Saaiman, a South African kickboxer, looked to improve to 2-0 in the UFC and 8-0 overall. Meanwhile, Mana Martinez tried to get his first UFC winning streak at Saaiman’s expense, as Martinez has traded wins and losses to a 2-1 record in the promotion since 2021.

The fighters came out setting a high pace from the beginning. Saaiman was attacking constantly with the low kicks while Mana looked to land more punches. Saaiman constantly switched stances to show different looks to his opponent. Both men landed decent shots but nothing which hurt either one of them. The South African’s bouncy in and out footwork was effective but sometimes when he rushed in to attack his left leg would give and he would fall to one knee, potentially a result of an early calf kick which may have hit the peroneal nerve of Cameron.

Midway through the round Martinez got hit in the groin by a misplaced kick, causing a brief stoppage, but the fight resumed after a minute off. Saaiman now mostly stayed southpaw and slammed round kicks into Mana, who looked to press forward to crowd the kicker. With ninety seconds in the round Saaiman hit the groin of Mana Martinez once again, leading to a point deduction and a warming from ref Herb Dean not to employ that kick again.

In his UFC debut, Cameron Saaiman also had a point deducted for a foul, that time it was an illegal grounded knee. He may even be the first fighter in UFC history to have a point deducted in his first two fights with the promotion. Regardless, they got going again. Both men threw with bad intentions for the rest of the round, including a Saaiman headkick which snuck through the guard of Mana. Both men did damage, but it seemed likely that Saaiman won the round, making it 9-9 after the point deduction.

Round two opened with a powerful, clean body kick from Saaiman. Mana tried to press forward but had little success push Cameron back to the fence. The pace remained extremely high, with Saaiman initiating most exchanges and Martinez trying to counter. The kicks of Saaiman were as diverse as they were constant, flicking out like lightning to smack into the body or legs of Mana, which now showed plenty of red welts. Mana still fought back though, landing occasionally. At one instance, Mana stepped in to meet Saaiman in the pocket and got met by a straight which suddenly dropped him. He fell to his back where Saaiman jumped on top of him and got into full guard.

Saaiman looked to pass guard but when he got to half guard briefly, Mana did a good job of regaining full guard. In the final minute Cameron rained down solid elbows whenever he won the wrist control battle. He passed to half guard in the last thirty seconds where he rained down elbows and hands until standing up and smacking a few leg kicks right at the bell.

It seemed Saaiman had a lead going into round three, but if Mana could rally then a draw on the scorecards would be possible. Both fighters tried to stance switch to gain an advantage, with Cameron going the extra step and using shifting kick combinations to extend his strikes and catch Mana Martinez. The leg kicks of Saaiman continued to take a toll on Mana’s leg. Ninety seconds into the round he seemed to hurt Martinez and pressed the advantage quickly, but then an eye poke from Saaiman paused the fight once again.

Herb Dean gave a strict warning but did not take a point for this first eye poke infraction but third infraction overall. The pair of bantamweight warriors got back to exchanging kicks at distance, a battle which Saaiman had better tools for. Mana was able to catch him sometimes when Saaiman got too reckless and dove into the pocket. With two minutes left Saaiman caught a kick and dumped Mana to the ground in half guard.

Mana liked to use the knee shield in that position all fight long, and he was able to use that to defend himself and re-guard quickly. Saaiman still worked to land big elbows from full guard which bloodied the face of Mana Martinez even more as the one minute mark came and went. The last thirty seconds saw Saaiman go all out looking for the finish, raining down alternating right and left hands. With ten seconds left Mana Martinez got to his feet. Saaiman slipped again right at the end but nothing came of it as the bell rang to end the fight.

A point deduction? No problem! 👊@Cameron_Saaiman takes the win after an action-packed performance! #UFC285 pic.twitter.com/yhtm8DBxwr

— UFC_AUSNZ (@UFC_AUSNZ) March 5, 2023

When the judges scorecards were read it seemed likely Saaiman had won rounds two and three after the probable tie in round one. Bruce Buffer’s announcement confirmed that as the South African fighter won by Majority decision, with each scorecard reading differently as one judge gave him a 10-8 round.

Official Result: Cameron Saaiman def. Leomana Martinez by majority decision (29-26, 29-27, 28-28)

The post UFC 285: Multiple Fouls, Point Deduction Lead to Majority Decision for Cameron Saaiman Over Mana Martinez appeared first on Cageside Press.

Although each fighter was coming off of a loss, their exciting fight style and the competitive nature of the match-up was likely what lead to its placement on the card.

