These are fighters we believe will one day be ranked and if not be a fixture in the UFC for years. There’s some very familiar names, and a lot of talent that shows just how deep the promotion’s roster truly is.

Let’s get to it, in no particular order.

Bantamweight, Felipe Lima (13-1):
Lima recently signed to the UFC and made his debut a few weeks ago. He stepped in on short notice up a weight class. He fought Muhammad Naimov who was significantly bigger and had quality wins over Jamie Mullarkey and Nathaniel Wood. Born in Brazil, Felipe Lima lives in Stockholm, Sweden, and has been training at Allstars Training Center for years.

After making his debut in 2015 where he came up short, he hasn’t lost since. His striking is his focal point but his ground game is slept on. He did end up finishing Naimov in the third with a RNC. He looked that good without a normal camp and up a weight class so the future is bright.

Welterweight, Gabriel Bonfim (16-1):
A lot of people are writing off Bonfim after losing his fight to Nicolas Dalby. Dalby however is such an underrated vet who doesn’t get his much deserved respect. Bonfim almost finished Dalby in round one but blew his gas tank and got finished in round two.

From a skillset standpoint, Bonfim is still a top talent. Bonfim is a national boxing champion but the majority of his MMA wins are by submission. He’s still really good even though people think he’s overrated. He’s coming off a recent win over Ange Loosa.

The post The Top 20 Unranked UFC Prospects appeared first on Cageside Press.

At just 23-years old, Sopaj was already a bright prospect and seeking to prove he was UFC-ready. Oliveira, like Sopaj, was making his promotional debut, in his case by way of the Contender Series.

Both fighters were feeling each other out throwing back and forth trying to find their rhythm early on in Saturday’s contest. Sopaj was the first one to land clean with an inside leg kick. Oliveira returned with some leg kicks of his own landing hard. Sopaj was also catching the kicks of Oliveira and eventually used it to take him down. Nothing came out of the takedown as the fight was right back up. Sopaj landed a big head kick that was blocked but still had an impact. Sopaj landed an outside leg kick into a nicely secured takedown. He was in mount for a second but ended the round in the guard landing some late ground and pound.

Into round two Sopaj was in on a takedown. As Oliveira defended initially Sopaj adjusted and got the fight down. Oliveira worked to his knees fast but let Sopaj take the back with hooks in. Sopaj was letting go with punches as Oliveira was moving trying to survive. The jiu-jitsu of Sopaj was on point following Oliveira. Oliveria did eventually work to his feet and reversed Sopaj. Oliveira, knowing he was behind, went off with ground and pound taking over the round. Sopaj got back up but Oliveira threw him right back down. Oliveira was standing over Sopaj landing heavy ground strikes. Sopaj got back up but Oliveira went after him with punches and kicks landing a head kick and uppercut. If their were a few more seconds left Oliveira may have finished the fight right there.

Likely tied up going into round three both men needed a huge round. Sopaj started off landing a straight left snapping the head back of Oliveira. Oliveira stunned Sopaj with a right hand and would just chase Sopaj with punches. He settled down and started to attack with the outside kicks. Oliveira was mixing in the kicks and punches putting everything into what he was throwing.

Sopaj looked defeated as Oliveira was all over him. Right hands, leg kicks, body kicks were all landing from Oliveira. Then it was a left hand from Oliveira that  backed up Sopaj, much as he’d been moving all round. Oliveira attempted a takedown and when he didn’t get it he landed a combination. An outside leg kick had Sopaj climbing backward and Oliveira chased him down and landed a brutal flying knee. That put Sopaj out cold face first. A KO of the Year contender from the Contender Series product. As for Sopaj, he was helped out of the octagon favoring a leg.

Official Result: Vinicius Oliveira def. Benardo Sopaj by knockout (flying knee), Round 3, 4:41

The post Vinicius Oliveira Flying Knee Finish of Benardo Sopaj at UFC Vegas 87 a KO of the Year Contender appeared first on Cageside Press.

