Real life and an absurdly busy September schedule that saw 28 fighters enter and 29 more leave the rankings have conspired to delay this installment of Undefeated Ins and Outs, but better late than never. The upside is that I have some incredibly exciting prospects to introduce you to, with many of them just 3-0 professionals coming into their own after standout amateur careers. DWCS again proved to be a tough place to protect a perfect record as 11 fighters suffered their first losses there this month.
If you’re new to this column, here’s an introduction to the overall rankings and my grading system and check out last month’s Ins and Outs for an introduction to this series in particular. This series runs in parallel to the main Undefeated Update column, and you can find September’s edition here. My most recent rankings of undefeated fighters are: Heavyweight, Light Heavyweight, Middleweight, Welterweight, Lightweight, Featherweight, Bantamweight, Flyweight. My comprehensive rankings cover thousands of fighters (undefeated and not) so check those out if you’d like to read more of my direct film notes for anybody specific.
Best New Prospects:
- Kosim Sardorov: 5-0, 6.5/100
- Brodie Mayocchi: 3-0, 4/100
- Conor McCarthy: 5-0, 3/100
- Felipe Grajales: 3-0, 2.5/100
- Aslan Shogenov: 5-0, 2/100
- Keith Keogh: 3-0, 2/100
- Ryan Burgos: 3-0, 2/100
- Glendal Whitney: 4-0, 2/100
This was intended to be a top-5, but I ended up with a four-way tie for 5th plac,e so rather than trying to pick one, I’ve decided they’re all worth a shoutout. While none of them have more than 5 pro fights, most have impressive amateur resumes that mean they could be knocking on the UFC’s door in 2026 if they pick up a few more wins before the end of the year.
Every weight class saw some movement in September, and unsurprisingly, the busiest were from 135-185 pounds, where most prospects fight. Despite lots of changes, the overall number of prospects is basically unchanged as the regional scene continues to produce new talent to replace those who have been beaten. There are even some rare new prospects at the highest weight classes, so check them out below!
Heavyweights:
New prospects:
Seyedmostafa Salehizadeh
Age: 32
Record: 4-0
Representing: Iran
Initial grade: 0.5
Salehizadeh becomes the first Iranian in these rankings, and combat sports fans will be unsurprised to hear he’s a wrestler, as the country has traditionally excelled there. Specifically, he’s a Greco-Roman wrestler with a grindy control-heavy MMA style that’s clearly heavily influenced by his original sport. He’s developed some pretty solid BJJ as well, but much prefers to close space, smash his opponents on the fence, then get top position when possible and start landing GnP.
At any weight class below heavyweight, his age and resume probably wouldn’t cut it as a prospect since his first three opponents had a combined 6-8 record, then his most recent fight against Edison Lopes (12-8) only ended by TKO because Lopes didn’t come out for the fourth round. However, that fight was for the Samourai MMA title, and holding a belt for a rising Fight Pass promotion in Canada is a good way to get some extra attention, though his style probably won’t win many points with the matchmakers. The UFC might not be interested, but I could see Salehizadeh picking up a couple more wins, then getting signed to the PFL.
Removed:
Anthony Guarascio: 3-1
Grade: 0 (-1)
The UFC is scraping the bottom of the regional barrel for heavyweights, especially in the USA, which is how Guarascio got a DWCS fight so early in his career. To be fair to him, he won the CFFC title earlier this year with an upset of Bailey Schoenfelder (5-1, 1/100) and showed a surprisingly good jab with good movement for the weight class since he’s undersized. He also had a 4th win on his record that was overturned recently when it became known that his opponent had been throwing fights.
The fight against Steven Asplund (5-1, 0.5/100) showed none of the boxing finesse I’d enjoyed in his last fight as the two swung bombs from the opening bell and Guarascio ate a hook after just a few seconds that put him on his back. Massive elbows finished the job and gave him his first loss, which he’ll need a solid run of regional wins to recover from if he wants to earn another opportunity like this.
Light Heavyweights:
New prospects:
Glendal Whitney
Age: 33
Record: 4-0
Representing: United States
Initial grade: 2
Whitney is a physical specimen who’s not quite six feet tall but is absolutely jacked and has the wrestling base needed to make use of that frame and strength. I was interested in him after a 5-1 amateur career with a debut loss to Jon Kunneman, now a 10-0 pro with a 3.5/100 grade in my MW rankings, then five wins, including four KOs and a 7-1 opponent in his final ammy fight. However, his pre-LFA pro competition was terrible (1-0, 0-5, 0-2 records), so even though he dominated on the way to two TKOs from the crucifix and a R1 RNC submission, I held off on ranking him.
Whitney was the underdog against Isaiah Pinson (4-1) in his LFA debut, as his opponent had proven himself against much better competition, but it ended up being totally one-sided. Whitney rushed straight into a clinch, showed good instincts to dirty box, including body shots and uppercuts, even though he didn’t land much cleanly, snatched a leg for an easy takedown, then locked in a tight body triangle from back mount. He was close on a couple of RNCs, then smartly started to throw hooks instead of burning out his arms on a squeeze that wasn’t there, and that was enough to force a tap to strikes, though Pinson may have been injured in the takedown. A lot happened in just 55 seconds, and it all looked good for Whitney, who now has a 9-win streak.
His age is a major drawback, though at LHW it’s less crucial, especially when you account for his athleticism. Another step up against an experienced gatekeeper would be a good next fight, and if he looks good there, he could start seeing interest from the PFL or maybe even DWCS.
Tiriel Abramovic
Age: 23
Record: 3-0
Representing: Croatia
Initial grade: 1.5
Abramovic is still early in his pro career, but he has a 10-1 amateur record that includes the 2024 IMMAF European title and seven KO wins. His competition was poor, which can be expected given how few young and talented 205ers there are, so Abramovic was able to win with athleticism and power, which can make it tough to evaluate someone’s true potential. His lone loss came against Marko Perković by split decision, which he later avenged with a split decision win of his own.
Top Balkan promotion FNC intelligently signed him for his pro debut, and he’s continued to send people to sleep with three straight R1 KOs. This month’s was by far the most impressive because it came from a devastating head kick while breaking away from a clinch, and he landed it on his toughest opponent to date, Patryk Grabowski (6-3).
Abramovic is young yet already has the requisite muscle for LHW and is now on a nine-win streak, so I expect to see him challenge FNC’s best in the division in his next few fights while he works towards a title shot next year.
Removed:
Mahamed Aly: 4-1
Grade: 2.5 (-7)
Going into Aly’s DWCS matchup against Iwo Baraniewski (5-0, 5/100) it was hard to find much to criticize about him besides his experience. He’s tall and incredibly muscular, a top-end BJJ competitor, and has many years of MMA training, which gives him a well-rounded skillset that he demonstrated with head kick KOs in his first two fights. While he only had four total fights, he won a dominant decision over Jared Gooden (23-10, 20/100) earlier this year, though the size difference and the fact that it was Gooden’s retirement fight take away some of the shine from that win.
Unfortunately, this fight proved that Aly’s chin and/or defense are major concerns, as he left his head hanging wide open after throwing a few calf kicks to start the fight and got starched by an overhand right into some GnP. That was the sort of shot that few fighters could eat and survive, but he shouldn’t have been caught so easily against someone who mostly throws that sort of big single strike.
LHW is shallow enough that I expect to see him get a few more regional wins then be back on DWCS in 2026 since his physical talent and grappling pedigree are such rare attributes at 205lbs.
Felipe Franco: 8-1
Grade: 0 (-1)
Franco was my second-lowest ranked undefeated LHW going into his DWCS fight despite having more wins than the majority of the fighters above him. He’s clearly a very strong and athletic guy but the opponents he fought were so bad that it was hard to project much from all of his R1 finishes since he could get the job done with raw aggression and big takedowns into GnP.
