Tale of the Tape

Fighting out of Makhachkala, Russia
Age: 29
Weightclass: Bantamweight
Height: 5’5”
Training out of DagFighter
Record: 14-0
6 KO/TKOs
2 Submissions’

Striking/Kickboxing: A

Kerimov is an all volume striker/kickboxer who is going to overwhelm guys. With his hands, he a good striker letting opponents just walk into a combination. He throws a sharp one-two and is always mixing it up the angles. Kerimov does have some power behind his hands when he commits to it. His legs are his main weapon on the feet and maybe his most useful weapon in his toolbox. Kerimov has a very busy kicking attack and complex kicking style. The Russian will kick the legs, the body, go to the head, and also loves to use spinning kicks, especially to the midsection. Kerimov will spin to the body so much he will surprise his opposition and throw the spinning back fist instead. Just his flow on the feet makes him really good.

Movement: A-

Kerimov does have good movement but what really stands out is his quickness and vision. He’s so quick at getting off his shots and getting right out of the way. He can plant his feet to land the one-two and be on the other side of the cage in a split second.

Clinch: C+

There is nothing too important that stands out to give a good assessment in this category. Kerimov does have good control and from time to time you will see him let loose with some knees.

Wrestling: A

As good as his striking/kickboxing is his 14-0 record wouldn’t be there without the way he’s wrestled. Kerimov isn’t like most Dagestani wrestlers who will chain wrestle mainly. Instead, almost every time his takedowns are off of setups. Better than anyone, Kerimov will throw a kick and immediately shoot and complete a takedown. When he lands a glancing head kick and follows up with a takedown, the transition is incredibly smooth. For more on how good his wrestling is check out this in-depth breakdown from Down 4 Rounds here.

Grappling: C+

Frequently in every fight and in every round, Rustam Kerimov gets the fight to the mat. With that said he’s not much of a grappler. Usually, when Kerimov gets takedowns he’s quickly back up to his feet. He definitely is capable on the mat in other areas, as he has top-notch ground and pound and scrambles very well.

Cardio: B

Kerimov has gone to the scorecards on six different occasions. He’s gone in into championship rounds going all five rounds twice. Into the fourth and final round, Kerimov does slow. With his work rate, there is no shame in that, and he is still dangerous. For three rounds though he has excellent cardio and his pressure will break opponents.

Defense: B-

Kerimov has the “0” on his record so that leads one to conclude that his takedown defense is pretty good. He has been taken down though, and his takedown defense has been the biggest question. That said, even on his back, he has never been in any danger if my memory is correct. Kerimov has taken some good shots on the chin as well but it’s held up thus far. His defense is hardly tested cause his offense is so dominating.

Overall: A

Kerimov is one of the best prospects out of Russia and his record affirms that. He’s beat Abdul-Rakhman Dudaev, Oleg Borisov, Takeya Mizugaki, Tural Ragimov, Alexander Peduson, and Andrey Goncharov. Those fighters combined have a record of 117-38-3. Where Kerimov is so challenging is his wrestling but it’s complimented and set up with his striking/kickboxing.

Kerimov is very good at letting foes come forward and then surprises them with the level change to get the takedown. He fights behind his kicks which is what he sets his takedowns up with and how he controls the pace. Don’t sleep on his hands though because if you do you’ll be waking up not knowing what happened. More imposing than his power is his hand speed and movement.

What he does lack in is control on the mat. He can get multiple takedowns a fight but just doesn’t keep it there. He does have two submissions but those were seven years ago. Kerimov does bring some nasty ground and pound to the table though.

Kerimov is the real deal and the competition he’s already beat shows to me he can jump right into a promotion like the UFC or Bellator and do very well.

The post Prospect Watch: Russia’s Rustam Kerimov appeared first on Cageside Press.

We’ve got ten names the UFC could add on to 135lbs all lined up. But first, here’s a look at last year’s list, featuring the only current UFC roster member, Timur Valiev, signing with the UFC in 2020. Jamie Siraj unfortunately retired recently due to health issues, while Magomed Magomedov was one of Bellator’s biggest signings last year.

Daniel Marcos
Francesco Nuzzi
Jack Cartwright
Jamie Siraj
Jose Johnson
Khusein Askhabov
Magomed Magomedov
Rustam Kerimov
Stephen Loman
Timur Valiev

Now on to this year’s list!