Benardo “The Lion King” Sopaj
Standing at five-foot-six
Fighting at 135 lbs (bantamweight)
23-years-old
Fighting out of Albania/Stockholm, Sweden
Training out of Allstars Training Center
A pro record of 11-2
7 KO/TKOs, 3 Submissions

How Sopaj will fare in the UFC:

Sopaj has been competing in MMA ever since he was around 15 years old. He also competed in kickboxing. From a young age Sopaj was a champion in MMA, earning gold in only his fourth pro fight. He took some losses on his way up but they were close fights and to good fighters. Sopaj was a Fight Club Rush and the All Stars Fight Night bantamweight champion.

Sopaj is ready so good and way beyond his years being only 23. He’s already so composed in the cage and very confident. It’s also worth mentioning that he trains out of AllStars Gym so he’s getting all the proper training. Sopaj is primarily a striker but can mix in wrestling as well. He does have three submission wins but I’d bring more credit to what he does defensively. Sopaj is tough to bring down and when he does hit the mat he’s fast at working back to his feet. His explosiveness helps but he also understands positioning. He can very well hold his own on the mat but it’s not where he’s strongest.

Sopaj is a talented striker who fights off feints/fakes. He does a great job of staying sharp and picking his shots. It can take him a while to get in the groove but once he does he’s trouble. At times he struggles against taller fighters but he will catch you slipping if you’re coming in blind. Defensively his biggest issue is not checking leg kicks. On the other side, he will chop the legs but go to the body and head as well. Sopaj is a combination striker throwing straight down the pipe and from different angles.

Sopaj is a fantastic signing. We don’t see these level of fighters signing with the UFC on short notice so it’s nice to see. With his youth and the level he’s already at this kid could be a future star. I already like where his striking is and with time he’s going to round out his craft even more.

How he matches up with Oliveira:

This was a great fight between two fun strikers that can wrestle. As a pure striker I favor Sopaj. Oliveira is more dangerous because he’s tough to read. He’s so wild and as that may play in his factor it could also get him slept. Sopaj is capable of doing that so Oliveira has to fight a perfect fight. I like the cleaner striker in Sopaj to get the job done but I’m not confident.

The post Welcome to the UFC: Benardo Sopaj appeared first on Cageside Press.

Former UAE Warriors champion Vinicius de Oliveira was in action Tuesday, taking on a Combate Global veteran in Victor Madrigal. Oliveira has been one to watch for a while now, beating some solid competition in the likes of Sylvester Chipfumbu, Caionã Batista, and Sultan Zholdoshbek uulu, among others.

Heavyweights were once again in action on Tuesday, as this time around, noted heavyweight prospect Alexander Soldatkin looked to win his way into the UFC against Mario Piazzon.

Featherweight Angel Pacheco, meanwhile, was set to return from injury on the show. Having worked with the likes of the New England Cartel alongside current UFC star Rob Font, Pacheco was paired up with Danny Silva.

Dana White’s Contender Series Season 7, Week 8 takes place Tuesday, September 26, 2023 at the UFC Apex, streaming live on ESPN+ in the U.S. and UFC Fight Pass elsewhere. Full results from the event can be found below.

Vinicius de Oliveira kicked off DWCS 2023 Week 8 by showing exactly why he was one to keep an eye on. At the end of a combination about three minutes into the opening round, Oliveira landed a left hand that turned out the lights on Victor Madrigal, sending him sailing to the mat.

One fight later, Ernesta Kareckaite took Carli Judice the distance in a competitive scrap that Judice stepped into on short notice. Kareckaite took the split decision on the scorecards, but both ladies had their moments.

The third fight of the evening might have been the best of season seven to date. Danny Silva and Angel Pacheco went to war, with Silva ripping the body and getting the better of many exchanges, even landing a nasty spinning back elbow at one point. But Pacheco’s chin was sheer granite, and he even managed to battle back, delivering his own body shots, mixing in some uppercuts, and forcing Silva to go the distance. Silva would take the win, but both fighters made an impression in a fight that easily could have been Fight of the Night on any number of UFC cards.

Tuesday’s heavyweight bout fizzled in the third round when Alexander Soldatkin landed an illegal knee on Mario Piazzon. There was questions as to whether Piazzon’s hand was “weight bearing” the the commission rule that it was, resulting in a DQ win for Piazzon, whose blurred vision meant he could not continue.