After two trickier opponents pulled out he got about as easy a matchup as you’ll see in a UFC-eliminator, as Freddy Vidal (3-0) came in overweight and had faced maybe even worse competition than Franco. The lack of any previous challenges for either fighter became obvious early on with sloppy striking, takedown attempts with no second move when the initial shot led to fence control, and both guys gassing after just minutes of fighting. Franco is supposedly a BJJ black belt but he didn’t look like it when he got top control as he was swept far too easily both R1 and R3 from positions where he should have dominated but never sank his hips to use any top pressure. He allowed mount and got punished by big shots late R1, swung wild overhands in R2, then spent whatever energy he had left in clumsy clinch exchanges on the fence in R3. By the time he got reversed after scoring a takedown there was absolutely nothing left in the tank so he surrendered to a back take and RNC submission without ever really fighting the hands or trying to escape his opponent’s leg hooks.
Franco is still just 24 so maybe he can totally rebuild his technique to match his physique, but I have my doubts. I would usually add someone like Vidal to my rankings, especially in a division like LHW, since he’s 4-0 with a nine-win streak and just beat a graded prospect. I just can’t bring myself to do it after that performance though, so we’ll have to wait five more weeks for him to make his return on the final episode of DWCS this year to see if he can make a better impression.
Jair de Oliveira: 6-1
Grade: 0 (-.5)
De Oliveira was one of very few young undefeated heavyweights in the world, but even still it was surprising to see him get a DWCS call without beating anyone with a winning record. He dropped to 205 pounds for the fight but was still dwarfed by Rafael Tobias (13-1, 2.5/100), and with his 5’9” frame he’d probably need to drop to at least welterweight to be competitive.
His leg kicks looked solid and he clearly had some power in the overhands he threw but the range difference meant he was consistently eating teeps, jabs, and hard counter hooks when he tried to enter the pocket. The grappling was even worse as Oliveira looked lost when faced with a single-leg takedown, presenting his back and failing to address his opponent’s progression or RNC. The angle wasn’t great, but he still tapped for his first loss, and it’s pretty clear this was far too difficult a fight for his level.
Middleweights:
New prospects:
Kosim Sardorov
Age: 24
Record: 5-0
Representing: Tajikistan
Grade: 6.5 (+1)
Sardarov is an elite prospect developed by the IMMAF tournament system, where he spent almost all of his 16-4 amateur career. After starting 5-4, he went on an impressive winning streak that has now grown to 16 fights with world titles in 2023/4 and an Asian title in 2024 for good measure. Along the way, he picked up wins over guys who are also now top prospects like Alvi Dasuyev, Oualy Tandia, and David Hervias.
Sardorov’s wrestling is incredibly powerful, and his typical tactic was to smother these dynamic fighters with pressure and GnP to earn decision wins while finishing weaker competition.
He only made his pro debut in April, but has been incredibly active since then, since he rarely takes much damage in his fights and is able to return to the cage quickly. I would have ranked him at 3-0, but two fights at barely-known Russian promotion Top Fight Global 3 (R1 KOs vs 0-1 and 0-0 opponents in the same night) weren’t added until well after the event happened. He has two other R1 KOs on his record, including over Akira Hirata (2-1) last month in his debut for Pancrase, which again saw wrestling and GnP seal victory for Sardarov.
His most impressive pro win came against Yuriy Titorenko (4-1), also a quality grappler, when the two matched off in China for JCK. Sardorov wasn’t able to run over his opponent, so he was forced to be more tactical in his takedown entries, use more striking in some exchanges on the feet, and manage his cardio since the fight made it to the final minute of R3. He was almost certainly ahead on the scorecards, especially after securing back control R3, but he decided to show off BJJ skills by turning an escape attempt into a modified twister while grabbing his opponent’s head to crank the spine and force a submission.
He’s now fought in four different countries as a pro and is clearly willing to take any opportunity to keep building his record. At just 24, Sardarov is on a rapid upward trajectory and could be a breakout star in 2026.
Douglas da Lapa
Age: 26
Record: 5-0
Representing: Brazil
Initial grade: 1
I hadn’t thought much of da Lapa before he made his LFA debut against Jonathan Elias (7-0, 0.5/100) since his first four pro opponents were 0-0 or 1-0. Watching him for the first time, his physical gifts jump off the screen as next-level with tons of muscle well-distributed on a 6’3” frame. Despite his size, he’s somehow fought most of his career at welterweight where he’d be a giant.
Da Lapa had a smart gameplan against a smaller grappler: attack the body with kicks, especially teeps, and try to prevent Elias from closing the distance. He was very successful at range but got taken down and mounted far too easily both times that his opponent was able to get to the body lock in R1. De Lappa escaped mostly through athleticism at the fence base the first time, but was stuck for several minutes later on and got saved by his opponent, not using as much GnP as he should have because it landed heavily when it was thrown. He gets credit for preventing an arm-triangle set-up and being explosive enough to force constant attention onto control rather than damage, but his technical BJJ was barely there. Da Lapa took over R2 with more teeps that drained what little fight was remaining out of a gassed opponent, then showed off beautiful boxing with 1-2s through the guard and heavy rips to the stomach when his opponent’s hands came up. Unanswered power shots at the fence were enough to force a standing TKO win, which now gives him four KOs in R2/3.
Beating a ranked prospect is a great way to make your debut in these rankings, but the grappling weakness he showed means that I can’t put him very high for now.
Giorgi Kartvelishvili
Age: 27
Record: 6-0
Representing: Georgia
Initial grade: 0.5
Kartvelishvili is a lottery ticket prospect, as the odds are he won’t turn out to be anything but, there’s a small chance you hit the jackpot. He’s very short for the division at 5’9”, but carries so much muscle that it’s hard to imagine him ever making 170 pounds. He’s got five submissions in R1 and a KO in just eight seconds in his most recent fight, but five of those opponents were making their professional debuts, and the only “experienced” one was 1-2.
Kartvelishvili has won two titles so far, but has never fought outside of his home country and is clearly getting fed easy matchups to build his record. The method is only recorded for ⅗ of his submissions, but those are intriguing since he has two north-south chokes to go with an arm-triangle. Those are all very well-suited techniques for a stocky grappler with a huge squeeze, which you can imagine Kartvelishvili has just by looking at a picture of him.
It’ll be hard to know if he’s legit until he faces someone with a real record and/or is forced to test his gas tank for longer than three minutes, but at 6-0 he’s earned himself a spot in these rankings.
Luiz Antonio Alves
Age: ?
Record: 8-0
Representing: Brazil
Initial grade: 0.5
This series is committed to bringing you every pro fighter 6-0 or better, no matter how padded the record, but guys like Alves can make me question that decision. His Tapology profile shows how blatant he’s been with his can-crushing, as 6/8 wins on his record either for lack of documentation or blatant mismatch. He’s got an even split of four KOs and four submissions, with seven of those in the first round, but he’s never fought a single opponent with a professional win. Some were making their debuts while others had records like 0-6 when Alves took them on, and on two separate occasions, he’s fought the same guy twice in a row after beating them comprehensively.
I can’t find his age online, and frankly can’t be bothered to search that hard for it since it’s unlikely he’s going to be much of a talent if this is the matchmaking he’s getting. He enters the rankings as the absolute last MW on the list.
Removed:
Norbert Daszkiewicz: 6-0
Grade: 2
Daszkiewicz is a natural lightweight who has spent most of his career there using strong grappling to grind out five decision wins and a lone arm-triangle submission in his pro debut. He’s faced pretty good competition in Poland (23-9 combined record) and went way up in weight for an appearance on pop-MMA promotion Fame. It’s now been two years since that fight, so he’s out of the rankings, but he’s still in his late 20s, so he would be a reasonable prospect for KSW to sign if he decides to return to the sport.