The post 10 Bantamweight Prospects the UFC Should Sign in 2021 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.

Bantamweight, Rustam Kerimov (14-0)

Rustam Kerimov is a product out of a top camp in DagFighter and is one of the best up-and-comers out of Russia right now. He has one of the best resumes of all fighters outside the UFC, fighting nothing but good competition in the second half of his career. Kerimov has beat solid opponents and has been dominant, most notably a good prospect in Alexander Peduson, Abdul-Rakhman Dudaev, Japanese legend Takeya Mizugaki, and Oleg Borisov. Kerimov is obviously a good wrestler but it’s his timing on his shots that is done so well to complement his best weapon, his ground-and-pound. On the feet, he is a good kickboxer along with good power in his hands. He throws a little bit of flash but really is a technically sound fighter.

Bantamweight, Magomed Magomedov (16-1)

Magomed Magomedov is another one of the best prospects out of Russia. His record speaks for itself, as he has fought good competition including UFC bantamweight contender Petr Yan, beating him once and losing to him once. 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 throughout the duration of the fight with his tremendous endurance.

Lightweight, Alexander Shabliy (19-3)

Alexander Shabliy is a veteran of Russian fighting, competing for WFCA, ProFC, ACA/ACB, and Fight Nights Global. In the last six years, he’s only lost once which was a split decision to Eduard Vartanyan. Now on a four-fight win streak, it seems he’s at his peak. Shabliy, although violent, is an efficient counter fighter, reacting well to his opponents’ advances. His takedowns generally happen when his opponents try a takedown themselves, but he overpowers and throws them to the mat. On the feet, he is calm but he brings the heat when needed, and if he catches his competition then he will try his best to end the fight, whether that be with his strikes or knees. Shabliy is an intelligent fighter that makes very few mistakes.

Lightweight, Yusup Raisov (16-1)

Yusup Raisov is a world-class talent at only 24 and has suffered just one loss to former ACB lightweight champion Marat Balaev, who he rematched later on and took the title from. His stand-up is very technical but still explosive. He uses a lot of spinning kicks and flying knees but he throws them so fast that opponents can’t really react quick enough to counter. Raisov is just exceptionally fast and very light on his feet. He moves in and out very well and on the mat he has six submission wins, so he is more than dangerous there as well. But his wrestling is a big weapon for him as he can get takedown after takedown, beating his opponents physically and mentally.

Bantamweight, Timur Valiev (16-2)

Aside from competing in Freestyle Wrestling, BJJ, Grappling, and Kickboxing, Timur Valiev is a three-time Russian style Unifight champion, as well as a Russian Pankration Champion, European Pankration Champion, and a Dagestan/New Jersey Grappling Champion. His accolades speak for themselves. The Jackson-Wink MMA product is a top prospect to watch for who is long overdue for that UFC contract. Valiev is a well-rounded athlete who is on an impressive six-fight win streak. On the feet, he has solid kickboxing and throws combinations with his hands and legs together fluidly. As good as he is on the feet, Valiev is an excellent wrestler with solid top position all around. To top it off he has exceptional cardio fighting at the same pace the duration of the fight. Valiev previously competed for the WSOF and PFL.

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

The bantamweight division is awaiting (perhaps not so eagerly, if you’re Petr Yan or Aljamain Sterling) a title fight between champ Henry Cejudo and Jose Aldo later this year. The 135lb weight class has become a bit of a hotspot over the past year, consistently producing some exciting action.

So who should join it? We’ve got ten prospects who could jump right in.

First off, here’s a look at last year’s list, featuring current UFC roster members Jack Shore, Tony Gravely, and Miles Johns signing with the UFC in 2019:

Alexander Keshtov
Glyan Alves
Jack Shore
Miles Johns
Nathan Maness
Patrick Mix
Phil Caracappa
Raufeon Stots
Tony Gravely
Victor Henry

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

Lightweight, Maciej Kazieczko (6-1)

Maciej Kazieczko fought a veteran of seventeen fights in Michael Dubois. The technical kickboxer in Kazieczko got it done quickly with his hands in under a minute. He landed a counter overhand right knocking Dubois out cold. Kazieczko moves to 5-1 in the KSW cage and is now on a three-fight win streak.
Grade: C+

