Who could the promotion bring in to bolster the ranks? We’ve got our 10 Featherweight Prospects the UFC Should Sign in 2023 list ready!

Here’s a look at last year’s list, featuring only one current UFC roster member, William Gomis, signing with the UFC in 2022:

Edwin Cooper Jr.
Jack Jenkins
Sebastian Kotwica
Tae Kyun Kim
William Gomis
Jordan Vucenic
Gabriel Alves Braga
Mansur Azhiev
Busurmankul Abdibait
Jonas Bilharinho

Don’t miss the previous entries in this series:

10 Heavyweight Prospects the UFC Should Sign in 2023
10 Light Heavyweight Prospects the UFC Should Sign in 2023
10 Middleweight Prospects the UFC Should Sign in 2023
10 Welterweight Prospects the UFC Should Sign in 2023
10 Lightweight Prospects the UFC Should Sign in 2023

It’s featherweight’s time to shine. Let’s go!

The post 10 Featherweight Prospects the UFC Should Sign in 2023 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.

In this feature, we take six journalists including our own Shawn Bitter, plus four hardcore MMA fans/Podcasters to get their take on who the UFC should sign by year’s end. So far this year, the UFC has signed major prospects like Jiri Prochazka, Shavkat Rakhmonov, Roman Bogatov, Umar Nurmagomedov, Jai Herbert, Manel Kape, Modestas Bukauskas, Nate Landwehr and more. Here, each member of our panel will give their picks on who they think the UFC should sign by the end of 2020.

The Journalists

Shawn Bitter

Middleweight, Roberto Soldic (17-3): Soldic has beaten some stiff competition in his career including Lewis Long (16-5), Borys Mańkowski (19-7-1), and Dricus Du Plessis (12-2), winning five titles including the KSW middleweight title. Soldic is easily one of the best welterweights on the global scene and the UFC would be very wise to try and pry him from KSW. Soldic is always coming forward and always looking for the finish in a controlled chaos manner. KSW has had talent that went to the UFC like Jan Błachowicz, Karolina Kowalkiewicz, Aleksei Oleinik, and others.

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 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.

Featherweight, Joanderson Brito (11-2-1): Brito has been on a roll since his last loss in 2015, going 10-0-1 in his last eleven fights. He’s fought for the likes of Future FC and Thunder Fight which are two top promotions out of Brazil. He’s also the former Fusion FC champ, a promotion based in Peru. In his most recent fight, he made his U.S. debut for LFA and beat a top prospect in Jose Mariscal. 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. He’s arguably the best prospect right now out of Brazil.

Featherweight, Salahdine Parnasse (14-0-1): Parnasse in my opinion is the best prospect worldwide. Parnasse didn’t really become noticeable until he signed with one of the biggest European organizations in KSW in late 2017.  In April of last year, Parnasse beat Roman Szymański to become the interim KSW featherweight champion. Last December he beat the well-known Ivan Buchinger to retain his interim title. Parnasse would prefer to keep the fight on the feet where he can use his effective movement and a good kickboxing base. This would be one of the biggest if not the biggest signing if somehow the UFC could snatch him up.

Strawweight, Melissa Martinez (7-0): Martinez is currently signed with Combate Americas and is their current 115-pound champion. Recently, Combate champion Gustavo Lopez was able to be released from his contract. Rafa Garcia who is also a champion there has vacated his contract to sign to another promotion. So there is hope for the UFC picking up Martinez. “Super Melly” has the ability to break an opponent down with her chopping leg kicks. She also displays a quick release with her dangerous head kick that she has won a couple of times with. She looks really promising at such a young age and so early in her career.

The post Prospects the UFC Should Sign by the End of 2020 appeared first on Cageside Press.

Featherweight, Igeu Kabesa (12-1)

Igeu 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 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.

Middleweight, Dricus Du Plessis (14-2)

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’s a former dual champion at middleweight and welterweight for EFC and a former KSW welterweight champion. Du Plessis 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.

Bantamweight, JP Buys (8-2)

JP Buys, while fighting out of South Africa, moved to the U.S. not too long ago and is training out of a great camp in Fortis MMA. Like many talents from South Africa, he did in fact fight for EFC, the largest promotion in the area. There, he served as both EFC bantamweight and flyweight champion. Buys has a background in wrestling winning several South African wrestling titles. He has solid wrestling and on the mat has very good jiu-jitsu. On the feet, Buys has very much improved but do doubt is a different animal when it comes to wrestling and grappling.

Flyweight, Bokang Masunyane (7-0)

A former Commonwealth Games wrestler, the “The Little Giant” Bokang Masunyane 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. Not only one of the most intriguing prospects today but one of the most exciting.