The fighters opened by trading kicks from distance as they found their range. Davis was the first one to start using his hands and he landed a few times early on with straight punches. Two early accidental fouls, one from each fighter, paused the action in the opening half round— but Martinez recovered quickly from the low blow and Davis from the eye poke before they got back to work. The southpaw vs. orthodox match-up, when Martinez went southpaw at times, seemed to be making each fighter feel awkward early on. Mana mainly dealt with it by throwing open side kicks while Davis focused on his right straight. Martinez clipped Davis with a good hook in the final minute and coach James Krause encouraged his fighter to move forward for the finish. Davis called on his opponent as well, however, and soon recovered. At the end of the round it was unclear who had won the first stanza.

Early in round two Mana hurt Davis again and he retreated. Martinez swarmed him, looking for the finish, but Davis was able to duck in on a takedown and end up in the clinch. Martinez escaped, but it allowed Davis to recover a bit. The constant body kicks from Martinez appeared to be beginning to take a toll. After three minutes of fighting Davis landed his big right hand, his biggest strike of the bout, but Martinez countered well with a left hook. Davis began to gain some momentum and seemed to be ending the round strong, but Martinez dropped his foe with a spinning back fist. When he swarmed to finish the fight he knocked out Davis’ mouth guard. Davis stood up again but was dropped again with only seconds left before being perhaps saved by the bell.

A big right hand almost dropped Mana one minute into the final round but he was able to regain his footing. The pressure and offense from Davis was non-stop this round however, and Mana frequently found his back to the cage. Martinez tried to defuse the pressure with a takedown which was stuffed at first but he used chain wrestling to land it finally. Davis popped to his feet and they ended up in the clinch until Davis separated the hands and got back to striking. The forward pressure from Davis was suffocating and Martinez seemed to be starting to tire. Another spinning back fist attempt came from Mana but Davis defended it this time. With one minute left Davis landed a takedown of his own, into Mana’s full guard. He perhaps needed a finish, but Martinez was doing all he could to lock down his opponent. Still, Davis was able to drop down hard elbows on Mana and avoid the armbar attempt his opponent offered. When the bell rang, Davis had clearly won round three but the first two close rounds remained in question, although Mana hurt his veteran opponent in each of them.

To the judges we go! How did you score that one? #UFCVegas62 pic.twitter.com/BciGpuY6xP

— UFC (@ufc) October 15, 2022

When the scorecards were read it was a split decision with the first judge scoring it 29-28 Davis but the final two scored it 29-28 Martinez, giving him the victory by hard fought decision.

Official Result: Mana Martinez def. Brandon Davis by Split Decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)

The post UFC Vegas 62: Leomana Martinez Defeats Brandon Davis by Close Decision appeared first on Cageside Press.

Lawrence attacked the legs early, circling on the outside. Martinez looked to walk him down, but frankly couldn’t catch him. Lawrence then changed levels just over a minute in, landing the takedown. Martinez would get to one knee along the fence, Lawrence staying on him. Eventually Martinez escaped out, and the pair went back to center, only for Lawrence to suddenly close the distance and drop Martinez with a right hand! Martinez turtled up with Lawrence on him, then rolled into a heel hook that wasn’t there.

Ronnie Lawrence then settled into Martinez’s guard, which the latter kept closed, and high up the back. If nothing else, Martinez was buying some recovery time. He would run down the clock, and they’d head to round two.

In the second, Lawrence again circled on the outside, firing a low kick. Martinez, as he had in the opening round, chased him, more often than not finding air. Less than a minute into the round, Lawrence landed a 1-2 combo, body then head, dropping Mana Martinez for the second time in the fight. Again, Lawrence followed his opponent to the ground. He’d work at taking the back; when Martinez tried to power up, Lawrence dragged him back down. A second attempt saw Martinez get back to his feet, but by the midway point of the fight, he’d been knocked down again, eating a swarm of punches after a right hand dropped him.

From there, Lawrence took the back, locking in a body triangle. Martinez didn’t appear to know what zip code he was in. But he was cognizant enough to tuck his chin and fight hands, and even managed to reverse position and escape out — only for Lawrence to power through a double-leg takedown.

Martinez managed to turn the tables in the third round. After Lawrence had the edge through the first half of the round, Martinez came back in the second, rocking Lawrence, dropping and swarming him! Somehow, Lawrence survived in a mad scramble, only to nearly end up stuck in an arm-bar, then a triangle! Still, Ronnie Lawrence survived the comeback attempt. Lawrence would spend some time on top before Martinez escaped up. A final takedown for Lawrence in the last 10 seconds sealed the deal, but Martinez at least made things interesting at the end.