Bantamweight, Bartosz Wojcikiewicz (6-0)

Bartosz Wojcikiewicz looked good here, with this being the first time I’ve sat down and watched him fight. Wojcikiewicz was a bit dynamic on the feet but it was the takedowns he was precise on. On the mat is where he did all the damage, eventually getting the stoppage. Wojcikiewicz was really dominant on top and landed some big cutting elbows. The elbows caused a cut in round two and at the end, in between rounds the doctor called the fight off.
Grade: B-

Lightweight, Shamil Musaev (14-0)

Russian Shamil Musaev took out a tough opponent in Grzegorz Szulakowski, a former KSW title challenger, and made it look easy. Musaev started off early with his kicks taking out the legs and going to the body. Later, it looked like Musaev was throwing a spinning kick but came with a back fist instead, and it landed flush. That stunned Szulakowski and the extra punches sent the ref in. Flawless performance and now 2-0 for KSW.
Grade: A

Featherweight, Salahdine Parnasse (14-0-1)

Salahdine Parnasse took on his biggest challenge in the well-known veteran Ivan Buchinger. Parnasse passed the test with flying colors and kept the interim KSW title. For five rounds he battered Buchinger putting him in danger many times, having him on skates for a majority of this fight. Parnasse showed excellent defense stuffing all takedown attempts. His head movement was slick slipping punches and finding home with his left hand many times. His speed was just too much of a difference and he used his speed to pick Ivan apart.
Grade: A+

Lightweight, Blake Donnelly (4-0)

Fundamentals are important in a fighter and Blake Donnelly displayed nothing but that in this fight. His jab was crisp and on point landing countless times. Donnelly doubled up on the jab and really made a mess of his opponent’s face swelling up his eye. Donnelly used plenty of feints and landed a lot of lead leg kicks. As the fight went on he got better and better and always had control with his striking. In round three the doctor called a stop to the fight. This is also his first title win beating a tough guy in David Martinez winning the Australian FC title.
Grade: B-

Bantamweight, Daniel Marcos (12-0)

Arguably the best prospect out of Peru, Daniel Marcos continued his undefeated run in December. He did a fine job cutting off the cage and landing significant shots against Gaston Gomez Manzur. Marcos put together leg kicks and strikes up until the finish. While mixing it up he landed a big knee in the clinch stunning his opponent. Off the clinch, Marcos landed a textbook uppercut scoring the knockdown. The extra strikes being hammer fists put the man out cold. It would be nice to see him be a bit more technical as he gets a bit wild at times.
Grade: C

Strawweight, Denice Zamboanga (6-0)

This was a very good fight between Denice Zamboanga and Jihin Radzuan. This was also the first time Zamboanga fought someone with a win, and she looked just as good. The fight spent a large amount of time on the mat. With some brief exchanges on the feet, Zamboanga was really getting the best of Jihin busting her nose up. She probably could have found the finish if it stayed standing as she was landing her left hand with ease. It was Jihin getting the takedowns but Zamboanga quickly hitting nice sweeps. Lots of back and forth on the mat with position and submissions but Zamboanga had more control. Very good fight and two good prospects.
Grade: B-

Lightweight, Chang Min Yoon (4-0)

At the begging of the fight, it was back and forth with some leg kicks. While his opponent landed more, Chang Min Yoon was landing heavier kicks. The second half of the first round, Yoon got the fight down and controlled with position and ground and pound.  Second round Yoon was very much in his groove landing heavy leg kicks. He landed a jumping knee into a tight ninja choke for the submission win.
Grade: B-

Bantamweight, Matheus Mendonça (5-0)

This was a scrap all the way up until the finish. Matheus Mendonca fought through some adversity getting tagged on the feet. He recovered very quickly and took the fight right back to the mat. Mendonca secured three solid takedowns and displayed some good BJJ. In the brief exchanges on the feet he was a bit behind but very much held his own. On the mat, he looked good in scrambles and mainly dominated there. Mendonca finished the fight getting into the mount and transitioning into an armbar. He switched to a triangle and finished with the straight armbar.
Grade: B+

Featherweight, TJ Laramie (11-3)

Going the full five rounds TJ Laramie dominated his entire fight against Andrew Cruz winning the vacant PFC Featherweight Championship. This time Laramie only used his wrestling lightly and instead got some work on the feet. He fought behind his left jab which was his most active and proficient weapon. Laramie coming off the jab found a home with his right-cross multiple times. He also chewed up the body with the lead left leg to the liver and digging the left hook in there as well. He looked good the entire fight always throwing while showing solid takedown defense. Laramie went for the guillotine many times which allowed him to win every scramble.
Grade: A-

The post MMA Prospect Watch: The Most Impressive Fighters from December appeared first on Cageside Press.