Danny Barlow capped off the night in a big way, with a quick, violent TKO finish of pal Raheam Forest.

Dana White’s Contender Series Season 7, Week 8 Results

Welterweight: Danny Barlow def. Raheam Forest by TKO (punches), Round 1, 1:19
Heavyweight: Mario Piazzon def. Alexander Soldatkin by DQ (illegal knee), Round 3, 0:20
Featherweight: Danny Silva def. Angel Pacheco by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Women’s Flyweight: Ernesta Kareckaite def. Carli Judice by split decision (29–28, 28–29, 29–28)
Bantamweight: Vinicius de Oliveira def. Victor Madrigal by knockout (left hand), Round 1, 3:02

Contract winners: Vinicius de Oliveira, Ernesta Kareckaite, Carli Judice, Danny Silva, Angel Pacheco, Danny Barlow

The post Dana White’s Contender Series Season 7, Week 8 Results appeared first on Cageside Press.

This time around, the show has more heavyweight action, New England Cartel alum Angel Pacheco, and former UAE Warriors champ Vinicius de Oliveira in action, among others.

Here’s a look closer look at DWCS 2023 Episode 8.

Welterweight, Raheam Forest vs. Danny Barlow

Tale of the Tape

Pros and Cons

Who has the advantage?

Striking: Barlow
Speed: Forest
Output/Volume: Forest
Kickboxing: Barlow
Striking defense: Barlow
Footwork/movement: Barlow
Wrestling: Forest
Grappling: Forest
Gas tank: Even

Prediction: Forest is a former CFFC welterweight champion. He lost that title to current UFC fighter Charles Radtke last April but did get back on the board in July. Forest has been fighting good competition for CFFC.

Barlow isn’t nearly as tested. He’s been fighting low-level opponents. With that said he’s treating those guys as expected with one-sided performances.

Both are strikers and this is where I see this fight taking place. Although both are strikers they are two different types of strikers. Forest is an aggressive explosive power puncher who puts everything into his punches and kicks. Barlow is more of a technical fighter who is patient and uses feints to find openings.

I favor the guy that’s going to come out aggressive and look for the finish and that’s Forest. I do think Barlow is fully capable of catching Forest. Forest is more proven and Barlow hasn’t fought someone with this much power however. I even think Forest could mix in a few takedowns as well. The pick is Forest by TKO.

The post DWCS 2023: Episode 8 Breakdown and Predictions appeared first on Cageside Press.

Once again this week, heavyweights were in action, no surprise given how badly the promotion was in need of them. This time out, it was undefeated Brazilian Mario Piazzon facing off with German Alexander Soldatkin. With three times the experience of his opponent, Soldatkin was undefeated in eleven fights, ever since a 2019 loss to fellow prospect Oleg Popov.

Also in action this week, former UAE Warriors bantamweight champion Vinicius de Oliveira, set to take on Victor Madrigal, a former Combate Global athlete who had found success on the regional scene.

Weigh-ins for Dana White’s Contender Series Season 7, Week 8 takes place Monday in Las Vegas, and get underway at noon ET, 9AM PT. Results can be found below. The event takes place Tuesday at the UFC Apex, streaming live on ESPN+ in the U.S. and UFC Fight Pass elsewhere.

Dana White’s Contender Series Season 7, Week 8 Weigh-In Results

Heavyweight: Mario Piazzon (240) vs. Alexander Soldatkin (246)
Women’s Flyweight: Carli Judice (125.5) vs. Ernesta Kareckaite (125)
Bantamweight: Vinicius de Oliveira (136) vs. Victor Madrigal (134.5)
Welterweight: Raheam Forest (171) vs. Danny Barlow (170.5)
Featherweight: Angel Pacheco (144.5) vs. Danny Silva (146)

The post Dana White’s Contender Series Season 7, Week 8 Weigh-In Results appeared first on Cageside Press.