Theo Haig: 6-1
Grade: 1 (-0.5)
Haig is tall and well-built, but he’s a one-dimensional choke specialist who hasn’t shown much progression in the other areas of MMA. That was enough to carry him through the regional scenes, as all of his wins were chokes, especially RNCs, but he got exposed immediately on DWCS.
It was an unlucky matchup for him against Cezary Oleksiejczuk (15-3, 40/100), who’s been UFC-ready for several years and was one of the best middleweights outside a major promotion anywhere in the world. Haig’s first single-leg was from way too far out, then he got stumbled by the first 1-2 combo he ate. This forced another single-leg that left him trapped under a sprawl and eating hammerfists to the side of his head for a TKO L in just 36 seconds. There was some weirdness since the ref thought some might have caught the back of his head but it looked clean enough for me.
This was an ugly first loss, but the grade difference between them was so big going into the fight that I’ll keep Theo in my rankings to see where he goes next.
Đani Barbir: 7-1
Grade: 0.5 (-2)
There was a lot of hype around Barbir coming into DWCS, and it’s easy to see why. He’s an athletic specimen who’s finished everyone he fought in R1/2, including two title defenses for FNC, but my pre-fight grade of 2.5/100 reflected my concern over his level of competition (19-16 combined record).
He was totally reckless against Mantas Kondratavičius (7-1), with both guys exchanging power shots that left Đani open to getting taken down relatively easily. His reversal from bottom side control was beautiful but I needed to see him work to secure his position there or more of a plan for how to take over back on the feet. Instead, it was straight back to brawling, which got him KOed by an overhand into some GnP.
The raw talent isn’t going anywhere, but the gameplanning and temperament are going to be major question marks until Barbir proves he can stay cool in a big opportunity.
Jonathan Elias: 8-1
Grade: 0 (-0.5)
Elias built a strong record in the depths of Brazil, only showing up as 4-0 on Tapology, but 8-0 on Sherdog, mostly fighting inferior opponents who couldn’t stand up to his athleticism combined with BJJ and judo black-belts. His LFA debut against Douglas da Lapa (4-0), described in more detail above, taught us a lot about Elias. Most importantly, I think he should try to drop to welterweight, as he’s neither tall nor particularly thick for 185 pounds, and the strength difference was obvious when he was trying to maintain top position. He also proved that his throws and guard passes are excellent and that he has the potential for really damaging ground strikes, but needs to be more aggressive using them. If he’d just focused on pounding away instead of looking for a choke or worrying about holding his mount, he might have been able to finish the fight in the first round. Instead, his cardio got exposed as only lasting one round and we got to see some stiff and aimless hooks in R2 while his opponent carved him up on the way to his first loss.
At 23 years old, there’s still a strong grappling base for Elias to build from, especially if he can make 170 pounds, but I’ll need to see improvements in a lot of areas before I’d consider him a prospect again.
Welterweights:
New prospects:
Magomedkhabib Ramazanov
Age: 33
Record: 5-0
Representing: Russia
Initial grade: 1
Ramazanov is pretty old for a new prospect whose whole pro career is just 14 months long, but he’s got an amateur record dating back to at least 2019. He took more than three years off before turning pro and is somewhat undersized for a welterweight. Despite that, he’s won all of his fights in the first round with three KOs and two anaconda choke submissions.
His first opponents were either inexperienced or a 19-19 journeyman, so my expectation was that he’d lose his Octagon debut against Marat Esenbekov (7-1), who is a better athlete and a prospect the promotion has been building. However, Magomedkhabib pulled off an upset with his 2nd anaconda win in an early grappling exchange.
There’s probably not a ton of room for improvement at his age, but it’s nice to see that he’s fighting frequently, and there are plenty of good challenges for him in Octagon and other Russian or Central Asian promotions.
Aydamirkan Dzharimov
Age: 32
Record: 6-0
Representing: Russia
Initial grade: 1
Dzharimov is another older Russian prospect who made the transition to MMA in 2024, but instead of an amateur career he has a strong background in both Muay Thai and kickboxing, winning titles in both sports.
His first five fights had a combined 2-8 record, with both wins coming from a 2-2 opponent so the wins were pretty much guaranteed, but it’s still good to see that he finished all of them in the first round. More interestingly, three of those wins were by choke submissions, which shows he’s been working to improve his BJJ since switching to MMA full-time.
There are clearly people with high expectations for him since he was plucked from the obscurity of small Russian shows straight into an interim title shot for BetCity (formerly AMC) Fight Nights. While that promotion has been on a decline, it’s still a long-running and respectable show whose belts mean something.
His opponent, Lucas Oliveira (26-9), has an impressive but heavily padded record and wasn’t in the best shape for this fight, but is still several levels above Dzharimov’s prior competition. For someone with so much striking experience, I wasn’t that impressed by what he showed on the feet. His calf kicks are solid and powerful, but his boxing was wild and relied too much on looping punches that were slow and left him exposed to potential counters. His wrestling instincts are good as he was able to grab clinches when his opponents got inside to strike, but he was reversed on the fence in both R1/2 despite clearly being the more muscular fighter. Ramazanov was able to eventually reverse positions in R1 and did so much sooner in R2, with his opponent starting to tire. Once he got on top, his wrestling looked much better than on the fence, with solid control from half guard and effective GnP, especially when his opponent was kneeling. He kept up his output and increased the power of each strike to get a TKO late in the round.
His ceiling is limited by his age, and I would’ve liked to seen cleaner technique on the feet and along the fence, but Ramazanov should be able to get some more wins at the upper end of the Russian regionals.
Justin Robinson
Age: 30
Record: 3-0
Representing: United States
Initial grade: 1
Robinson was a very exciting amateur prospect who I’ve been tracking since he went 7-0 while winning a title at 135lbs and winning then defending a title at 145lbs. He’s primarily a grappler with strong top control and has bulked up as a pro with added muscle mass to fight at 155lbs then 165 pounds last month, likely because his opponent took the fight a few weeks after losing his pro debut.
Unfortunately, Robinson’s pro career has seen a drop in activity as his three wins have come over almost two years, and they’ve all been decisions against inferior early-career opponents. An explosive athlete like Robinson should be getting some finishes at this level, and now that he’s 30, he needs to fight more often if he wants to make it to the next level. His whole career has taken place in small shows in Mississippi or Louisiana, but I could see him getting a fight with Fury FC or LFA.
Removed:
Eliezer Kubanza: 7-1
Grade: 1.5 (-2.5)
MMA is still a developing sport in Africa, so prospects from the continent sometimes lack the technical refinement to go with their physical gifts, but I had thought Kubanza would be someone to break that mold. He had a 7-3 amateur career that prepared him to go pro and face tougher competition than most contemporaries (20-4 opponents’ combined record) and he went 4-0 for Brave against fighters from more typical MMA hotbeds. He’s always going to be short for 170 pounds at 5’9” but he’s too muscle-bound to ever drop down to LW.
Instead, he’s relied on explosion and incredible power in his hands to KO everyone he’d fought until going to a decision last year against Zagid Gaidarov (6-1). That fight was high-paced and a lot of fun but did raise some questions about Eliezer’s striking defense and gas tank in the later rounds. It was still a quality win that earned him his spot on DWCS against Christopher Alvidrez (6-1, 1/100), his first opponent who I also had graded.