XFC 43 | Friday | Australia

Featherweight: Mohammad Alavi (5-0)

Mohammad Alavi has been very impressive in his short MMA career with a 100% finish rate. He has three submission wins and that comes from his solid grappling. More impressively, his wrestling is a very dangerous weapon thanks to his timing and ability to chain wrestle. On the feet, he likes to maintain distance with kicks and does have a dangerous left head kick he throws often, which has led to one knockout. Still young in his career, but someone to watch for. He fights Ricky Camp (11-4).

GFC 22 | Friday | Russia

Flyweight: Tagir Ulanbekov (10-1)

Like many fellow Russians Tagir Ulanbekov has a background in combat sambo, where he holds a world championship and a few national championships. Ulanbekov is primarily a wrestler who has all six finishes on the mat with five by submission and the other by TKO. He’s a very tall fighter for the weight-class standing at 5’7″ and he uses his length very effectively with scrambles, back takes, and submission attempts. He fights Denilson Matos (12-3).

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

Bantamweight, Timur Valiev (15-2)

Aside from competing in Freestyle Wrestling, BJJ, Grappling, and Kickboxing, Timur Valiev is a three-time Russian style Unifight champion, as well as a Russian Pankration Champion, European Pankration Champion, and a Dagestan/New Jersey Grappling Champion. His accolades speak for themselves. The Jackson-Wink MMA product is a top prospect to watch for. He fights Taigro Costa (15-5).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzLd3fUa1QQ&t=444s

ACA 103 | Saturday | Russia

Light Heavyweight: Dovletdzhan Yagshimuradov (17-5-1)

Dovletdzhan Yagshimuradov is well-rounded and is dangerous on the mat and on the feet. He shows a lot of athleticism on the feet with the ability to throw nice spinning heel kicks, but he also hits like a truck, picking up a few one-punch knockouts. Yet, believe it or not, Yagshimuradov is even better on the mat. He has good power wrestling, has solid jiu-jitsu and his ground and pound is a fight changer. He fights Alexey Butorin (15-3) who is dangerous.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q04EXH2-tdU

Bantamweight: Rustam Kerimov (13-0)

Rustam Kerimov is a product out of a top camp in DagFighter and is one of the best up-and-comers out of Russia right now. Like most Dagestan fighters, Kerimov is an excellent wrestler. Kerimov has beat solid competition, most notably a good prospect in Alexander Peduson, Abdul-Rakhman Dudaev, legend Takeya Mizugaki, and Oleg Borisov. Kerimov is obviously a good wrestler but it’s his timing on his shots that is done so well to complement his best weapon of ground-and-pound. On the feet, he is a good kickboxer along with good power in his hands. He fights Francisco Maciel (15-3-1).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0j8MvI2TdY

Featherweight: Yusup Raisov (15-1)

Yusup Raisov is a world-class talent at only 24 and has suffered just one loss to former ACB lightweight champion Marat Balaev, who he rematched later on and took the title from. His stand-up is very technical but still explosive. He uses a lot of spinning kicks and flying knees but he throws them so fast that opponents can’t really react quick enough to counter. Raisov is just exceptionally fast and very light on his feet. Raisov moves in and out very well and on the mat he has six submission wins, so he is more than dangerous there as well. But his wrestling is a big weapon for him as he can get takedown after takedown, beating his opponents physically and mentally. He fights Raimundo Batista (12-0), who doesn’t have much footage available.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnPHRRI62aM

RCC 7 | Saturday | Russia

Light Heavyweight: Ivan Shtyrkov (17-0-1)

