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

• Samir Faiddine who is 2-2 in his last four fights.
• Salahdine Parnasse who is the current KSW featherweight champion.
• Nassourdine Imavov who is 3-1 in the UFC and ranked #13 in the middleweight division.
• Mansour Barnaoui who is now signed with Bellator MMA.
• Mehdi Ben Lakhdha who hasn’t fought since I mentioned him in this post.

Let’s get to it with this year’s picks for five French standouts.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jp8N_UF1H7A

Featherweight, William Gomis (9-2)

Gomis didn’t really jump out to anyone until he beat Tobias Harila in 2021. Gomis has an exciting fighting style and is only just 25. Gomis is a really dangerous guy when he blitzes forward and off his back foot. He throws a lot of good kicks and his hands compliment his offensive output. He does a fine job of always staying busy. Not the cleanest on the mat but he can wrestle and grapple when needed.

It’s going be tough to figure out Gomis on the feet where he’s so tricky. I really like Gomis and think he can be something one day. He’s one of my favorite prospects.

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

It’s a deep division, but new blood is always necessary, so we’ll give our take on who the promotion should scoop up this year.

Here’s a look at last year’s list, featuring current UFC roster member Daniel Zellhuber being the only one to sign with the UFC in 2021.

Anthony Romero
Amin Ayoub
Brant Moore
Daniel Zellhuber
Eduard Vartanyan
Kirill Gorobets
Kyung Pyo Kim
Mateusz Rebecki
Mehdi Ben Lakhdhar
Milson Castro

Before we get started, be sure to check out the other instalments in this 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

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

WCC 003 | Thursday | Peru

Bantamweight, Renzo Mendez (16-6)

Mendez has had a lot of setbacks in his career already with six losses. However, he’s currently on an eight-fight win streak. “El Nene” on the feet is a banger. He loves to let his hands go, going head-hunting with big looping punches and head kicks. He’s super aggressive the entire fight. His takedown defense does need work but off his back his jiu-jitsu is strong. On top or off his back he has shown good grappling. He fights Gabriel Castro (6-5).

EFC 43 | Thursday | Russia

Lightweight, Mehdi Dakaev (13-2)

Dakaev made a statement when he won the EFC title beating Khabib Nurmagomedov’s teammate Gadzhi Rabadanov. His striking has come a long way. He throws a good jab and strong straight punches. Dakaev is a solid wrestler and an even better grappler once on top. He’s well-rounded and has a deep gas tank. He fights Makkasharip Zaynukov (11-3).

Middleweight, Faridun Odilov (12-2-2)

Odilov has fought at welterweight, light heavyweight, and now at middleweight. The native out of Tajikistan has won his last five fights. Odilov is a strong physical guy who is capable of ending the fight at anytime. He’s a good wrestler being good at timing his shots off kicks. On top his ground and pound have shown to be his best weapon. Along with some strong grappling, he’s a huge threat on the mat. He fights Enoc Solves Torres (26-10-1).

LUX Fight League 19 | Friday | Mexico

Middleweight, Iván Valenzuela (7-1)

I’m not fully sold on Valenzuela but can’t deny the run he’s been on. He’s won four fights in a row. All seven of his wins come in the first round. On the feet he kicks hard and is a dangerous muay thai fighter. His takedown defense usually gets tested but he has three guillotine wins. On the mat, there is also a threat of ground and pound. So many uncertainties though. Valenzuela fights Ricardo Centeno (9-6).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ci0al_CPzw0&t=302s&ab_channel=LUXFightLeague

Cage Warriors 131 | Friday | UK

Middleweight, Djati Melan (7-0)

Fighting for the first time in almost two years Melan is definitely someone to watch for out of France. His striking is a bit better but still progressing, though he makes up for it with wrestling chops. He’s a really strong wrestler with a pressure heavy attack. Melan can do it all fight too with an endless gas tank. He has good ground and pound, strong top position, and is overall a really good grappler. Melan has a good future. He fights Matthew Bonner (10-6).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytOMxW4ojiY

