ONE Championship and Invicta FC both have events going down this Friday, while Usman Nurmagomedov — cousin of UFC lightweight champ Khabib — will be in action this weekend as well.

ONE Championship | Friday | Indonesia

Light Heavyweight: Reinier de Ridder (11-0)

Don’t let Reinier de Ridder’s stand-up game fool you: nine of his eleven finishes have come by submission. He’s great in the clinch, and Ridder fights well at a distance as he has an excellent jab. When he lets his hands go, he is really accurate. The mat is where Ridder wants to be, as he is an expert jiu-jitsu practitioner — the sort who can time perfect double-leg takedowns. If Ridder is in the clinch, expect him to get the takedown as his hips are excellent and judo tosses are his best weapon. On top, or even on the mat in general, Ridder is the one in control. He is always moving and searching for submissions and that’s why he has eight submission wins. He fights a dangerous opponent in Leandro Ataides (11-3).

Art of War Cage Fighting 16 | Friday | US

Middleweight: Andre Petroski (4-0)

Outside of MMA, Andre Petroski is 97-30 in NCAA wrestling and dabbled in kickboxing as well with a 2-0 record. He’s a physical fighter who will muscle guys down with good wrestling but more so with strength. Andre has very strong top position with active ground and pound and underrated grappling. He fights Andre Hall (4-1).

Invicta FC 39 | Friday | US

Flyweight: Miranda Maverick (6-1)

Miranda Maverick is a physical powerhouse, being extremely strong everywhere. In the clinch she is very strong with her wrestling, but she shines even more brightly on the mat. She has a background in jiu-jitsu so she is dangerous on top or bottom, and her ability to shift her hips and attack is perfect. Maverick is definitely someone to watch for this year. She fights Pearl Gonzalez (10-4) who is an excellent challenge. We spoke to Maverick ahead of Invicta FC 39, be sure to check that out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJFZETDOg3c

NEF 42 | Saturday | US

Lightweight: Josh Harvey (11-1)

Josh Harvey has only one fight that went the distance on his record, which came against TUF 27 finalist Joe Giannetti. The fight was scored a draw, but many thought Harvey easily won 29-28. Harvey has spent a lot of his time on the feet and has shown some promise despite being pretty green. He’s better once the fight gets to the mat since his wrestling is better than that of most fighters. He has good timing on his shots, so getting takedowns isn’t usually an issue. He fights Jesse Erickson (9-8).

   Valor Fighting Challenge 69 | Saturday | US

Featherweight: Cole Ferrell (8-0)

Cole Ferrell hasn’t been touched in his professional career and has rarely ever been in any kind of trouble. Ferrell has shown glimpses of power in his hands but is a good wrestler with a very solid ground game. He has shown that he has a tight grip when he gets the neck, hence why his seven submission wins that have all come by way of a choke. If there is one knock on Cole Ferrell, it would be that he needs a step up in competition. He fights James Douglas (1-5).

GFC 24 | Saturday | Russia

Lightweight: Anvar Chergesov (10-4)

Anvar Chergesov is a dominant wrestler who can wrestle for the duration of three rounds no problem. He has the ability to get takedown after takedown and has solid cardio behind it. The Russian is very strong with not only his wrestling but his ground game as a whole. I personally am not 100% sold on him yet, as I need to see more. He fights Nurullo Aliev (4-0).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rymcPEeMuI&t=736s

Lightweight: Usman Nurmagomedov (8-0) 

Usman Nurmagomedov on the feet is a kickboxer at heart. He doesn’t throw with much power but he’s flashy and diverse with his attacks. He will throw spinning kicks, roundhouse kicks, and question mark kicks. Usman stays unpredictable attacking with all limbs and throws combos with just his legs alone. His wrestling is good, as he is solid at timing double legs and working on top. Simply put, he is a big threat. He’s also a cousin of Khabib, which will keep the spotlight on him. He fights Ruslan Tuyakov (4-0).

Lightweight: Gadzhi Rabadanov (13-3-2)

Gadzhi Rabadanov is on a five-fight win streak with key wins against Oton Jasse and Steven Siler. He’s an excellent wrestler and durable fighter who can go three rounds no problem. On the feet, he has some power and good leg kicks but looks most at home once on the mat. He has good ground and pound and is a submission threat as well. He fights João Paulo Silva (10-4).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rs1XkBTJILw&t=544s

Lightweight: Akhmed Magomedov (6-0)

Magomedov has a background in freestyle wrestling and was the Russian National Jiu-Jitsu champion in 2017. The Russian only has six fights, but three finishes, getting it done on the mat with submissions and ground and pound. He’s a smart fighter and could be someone to watch for in the future. He fights Turatbek Kubanychbekov (4-2).