Anton Turkalj

Light-heavyweight | 25 | Göteborg, Sweden | 7-0 | Win streak: 7 | 5 KO/TKOs, 2 Submissions

Turkalk was supposed to fight on the Contender Series last season but VISA issues held him back.  In his last outing, he won with a highlight-reel knockout. Before that he beat Ibo Aslan who is a solid prospect. Turkalj has a 100% finish rate, is very well-rounded and has that personality the UFC would go after. In my opinion, Turkalj is a must for the show. Being thought of last season, he should be in the mix again this season.

Herbeth Sousa

Bantamweight | 27 | Brasilia, Federal District, Brazil | 15-1 | Win Streak: 5 | 2 KO/TKOs, 10 Submissions

With only one loss, Sousa is currently on a five-fight win streak. He’s beaten Glyan Alves (RIP) and Alexander Keshtov which are two fighters I was pretty high on at the time. “Indio” is an aggressive grappler who has ten submissions all coming in the first round. His wrestling is solid but obviously, it’s the grappling that’s key. His transitions are smooth and his finishing ability on the submissions is dangerous as he is a black belt in BJJ. He would be a good fit for the Contender Series. He hasn’t fought in over two years, which could be his downfall.

The post Scouting Prospects for Dana White’s Contender Series Season 6 appeared first on Cageside Press.

The heated rivalry between the two, which began with Sterling’s DQ win in a title fight last March, has had the lion’s share of the spotlight ever since. But there are an awful lot of talents still looking for their shot, from legends like Jose Aldo to up-and-comers like Sean O’Malley.

Need more? We’ve got ten names the UFC could add on to the bantamweight division. But first, here’s a look at last year’s list, where nobody was signed to the UFC. Instead, Danny Sabatello signed with Bellator. Mo Miller got a win on Dana White’s Contender Series, but didn’t get a contract.

Ary Farias
Danny Sabatello
Denis Lavrentyev
Herbeth Sousa
Jack Cartwright
Jonas Magard
Khusein Askhabov
Levi Mowles
Mo Miller
Rustam Kerimov

Before we proceed, here are the other instalments from this year’s 10 Prospects series.

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

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

Flyweight, Gerardo Fanny (11-2)

Liam Gittins is always a tough out for anyone and he took it to Fanny in their fight. Gittins pressured Fanny, took him down, landed a lot of output, and had the back a few times. I was so impressed with the composure from Fanny. Every time Fanny had space he was throwing power knees and his explosive base was on full display. Fanny kept landing those knees to the body and Giams was feeling it. In round two all of it added up and a knee to the body dropped Gittins and the ref stepped in. Fanny is a dangerous guy when you can’t put him away.
Grade: B+

Welterweight, Jesse Urholin (8-0)

Another dominant performance from Finland’s Urholin. Right away he got the fight down and alone in round one got three takedowns. It wasn’t until round two when Urholin got the finish but it was one-way traffic from the start. Urholin never needed a dominant position as he was aggressive with ground and pound from all positions. The ref eventually saw enough as the on-pour of ground and pound wasn’t gonna stop.
Grade: A+

Featherweight, Fabacary Diatta (8-0)

Diatta looked good in a fight that went the distance. Outside of three brief takedowns, Diatta won this fight off pure technical ability. Diatta fought smart throwing in combinations and throwing kicks behind his punches. Many times he landed kicks to the body of his opponent. The fight never came close to being finished but Diatta looked really good mixing it up and fighting smart.
Grade: B-

Light heavyweight, Luke Trainer (5-0)

This was a career performance from Luke Trainer, beating a dangerous guy in Yannick Bahati. The 6’6″ Trainer fought very smartly from the outside throwing long punches and kicks to the legs, body, and head. He mixed it up very well too. Trainer in round one got a takedown and hurt Bahati at the end of the round with a short left hook. He had his way with Bahati breaking him down. As soon as Trainer went into the clinch a nasty elbow is what ended the fight.
Grade: A+

Middleweight, Alfonso Leyva (4-0)

Leyva is an Olympic wrestler but it was all striking for him here. He even landed a beautiful throw from the body lock but stood right back up. Leyva dropped his opponent twice in round one with a switch knee and a right cross. He never jumped to try and finish but instead picked his spots. Round two it wasn’t long until Leyva dropped the guy with another right hand and his opponent tapped to survive. Really good performance but his opponent was terrible.
Grade: C+