The range disadvantage was a factor immediately in this one as Kubanza struggled to get going when faced with kicks attacking his calf and knee and some long jabs. There was obvious danger in every hook he threw but he needed more feints or longer combinations in order to get into an effective distance. His head movement was also lacking, as he got caught by a straight and stunned early on but showed good instincts to wrestle and give himself time to recover.
However, he was hurt much worse by a jab into an overhand which knocked him down pretty soon after returning to space. No one can question his toughness as he never stopped moving through positions despite taking a bunch of GnP and even managed to build back to the feet but ate a knee to the body on the way up then was greeted by a clean combo that took away whatever was left of his equilibrium. Kubanza was still moving but the TKO was necessary for the ref to save him from himself as he’d taken a ton of damage.
He’s still got a lot of tools to succeed but needs to level up his striking technique both offensively and defensively to make it to the next level.
Magomedsaid Gogamov: 6-0
Grade: 0.5
Gogamov has crushed cans in tiny Russian shows on his way to a 6-0 record. He has four submissions and a knockout, but the best opponent he’s faced was in his debut against someone who was 1-0. That tells you all you need to know about his level of competition, which is why he was ranked #85/86 for my undefeated welterweights.
He’s now been inactive for two years, and at 30 years old there’s still some time for a comeback but likely not a run to the top level of MMA.
Chad Decker: 7-1
Grade: 0.5 (-1)
Decker is a short but muscular grappler who had a good amateur run (6-1-2) before turning pro and finishing six of his wins (4 subs + 2 KOs), mostly in the first round. However, most of his opponents were cans, so his grade didn’t climb that high.
He took on Tyler Grimsley (10-0, 6/100), who is also somewhat of a can-crusher but has more proven grappling skills and is better rounded overall. They fought for a title in a small regional show that I haven’t been able to find footage for, but Decker was KOed in R4 for his first loss, so he leaves these rankings.
He’s shown enough flashes in his highlights to stay on as a low-tier prospect since I had a higher grade on his opponent.
Cole Faust: 4-1
Grade: 0 (-1)
I’d added Faust as a prospect without watching tape, off the strength of a 9-1 amateur run against pretty good competition and two heel hooks in his brief pro career. He’s a natural LW but had been ranked at WW since his last fight was at 165 pounds.
He failed his first step up in competition in his BFL debut against Ashton Charlton (8-3), getting outgrappled by a better submission artist before giving up his back for a RNC late in R2. He got a funny highlight for flipping off the camera before going to sleep, but that may end up being the most notable thing he does given this performance.
Robert Alexandru Constantin: 6-1
Grade: 0 (-0.5)
Constantin is a throwback wrestler who uses looping hooks to set up takedown entries, which was enough to win eight fights in Romania (2-0 amateur). However, his limitations were exposed in his Cage Warriors debut against the much taller Adam Darby (5-1), who picked him apart with jabs and teeps at range before building into longer combinations as Robert slowed down.
He clearly has power in his hands and had recorded a couple of KOs but lacked any sort of set-up or deception to negate the difference in reach. His single-leg entries were good enough to repeatedly get his opponent to the fence, but there wasn’t a plan beyond that in terms of chain wrestling or damage from the clinch. He was able to control but took elbows to the side of the head and knees on clinch breaks without returning nearly enough volume.
His cardio started to fail late in R2, and by R3 he was getting picked apart and eventually rocked by a knee, then knocked down by a clean 1-2. Constantin showed toughness to keep moving despite heavy GnP and fought the hands well to prevent RNCs when his back was taken, but he didn’t have the technique or energy necessary to escape and was eventually TKOed by strikes from back control.
He’ll likely win more regional fights, but I don’t see much potential for more than that.
Lightweights:
New prospects:
Brodie Mayocchi
Age: 20
Record: 3-0
Representing: Australia
Grade: 4 (+1)
September has seen a lot of young prospects join these rankings after successful amateur careers and 3-0 pro starts, and Mayocchi is one of the most exciting of all of them. He didn’t have a long ammy stint but went 5-0 with four submissions and two title wins against some of the best Australia had to offer (10-0 combined opponents’ record). He’s complemented his BJJ skills with a successful amateur kickboxing career and a few wins in Muay Thai to really round out his toolbox. For someone so young, he’s a very polished fighter, and training at City Kickboxing will only continue to shape him into a top prospect.
One concern is his height, as he’s 5’8” or 5’9” depending on the database. He’s continued to test himself as a pro, as his second fight came against Artemios Trepca (2-0, 1.5/100), who was similarly early in his career but had been an even more successful undefeated amateur. Mayocchi came out on top with a decision win which substantially boosted his grade, and it’s always good to see two promising fighters not scared of a proper challenge.
He made a surprise move to China for his first fight outside of home territory and showed off some great grappling against Fanba Ningzhai (3-1), which wore his opponent down before he was able to take the back in R3 and finish the fight with continuous punches. There’s no need to rush his development, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see him challenge for the HEX or Eternal MMA titles in 2026.
Conor McCarthy
Age: 24
Record: 5-0
Representing: Ireland
Initial grade: 3
McCarthy is a prospect I’m surprised I didn’t recognize sooner, as he checks all the boxes that I’m looking for. He’s pretty young, 6 feet tall, well-built, and had a strong 11-2 amateur record with lots of titles and defenses in Ireland, though he did lose his only fight in IMMAF and his other loss was to one of the better local opponents he faced. He’s now on a 10-fight win streak that includes an unblemished pro start with two KOs against 2-5 cans to build his confidence before getting signed to Cage Warriors.
He’s continued to win for them but has gone to a decision each time against improved competition (19-11 combined record), though from what he showed in his most recent fight against Diego Visanzay (5-2), it’s not for lack of trying to finish the fight. McCarthy was a little cautious to start each round, with R1 especially slow, which led to him taking some jabs and other strikes at range, but he grew in comfort and got going quicker each time.
This initially came through clinches, where he was effective in fence control and able to do some damage inside, then with his own striking, which was quick and accurate when he stuck to jabs and straight rights. His hooks sometimes got loopy, and his defense wasn’t as clean as his offense, but the boxing fundamentals are there. He also mixed in some kicks, with the calf his favorite target, and his comfort blending striking at different ranges with grappling is very promising for an early-career pro.
He mixed in some takedowns in R1 and scored a knockdown with a straight right, then looked comfortable exchanging positions on the ground while scoring with GnP and nearly taking his opponent’s back a few times. Cardio doesn’t seem to be a concern, as R3 was McCarthy’s most dominant, with the final couple of minutes turning into target practice as he extended his combinations and showed fight IQ by ripping hooks to the body when it became clear he wasn’t going to crack the chin.
His striking defense needs some work, and the overall level of his grappling hasn’t been tested by anyone great, but the well-rounded mental and physical skills McCarthy showed in this fight have me excited for his next one.
Owen Jason
Age: 23
Record: 5-0
Representing: France
Initial grade: 1
I picked up on Jason when he was on a 9-fight winning streak as an amateur, where he mostly used his blend of BJJ and Judo to outgrapple opponents for decision wins or occasional submissions. However, I removed him from my database after he suffered a couple of split-decision losses to better competition, though he did still finish with a very strong 15-4 amateur record.
He’s shown good growth as a pro, especially now that he’s dropped down from 170 pounds. His 6’2” frame is a big advantage in this weight class, and he’s scored two KOs with knees that both used that length and might not have been allowed under the amateur ruleset in France. His whole pro career has come with Hexagone, and after knocking out three beginners, he’s gone to decisions in his two most recent fights against Gabriel Ruiz (6-3) and Alan Cordeiro (5-1).
Both have padded records but are still solid wins for Jason that show he’s got potential as a pro, especially since he’s still young. Hexagone and France in general are full of lightweight prospects, so hopefully we see Jason matched against one of them soon to see just how much he’s improved.