Lightweight, George Hardwick (8-1)

No matter where the fight takes Hardwick he’s going to be comfortable. He’s all about volume on the feet throwing slick combinations to the body and head. Surgical on the inside with his hands and elbows in the clinch he will chop the legs at distance. Hardwick can wrestle as well. He can get takedowns on the legs and from the upper body. His jiu-jitsu is slick. He smoothly takes the back and right away locks in the body triangle. As a pro he’s really good at finding the neck of his opponent. Hardwick fights Mehdi Ben Lakhdhar (5-0-1).

Lightweight, Mehdi Ben Lakhdhar (5-0-1)

Lakhdhar is a Muay Thai fighter with all-around skills on the feet. He’s good at picking his shots, flipping the jab, and firing uppercuts with just a nice flow to his output. His takedown defense does need some improvement but has already shown some, developing rather quickly. He fights George Hardwick (8-1).

Middleweight, Christian Leroy Duncan (4-0)

Undefeated as a pro, Duncan had an extensive amateur career mostly for IMMAF. He went 17-6 as an amateur before going pro, where he’s been excelling. All that experience has made Duncan into a well-rounded top prospect out of the UK. On the feet Duncan is known for his diverse, tricky style. He’s always throwing flashy spinning attacks but he’s done a good job setting it all up. Both his hands and legs are very dangerous. He’s always throwing something different and is tough to read. Duncan is a solid wrestler and grappler as well. He needs work with takedown defense but can very well hold his own and not to mention he’s a submission threat. Duncan fights Justin Moore (10-5).

FAC 11 | Friday | US

Lightweight, Evan Elder (6-0)

Elder is a young kid at 24-years-old with a high ceiling. His level of competition as a pro is weak but he’s performed as expected. He’s at his best once on the mat and the wrestling to get there has been solid thus far. Elder has solid transitional grappling moving freely on top being very glue-like as well. He has good ground and pound that eventually leads to him finishing with a submission. Elder is also pretty good on the feet with good output and mixing in strikes and kicks together well with solid footwork. He fights Marcus Andrusia (9-16).

Featherweight, Isaac Dulgarian (3-0)

Undefeated as a pro, 4-0 as an amateur, and an NCAA Division II wrestler Dulgarian has looked great. It’s been rinse and repeat for Dulgarian getting the takedown, moving into the mount or back and finishing the fight. He wastes no time exploiting his style. Dulgarian has smashing ground and pound and really glides on top with his grappling. Some answers need to come but with how he’s looked the ceiling is high. He fights Ray Ostrander (1-1).

Heavyweight, Nyle Bartling (5-0)

Bartling grew up wrestling. He was a three-time state qualifier and claimed the district title three times. Outside of wrestling his freshman year for Ohio State, he wrestled his last three years of college for the University of Nebraska. Wrestling is what his style is in MMA. He doesn’t waste any time closing the distance and powering guys down. The technique into the takedowns isn’t great yet but his finish ability is solid. On top he’s a strong guy with a strong base and has shown the ability to stop the fight by submission and ground and pound. Bartling fights Anthony Garrett (6-5).

LFA 120 | Friday | US

Flyweight, Jamey-Lyn Horth Wessels (4-0)

Wessels hasn’t fought in nearly two years but lastly, beat Jade Masson-Wong for the BFL title. That win and the performance put her as the best female Canadian prospect at the moment. There isn’t really a lot of footage on Wessels, but those who have seen her compete live, the word is she’s top-notch. Basically pressure, wrestling, and a solid work rate are what she brings to the cage. She fights Mayra Cantuária (9-3-1).