The post Scouting the Globe: The Five Best Prospects From South Africa appeared first on Cageside Press.

The featherweight division produced the biggest star the UFC (and MMA) has ever seen in Conor McGregor. It boasted one of the longest serving champs ever in Jose Aldo. And in Max Holloway, the division had one of the most respectable champs in history.

We’re in a new era now though, with Alexander Volkanovski at the top. Fresh blood is always a plus, so who should join the cast at 145lbs? We’ve got ten prospects singled out to join the UFC in 2020.

Here’s a look at last year’s list, featuring current UFC roster members Charles Jourdain, Mike Grundy, and Sung Bin Jo signing with the UFC in 2019:

Aliyar Sarkerov
Bill Algeo
Charles Jourdain
Igeu Kabesa
Justin Gonzales
Leonardo Limberger
Mike Grundy
Ricky Palacios
Sung Bin Jo
Salahdine Parnasse

You can also check out our other installments in this series:

10 Heavyweight Prospects the UFC Should Sign in 2020
10 Light Heavyweight Prospects the UFC Should Sign in 2020
10 Middleweight Prospects the UFC Should Sign in 2020
10 Welterweight Prospects the UFC Should Sign in 2020
10 Lightweight Prospects the UFC Should Sign in 2020

The post 10 Featherweight Prospects the UFC Should Sign in 2020 appeared first on Cageside Press.

UFC Shenzhen had a featherweight bout that was scheduled for the card as Mike Grundy was set to take on Russian prospect Movsar Evloev. Unfortunately, Grundy pulled out due to an injury. The show must go on and a replacement still might be found. Vladimir Kramarenko and I decided on five prospects we’d like to see step in and fight Movsar Evloev.

Shawn Bitter’s Picks

Leonardo Limberger (13-1)

Fresh off a win just last week, Limberger moved his win streak to 10. Fighting out of Brazil, “Kazuya” is someone I’ve been high on for a while. The Brazilian is the current Shooto Brasil featherweight champion. Fighting so recently, I’m not sure if he would be on weight but he could be and this bout could be fought at a catchweight.

Limberger is well-rounded but he may be better on the feet. He’s shown one-punch knockout power but his high-volume output is where he excels. He is an excellent range fighter with great footwork and perfectly-timed counters. He uses leg kicks as one of his main weapons and does a good job switching to spinning kicks that are neither sloppy nor telegraphed at all. Being just as good on the mat Limberger, has really shown no weakness.

Joanderson Brito (11-2-1)

Another Brazilian making the list is Joanderson “Tubarao” Brito. Fighting at lightweight in the past, it may be tough making 145 on short notice, but it’s possible. Brito made a huge splash in his US debut last fight, knocking out Jose Mariscal in the first round.

The Brazilian has been on a roll since his last loss in 2015, going 10-0-1 in his last 11 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.

Igeu Kabesa 12-1

His only loss is to UFC fighter Danny Henry, which was a rematch of their first meeting, which Kabesa won. Of the two, I believe 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 making him one of the top prospects out of South Africa. 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.

Next: Vladimir Kramarenko’s Picks

The post UFC Shenzhen: Five Prospects Who Could Step in Against Movsar Evloev 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.

Here’s who to watch out for in our latest Weekly MMA Prospect Report. This week, you can find the three prospects with the highest ceiling highlighted with an asterisk. ONE, Bellator, the UFC, and LFA all had events set for the weekend — here’s who to keep an eye on, on the prospect side.

300 Sparta 31 | Tuesday | Peru

The post Weekly MMA Prospect Report: Bellator Birmingham and Beyond appeared first on Cageside Press.

Here’s a look at last year’s list, with Sergio Giglio and Kevin Aguilar both signing with the UFC in 2018:

• Thanh Le
• Mike Grundy
• Sergio Giglio
• Leonardo Limberger
• Ray Rodriguez
• Khusein Askhabov
• Sebastian Kotwica
• Aliyar Sarkerov
• Brendan Loughnane
• Kevin Aguilar

Leonardo “Kazuya” Limberger

24 | 5’8″ | Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil | 12-1 | 7 Finishes | 2 KO/TKO, 5 Submissions (2 Rear-Naked Chokes, Armbar, Guillotine, Arm-Triangle) | Combined Opponents’ Record: 116-36 | Best Win – Fabricio Martins (11-2)

I’ve been high on Limberger for a while as he was on my list last year. He’s the current Shooto Brasil champion and on a nine-fight win streak. Limberger is well rounded but he may be better on the feet. He’s shown one-punch knockout power but his high volume output is where he excels. Limberger throws one-twos from a variety of angles, almost never throwing just one strike, and mixes in kicks beautifully. He is an excellent range fighter with great footwork and perfectly-timed counters. He uses leg kicks as one of his main weapons and does a good job switching to spinning kicks that are neither sloppy nor telegraphed at all.