Official Result: Ronnie Lawrence def. Mana Martinez by unanimous decision (29-27, 29-27, 29-28)

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The backdrop of Mana Martinez’s UFC debut had shifted drastically from its original date just a week ago. Martinez had been booked opposite Jesse Strader, and later Trevin Jones, on August 21. But with the death of coach Saul Soliz from COVID-19, the newcomer’s UFC premiere took on a whole other meaning Saturday.

Against Martinez, who had missed weight for the bout — a more forgivable miss than most given the circumstances — was Guido Cannetti, looking to snap a two-fight skid.

Cannetti was the more effective fighter early landing five hard kicks to start the fight. Cannetti still was letting those leg kicks fly as Martinez was trying to find his range. Martinez did open up with a flurry of body shots and headshots as Cannetti covered up. Martinez went off on another flurry and took Cannetti down. Cannetti reversed Martinez quickly and they got back to the feet shortly after. More heavy leg kicks and body kicks from Cannetti in the final minute of the round.

Cannetti continues in round two to let his legs go just chopping away to the legs. Martinez himself was landing a lot of leg kicks and started to counter more off the kicks. Martinez throw a lot of body shots and using feints to find his openings. Cannetti started to back up more in the latter portion of the round. Martinez started to catch the kicks more and counter.

Shots are flying and shots are landing! 🤜 #UFCVegas35 pic.twitter.com/DTklJJEtyc

— UFC (@ufc) August 28, 2021

In the final round, Martinez started to press forward even more. When he was letting his hands go he had Cannetti curling up while combinations from Martinez were flowing. Cannetti was visibly exhausted midways in the final round. Martinez was not throwing as much as he should but was throwing in combinations while Cannetti was throwing one punch at a time. With a minute left, Martinez shot for a double leg and completed the takedown. He let Cannetti up at the bell but landed some good ground and pound prior to that.

Mana Martinez def. Guido Cannetti by Split Decision (29-28 x2, 28-29)

The post UFC Vegas 35 Results: Mana Martinez Wins Debut Split Decision Over Guido Cannetti appeared first on Cageside Press.

Mana “Manaboi” Martinez
Standing at 5’9″
Fighting at 135 lbs (bantamweight)
25-years-old
Fighting out of Houston, Texas, US
Training out of Metro Fight Club
A pro record of 8-2
8 KO/TKOs

How will Martinez fare in the UFC:

Martinez is an excellent prospect and someone I like a lot. It’s a shame because his two losses to Drako Rodriguez and Dulani Perry don’t do him justice. He’s actually much better than those two. Martinez has only fought one opponent with a losing record and has a win over TUF 29 finalist Ricky Turcios.

“Manaboi” is a legit all-around threat on the feet. He can out-kickbox guys, out-point them, and box them up. On the feet, Martinez is a tactical, precise striker. He picks his shots, and counter striking is something he’s superb at. His 100% finish rate all by KO/TKO justifies how good his stand-up is. Martinez goes body-head actively and will attack with leg kicks. He’s a sniper on the outside and a combination boxer on the inside. In grappling he holds his own. I haven’t been able to see much of his offensive jiu-jitsu but of what I’ve seen he’s pretty slick.

Overall at his age he’s going to be a real threat in the future. If he can tighten up his takedown defense and work off his back he will be a complete fighter.

Fighter comparison in the division: Adrian Yanez

Striking: A
Kickboxing: A-
Clinch: C+
Wrestling: C-
Grappling: C
Striking Defense: B
Takedown Defense: C
Cardio: B-
Biggest Strength: Striking
Biggest Weakness: Grappling defense

How he matches up with Cannetti:

I’ve seen a few people high on Cannetti in this fight but honestly I can’t see a reason why. Cannetti is 41, has lost his last two, hasn’t won a fight since 2018, and his two UFC wins are against lesser competition really. I can’t see Martinez losing this and I can’t see him not being able to finish this fight. He did miss weight for the fight, but he also recently lost his coach to COVID-19.

The post Welcome to the UFC: Mana Martinez appeared first on Cageside Press.

Just a week ago, in the fifth installment of DWCS 2020, Knight earned himself a shot at the UFC proper. Now, it’s Nchukwi’s turn — despite being just 3-0 and not having fought since defeating Knight.