Flyweight, Tony Laramie (5-2)

From the start Laramie didn’t cut any corners. His pro debut was against Keith Lee, the brother of  Kevin Lee. He did suffer two consecutive losses but those were against two good fighters. Laramie is now on a three-fight win streak. Even though he hasn’t fought great competition lately he’s fighting opponents with a lot of experience. Tony is also the younger brother of UFC fighter TJ Laramie. Laramie is a super impressive young athlete that’s still a student of the sport. He fights Tyus White (4-0).

XFC YoungGuns 4 | Friday | US

Lightweight, Kenneth Cross (12-3)

Cross is a fast starter who is very explosive. He’s got good movement with a dangerous left hand and is super athletic. With all that, he can wrestle well and grind as he has a physical advantage over most guys. His cardio is still a work in progress but overall a fun guy. He fights Jose Martinez (12-5).

Bantamweight, Austin Bashi (4-0)

Bashi is a young 20-year-old out of Michigan that has a lot of promise. His wrestling is his bread and butter. He can put his wrestling on his opponents all fight going three rounds three times. All over his opponents with fluid grappling and a strong base. The wrestling is top notch. Bashi fights Reshal Malik (3-3-1).

Ares FC 2 | Friday | France

Welterweight, Abdoul Abdouraguimov (12-1)

The Russian native had a background in freestyle-wrestling and Brazilian jiu-jitsu before switching over to MMA. He slows fairly quickly because of how aggressive he is early and his grapple-heavy style. He changed his nickname to the “Lazy King” because he plans on taking his time and being more proficient. His wrestling is decent, but Abdouraguimov could use his setups better. However, he does close the distance fairly well and is willing to take risks getting the fight to the mat because he scrambles so well. On the mat, Abdouraguimov does excellent work with grappling, but on the feet, he is unpredictable and just needs to be more technical. Overall, Abdouraguimov has a bright future. He fights Luciano Contini (13-3).

Welterweight, Louis Glismann (8-2)

Glismann is a top-notch grappler out of Denmark. From the start of the fight, Glismann is very aggressive getting the fight to the mat right away. With a high work ethic in the jiu-jitsu department, Glismann is constantly working to improve position. He’s a high-level grappler easily passing guard and flowing on top. He has good ground and pound and is a really dangerous submission threat. He fights former UFC fighter Emil Weber Meek (9-5).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3PuOA9dUic&ab_channel=BRAVEMMAFIGHTS

Welterweight, Felix Klinkhammer (6-0)

Klinkhammer is another product out of London Shootfighters who is an unorthodox fighter. He’s a very tricky fighter with a divers kickboxing attack. He can be a little too flashy with the spinning attacks more. Klinkhammer excels on the mat as four of his six wins come by submission. He has aggressive jiu-jitsu, good ground and pound, and as diverse he is on the feet he’s even more so on the mat. Klinkhammer fights Karim Rabei (6-2).

Octagon 26 & Gorilla MMA Series 46 | Friday | Kazakhstan

Flyweight, Azat Maksum (13-0)

Maksum is a talented pin-point striker with an underrated ground game. Patient on the feet Maksum uses a lot of feints waiting for his opening. He does a lot of stabbing on the outside with the jab picking guys apart. It’s all to set up a power punch or a takedown. Maksum is a bright prospect out of Kazakhstan. He fights Aziretaly Jumabek Uulu (7-2).

Slam FC Underdog 4 | Saturday | Italy

Featherweight, Michele Baiano (5-0)

Baiano stood out to me and many others when he knocked out Nizar Ben Amara who had eyes on him. He’s a slick striker that holds a lot of power, speed, and technique. Baiano has good straight punches and is an excellent pull-counter striker. He throws a lot of kicks mixing it up as well. Footage does lack so there is still be more to be seen. Baiano fights Manolo Zecchini (9-2).