David Sipra
Age: 33
Record: 5-0
Representing: France
Initial grade: 1
Sipra is a special-forces veteran who comes to MMA late in life but has adapted well to his new pursuit. He actually made his pro debut in 2019, went away for a couple of years, then went 3-0 as an amateur before returning to the pro ranks in 2024.
He’s since won four fights with Hexagone against three easy opponents before taking on Julian Schlouch (4-0) this month in a battle of emerging talents that was guaranteed to earn the winner a spot in these rankings. While his opponent had more hype on his name, Sipra emerged with a decision win.
Given his age, it’s unlikely that we see him make much noise outside of France, but he will still be a tough test for prospects in the next few years.
Dimitri Jioev
Age: 27
Record: 7-0
Representing: Georgia
Initial grade: 0.5
Jioev’s style is relatively normal for a Georgian prospect. He swings big on the feet while looking for opportunities to get takedowns and use his strong wrestling with big GnP to finish the fight on the ground. It’s been successful so far against six early-career opponents in Russia, then a much-more experienced but pretty terrible Dumar Roa (21-23) in his American debut for Fury FC.
The official record is where things get weirder: His first two fights were fought with modified rules that limited ground time to 30 seconds regardless of what was happening, and he suffered an amateur loss in Russia after most of his pro career but before he made his move to the USA. I include the modified wins in his record since, if anything, those modifications hurt him as a wrestler.
The amateur fight is tricky, since it’s common for professional fighters to take part in amateur tournaments in Russia but wouldn’t be allowed in many countries. It doesn’t disqualify Jioev from these rankings, but his opponent was an 18-year-old making his MMA debut, so that’s a pretty bad loss to have.
As a result, Jioev comes into the lightweight rankings second from the bottom, #88/89. His style should be effective against many fighters in Fury, but that loss makes it hard for me to trust him.
Removed:
Adam Masaev: 10-0
Grade: 6
Masaev is an excellent prospect who’s getting removed for two years of inactivity, but since he’s just 25 years old, I’m hoping he’ll be back soon. He’s originally from Chechnya, and like many fighters from that region, he’s spent the majority of his career with ACA Young Eagles, where he’s 7-0.
He’s got great height for the division at 6’1”, and his preferred strategy is to get the fight to the ground, where he can use his length to wrap up all sorts of chokes. His wrestling is good but not as dominant as other Chechen prospects, yet he makes up for it with really slick BJJ. You can see his creativity just by looking at the seven submissions on his record: triangles are his favorite, and he has three, but also a calf slicer, a violent ninja choke where he looked like he wanted to detach his opponent’s head from his shoulders, and a buggy choke in his most recent fight.
Masaev hasn’t beaten anyone great, but his grappling talent is evident, and his kicks have improved, which would be a valuable weapon for him given his reach. He moved to France to try to get an opportunity with the UFC or another major promotion, which unfortunately may have caused his current stretch of inactivity. Hopefully he’s been working hard to improve away from the spotlight and will make a return soon to show his skills.
Daniel James Allen: 5-0
Grade: 5.5
Like Masaev, Allen is a highly rated lightweight prospect getting removed for inactivity. Where DJA differs is that he’s already 32 years old and has half of the pro experience, making a return to prominence much less likely. He won on DWCS in 2023 but didn’t get a contract after going to a decision, and little has been heard from him since, besides a booking for LFA a year ago that fell through. He’s got the skills for success at the next level, but it’s unclear if he’ll show those again.
Abdulaziz Datsilaev: 5-1
Grade: 0.5 (-1)
Datsilaev was a prospect many were very high on following a ridiculous 24-0 amateur career and some one-sided R1 finishes as a pro. I had a pretty conservative grade on him because I wasn’t impressed by who he’d been fighting, and that came back to bite him against Nikolay Kiosse (9-3-1).
This was his first test against a quality regional opponent but was definitely a fight I expected Abdulaziz to win. He looked sharp with his typical, precise and powerful striking early in R1 but started to fade rapidly, which opened up lots of opportunities for his opponent. By R2, he was clearly diminished and had lost some of his speed, which led to him getting folded by a straight punch directly to the liver.
At 25, Datsilaev is young enough to make some improvements and come back strong, but his cardio and decision-making are both concerns going forward.
Adam Livingston: 6-1
Grade: 0 (-1)
Livingston is a tall (6’2”) and athletic prospect with some dangerous striking who went 6-2 as an amateur and has picked up some nice KOs as a pro, most recently with the LFA, but this was too soon for him to appear on DWCS. His only experienced opponent was Hugo Oyarzún (8-4) in his previous fight, and he had no answer for the wrestling of Tommy Gantt (10-0, 3.5/100).
Giving up a clinch in the first seconds of a fight against someone you knew was going to grapple is a bad sign for his game planning, and while some of his get-ups along the fence were nice, he needed to continue to separate from clinches if he wanted any chance of winning. Adam ended up rushing to avoid some GnP and exposed his neck for a guillotine and his first loss.
I considered keeping him as a tier 0.5 prospect because it may turn out that Gantt is really good, but getting run over like this makes me want to see some higher-quality wins and significant improvement in grappling before I’d want to rank Livingston again.
Featherweights:
New prospects:
Felipe Grajales
Age: 24
Record: 3-0
Representing: Colombia
Grade: 2.5
Grajales is the type of prospect this series exists for, as he’s one of my favorite early-career prospects from anywhere in the world but is mostly under the radar. He’s athletic, well-rounded, and had an outstanding 10-0 amateur career that included three titles, one defense, and a national tournament win in 2023.
While the overall skill level in Colombia isn’t the highest, his opponents’ 49-12 combined amateur records make it clear he sought out the best competition he could find, which also included two wins in a Pan-American IMMAF tournament.
Grajales went pro late last year and has won titles at 155 and 145 pounds for tiny local promotions, with a five-round decision win over Jeison Jimenez (3-0) definitely his standout performance so far since it proved that he has the cardio and toughness to go into deep waters against a competent opponent.
He won another decision this month in a step down against Jeffry Gil (7-9), who is really only a striker and had nothing to stop Felipe’s grappling. This was a fight he should have gotten a finish in, so his grade doesn’t improve at all.
He’s now riding a 13-win streak and will probably get a few more easy fights in Colombia to build up his record before making a move to Fusion FC or Samurai FH, as they have the best track records outside of Brazil for getting South American fighters next-level opportunities.
Keith Keogh
Age: 24
Record: 3-0
Representing: Ireland
Grade: 2 (+1)
Keogh was an elite amateur (15-1) who established himself as one of the best in Ireland then suffered his only loss by split decision in IMMAF. He rebounded well with a couple of his best wins after that, including Connor Patterson (9-0), who was another of my top amateurs in the region.
BJJ is his best skill and he has real comfort and fluidity on the mat that can only come from many years of training. I don’t think his wrestling is at the same level, but it’s good enough to get him where he wants to be even if it won’t match elite fighters there.
His striking was often more focused on point-scoring as an amateur, but he landed a big knee in his pro debut and finished off the first KO win of his career with some solid punches, so maybe he’ll be more dangerous there now that the additional protections and heavier gloves are out of the picture.
Since that debut, he’s picked up two R1 RNC submissions for Cage Warriors, running through a debuting opponent and Damien McKenna (3-0) most recently and making it look easy in both cases. He’s early in his career, so we’ll likely see some more winnable matchups over the next year as he builds towards bigger opportunities.
Bruno Fernando
Age: 23
Record: 5-0
Representing: Brazil
Initial grade: 1
Fernando is a young and athletic finisher (3 submissions & 2 KOs) who picked up a single amateur win then has fit his entire pro career into just 13 months. He’s fought for Shooto Brazil twice at lightweight, including a co-main event in June, which is a big spot to put someone who was just 3-0 at the time.