Ivan Shtyrkov has the power on his feet to drop anyone but tends to get hit a lot. Luckily, he has shown a good chin and is willing to take one to give one. Shtyrkov does have better wrestling then you might expect for a brawler, with a wide variety of takedowns including body-lock takedowns, to double-leg takedowns, to trip takedowns that show his power and athleticism. On top, he is a real submission threat with six of his wins ending with a submission and five of them by arm-bar, something uncommon for the big guys. He will make his middleweight debut against Yasubey Enomoto (19-11). The ‘Ural Hulk’ was briefly under contract to the UFC earlier this year, but ran into USADA troubles.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bE9PP4Qewi8&t=2s

Featherweight: Armen Gulyan (8-0)

Armen Gulyan is a solid prospect out of Russia who as a kid took part in Combat Sambo and Judo. Guylan also has some experience in boxing but thus far in his MMA career, he hasn’t displayed that. He is a beast of a wrestler who is excellent at shooting single legs and using foot sweeps against the cage. Gulyan is dominant on top as he’s very physically strong and a danger to finish with ground and pound and submissions. He really likes to get the crucifix position and unload punches/elbows. His competition hasn’t looked good but he looks very skilled. He fights Aleksandr Osetrov (5-1-1).

We Love MMA 51 | Saturday | Germany

Welterweight: Adrian Zeitner (7-1)

Still a bit raw on the feet, Germany’s Adrian Zeitner is a dangerous athlete on the mat. He shoots a good single leg but he will at times shoot from too far away. He is clearly comfortable fighting off his back. Zeitner has a 100% finish rate with all finishes coming on the ground. Six of those have come by submission from a RNC and triangle chokes. Solid BJJ but still green as he still is only 23-years old. He fights Marcel Quitsch (7-4).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDr99zG5Y4g&t=395s

  FightStar Championship 19 | Saturday | UK

Featherweight, Farid Basharat (4-0)

A product out of a good camp in London Shootfighters, Farid Basharart has some potential. On the feet, he fights comfortably with his hands low relying on counters. He also switches stances frequently and uses a lot of backward movement. Basharat on the feet mainly fights in bursts throwing many flying knees, that said he takes a lot of risks. He’s stronger on the mat and to get it there he has a good single leg and trips along the cage. Jiu-jitsu is his best weapon even if that is just with control or winning important scrambles. He fights Nicolae Mezdrea (0-2)

EFC Worldwide 83 | Saturday | South Africa

Middleweight: Dricus Du Plessis (12-1)

Dricus Du Plessis is only 25-years-old. His only losses are to former UFC fighter Garreth McLellan and top prospect Roberto Soldic who he beat first, under the KSW banner. He is a good wrestler, with eight of his twelve wins coming by submission all by some form of choke. So his ability to get the back is very good and he can drop for a guillotine and lock it up in an instant. He is a South African K-1 kickboxing champion who has been improving on the feet as well. He fights Brendan Lesar (3-0).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1PX6x7QLOK0

Flyweight: Amanda Lino (4-1)

Fighting out of Ballito, Durban, South Africa, Amanda Lino is the best female prospect out of the nation in my opinion. Lino is the Extreme Fighting Championship Worldwide (EFC) flyweight and bantamweight champion. Lino may only have five fights as a professional but went 6-0 as an amateur. The talent in South Africa isn’t too challenging but features a fun fighting style. She fights Manon Fiorot (1-1) at flyweight.

Krepost Fighting Championship | Saturday | Russia

Featherweight: Magomed Yunisulau (7-0)

Magomed Yunisulau doesn’t have much to offer on the feet other than an overhand and a good one-two. What he does do well is strike to close the distance. The Russian has solid wrestling and is outstanding on top. His timing on his takedowns to his top control is perfectly done. Once he gets the takedown Yunisulau’s not coming off. He has active ground and pound, which could be his best aspect. Not only active but intelligent going to the body and head. He’s not the most exciting fighter but a very dominant one. He fights Marcos Rodrigues (16-4).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5sOfXhIqfQ0

Ares FC 1 | Saturday | Senegal

Middleweight, Glenn Sparv (21-6)

Glenn Sparv is a bull once the bell rings as he will walk his opponent backward to close the distance. Sparv has good Muay Thai but is excellent at getting the fight to the mat. As his grappling and scrambles are good, Sparv is very dominant on top with active ground and pound. He fights Gregory Babene (19-11).