Heavyweight, Caio Machado (6-1)

Machado did it again defending his BFL title for the second time. He didn’t fight a top level fighter but a veteran in Lee Mein. Machado right away had Mein covering up against the cage landed a flurry of hands and knees. The knees to the body were really affecting Mein. After some more knees later in the round Mein shot for a takedown and Machado defended. Machado gained top position, quickly transitioned into the mount, and locked in an armbar for the tap.
Grade: A-

Featherweight, Nicolas Ouellet (2-0)

Ouellet secured another first-round submission dating back to when he was an amateur. He quickly timed a well-executed takedown right away. He had his neck caught and got flipped over but flipped right back over on top. In side-control, Ouellet landed an elbow to the side of the head cutting his opponent. He tried to jump triangle but he slipped right out. Ouellet took the mount again and went to the back to secure the RNC.
Grade: B-

Lightweight, Mike Figlak (6-0)

Not an overexciting fight but this was a technical bout between Figlak and Kieran Lister. Figlak had impressive defense stuffing takedowns and slipping punches. Figlak did a fine job slipping punches and returning. He fought well in bursts and always threw in twos. He ripped the body a few times as well. What set Figlak apart was he was more active and precise with what he threw.

Welterweight, Mateusz Figlak (6-1)

Figlak was very aggressive from the start. As his opponent was throwing heavy he threw a kick that Figlak caught and got the takedown. From there in the guard Figlak made life difficult landing ground and pound. He cut his opponent having him visible hurt and was cut. The ground and pound had his opponent covering up and the ref stepped in.
Grade: B

Lightweight, George Hardwick (8-1)

A dominant performance from Hardwick against Jakub Dohnal who was 9-1 leading into this fight. Hardwick asserted himself right away with his hands. Throughout the fight he had wonderful bodywork ripping punches to the body. He dropped Dohnal with a clean left hook in round one. He didn’t find the finish until round two. In both rounds, Hardwick had a lot of success on the mat with top position and flowing on top. He dropped Dohnal again in round two with a left-right. With Dohnal on his knees Hardwick sunk in a tight guillotine to get his third submission win. All three submissions come from a guillotine.
Grade: A+

Flyweight, Phumi Nkuta (4-0)

A dominant performance from the CFFC champion making his first title defense. It was all Nkuta in this fight with his constant pressure and wrestling. He got the takedown every round set up from jerky movement and speed. Getting the takedowns came easy and ground and pound is what was won him the fight. Three separate times Nkuta got into the crucifix landing strikes. Taking a beating the ref saw enough in the fourth while in the crucifix the fight was stopped.
Grade: A

Heavyweight, Nyle Bartling (5-0)

One of the best heavyweight prospects out of the U.S., Nyle Bartling gets another easy win. He threw an overhand right to a takedown right away. Bartling got to work with a ton of ground and pound before transitioning to the mount. His opponent tried to roll him over but the base of Bartling was strong. He actually took the back and it was a RNC he got the finish with. That’s his third submission win as a pro and his first RNC.
Grade: A-

Lightweight, Marshal Kemp (4-0)

Kemp wasted no time getting in and out. He threw a kick to a takedown in the opening 15-seconds. Kemp got into half-guard and his opponent tried to turn it but very smoothly Kemp took the back. Right away Kemp put in that RNC and his opponent tapped. Some slick jiu-jitsu from the Glory MMA product.
Grade: B-

Featherweight, Anzor Chakaev (5-0)

Chakaev, a free-style wrestling champion, dominated his fight with his wrestling. It went all three rounds and basically it was him getting a takedown and dominating on top. Chakaev was riding out the position in the guard. It wasn’t until round thee when Chakaev was passing guard and unloading ground and pound. The fight was a bit boring but a dominant one.
Grade: C

Middleweight, Sharaputdin Magomedov (6-0)