He’s been winning impressively, including a flying knee in his pro debut, so that has certainly given him some hype. Most of his opponents weren’t particularly tough, though they’ve gradually improved until he took on Anderson Garça (6-1) this month in a regional event. I thought Garça had some potential after he beat a prospect I liked earlier this year, but Fernando took care of things quickly with a R1 RNC submission.
If he stays this active, I expect to see him challenging for a title with Shooto Brazil or getting some fights with LFA in 2026, both of which would put him in a great spotlight.
Danny Jarquin
Age: 24
Record: 3-0-1
Representing: Nicaragua
Grade: 1
Nicaragua is far from an MMA hotspot, with former PFL prospect Elvin Espinosa probably the country’s standout over the last few years. Jarquin has now taken up the flag as the lone undefeated prospect in these rankings, and I’ve been tracking him dating back to his 11-0-1 amateur career that began when he was just 16 years old.
He’s also taken some kickboxing fights and overall has had a good amount of time to round out his skillset, but the reality is that the competition he’s facing in Central America just isn’t very good. His pro debut was also concerning, as he fought to a draw against someone he had just beaten as an amateur, but he’s righted the ship since with three KOs.
The variety of weapons at his disposal stands out, as one KO was with elbows on the ground, one included knees in a big flurry on the fence, then most recently a head kick put his opponent down before Jarquin finished things off with GnP. He’s naturally a bantamweight but moved up a class because his original opponent pulled out, which left him facing a debuting fighter with little amateur experience in a clear mismatch.
His win in August was more notable, as he took on the much more experienced Alexander Luna Orozco (9-7-1) and took just three minutes to finish him and claim the 135-pound title for Nicaraguan FC. He had a two-year gap between his 2nd and 3rd pro fights but has now fought twice in six weeks, so hopefully he’ll stay active and eventually leave the region to get properly tested.
Mateusz Balko
Age: 22
Record: 4-0
Representing: Poland
Grade: 0.5
Poland has an unusual amateur tournament system in which all fights are just one round lasting four minutes. This lets athletes accumulate impressive records quickly, which Balko did by getting to 14-2 as a teenager, but it can make it hard to evaluate their true skill levels since such a short fight requires a different approach from professional MMA.
Balko picked up some good wins as an amateur and has continued his success as a pro, leading to a 12-win streak. He’s got three KOs and an RNC, all in R1/2, with a couple of cans to open his pro career, but his last two opponents have been 2-0 and successful amateurs.
He’s taking steps in the right direction and is still young, so there’s potential, but a lot of questions still to be answered.
Removed:
David Mgoyan: 7-1
Grade: 6 (-1)
August’s departures were full of formerly-unbeaten prospects who’d met their match on DWCS, and Mgoyan continued that with the first Contender Series fight of September against Tommy McMillen (8-0, 3/100). He was someone I was expecting to see on the show in 2026 since he’s shown a versatile and technical blend of striking + wrestling, including a good decision win over battle-tested gatekeeper John De Jesus (18-12, 0.5/100), but at just 21 years old I thought this year was too early for him.
While he wasn’t originally scheduled to appear, he took a short-notice fight as a replacement and it ended up costing him. I wrote about the fight in more detail when discussing McMillen in this month’s Undefeated Update, but Mgoyan looked unstoppable for much of R1 with damaging hooks, great wrestling, and a near-finish with a mounted guillotine, but faded in R2/3. He hasn’t had cardio problems in the past, so it’s easy to speculate that the short notice meant he wasn’t fully prepared to go the distance.
I was impressed by how he maintained good technique on his straight punches, as usually sloppiness is one of the first signs of tiredness, but he clearly lacked power when he landed and started eating things straight on the chin that he ordinarily would have avoided. His takedown attempts were still decently set up from inside the pocket, but he again lacked the necessary explosion to finish, so just ended up draining his tank more with each shot. By the final minute of R3 he was getting treated like a punching bag and might not have survived another minute but was saved by the bell.
He still suffered his first loss by 28-29 majority decision, with a 10-8 R1 from 1 judge. I think a draw could also have been a fair result given how much damage Mgoyan inflicted in R1, so his grade only drops slightly, especially given the short-notice. At his age, I expect to see him win two more regional fights then get another shot at DWCS in 2026.
Maxim Fukhs: 4-1
Grade: 2.5 (-4)
This removal is disappointing for me since Fukhs was one of my favorite early-career sleepers only known to other hardcore prospect hunters or IMMAF fans, as he won the Junior Worlds title there in 2022 against excellent competition to cap an 8-0 amateur career.
He took a couple years off and looked noticeably more muscular for his pro career, which has been exclusively with Russia’s RCC. He rose quickly, dispatching two 1-1 opponents before better wins against fellow high-ceiling prospects Akhmed Saraliev (4-0) and Muslim Nurmagomedov (6-1, 0.5/100). Three of his four wins were KOs and they mostly came through GnP, as Maxim is a strong wrestler who drowns opponents with pressure and strikes.
He took on a much more experienced fighter in Rafael Dias (21-10-1), who is very competent but, like many Brazilians in Russia, was clearly brought in to build a prospect. Fukhs looked good through two rounds but started to slow down considerably in R3, then ended up changing levels directly into a brutal knee that put him out cold for a painful first loss.
He’s still 24 and I’m still high on his potential, but the gas tank will need to improve if he wants to regain a higher grade.
Brahyan Zurcher: 9-1
Grade: 2 (-5)
I had high hopes for Zurcher after his slow build in PFL saw him demonstrate quickness in all areas of MMA, some solid wrestling, and power on the feet.
Defense has always been a concern, however, and that was exposed in his DWCS matchup against Murtazali Magomedov (9-0, 10/100). Brahyan just wasn’t as quick and struggled to land in the opening minute, then got rocked by a jab before folding under a combo and GnP. His chin has never been outstanding, but he’s taken heavier-seeming shots than that before, so it was surprising to see him fall apart so quickly.
This may have been a fluke, but it’s concerning for his long-term durability, and at 29, there won’t be many more opportunities to make the UFC. A PFL return seems pretty reasonable, as he’s 5-0 in their cage and would represent one of their few home-grown prospects.
Musa Qalayciev: 10-0
Grade: 1
Qalayciev is a man of mystery; Tapology has him with an 8-0 record, though three of those fights are insufficiently documented, while Sherdog has him at 10-0.
Neither database has an age listed for him, and his whole career has taken place in small local shows in Azerbaijan, Georgia, and the Russian Caucuses. Most of his opponents have been making their pro debuts, and his best win is a split decision over Turan Ahmadov (4-1) in his most recent fight.
Unfortunately, that was now two years ago, so he’s out of the rankings due to inactivity.
Taha Bendaoud: 5-1
Grade: 0 (-1.5)
Bendaoud is a strange fighter, as his first martial art was supposedly Muay Thai, but in MMA he’s recorded 6 submission wins (3 pro + 3 amateur) with triangles or armbars off his back without knocking anybody out. That included a comeback triangle in R2 of his PFL debut against Tariq Ismail (8-1, 1/100) and another triangle against Drissi Boualem (4-0) in the opening round of the 2025 PFL MENA tournament.
He lost his amateur debut but had won 10 straight coming into his matchup against Islam Reda (13-1, 3.5/100), which was his toughest test and exposed the limitations of his style. Taha initiated a clinch early in R1 but was reversed and spent most of the round chasing an oomaplata or trying to set up other attacks from a rubber guard, but took consistent GnP while doing so.