Jackson-Wink MMA product Phil Hawes will also compete Tuesday night. “Megatron” appeared on the Contender Series back in 2017, and while he came up short there, he hasn’t lost since, putting together three straight wins split between Bellator MMA and Brave CF.

Undefeated prospects are always worth keeping an eye on, especially when they’ve hit double digits. That’s the case for Aliaskhab Khizriev, with a 12-0 record entering the night. While the level of competition Khizriev faced early in his career was underwhelming, his last victory came against a name UFC fans will be very, very familiar with: Rousimar Palhares. Khizriev not only escaped with his leg intact, but managed to finish the Brazilian within a minute via ground and pound. That step up in competition coupled with an unblemished record have many observers high on his chances at a strong future in the UFC.

As always, the action gets underway at 8PM ET, live on ESPN+ (UFC Fight Pass internationally). Check back for results as the night unfolds.

For his part, Aliaskhab Khizriev wasted no time taking down Henrique Shiguemoto, and quickly took the back, locking in the rear-naked choke. Claiming the win in under a minute, the middleweight (who has also fought at welterweight) couldn’t have done much more to secure a UFC deal.

Drako Rodriguez clearly got the memo. Securing his own submission win with a triangle, he put away Mana Martinez in under three minutes. Martinez was locked up tight enough that he went to sleep before he could tap.

Phil Hawes got it as well. A big right hand sealed the deal, knocking down Khadzhi Bestaev with follow-up strikes a mere formality.

Church vs. Blackledge wound up being the first fight on week six of the Contender Series to leave the opening round. Blackledge’s takedowns were the story early. That, and low blows. Early in the second, the action was halted by by a low knee on Church. A second knee went upstairs, adding insult to injury. Or just more injury. Church opted not to take the full time allotted for recovery, and was soon in danger again. However, this time it was Church landing low, with a kick to the cup. When the action resumed, Blackledge earned another takedown, working in some shots to the body and head. Blackledge would press hard in the third, and while he couldn’t get the finish, he controlled to the bell, earning the decision win.

Nchukwi vs. Matavao was about the clearest example of power vs. speed you’ll find in modern MMA. Nchukwi frankly dwarfed his opponent, landing by far the more powerful strikes. But Matavao was willing to throw, and when he did, he threw a lot. He was rocked early, however, and grazed by a kick later in the round. That or the follow-up punch opened up a small cut.

Nchukwi didn’t take much time in the second, flooring Matavao early with a heavy head kick. Matavao was down for a while after that kick, but did recover and sit up under his own power.

Dana White’s Contender Series Season 4, Week 6 Results

Tafon Nchukwi def. Al Matavao by knockout (head kick), Round 2, 2:01
Sherrard Blackledge def. Cameron Church by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Phil Hawes def. Khadzhi Bestaev by TKO, Round 1, 1:18
Drako Rodriguez def. Mana Martinez by technical submission (triangle choke), Round 1, 2:22
Aliaskhab Khizriev def. Henrique Shiguemoto by submission (rear-naked choke), Round 1, 0:50

Contracts: Aliaskhab Khizriev, Drako Rodriguez, Phil Hawes, Tafon Nchukwi. Sherrard Blackledge invited back for a second fight this November.

The post Dana White’s Contender Series Season 4, Week 6 Results appeared first on Cageside Press.

Thing is, Tafon has not fought since that win, which came last November. Still, big things are expected of the light heavyweight, with the 205lb division badly in need of fresh blood.

That’s just one of five compelling bouts this week, so let’s get right to our preview and predictions.

Light Heavyweight: Tafon Nchukwi vs. Al Matavao

Tale of the Tape

Pros and Cons

Who has the advantage?

Striking: Nchukwi
Speed: Nchukwi
Output/Volume: Nchukwi
Knockout Power: Nchukwi
Chin: Nchukwi
Kickboxing: Nchukwi
Footwork: Nchukwi
Wrestling: Neither
Grappling: Neither
Submissions: Neither
Cardio: Nchukwi

Prediction

Although Al Matavao has much more pro experience than Tafon Nchukwi, this is a big mismatch in favor of Nchukwi. The fight will most likely stay standing and in every aspect, Tafon has the advantage. What really stands out has got to be the physicality of Nchukwi. Matavao is a very small 205lb’er standing at 5’8″. That makes him even smaller than Kelvin Gastelum. I expect Tafon to bully Al Matavao around on DWCS and put him away quickly.

The post DWCS 2020 Week 6 Breakdown and Predictions appeared first on Cageside Press.

