn’t fought truly tough competition yet, but it can only be so good until he signs with the UFC or another major promotion.

He is a solid wrestler who has an aggressive and relentless pace with effective chain wrestling. He has one submission win on his resume, but he relies more on his ground and pound. On the feet, Fitikefu has big power in his hands and his right hand is a loaded gun that puts guys to sleep. It seems like he can make the move down to 170 eventually, but overall he has all the tools to be a successful middleweight.

Punahele “Story Time” Soriano

Both Fitikefu, who is listed above, and Soriano are very similar fighters with a description of a wrestler with knockout power. Soriano does have a wrestling background and he is good at capitalizing on that art being his first discipline. With his perfect finish rate, he has stopped all his opponents in the first round. Soriano doesn’t get paid by the hour as he goes out there swinging heavy leather looking to put his opponent away from the start.

He is untested for the most part, but he stands out. Dana White watched Soriano last June while airing an episode of Lookin’ for a Fight where he won via TKO in only 45 seconds. Since then, he’s won another fight for the LFA promotion, the number one feeder to the UFC. There’s a real possibility that he’ll be fighting on the Contender Series this summer.

Roman Kopylov

Roman Kopylov is currently under contract with Fight Night Global and is also their title holder with one defense to his name. It’s unknown how many fights he has left on his contract, but Kopylov is one of the best Russian prospects out there and he needs to be fighting at a high level. Kopylov is a three-time hand-to-hand combat fighting world champion. That background has made him a very bright talent and given him the potential to be the future of Russian MMA.

Kopylov is quite advanced on the feet, favoring combinations with up to four strikes at a time. His ability to cover distance with kicks and stepping knees is great. Kopylov is a very methodical fighter with excellent fight IQ and vision and there is no doubt he is one of the best prospects in not just Russia, but the world.

Chibwikem Onyenegecha

Chibwikem Onyenegecha last fought on the Contender Series last summer, beating a tough Anthony Adams. He wasn’t awarded the contract and many other fans weren’t impressed with the young man, but I was. Onyenegecha is a kickboxer who has nifty footwork bouncing around lightly. He’s athletic and a finisher who hits very hard at range and even in the clinch where he possesses great strength.

He showed in his last fight that he has good cardio, which was a question of mine, but he kept a great pace throughout three rounds. Onyenegecha hasn’t fought since his bout on the Contender Series, so we could possibly see him on again this summer.

Vladimir Mineev

Mineev has been a staple of Russia’s Fight Night Global promotion for a long time, fighting nine times for them. With that said, his contract is likely coming to an end and he would be a solid pick up for the UFC. He has several good wins, most notable being former UFC fighter Maiquel Falcão, who actually beat Mineev in an awful decision victory in the fight prior. Mineev is also coming off a draw against Magomed Ismailov where I thought he clearly won. I’ve had my doubts in the past about his cardio, takedown defense, and head movement, but he has grown well into a martial artist. The Russian has a dynamic offensive striking attack with excellent output with his hands and kicks, and his wrestling is underrated as well.

Cezary “Lubelski Czolg” Kesik

Cezary Kesik was on my list last year but didn’t fight at all in the year of 2018, so I’m hoping for some better luck this year. Kesik is very underrated and is one of the best, if not the best, Polish prospect out there. Kesik is exciting, bringing an aggressive kickboxing style with a lot of power in his hands with five finishes by way of KO/TKO.

If needed, Kesik will take the fight down where he is really talented with position control and transitions. Kesik is the current Thunderstrike Fight League middleweight champion, the same promotion UFC light heavyweight Michal Oleksiejczuk came from. Could Kesik be the next to follow?

Mike “Seabass” Shipman

This is unlikely to happen because Shipman is currently signed with Bellator. With that said, it may be a four-fight deal and if that’s the case, then he has two fights left on his contract. It is likely that Bellator resigns Shipman, as they have done great with talent in the UK recently.

After losing his first pro fight, he has gone on to win the following 13 fights, finishing 10 of his wins in the first round. He is a threat everywhere, he has very good wrestling and his timing is perfect along with the strength he possesses, frequently getting the body lock and slamming his opponent to the mat. On top of that, Shipman is very heavy on top with excellent control and a knack for grabbing the neck, winning all five of his submissions by a variety of chokes. On the feet, Shipman has considerable power in his hands, enough to end the fight in one punch, or send his opponent to the canvas.

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