The post Weekly MMA Prospect Report: Maverick Has Chance to Shine at Invicta FC 39 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.

Rough couple of weeks, right MMA fans? No UFC, a barely any major promotions in action at the end of November. A new month, and that all changes. The UFC is back, as is ONE Championship, Combate Americas, KSW, and more!

One Championship | Friday | Malaysia

Bantamweight: Gary Mangat (15-2)

A very solid all-around fighter, on the feet, Mangat is mainly a kickboxer. He chops at the legs, goes to the body, and connects to the head and at times it’s all set up at the end of combinations. Mangat is an excellent wrestler with nice timing on his level changes and on his double leg takedowns. The way Mangat is able to catch his opponent’s kick and take the fight down shows great awareness with wrestling ability. In top position, Mangat has very sound ground-and-pound, he is always landing no matter what position he is in. Mangat has shown he is a threat to take the back but his ground-and-pound may be his best weapon. He fights Reece McLaren (12-7) who is a good fighter in his own right.

Flyweight: Bokang Masunyane (6-0)

A former Commonwealth Games wrestler, the South African is a ball of energy standing at only 5’1″. On the feet, he has some power and is very explosive. Wanting to always close the distance he’s creative in the ways he does it throwing some “Showtime” type stuff. It’s easy for Masunyane to get low and when he does he will take you for a ride. Extremely strong, he shows that as soon as he gets his hands together. On the mat, he’s fluid in his movement and dominant with control. He fights Ryuto Sawada (12-4-1).

The post Weekly MMA Prospect Report: Brave, Combate, KSW and a Bit More appeared first on Cageside Press.

The UFC is taking a rare multi-week sabbatical, out of action until early December. Which means there’s plenty more time to check out some of MMA’s hottest prospects. From ONE to Bellator to Brave CF, there’s a healthy batch this week, including undefeated featherweight Troy Worthen, and Bellator prospects Soren Bak and Fabian Edwards. Here’s who stands out this week.

One Championship | Friday | Singapore

Featherweight, Troy Worthen (4-0)

Worthen started wrestling in high school and did in college as well. Worthen became an NCAA All-American and a Southeastern Conference Champion for Central Florida University. Going 3-0 as an amateur, Worthen is 4-0 as a pro showing a bit of everything. Despite being such a good wrestler, he’s shown a lot of good work on the feet with knockout power and good technique. He fights Lei Chen (6-1).

Cage Warrior 111 | Friday | UK

Light-heavyweight, Modestas Bukauskas (9-2)

Bukauskas is the current Cage Warriors LHW champion and on a 5-fight win streak. He’s a British kickboxing champion but most of his time in the MMA cage has been on the mat. On the feet, though he does have good kicks and a highlight right cross he throws. His takedown defense needs a lot of work but on top he is active enough to be a threat. Good cardio helps him as well. Not sold on him yet but Bukauskas can be a good prospect. He fights Riccardo Nosiglia (8-1) who seems to be good but footage of him is lacking.

Featherweight, Emrah Sonmez (10-2)

Sonmez has a black belt in kickboxing, a blue belt in BJJ, and many years experience in freestyle wrestling as well as a background in amateur boxing before coming to MMA. With all his backgrounds in other sports, Sonmez brings them all together very well in MMA. Sonmez is no slouch anywhere but his wrestling is outstanding when it comes to the setups and execution. Even the work he does on top is awesome. He fights Daryl Golding (7-1)

Combate 50 | Friday | US

Lightweight, Ignacio Bahamondes (9-2)

Bahamodes is on a five-fight win streak and is the current Lux Fight League champion. He has a background as a pro kickboxer and you see that first hand when watching him fight. He likes to be flashy throwing wheel kicks, sidekicks, and a lot of other diverse kicks. Bahamodes can just use kicks all fight but has a good straight left he utilizes. He fights Salvador Becerra (7-2) who is his biggest test.

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

CFFC 80 | Friday | US

Heavyweight, William Knight (6-0)

Knight lacks technique but is super athletic and has a lot of power. He also lacks takedown defense, but is that guy who lands on top and becomes a nightmare with his ground and pound. He won on the Contender Series this past Summer and earned a development deal so all eyes are on him. He did have a lot of issues, so it will be interesting to see how much he has improved. He fights Tafon Nchukwi (2-0) who we spoke to ahead of the fight.

Brave CF 30 | Friday | India

Bantamweight, Stephen Loman (13-2)

Loman has a background in Wushu Sanda. On the feet, he isn’t too effective but he has power and timing. He has excellent level changes and once on the mat, he is in his world. He thrives in transitions and his six decision wins prove he can fight his fight for three to five rounds. He fights Louie Sanoudakis (8-1).