This willingness to stay on his back and inability to scramble up let his opponent shoot takedowns early R2/3 and repeat his dominant top control at the base of the fence for essentially the entire fight. Bendaoud has flexible legs and might be able to catch many people with his submissions, but a quality grappler like Reda was able to adapt to his gameplan and shut him down while scoring from the top.
There was no plan B or even really an attempt to get to his feet, so his first loss came by a 26-30 decision that gives me little confidence in his long-term MMA potential.
Willian Prado: 6-1
Grade: 0 (-1)
Prado tore up the Brazilian regional scene with four submissions (and two more as an amateur) plus two KOs, all in the first round, though his best opponent was 5-3 for a local title a year ago.
He got a short-notice call-up to Shooto Brazil against João Oliveira (14-6), which proved to be too much too soon for him. He held his own for the first two rounds but had some holes in his technique and seemed to be slowing down, which got him destroyed by a head kick early R3. The ref somehow didn’t step in immediately, but Prado got lucky that his opponent had mercy and threw very weak GnP to force a stoppage since he was totally out of it.
I think he may be the brother of Wellington Prado, since they have the same nickname (Predador), both train at Chute Box, and they resemble each other. Wellington has had a good career at the top of the Brazilian regional scene despite struggling to break through to the next level, but it’s unclear if Willian has what it takes to replicate that.
Bantamweights:
New prospects:
Aslan Shogenov
Age: 22
Record: 5-0
Representing: Russia
Initial grade: 2
Shogenov is a rangy (5’11”) long-limbed prospect who sacrifices some of the wrestling control you usually see from ACA Young Eagles prospects in exchange for lethal Jiu-Jitsu that has already seen him record two triangle chokes as a pro.
He went 3-0 as an amateur at just 16 years old, then made his pro debut at 17 before wisely taking three years off. He’s been with ACAYE since then but has unfortunately only fought once per year, with his first fight of 2025 representing a good step up in competition against Aslanbek Mezhidov (5-0, 1/100).
Both young prospects looked good in this one, but Shogenov came out on top with a majority decision win and therefore steals Mezhidov’s spot in the rankings with an even higher grade.
Zafar Rashidov
Age: 24
Record: 3-0
Representing: Uzbekistan
Grade: 1.5 (+0.5)
Rashidov is part of the next generation of Central Asian prospects who have been forged by the testing grounds of IMMAF and are now starting to turn pro. They’re mostly in the lighter weight classes and tend to have excellent grappling with a more points-focused striking style, and Zafar fits the bill. His wrestling is powerful and he’s aggressive with GnP once he gets on top, and while he does have some power, he prefers to keep things grounded.
He went 10-1 as an amateur, with most of that for IMMAF including the 2023 Asian title, but the competition there wasn’t great, so his real breakout came late in 2024 where he won the world title against truly excellent competition. The best of those was Elias Erber (25-3 amateur), where Rashidov scored a 48-second KO that proved he has power in his hands.
Those titles and his first two pro fights (both GnP KOs against debutants) came at 145 pounds, but he made the drop to 135 for the first time in his career and outwrestled Ularbek Abdiev (1-0) for a decision win. His whole pro career has come in just four months, and now that he’s fought twice for Octagon I expect them to keep him very active for as long as he’s healthy and build up his record against weaker competition.
The ceiling is super high here, and there’s the potential for Rashidov’s grade to skyrocket once he gets his first win over a proven pro, but that may not come until next year.
Adriano Sousa
Age: 18
Record: 6-0
Representing: Brazil
Initial grade: 1.5
Sousa only turned 18 this month and has been a pro since he was 16, which has made him the youngest fighter in these rankings regardless of weight class. He looks like a teenager, albeit an athletic one, as he’s pretty short at 5’6” yet also doesn’t carry a ton of muscle. This will obviously just take time in the gym for him to improve.
His BJJ is by far his strongest attribute, as he’s already scored four RNC submissions against mostly weaker opponents, but he did catch a 3-0 fighter in his Future FC debut back in April. His only KO came by a single punch in just 15 seconds, and while that was against a can, it was still a clean and powerful strike.
Adriano got his most experienced matchup this month against Ederson Santiago (7-5), who tried to bully him with wild hooks from the opening bell. Sousa’s returns were also looping and he ate one overhand, but his form was still a little cleaner than his opponent’s. Once they got into a clinch, he was able to show a lot of impressive tools in a short span with strong hips to come out on top in a throw, a slick foot sweep to open up mount, and a shift higher up the body that set up a transition to a triangle choke as his opponent started to scramble. Once he had the position, Sousa adjusted quickly to tighten and finish the fight in just 78 seconds.
His striking technique still needs a lot of work, but those grappling skills are a great base to build from, so Sousa is definitely one to watch in the coming years.
Neto Lopes
Age: ?
Record: 5-0
Representing: Brazil
Initial grade: 1.5
I usually try not to place too much emphasis on a fighter’s gym, as even the best teams have weaker members and otherwise unknown camps can sometimes produce gems. However, it’s impossible to ignore the amount of Brazilian talent that Fighting Nerds has produced in the last few years, and Lopes has a chance to be their next rising star.
He’s a high-level kickboxer who has won four of his professional fights by KO, including spectacular spinning highlights with a kick and backfist to go 2-0 for LFA. It’s promising that his lone amateur fight and pro debut were both submission wins, as even though his opponents were easy, he proved he has at least a decent level of BJJ that will be necessary since opponents will rarely want to strike with him after the danger he’s shown there.
He hasn’t faced anyone experienced yet, but that’s reasonable for someone early in their career, and the other beginners he’s faced have combined for a strong 11-3 record. He’s been stuck on the prelims so far for LFA, but his performances should have earned him a main-card spot against a tougher test for his next fight.
Sergio Barajas
Age: 24
Record: 6-0
Representing: Mexico
Initial grade: 1
Barajas was off the radar for almost everyone despite his undefeated start, since his first five opponents combined for a 5-3 record with none of them having more than two pro fights. That changed now with a decision win over Ramfery Gutiérrez (6-1), who was a prospect I liked in 2024 before he suffered his first defeat earlier this year.
Barajas is athletic, relatively young, and has shown the ability to finish fights anywhere (2 KOs & 2 RNC submissions) or go the distance as he did this month. He’s still mostly untested, but is now 4-0 for LUX and graduated from the prelims to the main card for this fight, so I expect the competition to be higher-quality going forward.
Albano Sanchez
Age: 20
Record: 5-0
Representing: Argentina
Initial grade: 1
Sanchez is tall for bantamweight (5’10”) and with a 9-3 amateur record to go with his pro career, he’s very experienced for someone so young. His amateur losses all came while he was 18 years old or younger, so he’s now on a nine-fight winning streak, with his best win a decision over Damian Quintana (9-0) also as an amateur.
His pro competition has mostly been poor, but he did beat an undefeated Matias Sisto (3-0) most recently to win a title for CAM, a regional Argentine promotion. That win came by RNC and was his third submission win, with another RNC and a much rarer ankle lock also on his record. Sanchez scored his lone KO in his pro debut, and all of these finishes have come in R1, which is good to see.
He’s already a good athlete, and I expect that to keep improving as he gets older. Argentine prospects are often built very slowly, and in Albano’s case that would be a good thing, as he’s so young there’s no need to rush him.
Removed:
Jan Ciepłowski: 9-1
Grade: 2 (-8)
Ciepłowski came through the Polish regional scene facing generally solid competition (33-10 combined record), though his best win was a controversial split decision over Vitaliy Yakimenko (9-1, 6/100) that many thought he lost. His style is versatile and makes use of his quick-twitch athleticism to score points on the feet while mixing in grappling.