Cage Warriors 132 | Saturday | UK

Bantamweight, Dominique Wooding (8-4)

Wooding just beat Nathan Fletcher for the Cage Warriors title which is a huge win. He has a lot of good experience too fighting good fighters and spent some time in Bellator. Wooding is a dynamic explosive fighter that is insanely quick and athletic. He can finish the fight at any time. Exciting to watch and still only 25-years-old so the sky is the limit. He fights Carlos Abreu (9-3).

Welterweight, Mateusz Figlak (6-1)

Figlak’s only loss is to former Cage Warriors champ and current UFC fighter Ian Garry. Figlak to me is a future Cage Warriors champ and UFC fighter himself. He’s well rounded and has finished by KO/TKOs and submissions. On the feet Figlak throws a lot of heavy kicks especially attacking a lead leg. He’s a smooth striker that throws combinations in angles. He’s also really good in the clinch with his knees. Figlak as he is well-rounded he’s arguably better at using his wrestling and ground game. He has impressive ground and pound and that’s complemented his submission attack. I’ve been really impressed with this guy since his last loss. He fights Kent Kauppinen (13-6).

Lightweight, Mike Figlak (6-0)

Like his brother Matt, Mike Figlak is well-rounded. He’s knocked guys out, won via ground and pound, went the distance, and won by subs as an amateur. He brings pressure, volume, and composure every time he competes. Figlak is a fierce striker. The power isn’t necessarily the danger as it’s the volume and combinations he throws. Figlak is frequently attacking and does so from different angles and always throws something different. He sometimes strays away from it but his bodywork is wonderful. He mixes it into combinations going body-head. Maybe not as exciting on the feet his ground game is just as good. He fights Stevie McIntosh (7-2).

Flyweight, Lone’er Kavanagh (2-0)

Kavanagh competed in K-1 and is a five-time world champion. He’s brought every single bit of that into his MMA career. Kavanagh is a very skilled and intriguing young man. Where he’s best at is unequivocally on the feet. He’s light on his feet, doing a lot of bouncing around. Kavanagh is excessively fast specifically with his movement, hands, and his legs. He’s such a flashy guy and he doesn’t telegraph his strikes at all. Kavanagh is a true 125-er that brings speed, athleticism, explosiveness, and a recurrent rapid pace. He fights Maximilien Vallot (4-3).

Dominium Fighter Championship 8 | Brazil | Saturday

Feathweight, Márcio dos Santos (10-0)

Santos has been very active fighting three times this year. No feeling out process as Santos gets right after it. All but one of his fights have come by finish and a few of those have been in under a minute. Santos has bombs in his hands and is very athletic. He doesn’t shy away from a brawl and so far that’s played a huge part of his success. Santos fights Luis Felipe (15-7).

Combate | US | Sunday

Bantamweight, Frans Mlambo (10-5)

Mlambo doesn’t have the most appealing record but is battle-tested no doubt. He’s fought a lot of good fighters, took four fights for Bellator, and was an IMMAF world champion. Mlambo is an excellent boxer. His hands are really sharp and has a good understanding of his shot placement. His takedown defense has been his issue but his grappling is no joke. Mlambo is a threat at taking the neck when takedowns are being attempted. Very underrated fighter. He fights Jose Zarauz (22-8-1).

Bantamweight, Kevin Cordero (12-2)

Cordero is an absolute action fighter that comes out with the same aggression every time he fights. Cordero is a scrapper. He’ll sit in the pocket and let his hands go and kick the lead leg. Both his right and left hand are dangerous and he doesn’t let up with his volume. He’s a problem on the feet and all that pressure will force opponents to shoot. That’s an issue itself because Cordero is even better on the mat. His offensive wrestling is good as well and holds six submissions. Overall he’s a dangerous guy all around and never in a boring fight. He fights Luciano Ramos (8-6).

The post Weekly MMA Prospect Report: Cage Warriors, LFA, Plus ARES Returns appeared first on Cageside Press.

