Every fighter starts somewhere. Before the hype, before the Contender Series, before the UFC call — there’s the early grind. Before They Blow Up is my way of spotlighting prospects still in that stage.
In this first volume, I’m looking at a few rising talents with five fights or fewer that are on my radar. These aren’t fighters I expect to be making any waves anytime soon. These are fighters I have watched, and I think have a good future in this sport.
Flyweight, Ryan Burgos (3-0)
With a familiar last name, Ryan is the younger brother of UFC/PFL veteran Shane Burgos. The Tiger Schulmann product has been fighting as a pro since 2022, so inactivity has been an issue. Burgos has never lost an MMA fight, going 3-0 as an amateur. In his last fight, he won the Ring of Combat title, which is a big deal for a young fighter. Burgos hasn’t done a good job getting his name out there, but he’s just 24, so time is on his side.
Burgos is billed as a grappler, but he’s comfortable on the feet. He’ll slip punches very well and has some pop in his hands. His kicks get away from him, but he is coming off a head kick knockout. The clinchwork would be the best work he does on the feet. Relentless thai plum brutalizing the body with knees and with those elbows up top.
Burgos is a quality wrestler who’s gotten takedowns from the clinch, suplexing guys down, and creating knee picks. A good technical wrestler, and has impressed with his physicality at a young age. Burgos shines in the jiu-jitsu. He’s never complacent as he’s always aggressively working to a finish and floats on top. Burgos has a slick back take and will go back and forth between that and mount effortlessly.
He doesn’t have the level of competition to prove he can be anything special. He does have the talent to be a fixture in the UFC’s flyweight division when he makes it there.
Bantamweight, Jack Axworthy (2-0)
Axworthy is another fighter I think highly of, though his lack of activity has held him back. He’s been a pro for over two years but has only fought twice during that span. Part of that came from an injury — a broken foot — and time spent rounding out his craft in Thailand. More recently, he made a key move to Next Gen MMA, where he scored his first win with the team in September via a head-kick knockout. Now healthy, signed with Cage Warriors, and training alongside elite talent, Axworthy seems poised for a major push.
Inside the cage, Axworthy brings plenty of personality. He talks, showboats, and clearly enjoys himself in there — all while trying to get inside his opponent’s head. I do worry about how low he keeps his hands and the possibility of circling into danger, but as they say, Scousers don’t get knocked out — so maybe he doesn’t need to change a thing.
Technically, Axworthy is a kick-heavy striker with impressive dexterity and creativity. He attacks at all levels and throws fluidly from both legs — inside and outside leg kicks, hook kicks, wheel kicks, you name it. He feints often, sets traps, and has no visible load-up on his spinning attacks, making him both dangerous and unpredictable. While his kicking game is his calling card, his hands shouldn’t be overlooked. He punches in quick flurries, exits cleanly after exchanges, and has a powerful right hook that lands especially well when he steps into range off a feint or kick setup.
The only real unknown is Axworthy’s grappling defense. His takedown defense and ground game remain question marks, though that’s partly because opponents struggle to close distance or time entries against his unpredictable striking.
All things considered, Axworthy feels like a future UFC talent. With consistent activity and the platform Cage Warriors provides, his climb could come sooner rather than later.
Featherweight, Bruno Fernando (5-0)
Fernando is a product of Davi Ramos — a name that’s become synonymous with Brazilian MMA. Training out of Top Brothers Gym, he’s surrounded by a room full of proven veterans and emerging talents, an environment that’s clearly sharpened both his skills and his mindset.
Fernando is a compact, explosive striker who carries real pop in his hands and a knack for chaining offense together in tight spaces. He likes to close distance and operate in the pocket, throwing crisp combinations punctuated by elbows and knees that make every exchange dangerous.
What makes Fernando especially effective, though, is how seamlessly he blends that striking with his grappling. He’s excellent at timing level changes from the clinch, executing clean bodylock takedowns, and quickly working his way to the back once the fight hits the mat. His control and positional awareness are far beyond what you’d expect from a 23-year-old.
Despite his youth, Fernando fights with the composure and discipline of a seasoned veteran. He never seems rushed or flustered, whether he’s exchanging on the feet or grinding out long stretches on the ground. It’s clear he’s comfortable in every phase of the fight — and that ability to mix it up and stay dangerous late into rounds suggests a fighter with both a deep skill set and a mature understanding of pace, position, and timing.
I’m not as sold on Fernando as much as I am the other two. Largely because it’s hard to trust these Brazilian prospects fighting lesser competitions. With that said, he’s looked as good as you’d wanna see a young fighter on the come-up.