In this piece, we feature 25 prospects believed worthy of a spot on the Contender Series Season 4. Left out will be fighters that fought on the previous seasons, though some may return.

Hugo Cunha

Heavyweight | 25 | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | 5-0 | 3 KO/TKO, 2 Submissions

Hugo Cunha doesn’t have a lot of experience in MMA but is a Brazilian National Team wrestler and a BJJ black belt. You will notice his level of competition has been poor as he’s fought three opponents with an 0-0 record. Cunha has still looked dominant thus far in his career and that’s with a 100% finish rate. From Brazil, the ‘Silverback’ has fought in Florida for Titan FC so fighting in the States increases his stock even more.

Renan Ferreira

Heavyweight | 30 | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | 6-2 | Win Streak: 1 | 5 KO/TKO, 1 Submission

Renan Ferreira’s loss early on in his career to Vinicius Moreira doesn’t look so good today. That was early in his career though and the truth is his ceiling is much higher. Like Cunha, Ferreira has recently fought in the U.S., with that bout being for top promotion LFA. He won his last fight against Jared Vanderaa and before that was on his way to probably beating Brett Martin only to be DQ’d due to punches to the back on the head. “Problema” is a giant standing at 6’10” who has a perfect finishing rate all inside two rounds. All those finishes have come by TKO mostly by ground-and-pound. On the feet, he does hit hard, has heavy leg kicks, and a good jab. Ferreira is a problem on the mat being such a big guy, and he does not let up with his heavy ground strikes.

Bruno Miranda

Lightweight | 29 | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | 13-3 | Win Streak: 4 | 8 KO/TKOs, 2 Submissions

Brazil’s Bruno Miranda lives in Phuket, Thailand as he trains out of Tiger Muay Thai with the likes of many top UFC athletes. Miranda has extensive experience in Muay Thai and it has shown throughout his MMA career. He’s a staple of South Korean promotion Road FC fighting for them nine times. He isn’t locked down in contract-wise and he has a fighting style that should draw the UFC in.

Al Matavao

Light heavyweight | 26 | Nu’uuli, Alaska | 8-2 | Win Streak: 4 | 5 KO/TKOs, 1 Submission

Alaska is a state that lacks higher level fighters but Al Matavao is someone that has potential. In his most recent fight he scored a 16-second knockout. With that alone it’s almost certain he will land on the Contender Series. His last loss was to Jake Heun but since then he has won his next four fights. Matavao is fun to watch and has a style that always produces exciting fights.

Jake Hadley

Flyweight | 23 | Birmingham, England | 5-0 | Win Streak: 7 | 1 KO/TKOs, 3 Submissions

Jake Hadley is only 5-0 as a pro but in his amateur career, he was successful and was a 4x amateur British flyweight champion. When Hadley was only 3-0 as a pro he fought a top prospect in Nkazimulo Zulu. Hadley beat him for the EFC Worldwide Flyweight Championship. In his latest fight, he beat a very good Blaine O’Driscoll in his Bellator debut. He could very well go straight to the UFC and there would be no complaints.

Nikolas Motta

Lightweight | 26 | Governador Valadares, Minas Gerais, Brazil | 11-3 | Win Streak: 2 | 8 KO/TKOs

In 2015, Nikolas Motta competed on The Ultimate Fighter Brazil Season 4 and lost to the eventual winner, Glaico França. Since then, Motta is 5-2 with both losses to good fighters. Motta has a win over current UFC fighter Joe Solecki. Also, a win over Cesar Balmaceda who was on our list last year. From Brazil, he lives in the United States and is the current CFFC lightweight champion.

Christien Savoie

Welterweight | 27 | New Brunswick, Canada | 8-0 | Win Streak: 11 | 5 KO/TKOs

Christien Savoie has competed at both middleweight and welterweight. Elite 1 MMA is a promotion out of Canada and Savoie has won two titles for them at both of those weight classes. Last summer, Savoie was targeted for the Contender Series, which unfortunately didn’t pan out — in fact it hasn’t the past two seasons. This could be the year. Savoie is mainly a grinder who will push the pace in close quarters. He wants to take the fight to the mat where his ground and pound is excellent landing at a solid rate with good shots from a short amount of distance.

 Casey O’Neill

Strawweight | 22 | Queensland, Australia | 4-0 | Win Streak: 9 | 1 Submission

When it comes to young up-and-comers, Casey O’Neill is one of the best. From Scottland, O’Neill has fought her entire pro and amateur career in Australia. She’s the current Eternal MMA Strawweight Championship. She even moved up to 125 in her latest fight because it’s so hard for her to find strawweights willing to fight her. O’Neill also fights out of an excellent camp in Tiger Muay Thai.