Khabib Nurmagomedov has retired, and even if “The Eagle” is lured back by Dana White for one last fight, the 29-0 champ’s days are numbered. Arch-nemesis Conor McGregor is set to battle Dustin Poirier for the second time, with that fight going down in just a matter of weeks. The winner of that fight could very well be fast-tracked to the title. Michael Chandler is arriving that same night, at UFC 257.

Which means the 155lb division in 2021 could look very different. So who should the promotion bring into the mix? We’ve got our picks lined up.

Here’s a look at last year’s list, featuring current UFC roster members Alexander Shabliy, Guram Kutateladze, Jai Herbert, and Nikolas Motta signing with the UFC in 2020. Usman Nurmagomedov, meanwhile, signed on with Bellator MMA later in 2020.

Bruno Miranda
Mansour Barnaoui
Alexander Shabliy
Guram Kutateladze
Jai Herbert
Mateusz Rebecki
Nikolas Motta
Rafa Garcia
Tofiq Musayev
Usman Nurmagomedov

Here’s who we see as deserving of a shot in 2021.

The post 10 Lightweight Prospects the UFC Should Sign in 2021 appeared first on Cageside Press.

Cage Warriors 117 | Thursday | UK

Flyweight, Luke Shanks (6-1)

Shanks is an aggressive fighter who is a wrestler first. On the feet, Shanks hits hard but everything he does is to close the distance. With strong wrestling, he has a strong top position. He has solid ground and pound and early in his pro career, he started 3-0 with three submission wins. Shanks has a deep gas tank and that is where his pressure has just broken opponents so far. He fights Jake Hadley (6-0).

Flyweight, Jake Hadley (6-0)

Hadley is 6-0 as a pro and 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. Hadley hasn’t really had much time on the feet, but he has shown a good left hand and good kicks. Hadley is a good wrestler but it’s his jiu-jitsu that is his best aspect. His transitions are smooth and his ability to take the back is superb. He’s a big submission threat with nine career submissions. He fights Luke Shanks (7-1).

Flyweight, Adam Amarasinghe (6-2)

The record of Amarasinghe may not look all that impressive but looking at his two losses, considering who his opponents were and the performance he put on, things look good. Amarasinghe starting off was more impressive with his wrestling but his stand up has improved vastly. “Apex” is a tall rangy 125er who fights behind a textbook jab and long straight punches and kicks. Amarasinghe is a good fighter all around who I think we will see in the UFC one day. He fights Sam Creasey (12-3).

Lightweight, Mehdi Ben Lakhdhar (4-0-1)

Mehdi Ben Lakhdhar may only have five professional bouts but he has three fights in Cage Warriors, and all three were memorable performances. Lakhdhar is a Muay Thai fighter with all-around skills on the feet. He’s good at picking his shots, flipping the jab and firing uppercuts with just a nice flow to his output. His takedown defense does need some improvement but has already shown some, developing rather quickly. He fights Steve McIntosh (6-1).

Featherweight, Emrah Sonmez (11-2)

Sonmez has a black belt in kickboxing, a blue belt in BJJ, and many years experience in freestyle wrestling as well as a background in amateur boxing before coming to MMA. With all his backgrounds in other sports, Sonmez brings them all together very well in MMA. Sonmez is no slouch anywhere but his wrestling is outstanding when it comes to the setups and execution. Even the work he does on top is awesome. He fights Aidan Stephen (7-3).

Lightweight, Michal Figlak (3-0)

Fighlak may only be 3-0 but he made some waves in his last fight beating highly touted prospect Oban Elliott. Figlak is a wrestler with big power in his hands. He’s a grinder who has a high work rate especially with his wrestling and ground and pound. Still needs to prove a lot but the talent is there. He fights Anthony O’Connor (4-3).

