First, here is a look at who was included last year, with Yazmin Jauregui, Tereza Bleda, and Jaqueline Amorim all signing with the UFC

Jamey-Lyn Horth Wessels
Ekaterina Shakalova
Yazmin Jauregui
Ewelina Woźniak
Tereza Bleda
Josefine Lindgren Knutsson
Jaqueline Amorim
Maria Silva
Lucia Szabová
Dakota Ditcheva
Tania Torres
Yasmin Castanho
Loveth Young
Isis Verbeek
Alesha Zappitella

Before we move on, check out the previous instalments 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
10 Featherweight Prospects the UFC Should Sign in 2023
10 Bantamweight Prospects the UFC Should Sign in 2023
10 Flyweight Prospects the UFC Should Sign in 2023

Now it’s time to wrap things up with a look at the ladies who could make their way to the UFC this year.

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For our latest edition, we head to Sweden, which has produced the likes of Alexander Gustafsson, Ilir Latifi, and Khamzat Chimaev over the years.

Our original Scouting the Globe series singled out the following five Swedish talents:

• Khamzat Chimaev who is singed to the UFC, 5-0 in the cage, and ranked #3 at welterweight.
• Herdem Alacabek who hasn’t fought since 2019.
• Andreas Gustafsson who signed with KSW, lost in his debut, and hasn’t fought since 2020.
• Karl Albrektsson who is signed with Bellator MMA and is 2-1 for them.
• Amir Albazi who is signed with the UFC, 2-0 in the cage, and ranked #11 at 125.

Straweight, Josefine Lindgren Knutsson (4-0)

Khutsson is one of my favorite female prospects. She just fought on the Road to the UFC in Singapore and won under those big lights. Knutsson has an extensive kickboxing career. Her kickboxing record is 27-5 and she has beat girls like Mellony Geugjes and Kana Morimoto.

Knutsson also has a background in amateur Muay Thai and was the 2018 IFMA World Championships gold medallist. Knutsson will always have her takedown defense tested, and so far she hasn’t been taken down at all. Instead, Knutsson has been the one to get takedowns. She fights with a lot of volume, feints, and power. She also throws combinations alone with her kicks, but her striking altogether is excellent.

Knutsson could very possibly be the real deal.

The post Scouting the Globe 2022: The Five Best Prospects From Sweden appeared first on Cageside Press.

While that same venue would play host to UFC 275 on Saturday, it was a group of prospects and UFC hopefuls that were in action Friday, competing across four weight classes — flyweight, bantamweight, featherweight, and lightweight — with the hope of securing a UFC deal.

As with episode two of the Road to UFC series, the third installment offered an abbreviated four-fight card after one athlete failed to make weight for the event. Following weigh-ins, which saw Sho Patrick Usami struggle, the lightweight was removed from the card.

UFC officials later released a brief statement announcing that opponent Anshul Jubli would therefore move on in the tournament, despite not having to compete in the quarterfinal round.

“Due to issues with weight management, Sho Patrick Usami has been removed from his lightweight bout against Anshul Jubli. As Jubli made weight (155.5), he will proceed to the next round of the Road to the UFC tournament.”

In addition to the tournament bouts, one non-tournament fight in the women’s strawweight division was included. That fight saw YeDam Seo face off with Josefine Knutsson.

Full results from the Road to UFC 3 card can be found below. The event kicks off at 2:30AM ET, streaming live on UFC Fight Pass.

Road to UFC 3 Results

Jeong Yeong Lee def. Xie Bin by submission (arm-bar), Round 1, 0:36
Top Noi Kiwram def. Yuma Horiuchi by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-27, 29-27)
Rinya Nakamura def. Gugun Gusman by submission (Americana), Round 1, 3:24
Josefine Knutsson def. Ye Dam Seo by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)

The post Road to UFC 3 Full Results appeared first on Cageside Press.

So why did someone with loads of success on the striking side of things decide to take her art to where she can be taken down? Why deal with wrestlers and jiu jitsu specialists when she’s out there striking with the best of them? The answer lies with the influences she’s had from her very first days in the world of martial arts.

“I come from a gym [Allstars Training Center] where MMA is the biggest martial art. I have big role models like Alexander Gustafsson, Ilir [Latifi], Khamzat Chimaev – so I’m training in that same environment every single day with these champions (in my eyes),” Knutsson said. “So for me [MMA] has always been in the back of my head. Like one day I’m going to go over to the bad side.”