Featherweight: Joanderson Brito (11-2-1)

Brazilian Joanderson Brito has been on a roll since his last loss in 2015, going 10-0-1 in his last eleven fights. Brito is a bull walking his foes down and throwing huge looping hooks with big power. He’s a power striker on the feet but has some good wrestling and better top position to fall back on. Brazil has a lot of good prospects but Brito is one of the ones that really stand out. He fights Asikerbai Jinensibieke (19-8).

The post Weekly MMA Prospect Report: A Stacked Week of Possible Future Stars appeared first on Cageside Press.

Middleweight, Punahele Soriano (6-0)

UFC 245 will take place in Las Vegas, Nevada at the T-Mobile Arena this weekend. With this arguably being one of the biggest cards of the year, there aren’t many unranked fighters. You have three title fights, many established veterans, and fighters on the verge of a title shot. With options limited the obvious pick is the debuting Punahele Soriano.

Soriano is coming off a win on the Contender Series this past Summer. He had his toughest test in Jamie Pickett and he easily won the fight. Although that was the first time he went the distance, he still earned the UFC contract. 6-0 as a pro, Soriano also went 4-0 as an amateur. “Story Time” is known for his insane power and explosiveness.

Soriano, fighting out of Oahu, Hawaii trains out of Xtreme Couture. Although he is known for his power, explosiveness, and being a fast starter he is actually pretty well-rounded. Soriano has some underrated wrestling and has solid ground-and-pound. He is a bit reckless and tends to get hit a lot but has proved to have a solid chin.

At UFC 245, he will take on Poland’s Oskar Piechota who is 11-2-1 and 2-2 in the UFC. Piechota is primarily a grappler with ADCC Europe experience. With that said, Soriano will likely want to keep this fight standing.

This is a very good test for Soriano and an important fight for Piechota. Piechota has much more experience and has that notable UFC experience. It’s a tough fight for Soriano and if he can win this it says a lot about his future.

Bantamweight, Rustam Kerimov (13-0)

This is a stacked week including many good prospects in action. Choosing a fighter to focus on wasn’t an easy decision either, with athletes like Timur Valiev, Yusup Raisov, Armen Guylan, and Joanderson Brito active. Kerimov though stood out. The Russian, who is 13-0, is the current ACA bantamweight champion. He’s been fighting tough competition throughout his career beating opponents with a combined record of 110-28-4.

Kerimov is a product out of a top camp in DagFighter and is one of the best up-and-comers out of Russia right now. Like most Dagestan fighters, Kerimov is an excellent wrestler. Kerimov has beat solid competition, most notably a good prospect in Alexander Peduson, Abdul-Rakhman Dudaev, legend Takeya Mizugaki, and Oleg Borisov. Kerimov is obviously a good wrestler but it’s his timing on his shots that is done so well to complement his best weapon, his ground-and-pound. On the feet, he is a good kickboxer along with good power in his hands.

Rustam is fighting Brazilian Francisco Maciel who is 15-3-1 as a professional. A member of Team Nogueira, he is a solid fighter coming off a big win against Oleg Borisov. Maciel is a power striker and a primary wrestler with solid jiu-jitsu. Kerimov by far has the higher ceiling but this is a tough test for him.

The post Fighter Spotlight: Punahele Soriano and Rustam Kerimov appeared first on Cageside Press.

Brave CF 22 | Friday | Philippines

Bantamweight, Stephen Loman (12-2)

I’ve had my doubts mentioning Loman on this list, but now on a six-fight win streak and two title defenses, he deserves it. Loman has a background in Wushu Sanda. On the feet he isn’t too effective but he has power and timing. He has excellent level changes and once on the mat, he is in his world. He thrives in transitions and his six decision wins prove he can fight his fight for three to five rounds. He fights Elias Boudegzdame (15-5), who is coming off a loss but this is a huge test for both guys.

Titan FC 53 | Friday | Florida

Welterweight, Jared Gooden (13-2)

Gooden is an excellent welterweight prospect who has been tearing up the regional scene lately as he is on a six-fight win streak. Gooden is 7-1 in his last eight fights with his loss coming to top prospect Julien Williams. He does have a win over WEC/TUF 14 veteran Micah Miller though. Gooden has some holes as he still needs to work on like his takedown defense. Gooden is well-rounded with good wrestling, striking, and athleticism. He fights former UFC fighter Michael Graves (7-1-2), who is a huge test for Gooden. If Gooden wins, that should be his ticket to the big show.