Bellator 254 | Thursday | US

Bantamweight, Magomed Magomedov (15-2)

Magomedov is a good striker that has improved over the years but owns a better kicking game. He likes to get flashy at times, throwing a lot of spinning kicks which may be his best weapon. He is an excellent wrestler with superb grappling and can wrestle/grapple during the duration of the fight with his tremendous endurance. The only loss has been to UFC bantamweight champ Petr Yan. But he also has beaten Yan in the past so that says a lot about him. He fights Matheus Mattos (12-1-1).

Bantamweight, Matheus Mattos (12-1-1)

Very athletic and very powerful with a high finish rate finishing all his wins but two. Once Mattos starts getting into his rhythm he is hard to fend off. His takedown defense is good which affects a lot of opponents as they don’t want to stand with this guy. Mattos is so explosive and is always pressing forward looking for that finish. He fights Magomed Magomedov (16-1).

Light-heavyweight, Grant Neal (4-0)

After going 6-0 as an amateur Neal is currently 4-0 as a pro. Neal is a wrestler first. If he doesn’t finish the fight early he can dominate the fight with relentless takedowns. Once he gets his hands clasped he will dump you on your back in a big way. Neal stays busy with ground and pound and can throw at the same pace and pick it up later in the later rounds even. He fights Maurice Jackson (7-2).

Lightweight, Shamil Nikaev (9-0)

Shamil Nikaev is mainly an aggressive wrestler, often shooting for double-leg takedowns to set up powerful slams. On top, Nikaev is as heavy and as skilled as they come. He passes guard very easily and is able to get dominant positions in every fight. His stand-up isn’t bad since he can kick, has good hands, and has shown some good power. He does get wild at times as shown in his war against current UFC fighter, Christos Giagos. He fights Kemran Lachinov (10-2).

Cage Warriors 118 | Friday | UK

Featherweight, Ben Ellis (2-0)

Ellis is only 2-0 and I usually don’t mention uber young (career-wise) fighters in this feature but he’s impressed me a lot. It’s not like he only has two fights as he had eight ammy fights going undefeated. As an amateur Ellis won the Budo Fighting and Cage Warriors lightweight title. Ellis is an excellent wrestler with solid positional grappler and has damaging ground and pound. He fights Kingsley Crawford (5-2) who is a good test.

Bantamweight, Nathan Fletcher (3-0)

Fletcher is another young fighter with who I am very impressed with. Combined as a pro and amateur he’s 10-1 with seven finishes. Not much has been seen with his striking especially as a pro but what he has a good ground game and is a stellar wrestler. Fletch has a strong body lock takedown and on top, he’s a tactical grappler with seamless transitions. Overall such a good grappler and wrestler. He fights Leigh Mitchell (3-1).

iKon Fighting Federation 4 | Friday | Mexico

Lightweight, Daniel Zellhuber (9-0)

At only 21-years-old, there will for sure be way more to learn for Daniel Zellhuber, but at this point in his career, Zellhuber has looked darn good. The Mexican has a tall lanky build at 6’1″ making him a huge lightweight. While he does use his length at times, he’s more of a Muay Thai fighter. Zellhuber has excellent clinch work with knees and elbows. He has had some problems with his takedown defense though. Still, he does have a decent rubber guard, and is a promising young man with lots of time to develop. He fights Alexander Barahona (11-3).

The post Weekly MMA Prospect Report: More Cage Warriors, More Prospects appeared first on Cageside Press.

Flyweight, Samir Faiddine (11-6)

Just a few years ago Samir Faiddine was a top prospect, but starting in 2017 he would lose three fights in a row. When it seemed like Faiddine was too far down the rabbit hole, just last June he won the Cage Warriors vacant flyweight title. Faiddine is well-rounded as he throws a good variety of strikes on the feet. He has solid footwork and his wrestling is very powerful. His defense all around is good too with solid takedown defense and good movement from the feet to his transitions on the mat.