Magomedov is extremely dangerous on the feet so his opponent closed the distance quickly. He held Magomedov against the cage for a good while. That was until Magomedov went off with an elbow and a series of knees. That caused separation and Magomedov was landing a lot of kicks. His opponent came forward to close the distance only to walk into a brutal elbow. Perfectly placed by the Russian prospect.
Grade: A

Middleweight, Vladimir Mineev (16-1)

This was an anticipated rematch between Mineev and Magomed Ismailov. The first two rounds were Ismailov getting takedowns and pummeling his foe with ground and pound. Round three Ismailov was dead tired and Mineev poured it on. Mineev threw a lot of kicks and punches behind the kicks making it difficult for Ismailov. Ismailov got another takedown but was too tired to hold Mineev down. Mineev got Ismailov against the cage landed elbows and knees and melted Ismailov until the ref stepped in.
Grade: B

Flyweight, Bekhzod Usmonov (9-3)

Tajikistan fighter Usmonov improved his win streak to four. While this fight did go the distance it doesn’t mean Usmonov played it safe. In fact, Usmonov basically chased his opponent and never took a back step. He did really well exploding forward with heavy body kicks, letting his hands fly. Never over-pursuing as Usmonov was in and out drawing right out of the way and returning. He dominated the fight and looked really good.
Grade: A

Lightweight, Mateusz Rębecki (14-1)

Rebecki continues to run through his competition. It only took Rebecki 15-seconds to storm across the cage and connect. It was a left hook that folded his opponent and the follow-up shots sent the ref stepped in. That made his eleven-fight win streak and his sixth FEN title defense.
Grade: A+

Light heavyweight, Sullivan Cauley (2-0)

Cauley, still young in his career, stays undefeated with another impressive win. His opponent tried relentlessly to take Cauley down. Cauley wasn’t having it and was making him pay landing in the clinch. The golden gloves boxer let his hands go especially with that right hand. He stayed busy throwing off of defending takedowns. A right hand badly wobbled his opponent and the standing TKO came in the final seconds of round one.
Grade: B

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

PFL 2021 #10 | US | Wednesday

Lightweight, Kayla Harrison (10-0)

Harrison is a very accomplished grappler who won the gold medal in judo at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics and gold at the 2011 and 2015 Pan-American Games. Along with that she is last year’s PFL million-dollar winner. The judo practitioner holds a black belt in her sport and has won two national championships. Harrison has been dominant thus far in her MMA career. Her wrestling and her judo have been on full display and once on top, she’s a nightmare. Harrison is just dominant on top. Her grappling is high level and she is both a submission threat and has fight-stopping ground and pound. She’s unstoppable. Harrison fights Taylor Guardado (3-1).

Heavyweight, Bruno Henrique Cappelozza (13-5)

Cappelozza may not have a great record nor is he the youngest but he is a nightmare opponent. In the last six years, he’s only lost to Jiří Procházka. Cappelozza is all action and violence. He has some strong wrestling but on the feet is where he’s at best. Everything he throws is with ill intentions whether if that’s with his hands or legs. Right away Cappelozza asserts himself as a big danger win or lose. He fights Ante Delija (19-4)

Heavyweight, Ante Delija (19-4)

Unlike his mentor Mikro Cro-Cop, Delija is a dangerous guy once it’s on the mat. He has no doubt learned from Cro-Cop as well, as he has some solid kickboxing and power in his hands. Delija is a physical guy who powers his foes down to the mat. “Walking Trouble” is indeed trouble on top as he has ferocious ground and pound. His grappling is no doubt pretty darn good and his ground punches are active, heavy, and he attacks the body as well. He fights Bruno Henrique Cappelozza (13-5).

Featherweight, Movlid Khaybulaev (18-0-1)

Khaybulaev is a very solid fighter all around, and he is really technical in his stand-up. He throws a lot of spinning attacks, not overdoing it, but that is a good thing. Khaybulaev uses the flying knee often, which he’s used to knock out opponents. With that said, he also has good wrestling; he is able to shoot in for a double leg or he can lift and slam you to the mat. Khaybulaev can usually get the fight down multiple times in a bout. There is a reason he has the record he has. He fights Chris Wade (20-6).