Hailey Cowan

Flyweight | 27 | Waco, Texas, US | 5-1 | Win Streak: 5 | 2 KO TKOs, 1 Submission

Hailey Cowan has an extensive background in gymnastics and was very accomplished at Baylor University. She won a few tumbling national titles and is a two-time All-American. After coming up short in her pro-MMA debut, she then went on to win her next five fights looking impressive in the process. She’s a staple of top regional promotion LFA who always does a great job molding fighters.

Anthony Ivy

Welterweight | 29 | San Antonio, Texas, US | 8-2 | Win Streak: 4 | 5 KO TKOs, 3 Submission

Anthony Ivy is on a nice five-fight win streak currently and is the Fury FC and the WXC welterweight champion. Ivy has some good qualities on the feet with good clinch work and an explosive head kick. He’s primarily wrestler who chains his takedowns together well to go along with good timing, setups, and executions. In the grappling realm, he has perfect control showing superb ability to get dominant positions. His work ethic and cardio set him apart from other welterweight prospects.

John Gotti III

Welterweight | 27 | Oyster Bay, New York, US | 5-0 | Win Streak: 9 | 4 KO TKOs

John Gotti III is best known as the grandson of the infamous John Gotti, the Italian-American gangster known as the “Teflon Don.” John Gotti the third is going down a different path, pursuing a career in MMA, and has looked really good so far. He’s a knockout artist who recently went the distance for the first time. That’s a plus, for him to get that in early in his career. He has a style Dana White would want on the Contender Series.

Jose Johnson

Bantamweight | 24 | Copperas Cove, Texas, US | 11-5 | Win Streak: 5 | 7 KO TKOs, 1 Submission

Jose Johnson, being only 24, has an amazing amount of experience. Not only is he 11-5 as a pro but he has an extensive amateur career going 68-12. At a point in his pro career, Jose was 5-4 but since late 2018 he’s looked much improved. He’s the current Warrior Xtreme Cagefighting bantamweight champ and recently fought for the top UFC feeder league LFA. Johnson has looked stellar as of late. He is now on a five-fight win streak, all finishes in the first round.

Emillio Trevino

Light-heavyweight | 24 | Boise, Idaho, US | 5-0 | Win Streak: 6 | 2 KO TKOs, 1 Submission

Emilio Trevino is still a bit unknown due to only fighting pro for three years, and his lack of a busy schedule. Without much experience, he’s still fought for both LFA and Bellator MMA. Trevino fights out of a karate stance and is a fighter who fights behind his kicks. He actively switches stances and throws from different angles as well. He’s still green but has the toolset to go far.

The post Scouting Prospects for the Contender Series Season 4: Part 1 appeared first on Cageside Press.

This edition of the Weekly MMA Prospect Report, with that in mind, is quite frankly subject to change.

Fury FC 43 | Friday | US

Bantamweight: Leomana Martinez (6-1)

Despite a split-decision loss to Dulani Perry, Leomana Martinez has looked very good. He’s a technically sound kickboxer who has some slick hands as well. “Manaboi” fights behind his leg kicks throwing them often and very hard. He has ended a fight with leg kicks but will mix it up as he holds a head kick knockout as well. Martinez hasn’t spent much time on the mat in his pro career but has three arm-bar wins as an amateur. On the feet, though he’s just so good thanks to his speed, counter ability, power, and excellent accuracy and timing. He fights Peter Caballero (7-4).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U724Otru1xU

Bantamweight: Adrian Yanez (10-3)

Adrian Yanez is a good young talent who has only lost to good fighters and is still only 26. His biggest weakness is his takedown defense. It’s not poor, it just takes him time to stuff shots. He only has two submissions but has some credible BJJ to give guys issues. On the feet is where he wants to be mainly; it’s where all of his finishes have come. Yanez has slick boxing that includes head movement, quick hands, going body-head, and excellent placement. I really like the future of this kid. He fights Ricky Turcios (10-2).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tEE0VZWFSQ

LXF 5 | Friday | US

Featherweight: Melsik Baghdasaryan (4-1)

Melsik Baghdasaryan doesn’t have a lot of MMA experience and his competition has been horrible but the potential is there. Baghdasaryan does have a lot of experience in other combat sports, mainly boxing, and kickboxing. He’s competed in the K-1 Grand Prix, is a former WLF World Kick Boxing Champion, and a 3-0 pro boxer. Losing his pro debut he has won his next four. He has got the job done early with a 7, 14, and 9-second finish. Of course, there is still so much we need to see of him though. He fights Ysidro Gutierrez (5-3).