Featherweight, Salahdine Parnasse (14-0-1)

Welterweight, Nassourdine Imavov (8-2)

Nassourdine Imavov is quietly on a five-fight win streak with wins in various promotions. In his latest fight, he had a huge step-up in competition against former UFC fighter Jonathan Meunier. Imavov pieced him apart in a flawless first-round finish. He’s indeed a sniper of a striker with a sick one-two along with a check left hand. He’s a good counter striker as well and a very accurate one at that.

Welterweight, Mansour Barnaoui (19-4)

Mansour Barnaoui has fought for the likes of M-1 Challenge, KSW, and BAMMA. Barnaoui was actually the BAMMA and the M-1 lightweight champion at a time. He is a current staple of Road FC, a promotion out of South Korea, and is their current champion. His record speaks for itself fighting excellent competition, and he has a stunning 18 finishes out of his 19 wins. On the feet, Barnaoui is a solid clinch fighter with good Muay Thai. He is also good at range with long strikes and explosiveness. Barnaoui is an even better grappler who thrives with his BJJ. He extraordinarily dangerous once on your back with ten of his submission wins via rear-naked choke.

Lightweight, Mehdi Ben Lakhdhar (4-0-1)

Mehdi Ben Lakhdhar may only have five professional bouts but he has three fights in Cage Warriors, and all three were memorable performances. Lakhdhar is a Muay Thai fighter with all-around skills on the feet. He’s good at picking his shots, flipping the jab and firing uppercuts with just a nice flow to his output. His takedown defense does need some improvement but has already shown some, developing rather quickly.

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

We’re back once again with the Weekly MMA Prospect Report, and in this edition, Bellator MMA figures large. Bellator 226 goes down Saturday in San Jose, and a trio of top prospects are on the card. The up-and-comers aren’t relegated to one card along, however, as Cage Warriors, CES and others are worth keeping an eye on!

Final Fight Championship 40 | Thursday | Nevada

Light Heavyweight: Alex Polizzi (4-0)

Undefeated as a pro and as an amateur going 6-0, Polizzi has the recipe to be a big prospect in the 205lb weight class. Polizzi is a D1 wrestler at Northwestern University from 2010-2015 and was a state champion. He needs work on his feet but his wrestling and athleticism will take him far. His ground and pound has been his best weapon to date. He fights former UFC fighter Daniel Jolly (6-4) in a fight he should win.

Lightweight, Max Rohskopf (3-0)

Rohskopf grew up wrestling and would become quite good at it winning the 2016 ACC Championship at NC State. There isn’t much MMA footage on him, but he has shown some good power in his hands and obviously good wrestling. His top game is slick with dominant transitions especially at taking the back. He fights DWCS veteran Zach Zane (13-8).

Cage Warriors | Friday | UK

Lightweight, Mehdi Ben Lakhdhar (4-0)

A product out of the MMA Factory, Lakhdhar is another fighter that could represent France at a higher level. The competition he’s fought isn’t great, so it does take away from his stock. He’s still looked solid though, mainly with his stand up. Lakhdhar has good side-to-side footwork cutting off his opponents and letting go with output. He hits really hard and is pretty darn quick as well. In the clinch, the Frenchman has also shown some solid Muay Thai with knees and elbows. He still needs to prove a lot more but is someone to watch for. He fights Joe McColgan (5-2) who is his toughest fight to date.

Bantamweight, Jack Cartwright (5-0)

Jack Cartwright has been wrestling since the age of five and has a background as a former ABA boxer. Undefeated as a pro and amateur, Cartwright is 9-0 combined in his MMA career. Cartwright thus far hasn’t shown much of his boxing, having four of his five pro wins by submission. The Brit is a good wrestler and more of an exceptional grappler. He’s got a very dangerous guillotine and d’arce he’s finished with a few times. If we’re not fully sold on him it’s because we haven’t seen enough. He fights Scott Malone (6-2) in a fight that will show how good Cartwright is.

The post Weekly MMA Prospect Report: Bellator Takes Center Stage appeared first on Cageside Press.