EFC Worldwide 77 | Saturday | South Africa

Lightweight, Roedie Roets (5-0)

Roets is riding in with a lot of hype behind him as he took gold in the men’s lightweight final at the International Mixed Martial Arts Federation (IMMAF) World Championships. He is a multiple-time national wrestling champion and he has competed in many jiu-jitsu competitions as well as being an MMA champion in his amateur career. The mat is obviously where he wants to be as his positional grappling is fantastic as well as his cardio. On the feet, he’s still progressing but he has decent kickboxing and does a good job using his hands to close the distance. He fights Pierre Botha (9-7-1) who is not a high-level opponent.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tx7PhcG_X90

ACA 93 | Friday | Russia

Featherweight, Salman Zhamaldaev (16-1)

After losing his very first professional bout, Salman has gone on to win 16 straight. Salman has beat very good competition proving he is a top 145-pound prospect out of Russia. If the fight isn’t finished in the first two rounds, Salman has no problem going the distance as he’s done it in his last six bouts. Salman is well rounded and very dangerous everywhere. On the feet, he is an excellent counter striker and is very effective at kicking the lower calf of his opponent. On the mat, he holds four submissions but really relies on control. He fights Marat Balaev (10-1), who is a tough fighter.

Bantamweight, Rustam Kerimov (12-0)

Kerimov is a product out of a top camp in DagFighter and is one of the best up-and-comers out of Russia right now. Like most Dagestan fighters, Kerimov is an excellent wrestler. Kerimov has beat solid competition, most notably a good prospect in Alexander Peduson, legend Takeya Mizugaki, and Oleg Borisov. Kerimov is obviously a good wrestler but it’s his timing on his shots that is done so well to complement his best weapon of ground-and-pound. On the feet, he is a good kickboxer along with good power in his hands. He fights Rakhman Dudaev (22-4), who is solid, but I think Kerimov is on another level.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNsJ2JuJa9o

Heavyweight, Amir Aliakbari (9-1)

Aliakbari is a very accomplished Greco-Roman Olympic wrestler, and he’s transitioned well to MMA. He can use his strength to suplex his opponents repeatedly, and he has good pressure on top with solid ground-and-pound. Sometimes he does so much with his wrestling that he runs out of energy by the end of the fight, but if he learns to be more conservative or ups his cardio, he will be a huge threat. He fights Shelton Graves (9-3) who is tough, but Amir should just be too much for him.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqcPnN4_amc

Featherweight, Akhmed Shervaniev (12-0-1)

Russia is booming with top-notch prospects and the 21-year-old from Grozny is a legit talent. Shervaniev is apart of Akhmat Fight Club with the likes of many top Russian prospects. Shervaniev has four submission wins but he really wants to keep the fight on the feet and his excellent takedown defense really helps that. On the feet, you can always see him switching stances and throwing more than one strike. While he can be too patient at times, he is very accurate and quick. I really like everything Shervaniev does and I think he has a bright future. He fights Tural Ragimov (17-5) who is coming off a loss.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvbBBqVs8MQ&t=5s

XFN 17 | Saturday | Czech Republic

Middleweight, Makhmud Muradov (18-6)

The Uzbekistan-born fighter has a lot of experience with 24 total fights at only 28-years-old. Muradov relies on his explosiveness on the feet with straight punches and has shown the ability to finish with a flying knee. His takedowns usually come just from him bulldozing over his opponents. He’s at best on top with smashing ground-and-pound until the ref steps in. He fights Diego Gonzalez (20-12), who he should beat.

300 Sparta 30 | Saturday | Peru

Bantamweight, Daniel Marcos (10-0)

Marcos is one of the best prospects out of Peru with an impressive record over some decent regional competition. Marcos is an aggressive fighter who will move forward and throw volume. Marcos doesn’t have power, but he will let his hands go and throws a lot of heavy leg kicks. His wrestling is also very good and he has good ground-and-pound. He fights Roy Quispe (5-4), who is coming off a loss.

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