Being in the presence of so many top MMA fighters at first was a tad intimidating. However, as time has gone by, she became more and more comfortable and inspired by all of the talent.

“It’s not like they are my sparring partners,” she said with a laugh. “In the beginning you are always a little bit starstruck, but we are club mates now… It’s really motivating.”

When asked who was the fighter she was the most starstruck by at the beginning, the answer came particularly easy to Knutsson. It was the legend of her home country that had her wide eyed.

“It has to be Alexander Gustafsson, when I started,” Knutsson said. “For me, he’s always going to be the legend and he also put Sweden on the map in the MMA world.”

But the influence of the Swedish legend, as well as several other top fighters, wasn’t enough by itself to push her to the so called ‘bad side’. While she had her eye on it for a long time, it was the global pandemic that helped her make the switch for good.

“When COVID came, I trained more and more MMA,” she shared. “It was the only option we had in training in that year, so I trained it every day.”

That year of training gave her the confidence to give the MMA world her full attention. Three spectacular fights later, she finds herself in a unique spot with a chance to impress Dana White and nab a UFC contract. However, she isn’t putting too much emphasis on the pressure that would inherently bring.

“I’m excited, but for me, I’m only thinking about the fight. In the end is always about the fight. It’s about doing a great fight and putting on my best performance ever,” Knutsson said. “When I get this big opportunity to fight for the UFC and maybe a contract, nothing is 100%. Everything can happen. If they like that they see, they like what they see.”

That fight for Knutsson takes place at Road to UFC 3 on Friday, June 10th. She’ll fight Ye Dam Seo, which can be seen on UFC Fight Pass.

You can hear the entire audio of this interview at 2:04.

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Josefine Knutsson Interview (2:04)

Kicking off this week’s show is an interview with Josefine Lindgren Knutsson. While UFC 275 is the feast this weekend, the UFC is providing us with some appetizers from Singapore as well. The Road to the UFC series kicks off with four events over two days. Knutsson will be fighting on the third of those events (which takes place early Friday morning). She talks about getting her chance to impress the boss on the show. Plus, she also shares what caused her to switch to MMA after a highly successful Muay Thai and K1 career.

Fights, Dogs, and Parlays: UFC 275 (15:32)

Next on the docket, we’re getting into the nitty gritty of one of the better events of the year, UFC 275. We’ve got title fights in the light heavyweight division and the flyweight division, plus a rematch of a past fight of the year. We’ll be breaking down all of those fights for you. In addition, Gumby and Shockwave also chime in with their favorite underdog on the card – one they’re particularly high on for this card. Then they put together a plus-money parlay sure to pay out big time. For this segment, odds via FanDuel Sportsbook.

Steve Garcia Interview (31:35)

Closing out this week’s episode of the Top Turtle MMA Podcast is another interview, this time with a fighter off of UFC 275. Steve Garcia looks to put together his first winning streak in the UFC and he’ll try to do it in Singapore on Saturday. He breaks down his fight with popular Chinese prospect Hayisaer Maheshate, including a strong statement of confidence. Then he also digs into what it meant for him to log his first win in the big show after nearly a decade of fighting. He’s also a treat when he pops by the show, so make sure you don’t miss this one.

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Who will they take in 2022?

Here’s a look at last year’s list, with Erin Blanchfield, Joselyne Edwards, Karine Silva, Lupita Godinez, Pierangela Rodriguez, and Tabatha Ricci signing with the UFC in 2021:

Alesha Zappitella
Erin Blanchfield
Jamey-Lyn Horth Wessels
Joselyne Edwards
Julia Polastri
Karine Silva
Lisa Verzosa
Lucrezia Ria
Lupita Godinez
Melissa Martinez
Pierangela Rodriguez
Stephanie Geltmacher
Svetlana Gotsyk
Tabatha Ricci
Valesca Machado

Before we move on, check out the rest of the series:

10 Heavyweight Prospects the UFC Should Sign in 2022
10 Light Heavyweight Prospects the UFC Should Sign in 2022
10 Middleweight Prospects the UFC Should Sign in 2022
10 Welterweight Prospects the UFC Should Sign in 2022
10 Lightweight Prospects the UFC Should Sign in 2022
10 Featherweight Prospects the UFC Should Sign in 2022
10 Bantamweight Prospects the UFC Should Sign in 2022
10 Flyweight Prospects the UFC Should Sign in 2022

The post 15 Female Prospects the UFC Should Sign in 2022 appeared first on Cageside Press.