Bellator 241 | Friday | US

Middleweight: Anatoly Tokov (29-3)

Anatoly Tokov is an excellent prospect out of Russia with an impressive record with plenty of experience. Tokov is 22-1 in his last 24 fights as his only loss is to UFC fighter Ramazan Emeev. He does have wins over solid competition including former champion Alexander Shlemenko. With a background in combat sambo, he is a great wrestler and the ground-and-pound he possesses on top is his best aspect. Tokov has heavy hands and is very aggressive with great cardio. Tokov is a major prospect and a possible future Bellator champion. He fights Fabio Aguiar (17-1).

Welterweight: Robson Gracie Jr. (3-0)

Every MMA fan is familiar with the legendary last name Gracie. More and more it seems like a new Gracie is making a slight name for themselves. Robson Gracie Jr. is, of course, most comfortable on the mat as his BJJ is his specialty. All three of his wins have come by submission and all three are a form of a different sub. The Gracia family is known for their jiu-jitsu and no so much on the feet and it looks like Robson doesn’t have a lot to offer standing. He does have excellent jiu-jitsu but does have a lot to show first. He fights Billy Goff (2-2).

Welterweight: Mark Lemminger (10-1)

Mark Lemminger is a wrestling based fighter, and he’s a high level one at that, excelling on the regional scene. He is a physical powerhouse once he gets control in the clinch. He ragdolls guys, making it look like a professional wrestling match the way he slings opponents around. He doesn’t just rely on strength, on his takedowns he uses solid technique as well including inside trip takedowns, outside trip takedowns, and sweeping the legs out on his opponents – all beautifully done. On top, he has fight-ending ground and pound, staying active and always throwing while keeping full control. On the feet, Lemminger doesn’t usually stay striking, as he usually initiates the clinch, but he is getting better and better. He does hit hard, wobbling and even dropping his opponents, but he needs a lot of refining. He fights Ion Pascu (18-10).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kiN4pXqVW9Y

 Combate 57 | Friday | US

Flyweight: Juan Puerta (18-6)

Juan Puerta has had a lot of speed bumps in his career but has now hit his stride and is on a seven-fight win streak, the biggest of his career. On the feet, Puerta uses his range well with jabs and knees. He’s much better on the mat, though, using his length. Puerta is a big submission threat with nearly all his fights going that way. He shows how dangerous he is on the mat with his versatile submission attack holding five different submissions. He fights Ivan Lopez (14-4-1).

AFL 23 | Saturday | Spain

Strawweight: Pierangela Rodriguez Giunta (5-0)

Pierangela Rodriguez Giunta is an all-action type fighter who is a fun one to watch. She badly needs to work on her takedown defense as that is by far her weakest area. Rodriguez loves to just throw her hands. In her constant rapid attack, she does hit hard and is pretty accurate. Her aggressive style is one of the reasons she has a 100% finish rate. She fights Samantha Jean-Francois (3-6).

Caged Steel Contenders 2 | Saturday | UK

Bantamweight: Adam Bramhald (8-2)

Adam Bramhald has some experience in kickboxing going 4-0 in K1. Only losing to good fighters in Luke Shanks and Scott Malone, at just 25, he has a promising future. On the feet, he’s very technical and throws a lot of output. Bramhald is dynamic and does a great job throwing with his punches and kicks. Not the most powerful but has everything else. He fights Francisco Javier Asprilla Martinez (14-13-1).

The post Weekly MMA Prospect Report: For Those Events Moving Forward, Here’s Who to Look Out For appeared first on Cageside Press.

Mallory Martin has already graduated to the UFC, but in November, she ranked as one of the top prospects for the month. Joining her among the month’s top prospects are Umar Nurmagomedov (cousin of UFC champion Khabib), Bellator’s Aviv Gozali, and lots more.