Bellator London | Saturday | UK

Middleweight, Fabian Edwards (8-0)

Edwards has excellent distance management, using effective footwork and speed to stay on the outside. Edwards throws single strikes at times but makes up for it with crazy explosiveness and athleticism, as well as his speed. That allows him to fire straight punches quickly and with plenty of power. He’s also the younger brother of UFC welterweight contender Leon Edwards. His takedown defense is a worry though, at least once he fights a good wrestler. He fights Mike Shipman (13-2) in what should be a good fight.

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

Lightweight, Soren Bak (13-1)

With one blemish on his record, Soren Bak has been an absolute force dominating in all of his wins. He doesn’t have much in the stand-up department, but he’s been improving and has shown glimpses of power in his hands. The wrestling and the grappling though is outstanding with an incredible top game, with vicious ground and pound and natural skills to pass guard. Bak has six submissions and has shown a diverse attack once he gets the fight to the mat. “The True Viking” is also a very smart but aggressive fighter who could have a bright future. He fights Terry Brazier (11-2).

The post Weekly MMA Prospect Report: Up-and-Comers in Focus with UFC on Hiatus appeared first on Cageside Press.

We’re back with another installment of the Weekly MMA Prospect report, and just like last week, the Professional Fighters League (PFL) has plenty to offer fight fans. PFL 8 is a card to watch, but overseas action has plenty of prospects on display as well, including Russia’s M-1. Without further adieu, let’s get to the prospects!

PFL #8 | Nevada | Thursday

Lightweight, Islam Mamedov (18-2)

A top-level wrestler, Mamedov finds the takedown naturally, and on top, he is as good as it gets. He sticks like glue, he moves well and is even excellent at taking the back. His ground-and-pound is very solid — not heavy strikes but constant strikes. Once Mamedov gets the separation, he has a good submission game. On the feet, he is explosive, and he lunges forward with hooks and flying knees. He has power but his ground game is where he is best. He fights Loik Radzhabov (12-1).

Featherweight, Movlid Khaybulaev (14-0-1)

Movlid 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. Movlid uses the flying knee often, with which he knocked out his last opponent. 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. Movlid can usually get the fight down multiple times in a bout. He fights former UFC fighter Daniel Pineda (26-13).

Featherweight, Andre Harrison (21-1-1)

“The Bull” is a two-time All-American DII wrestler who lives up to his nickname by pulling his opponents down to the mat and staying on top with heavy pressure. His wrestling is excellent and striking-wise he is also dangerous. He has power in his hands, as he has dropped opponents in the past but his wrestling is his bread and butter. He is a grinding type of fighter who likes to wear down his opponents and he has used his wrestling to take out some top-notch competition. He fights Alex Gilpin (13-2).

  M-1 Challenge 105 | Saturday | Kazakhstan

Flyweight, Asu Almabaev (10-2)

An under-the-radar prospect, Asu Almabaev is on a six-fight win streak. On the feet, he relies on his movement. He’s not the most skilled upright but is quick with what he throws. His takedown defense isn’t too great but on the mat anywhere is his strong suit. Almabaev has solid jiu-jitsu and that’s with five submission wins. He’s good off his back going for submissions to create scrambles. He moves very well on top as well. We’re still not fully sold on him though. He fights Mikael Silander (19-7), who is a good test.

Future FC 9 | Saturday | Brazil

Featherweight, Rafael Barbosa (12-1)

Barbosa has looked impressive and at only 21-years old, he has a high ceiling. He fights with a karate stance, lasering the jab along with an excellent right kick to the liver. The Brazilian is slick on the feet and does a good job with his movement. Barbosa has some solid head movement, slipping and ripping his counters. He is still green on the mat though, but at his young age, there is still lots of room for improvement. He fights Luis Nogueira (21-8-2).

MFC 18 | Saturday | Nebraska

Flyweight, Nate Smith (5-0)

Still so young in his career, Smith has looked pretty good thus far. On the feet, it would be nice to see him be more willing to throw more than one strike at a time. Smith does a good job picking his shots and is accurate for the most part. His wrestling is still a work in progress but it’s on the mat where he excels. Smith takes the back fairly easily and in his last three fights he’s finished with a rear-naked choke. He fights Delfino Benitez (3-1).

GFC 10 | Sunday | Russia

Featherweight, Migran Arutyunyan (2-0)

The Armenian is only 2-0 in MMA but has a background in another combat sport. Arutyunyan is an Armenian and Russian Greco-Roman wrestler who competed in the 2016 Summer Olympics. He’s seemed a bit lost on the feet but has shown excellent wrestling and ferocious ground and pound. Arutyunyan still has a lot to show and has a long way to go. He fights Zhasulan Akimzhanov (3-1).

The post Weekly MMA Prospect Report: Another Big Week for the PFL appeared first on Cageside Press.