UAE Warriors 23 | Abu Dhabi | Thursday

Middleweight, Mohamad Osseili (4-0)

Lebanon’s Osseili is a prospect with a lot of hype. He’s a big middleweight standing at 6’5″ and uses every bit of it. Osseili with his reach is always up close in the face but is back far enough to where it’s only him landing at the end of his punches. He’s really good at pressing guys against the cage and letting his hands go. Osseili has really good hands attacking the body and throwing in combinations. In his last fight, he even showed to have a decent ground game and wrestling. His gas tank is a concern though going forward. He fights Glory fighter Yousri Belgaroui (2-0).

ONE Championship | Singapore | Friday

Strawweight, Julie Mezabarba (9-2-1)

Mezabarba made an impression in her last fight beating the 33-fight veteran Mei Yamaguchi. She’s got an impressive record MMA record and a black belt in kickboxing. Her style sees her mainly on the feet. Mezabarba fights well on the outside with her power punches and kicks. She likes to throw the superman punch when closing the distance. Even in the clinch she’s physically strong and has good muay thai. Mezabarba has won her last seven fights. She fights Stamp Fairtex (6-1).

Strawweight, Stamp Fairtex (6-1)

Nong Stamp (Stamp Fairtex) is a world kickboxing and Muay Thai champion, with a Muay Thai record of 63-15-5. Her sole loss in MMA to Alyona Rassohyna; Fairtex won the rematch last month. She’s shown her kickboxing and Muay Thai skills of course, and although she could throw more volume, she picks her shots well. Fairtex does have a submission win and overall has pretty good grappling. She fights Julie Mezabarba (9-2-1).

UAE Warriors 24 | Abu Dhabi | Friday

Bantamweight, Vinicius de Oliveira (16-2)

Oliveira is an absolute wild man when he’s in the cage. He reminds you of a lesser version of fellow Brazilian and UFC fighter Michal Pereira. Oliveira is an all-action freestyle-type athlete who will always put on a show. Being the diverse athlete he is, the Brazilian loves to go for broke throwing a lot of switch kicks, wheel kicks, going off the cage, and flying knees. He really brings that Brazilian capoeira style. Oliveira will also get takedowns and has an underrated ground game. He fights Sylvester Chipfumbu (7-3).

Lightweight, John Mitchell (3-0)

Out of Ireland, Mitchell is a bright prospect in the lightweight division. On the feet, Mitchell fights very well on the outside. He throws a good knee up the middle and has a strong straight jab. Even making guys pay when they plant their feet he’ll lunge in with lead hooks. Mitchell is an even better grappler. I have no complaint about his jiu-jitsu as well. He can open you up with constant ground and pound or take the back and secure the RNC. He fights Konstantinos Ntelis (6-1).

Welterweight, Daniel Skibińsk (18-5)

Since a pair of losses in mid-2016, Skibinski has won his next twelve fights. Outside of MMA, he was an ADCC Polish Championship in 2019 and won gold in No-Gi in Poland. Skibinski has strong wrestling with heavy top control. He’s a grinder with a good gas tank going the distance in ten of his wins. He’s not the flashiest fighter but has a high fight IQ and is really dominant. He fights Tahir Abdullaev (11-1).

Middleweight, Zaakir Badat (3-0)

Badat from South Africa is a serious dude once he gets the fight grounded. He’s ended all three of his pro fights on the mat. From ground and pound in the crucifix to a heel hook to a triangle Badat has “it” on the mat. Badat still has to answer a lot questions, including what his striking and gas tank look like. From what’s been seen his jiu-jitsu is top-notch. He fights Jonathan Wernz (1-0).

Welterweight, Themba Gorimbo (9-2)

A fighter from Zimbabwe Themba Gorimbo is so close to a UFC contract. With two unfortunate losses, Gorimbo is at his best on a three-fight win streak. He’s better on the mat, even off his back. Six of his wins have come by submission. That’s from attacking triangles and armbars off his back and guillotines in scrambles. Gorimbo is very skilled on the feet but his chin is a concern. He does throw straight punches and his hands are really quick and long. Offensively he’s good but defensively there are holes. He fights Handesson Ferreira (16-3-1).