ACA 132 | Belarus | Friday

Flyweight, Bidzina Gavasheshvili (8-2)

Gavasheshvili, from Georgia, is a European combat sambo champion. His only loss in six years is to thriving UFC flyweight Mudaerji Su. Gavasheshvili is exciting, well-rounded, and dominant. He fights Josiel Silva (14-5).

CFFC 103 | US | Friday

Bantamweight, DeAndre Anderson (5-0)

Anderson was a successful Alabama high school wrestler and football player. He won a state championship in wrestling and amassed a 154-15 record throughout high school. It wasn’t until 2016 when he transitioned from those sports to MMA. Wanting to round off his overall skill-set, he has been competing in kickboxing and boxing while doing MMA. He has a 1-2 boxing record and a 1-1 kickboxing record. Competing in different disciplines has really improved his stand-up which is a huge compliment to a strong wrestling base. He fights Da’Mon Blackshear (10-4).

Rizin 32 | Japan | Saturday

Atomweight, Rena Kubota (11-3)

Kubota is a professional kickboxer/shootboxer with all the credentials in the world. Kubota is the 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2014 shootboxing champion, with a record of 23-5. RENA’s MMA career is still burgeoning but she has looked very impressive with her striking, kickboxing, and surprisingly her submissions skills. Impressively, Rena has hit two submissions already. A flying armbar and a cravat choke. She fights Miyuu Yamamoto (6-5).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlKCOK2U25s&ab_channel=FlavorBudLiving

RCC | Russia | Friday

Heavyweight, Alexander Soldatkin (10-3)

Soldatkin is a big, muscular guy and someone you don’t expect to throw a lot of spinning attacks — but that’s exactly what he does. The big man doesn’t overuse the flashy attacks but uses them just to keep his opponent guessing. Someone with his power and athleticism alone is a threat. There is still a lot of concerns going forward with him. He fights Edivan Santos (12-3).

Fight Club Rush 10 | Sweeden | Saturday

Bantamweight, Felipe Lima (10-1)

Brazil’s Lima has massive potential. He has gone the distance five times and that don’t mean he lacks the killer instinct because he goes after it. Of the footage available he’s a striker first but is a good wrestler and grapples very well. On the feet, Lima is a dynamic striker. He’s an athletic fighter guy that favors the flying knee. He goes body-head better than most and does it often. Lima has excellent shot placement being active in what he throws. The 23-year-old out of Allstars Training Center has a bright future. He fights Evgeny Odnorog (21-6).

Strawweight, Josefine Lindgren Knutsson (2-0)

Knutsson may be only two fights into her pro career but has an extensive kickboxing career. Her kickboxing record is 27-5 and she has beat girls like Mellony Geugjes and Kana Morimoto. Her two MMA fights have been against more experienced fighters. Knutsson will have her takedown defense and so far she hasn’t been taken down. Instead, Knutsson has been the one getting takedowns. On the feet though she’s looked great. Knutsson fights with a lot of volume, feints, and power. She throws combinations alone with her legs but her striking altogether is so good. Knutsson is the real deal. She fights Lanchana Green (4-3-1).

The post Weekly MMA Prospect Report: RIZIN, CFFC and More appeared first on Cageside Press.

Welterweight, Mohammad Alaqraa (2-0)

Alaqraa wasted no time getting in and out of this fight with no issues. Outside of a good leg kick on the feet, Alaqraa got the takedown quick. Right away he transitioned to the back and was locked on. Alaqraa landed good ground and pound before locking in the RNC for the tap. It would’ve been nice to see the fight go longer so he could show a lot more.
Grade: C+

Welterweight Wisem Hammami (6-0)

Outside of getting taken down twice this fight was all Hammami. Even though he was taken down he got right back up. Noting big really stood out but Hammami fought smart and tactically. Hammami fought outside the jab, landed the one-two, and chopped away at the lead leg. The leg kicks were his best weapon but fighting at his preferred range won him the fight.
Grade: B-