He scored a nice KO in his PFL Europe debut, but his most recent fight showed that his defensive wrestling may be a major weakness I hadn’t identified before. He took on Dean Garnett (13-3-1, 1/100), who is solid enough to earn a grade but is 11 years older than Jan, so I expected him not to be much of a challenge.
However, while Ciepłowski was able to score on the feet with teeps, kicks, and jabs while staying mobile, he had no real answer for his opponent’s double-leg takedowns and never adjusted to the timing. Once they were on the ground, he was active to force lots of scrambles, but outside of a back take in R2 that he lost before the end of the round, he was rarely able to get to good positions. Jan took damage during transitions and struggled to escape body-locks, which forced him back down to the mat or dragged him into bad situations.
He may have gotten frustrated being on the bottom, so he shot his own takedown early in R3, which certainly surprised Garnett and nearly got Ciepłowski into top position, but he was ultimately swept straight into a guillotine choke for his first loss.
There’s still potential for him to improve his grappling, but he’s certainly not the international-level prospect I thought he was.
Macksom Lee: 9-1
Grade: 1 (-3)
Lee has a very rare build for 135 pounds, standing 6’1” with long limbs that make him very dangerous as a ranged striker and enable some deadly front chokes. That versatile finishing ability is evident on his record, as he has five KOs and 4 SUBs on his record with only one of those fights reaching the third round.
His career arc has also been unusual, as he recorded six of those wins as a teenager in 2018/9 against terrible competition in tiny Brazilian promotions, disappeared for more than four years, scored another easy guillotine submission against a debuting opponent, then exploded onto the radar for LFA with wins over Mateus Soares (7-1, 0.5/100) and Filipe Zacaron (8-2). The win over Soares was a big upset and proved that Lee isn’t just a can-crusher, though even then some defensive weaknesses were on display.
Macksom’s DWCS fight was a big step up in competition against Hecher Sosa (13-1, 9/100), and while he showed some of what makes him dangerous, it’s clear he still needs a lot of development. His potential as an out-fighter showed up with nice jabs, calf kicks, and teeps to the body, especially when he was able to stay in space a bit more in R2, but his feet were far too stationary, which led to him getting stuck near the fence and giving his opponent easy entries for wrestling.
Lee spent most of R1 on his back in bad positions, but his submission threat was clear on a pretty deep guillotine late in the round to counter a takedown. He also got a decent bit on a ninja choke while stuck on the fence in R2, but made the right call to not pull guard there. R2 saw some decent improvements with a very wide base at the fence to prevent takedowns and a couple knees to counter level changes, though nothing landed flush, but he was still outworked at the fence and didn’t do enough to stay in space when he was able to escape.
His get-ups were good to start R3, but once his opponent took the back he really struggled to generate much movement. I liked the hand fighting he used to break some RNC attempts, and he showed toughness to resist jaw cranks, but there wasn’t enough coordination between the different parts of his body to simultaneously defend and escape.
Ultimately, his first loss came by a 27-30 decision where he was clearly outclassed, but I’ll keep him graded because of his unique skillset to see if he can rebuild back in LFA or elsewhere in Brazil.
Ayitijiang Yeerdebieke: 8-1
Grade: 0 (-0.5)
Yeerdebieke is a tall young Chinese prospect who built up his record fighting weak competition for smaller promotions before making the step up to the country’s top show, JCK. He also took on his best opponent, Qinhuo Zheng (5-2), who beat him by decision and removed him from the undefeated rankings.
Flyweights:
New prospects:
Ryan Burgos
Age: 24
Record: 3-0
Representing: United States
Grade: 2 (+1.5)
Usually when a prospect enters these rankings at just 3-0, they have a long and successful amateur career behind them, but Burgos is an exception at just 3-0 ammy, all against debuting opponents. What makes him stand out is his violent and creative striking style that I dubbed a “tornado of violence” my first time watching him, and the fact that his older brother Shane had a very successful UFC career then fought for PFL a couple years ago.
Ryan’s activity has been frustrating, as his amateur fights all happened in four months, then he made an impressive pro debut for CFFC the next year, finishing with a R1 RNC after putting a beating on his 1-0 opponent on the feet. However, it took more than two years before his return last June, which saw another RNC, this time in just two minutes, yet it’s taken him more than a year once again to get back in the cage.
He moved over to ROC, an East Coast regional staple, for a shot at their title against Hector Iglesias (3-3), who is his most experienced opponent to date and was very willing to exchange with him on the feet. Burgos was clearly the better striker in R1, then secured a highlight KO in R2 with some early hooks that stunned his opponent and set up a big head kick that ended the fight.
He’s now on a 6-fight winning streak with none of those fights reaching the 6th minute, but he’ll need to fight more often to capitalize on his momentum and excellent potential. He’s clearly improved during his gaps away from competition and is still young, but there’s no substitute for professional cage time.
Vicente Bahamondes
Age: 20
Record: 5-0
Representing: Chile
Initial grade: 1.5
Bahamondes is the younger brother of Ignacio, who’s had a successful UFC career, and the newest representative of Chile’s best fighting family has some promising attributes. At 5’9” he’s pretty tall for a flyweight, and like his brother, he’s a dynamic striker with particularly effective kicks, including a highlight-reel spinning KO in his pro debut.
He’s super young and only took a single amateur fight before going pro, so his first four opponents had a combined 2-6 record, and he finished them all. Alexis Amaya (5-0, 0.5/100) represented a big step up in his FFC debut when they put on a Chilean event, and Vicente managed to win a decision in his first fight that went the distance. Proving that he has the cardio necessary for 15 tough minutes is necessary and also impressive for someone so young.
If he stays in Chile, he’ll likely get a few more easy matchups while he builds his record, but if his contract with FFC is longer-term, he could be on the fast-track to some tough fights next year.
Removed:
Alibek Gadzhammatov: 6-1
Grade: 1 (-2)
When I introduced Gadzhammatov in July, I predicted that his next opponent in the Rizin tournament would be his toughest yet, but I didn’t anticipate just how big a challenge he would get. Hiromasa Ougikubo (28-8-2, 45/100) is the definition of a grinder with more than 20 decision wins, and his smothering style is tough for anyone to figure out, especially at 125 pounds.
Alibek showed some promising flashes when he was able to work in space with an accurate jab and good striking fundamentals, but his footwork wasn’t good enough to evade the inevitable takedowns. He spent most of the fight either crushed against the ropes or on his back in the middle of the ring, gradually getting worn down.
His activity from the bottom dropped off in R2 and never recovered, which surrendered late mounts in R2/3 from which his opponent was able to land the heaviest GnP of the fight. Gadzhammatov lost a one-sided decision and clearly isn’t ready for someone with so much more experience, but the tools that got him here are still intriguing.
Aslanbek Mezhidov: 5-1
Grade: 0 (-1)
Mezhidov is a young Chechen prospect who went 5-0 as an amateur, then replicated that success as a pro with all of those wins in R1, including three with ACA Young Eagles. However, none of those opponents were better than 2-0 until a move up to 135 pounds saw him matched against Aslan Shogenov (4-0). Aslanbek suffered his first loss by majority decision in a fight that saw both fighters show promise, but I’m still removing him from all rankings for now.
Alexis Amaya: 5-1
Grade: 0 (-0.5)
Amaya was undefeated in 12 fights after a 6-0-1 amateur career, with every fight going to a decision, then picked up four finishes against weak competition as a pro. His first real step up came this month against Vicente Bahamondes (4-0), who beat him by decision and took him out of consideration as a prospect for now.
If you made it all the way here, thanks for reading, you have quite an attention span! I’ll see you next month, or message me @JamesLikesMMA on X to see what I think about your favorite prospect.