Bantamweight, Soo Young Yoo (7-1)

Yoo does have a 13-second finish on the feet but is more of a wrestler. Yoo is pretty aggressive on his takedowns. At times he won’t get the takedown on the first attempt, but he’s good at re-shooting and getting it down. Yoo has exceptional transitional grappling and has excellent ground and pound. He’s good with transitions and is good at striking his way to a submission. He fights Sarvadzhon Khamidov (11-0).

Hexagone MMA 2 | France | Friday

Lightweight, William Gomis (7-2)

Gomis impressed me in his last fight when he beat a really tough opponent in Tobias Harila. Gomis is a really dangerous guy when he blitzes forward and off his back foot. He’s 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 wrestler and grapple when needed. Gonna 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 fights Baba Boundjou Nadjombe (7-3).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0Ry6vINBEc

Eternal MMA 62 | Australia | Saturday

Flyweight, Steve Erceg (7-1)

Ecreg can hold his own on the feet. Although he’s fully capable of landing his punches and getting finishes he is hittable. The man can wrestle also and does it at a high level. Ecreg can even chain wrestle very well as shown throughout his career. As good as his wrestling is Ecreg is an even better grappler. Methodically he transitions into dominant positions and no matter where he’s at he’s working to finish. He fights Paul Loga (7-5) who he already beat.

TFL 23 | Poland | Saturday

Featherweight, Sebastian Kotwica (11-2)

Kotwica is making his return from a four year layoff and he was someone I was high on at the time. Kotwica is very dangerous everywhere, as on the feet he has won by a head kick and is a heavy-handed striker. He also has solid wrestling but the ground and pound he throws is great. He has a relentless pace, especially with elbows. If he looks anything like he did when he was active he’s going to be a problem. Kotwica fights Marcos Schmitz (17-7).

GMC Fight Night | Germany | Saturday

Welterweight, Islam Dulatov (5-1)

Since losing his first fight, Dulatov hasn’t lost again winning his next five fights. Dulatov is huge at 6’6″ and uses his length to his advantage. He’s a really rangy guy with a good jab and straight punches. He makes opponents pay coming in with step-in knees and is just difficult to close the distance on. I’m not fully sold on him but lately, he’s been impressive. Dulatov fights Luis Silva (5-9-1).

MMA SERIES 43 | Russia | Saturday

Heavyweight, Oleg Popov (13-1)

Popov is a wrestler who has some decent power in his hands. He’s an aggressive guy constantly shooting and what he lacks in size he makes up for with his strength. Not entirely someone who will blow you away on the mat but he has some heavy top control and a submission game. Popov is getting better and better with each fight. He fights Alejandro Solorzano (9-2).

Heavyweight, Alejandro Solorzano (9-2)

Solorzano does have an impressive record but so far he hasn’t blown me away. “Goliath” is a big man weighing in at the heavyweight limit at 265lbs and standing at 6’5″. Solorzano is purely a striker which is a reason he took a bare-knuckle boxing fight. He’s a technical boxer that keeps his hands high and picks his shots. He could be more active but is someone that counters well and puts it together nicely once he commits. Solorzano fights Oleg Popov (13-1)

WCC 002 | Peru | Friday

Bantamweight, Renzo Mendez (15-6)

Mendez has had a lot of setbacks in his career already with six losses. However, he’s currently on a seven-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 Andy Rios (5-3).

CFFC 102 | US | Saturday

Featherweight, Isa Dalipaj (3-0)

Dalipaj is born out of Cakran, Fier but has been living in the states in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He trains out of Renzo Gracie Philly. Not the most elusive guy as he does get hit and has been dropped. Dalipaj is an action fighter that’s going to press the pace every time. He takes damage to give some but it’s been him being able to withstand the damage and break his opponents with his offense. Dalipaj lands kicks to punches and vice-versa and breaks guys down. Not sold on him but he’s fun to watch. He fights Jose Perez (4-1).

The post Weekly MMA Prospect Report: Atomweight Grand Prix Continues, UAE Warriors Back appeared first on Cageside Press.