Limberger has underrated wrestling, as he has great timing on his double leg and he sets it up and executes perfectly. On the mat, you can’t ask for much more, possessing good BJJ on top or off of his back, which shows in his five submission victories. Limberger is constantly passing into better positions, getting the mount and the back, and landing effective ground and pound. Overall, I really see no weakness in him at all and the UFC should snatch him up quickly.

Charles “Air” Jourdain

23 | 5’9″ | Beloeil, Quebec | 8-1 | 100% Finish Rate | 5 KO/TKO, 3 Submissions (2 Rear-Naked Chokes, Guillotine) | Combined Opponents’ Record: 33-24 | Best Win – Alex Morgan (9-3)

Jourdain is excellent on the feet, leveraging athleticism in the form of dynamic skills such as flying knees. He is also a skilled kickboxer, and very good in the clinch. Jourdain does an awesome job landing big shots on the break, an undervalued tool in MMA. Jourdain gets the takedown mainly from the clinch where he utilizes primarily trips. Lastly, his ground-and-pound and conditioning have proven solid thus far. He is really getting better and better and at 23-years-old, the sky is the limit.

Jourdain is the current TKO champion and on February 8 he is looking to capture his second title as he moves up to fight former UFC veteran, Jesse Ronson. Ronson is on a roll with five straight victories, and if Jourdain beats him, he should get the contract the next day.

Mike Grundy

31 | 5’8″ | Manchester, England | 11-1 | 8 Finishes | 8 Submissions (3 Arm-Triangles, 3 Brabo Chokes, Americana, Guillotine)  | Combined Opponents’ Record: 84-38 | Best Win – Fernando Bruno (16-4)

Last year, the UFC went to Liverpool, England, and Grundy, who lives in Manchester and is training partners with headliner Darren Till, should have no doubt made his promotional debut on that card. He ended up not fighting at all last year due to an injury. In his last fight, Grundy beat former UFC fighter Fernando Bruno to win the Aspera FC championship. Aspera is a top regional promotion in Brazil and that win should really have the eyes of UFC talent relations.

Grundy is a former England freestyle wrestling champion where he won a bronze medal at the Commonwealth Games in 2014. Grundy has transferred that skillset to MMA and has some of the best wrestling displayed outside the big promotions. His explosiveness, timing, and strength make him incredibly dangerous. He also has some of the best work in side control I’ve seen. Grundy is one of the most underrated prospects out there, especially of those based in the UK.

Igeu “Smiley” Kabesa

25 | 5’9″ | Johannesburg, South Africa | 11-1 | 6 Finishes | 4 KO/TKO, 2 Submissions (Armbar, Guillotine) | Combined Opponents’ Record: 67-36 | Best Win – Danny Henry (7-1)

His only loss is to UFC fighter Danny Henry, which was a rematch of their first meeting, which Kabesa won. Of the two, I believe Kabesa has the 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 on a three-fight win streak.

Kabesa is a very decorated wrestler being a 10-time Wrestling Nationals Champion. He is young and solid everywhere making him one of the top prospects out of South Africa. 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. South Africa gets a bad rep from the fans since countrymen that have signed to the UFC have not done so well, but Kabesa is on another level.

Ricky “El Gallero” Palacios

31 | 5’6″ | Mission, Texas | 11-1 | 6 Finishes | 6 KO/TKO | Combined Opponents’ Record: 54-36 | Best Win – Roman Salazar (10-5)

Ricky Palacios has fought in front of Dana White on the Contender Series, competing last summer. He fought Toby Misech and won a decision. As it wasn’t a finish he still had a solid performance but did not leave with a contract. “El Gallero” is a banger who is very fun to watch as he loves to stand and trade and put on a show. Palacios can be wild at times but he is technical with good boxing as he has a solid jab and heavy leg kicks as well. He’s solely a striker who will test the chin of any of his opponents and has an iron chin himself.

Palacios is a very good fighter who has struggled with takedown defense but he has always shown good ability to get back to his feet. He has the style Dana would love so I see him for sure signing this year and putting up a few Fight of the Night bonuses.