Strawweight, Julie Mezabarba (9-2-1)

Making her ONE Championship debut, Mezabarba was thrown right into stiff competition fighting the 33-fight veteran Mei Yamaguchi. Mezabarba never let Yamaguchi get going taking control of the entire fight. She fought on the outside well and every time Yamaguchi came forward she got caught. That sneaky counter-right uppercut landed a few times. Mezabarba landed a superman punch a few times to close the distance. When Yamaguchi got Mezabarba it was Mezabarba beating her up in the clinch.
Grade: B

Bantamweight, Kevin Cordero (12-2)

Cordero fought Bellator veteran Ricky Bandejas who is very talented. A large portion of the fight played on the outside in kickboxing range. I’d like to say Cordero was getting better of the exchanges landing better with his kicks and throwing more frequently. At the end of the round, Bandejas got the takedown twice. Cordero off his back locked in the triangle and put Bandejas out cold in round one.
Grade: A

Featherweight, Hae Jin Park (9-1)

Soo Chul Kim, a top prospect in 2017, made his return to the cage off a four-year layoff. He was welcomed back with a loss but it was fun while it lasted. Both guys took it to each other right away. In close in a phone booth, these guys were throwing down. Kim was leaving space in the clinch and it was allowing Park to land uppercuts and punches over the top. Park tried to grab hold of the leg to get the takedown but Kim had none of it. As they were exchanging in the clinch Park clocked Kim with a left hand dropping him. Park jumped in on a guillotine and it put Kim out cold. Park took a lot of damage and was failing at a lot of takedowns which takes away from his overall performance.
Grade: C+

Lightweight, Seung Mo Park (3-0)

It only took 25 seconds for Seung Mo Park to move to 3-0. He began light on his feet bouncing around. He missed with a wheel kick but followed up with a left hand that buckled his opponent. He then dropped him briefly with an uppercut and swarmed with punches, dropping him again and sending the ref in.
Grade: C

Bantamweight, Hyun Woo Kim (3-0)

Kim started with a frantic pace bringing it right to his opponent just letting his hands fly. Kim landed a body punch that visibly made his opponent uncomfortable. He let loose going body head rapidly along the fence. Everything was landed all adding up dropping his opponent to his knees where the ref saved him.
Grade: B-

Flyweight, Jung Hyun Lee (5-0)

Lee impressed me in September with an excellent performance. He walked his opponent down peppering him with multiple jabs and finding his range and picking his shots. While walking forward he battered the inside leg kicking it over and over. Lee landed a right hook-left hook on the chin flooring his opponent. The follow-up punches stiffened his opponent and the fight was stopped. Beautiful knockout.
Grade: B

Light heavyweight, Vitor Petrino (6-0)

The young 24-year-old had a huge test in front of him in the form of 27-fight veteran and former UFC fighter Gadzhimurad Antigulov. The Russian Antigulov took Petrino down twice but he got right back up. Early round one Petrino dropped Antigulov with a beautifully timed uppercut. Petrino threw everything at Antigulov tagging him multiple times on the feet. He was finding his strikes as Antigulov came forward. Petrino landed elbows, punches knees, landed a big flying knee at a point before finishing the fight. In round two he landed a nasty left uppercut dropping Antigulov and he put him away.
Grade: A

Welterweight, Ramazan Kuramagomedov (9-0)

This was a blowout performance from Kuramagomedov. He got the takedown right away in round two and dominated top control. His opponent got to his feet at one point but went right back down. Kuramagomedov stayed active with short punches and won every scramble his opponent tried to create. In round two right away he took it right back down with a good double leg takedown. Kuramagomedov stayed busy with ground and pound making it uncomfortable for the guy on the bottom. He eventually transitioned to the back and won with an RNC with seconds left. Pure dominance from Kuramagomedov.
Grade: A

Lightweight, Rahmads Stromanis (2-0)

This was a scrap between two young pros. Stromanis dropped his opponent early with a counter right off a blind kick. He did have to fight through two armbars and got taken down briefly. Round one was close but Stromanis came out even stronger in round two. He dropped his opponent with a left hook. He kept throwing head shots nearly landing every time. It was an awesome superman punch that landed clean for the impressive knockout.
Grade: C+

Strawweight, Josefine Lindgren Knutsson (2-0)