Welterweight, Josh Togo (7-3)

Josh Togo beat an undefeated fighter in David Martinez taking the Eternal lightweight title. Martinez is a good wrestler and Togo had perfect takedowns and some good footwork helped that. Togo picked Martinez apart on the outside with lead leg kicks, lead uppercuts, and jabs. He mixed it up perfectly and although the power wasn’t there, he still did drop Martinez briefly in round two.
Grade: C

https://twitter.com/ImShannonTho/status/1190261365463748608

Bantamweight, Lisa Verzosa (5-0)

I was really impressed with the toughness, heart, and tenacity of Lisa Verzosa last month. It takes two to make a war and her opponent Kerri Kenneson did just as well. Verzosa got dropped, hit a lot, and busted up but she held her own and gave out just as much damage. She really found her rhythm once in the clinch landing output to the body and head. Her defensive wrestling was good as well, and she would be the one in top position. A gritty fight where she did just enough.
Grade: C+

Strawweight, Mallory Martin (6-2)

Mallory Martin continued to extend her win streak in November, pushing it to five. She beat a good prospect in Cynthia Acreo and Martin won all three rounds. Arceo was doing pretty well on the feet finding her range but Martin found success getting takedowns. Getting the fight down each round, it became a familiar performance from Martin. She dominated once on top getting dominant positions (mount) and raining down her elbows, which she loves to throw. The win helped earn her a spot on the UFC DC card as a short-notice replacement.
Grade: B-

Screaming “Happy Halloween” at your opponent feels like both a trick and a treat 🎃 (via @invictafights) pic.twitter.com/6uqe2iGjMg

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) November 7, 2019

Featherweight, Elijah Johns (5-1)

The brother of UFC fighter Miles Johns, Elijah moved his win streak to three last month. Elijah showed glimpses of striking but instead won with his wrestling. He had real solid, explosive takedowns getting the fight down each round. On top, he dominated on control and always worked for the finish but his opponent was tough. It’s time for LFA to give Johns a good push now.
Grade: C+

https://twitter.com/ImShannonTho/status/1195529417872859136

Strawweight, Cheyanne Buys (4-1)

Cheyanne Buys was impressive in her second LFA fight winning an easy decision. Buys was always pressing the action and found a home with that looping right over and over. Her movement was good and her flow of kicks and punches was put together well. Buys threw and landed a lot of volume. In the third round, she even secured two takedowns and landed some good ground and pound.
Grade: C+

https://twitter.com/ImShannonTho/status/1195537947480776704

Bantamweight, JP Buys (8-2)

JP Buys was making his LFA debut in November, and ran through his opponent getting the quick finish. He got the single leg early on, pulling opponent Rodriguez down. Buys quickly transitioned to the back and took no time sinking both hooks in. He flattened out Rodriguez and would rattle off many strikes to the side of the head. Buys had the position locked down and the ref eventually would step in.
Grade: B-

https://twitter.com/ImShannonTho/status/1195549249653690368

Lightweight, Brant Moore (7-1)

In November, Brant Moore beat his third undefeated fighter in a good prospect in the form of Nation Gibrick. Nation was known as the good wrestler but Moore was the one quickly getting the takedown. Gibrick was constantly moving his hips looking to reverse but the top control of Moore was on lockdown. He smoothly moved into mount and shortly after he won with the RNC,
Grade: B

https://twitter.com/ImShannonTho/status/1195553160233934848

Bantamweight, Jose Johnson (11-5)

Jose Johnson was taking on a very game in Brazilian Rafael Costa. Costa was on Johnson early wanting to close the distance and get the takedown. He did have Jose in some trouble with a d’arce but Jose showed solid defense. While Costa was working for a takedown, Johnson landed a perfect elbow to the temple. That one elbow knocked out Costa, face-planting him in devastating fashion. Note: Johnson was an insane 68-12 as an amateur.
Grade: A

This nasty elbow immediately sent his opponent to the canvas (via @UFCFightPass) pic.twitter.com/Yj4EUARdxI

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) November 16, 2019

Bantamweight, Adrian Yanez (10-3)

Adrian Yanez had a great fight in the LFA 78 main event with a good fighter in Kyle Estrada. Yanez did start off a little slow and you could say he lost the first round. In rounds 2 and 3 however, Yanez turned up the heat. Yanez did an awesome job stepping into the pocket and letting his hands go. He showed solid boxing throwing from some good angels and always throwing more than two strikes at a time. Estrada was very game as well and did well but after a while the output was on the side of Yanez.
Grade: B+

https://twitter.com/ImShannonTho/status/1195565550224728064

Welterweight, Ian Garry (3-0)

Ian Garry had to battle through adversity at the start of the fight getting cracked by a right hand. Garry though stayed upright and recovered quickly. He got control against the cage and was landing many left uppercuts. That forced his opponent to give up his back and Garry to pull him down. From there it was sealed as Garry quickly finished with the RNC.
Grade: C+

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