Sung Bin Jo

25 | 5’11″ | Seoul, South Korea | 9-0 | 100% Finish Rate | 5 KO/TKO, 4 Submissions (2 Rear-Naked Chokes, Armbar, Triangle) | Combined Opponents’ Record: 33-43 | Best win – Yoshifumi Nakamura (20-9)

Sung Bin Jo is arguably one of the best Korean prospects right now, owning an undefeated record and a perfect finishing rate. He has good footwork and likes to stay on the outside landing combinations. Jo mixes in body shots and kicks very effectively and has a big overhand right in his toolkit.

On the mat, he is good at hunting for the choke, with three of his four submissions coming via a choke variety. Jo just went through a war where he got the comeback TKO win in the fourth round, winning the TFC championship. If the UFC is coming to Korea this year like they were planning to, then he is in a great spot.

Salahdine Parnasse

21 | 5’8″ | Aubervilliers, France | 12-0-1 | 5 Finishes | 1 KO/TKO, 4 Submissions (2 Rear-Naked Chokes, D’Arce Choke, Arm-Triangle) | Combined Opponents’ Record: 93-56 | Best Win – Marcin Wrzosek (13-4)

Parnasse is a good talent with 13 total fights at only 21-years-old. Parnasse would prefer to keep the fight on the feet where he can use his effective movement and a good kickboxing base. On the feet, he does a good job at moving in and out and really loves to attack with leg kicks, which really set up his strikes better. One of his best attributes is his cardio, as he can fight at the same pace for three rounds, which often leads him passed his opponents.

Parnasse has four wins by submission, all coming via choke, so he is an overall well-rounded fighter. He’s the real deal. The Frenchman is currently signed with KSW, so if he was to fight out his contract this year and doesn’t re-sign with the promotion, we could see him sign to the UFC. 

Bill “Senor Perfecto” Algeo

29 | 5’11″ | King of Prussia, Pennsylvania | 11-3 | 8 Finishes | 3 KO/TKO, 5 Submissions (4 Rear-Naked Chokes, Arm-Triangle) | Combined Opponents’ Record: 86-30 | Best Win – Scott Heckman (27-8)

Algeo is a veteran of two major regional promotions in CFFC and ROC and also fought once in WSOF. In the last six years, he has only lost to a pair of current UFC fighters in Shane Burgos and Jared Gordon. Algeo is well rounded as he has a Blackbelt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu who has won multiple championships, an All-State Wrestler, Collegiate Boxer, and an undefeated Professional Muay Thai Fighter.

I believe Algeo shines more on the mat where his jiu-jitsu is solid and he thrives in scrambles. He has a good Muay Thai base, landing very well in the clinch but does even better at range with nice kicks and crisp striking. Even though he’s 29, it seems he’s getting better with every outing.

Justin “J-Train” Gonzales

27 | 5’10″ | Greely, Colorado | 8-0 | 3 Finishes | 2 KO/TKO, 1 Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) | Combined Opponents’ Record: 41-14 | Best Win – Derek Brenon (6-0)

Undefeated as a pro, Gonzales also went undefeated as an amateur at 8-0. Gonzales is still growing as a martial artist and has shown that beating solid competition, including amateur wrestling prospect Derek Brenon, is quite impressive.

Gonzales has always been an excellent wrestler who was a state champion in high school, but he’s been adding a lot of striking to his resume. J-Train could use better footwork but he stays aggressive and has hooks that he throws, but ultimately, they’re used to set up takedowns. Overall, I think he has a good future. 

Aliyar “Tiger” Sarkerov

28 | 5’9″ | Moscow, Russia | 36-5 | 31 Finishes | 9 KO/TKO, 22 Submissions (8 Rear-Naked Chokes, 7 Guillotines, 5 Armbars, Triangle) | Combined Opponents’ Record: 132-63 | Best Win – Tuerxun Jumabieke (19-4-1)

Sarkerov has a massive amount of experience with 41 total fights and is miraculously still only 28. Sarkerov’s last loss came in April 2015 to former top prospect Ivan Buchinger. Since that loss, the Russian has gone on a tear, winning his next 20 fights, finishing all but one. I will say Sarkerov has fought 14 fighters who had losing records at the time or were making their professional debut, but he has beaten good competition as well.

Sarkerov is good everywhere. On the feet, he is very flashy with kicks and body attacks. His takedown ability is perfect, he sets up his entrances well, and he can use a variety of takedowns including trips, single legs, hip throws, and double legs. In general, his takedown ability is where it needs to be. On the mat is where he is spectacular. He is a great danger when it comes to grabbing the neck and putting the fight away. The biggest promotion he’s fought for was M1 Global and that was only once, so Sarkerov needs to be on a big stage.

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