Knutsson continues to impress in MMA staying undefeated. Being a kickboxer her takedown defense was tested. She defended every takedown and landed three brief takedowns of her own. Knutsson did well on the outside but it was in the clinch where she battered her opponent. She was relentless with knees and that’s what she landed in round two to stop the fight. Knutsson put on a one-sided beating over a more experienced MMA fighter.
Grade: B

Welterweight, Roberto Soldić (19-3)

Not the best performance from Soldic but he still looked good nonetheless. Soldic fought veteran Patrik Kincl who is always a tough fight for anyone. He dropped Kincl in twice with a counter punch. He did get taken down in round two and spent a little time off his back. In round three Soldic landed a combination to the body dropping Kincl. From there he got into mount and landed punches until the ref stepped in.
Grade: B-

Flyweight, Paris Moran (5-1)

Moran didn’t do anything spectacular in this fight but he continues to build his resume. Moran fought Contender Series and LFA veteran Nate Smith which was by far his toughest test to date. Smith is a pure wrestler and Moran completely neutralized him. Moran only was taken down once which was briefly. He kept Smith on the outside with his jab and the right hand when he tried to close the gap. Moran fought technical and showed excellent takedown defense. He could’ve pulled the trigger more but he fought smart.
Grade: B-

Heavyweight, Sergey Belostenniy (8-2)

It only took Belostenniy right under a minute to finish tough Brazilian fighter Roggers Souza. Belostenniy started off throwing a lot of hard feints keeping Souza guessing. He tried a little flash landing a spinning kick to the body. Belostenniy let his hands go landing a right-left stunning Souza. He went back throwing and a left hook dropped Souza. Extra grounded punches sent the ref in.
Grade: B+

Flyweight, Alisson Murilo (3-0)

Murilo looked great in this fight, which happens to be the first time I’ve watched him. His striking looked really good throwing frequent combinations. He knocked his opponent down with a slick duck under right to the body and left to the chin. As his opponent got back to his feet Murilo landed a perfectly timed double leg takedown. He quickly transitioned into the mount, landed ground and pound, took the back, and secured the RNC. Superb performance.
Grade: A

Flyweight, Roybert Echeverria (6-0)

Just another easy fight for the Venezuelan Echeverria. He walked his opponent down throwing feints looking for the opening. He threw a good spinning kick up high that was blocked. After a little over a minute, with the first punch he committed to, he knocked his opponent out with the right hand. A really easy fight for Echeverria but fighting a guy that was 0-2 it was expected.
Grade: B-

Bantamweight, Ryan Kuse (5-0)

This was a squash match beating a guy that was 1-12. His opponent rushed forward from the start right into a takedown. Kuse took the back as the guy was getting up and Kuse landed a beautiful high-impact suplex. Kuse stayed on the back threatening the RNC but unloading on the ground and pound until the ref stepped in. A one-sided beating and a fight that shouldn’t have been made.
B+

Flyweight, Victor Dias (10-2)

And still. Titan FC flyweight champion Dias defended his title in what was a good fight. He and his opponent threw heavy shots on the feet including some good kicks from Dias. Dias was taken down but threatened with a guillotine and scrambled to his feet. As the fight went on he got stronger and was driving in on the legs getting the takedown. In round three Dias transitioned nicely to an armbar and after some fight he finally got it extended and the guy tapped.
Grade: B+

Lightweight, Eddy George (4-0)

George was all business in this fight taking care of his opponent with no issues. He came out firing letting his hands go while landing leg kicks. He knocked him down twice with the left hand. Every time he knocked him down he backed off wanting the fight back on the feet. George yet again knocked his opponent down with the left hand and the ref had enough and stepped in.
Grade: C+

Welterweight, Maurice Abévi (4-0)

In my first time watching Abevi, he beat a guy who was on my radar in Kennedy Rayomba. Rayomba was pressing forward the entire time but the footwork and head movement of Abevi were beautiful. Abevi found his range throwing a lot of punches from different angles. He kept throwing that lead uppercut which was coming close at times. Abevi started to mix it up as he got a takedown in round one. He got a takedown in round two right away. The Switzerland-based fighter landed a lot of ground and pound that had Rayomba get up with his neck exposed. Abevi locked in a guillotine and got the win. A really solid performance from Abevi who is now on my radar himself.
Grade: A-

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