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Welterweight/Lightweight, Konstantinos Ntelis (10-3)
Ntelis has faced some tough setbacks, but at just 24 years old, he still possesses plenty of upside. A well-rounded fighter, his biggest issue has been cardio, something that was evident in his most recent bout. Even so, he showed grit by pushing through to the final bell and doing enough to edge the scorecards.
On the feet, Ntelis fights with clear intent, throwing sharp combinations and mixing in body kicks effectively. He’s also an underrated wrestler, capable of securing takedowns both along the cage and in open space. While he’s known for a memorable knockout, submissions actually make up the majority of his finishes.
For someone so young, Ntelis has already dealt with adversity, and that experience could prove valuable as he continues to develop. He fights Contender Series vet Leon Aliu (11-5), who is 36 and 1-4 in his last five.
Flyweight, Damien McGuigan (1-0)
McGuigan is one of Ireland’s brightest prospects, so seeing him sign with Cage Warriors is an exciting development. As an amateur, he went 9–1 and impressively won five title fights, capturing four different championships along the way.
He grew up in kickboxing, and that background shows clearly in his style. McGuigan fights with a loose, fluid approach built around constant kicks, feints, and movement. He’s comfortable getting flashy and attacks all three levels effectively. His kickboxing also complements his boxing well, as he’s a sharp combination puncher.
While his offensive wrestling is still somewhat of a question mark, his takedown defense is already strong. He shows an excellent sprawl, good hips, and strong balance. Overall, McGuigan looks like a special talent who fits naturally into the flyweight division.
Welterweight, Roan Crocker (1-0)
Crocker is represented as one of the top prospects out of Wales. Recently, he’s moved gyms and has quality in his corner, such as Tom Breese, Jai Herbert, and Marcin Mazurowski. Much of the hype comes from his outstanding amateur career, where he compiled a 17–3 record and racked up several notable accomplishments. He captured Cage Warriors Academy titles at both 185 and 205 pounds, earned a silver medal at the IMMAF World Championships, and won the IMMAF Junior European Championship.
He also holds some strong wins, including a particularly impressive victory over Sean Clancy Jr. Stylistically, Crocker is a grappler who thrives with dominant top control. He fights with an aggressive approach, and once he establishes control on the mat, he’s extremely difficult to shake off. A four-time British BJJ champion, his grappling pedigree makes it clear where he prefers to take the fight.
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*Omiel Brown isn’t a highlighted fighter on this list because he isn’t a prospect at 32. I do think he’s a quality fighter, and with a win, he should make it to the UFC or PFL. Brown is the interim lightweight champion and is defending that against former champ and DWCS alum, Samuel Silva.
Lightweight, Shay Ingram (4-0)
Shay Ingram is undefeated as both a pro and an amateur, with a combined record of 13–0. He won three titles as an amateur and now has his sights set on the Cage Warriors lightweight title as a pro. Ingram has a bit of everything, which you just don’t see in every 22-year-old.
Ingram works behind a sharp jab and short combinations, mixing punches and kicks while walking opponents down with feints. Though comfortable striking, he regularly returns to his wrestling. He times his takedowns well, often working from the clinch to hit inside trips. On top, he’s dangerous with constant ground-and-pound while advancing position, and if opponents scramble, he’s quick to re-wrestle and maintain control. For more on Ingram, check out my piece on him as I highlighted three up-and-coming prospects here.
Ingram is fighting Torpal Merjoev (6-1), which is easily his toughest fight to date, so all eyes are on this matchup.
Lightweight, George Staines (8-0) vs. Marcelo Marques (12-0)
An absolute banger of a matchup that Cage Warriors put together between two undefeated studs.
Staines is a lengthy striker at range but a better grappler. Strong control and effective GnP by the 25-year-old out of Next Generation MMA Liverpool product.
Marques is a BJJ and Muay Thai black belt. He can be either a guy who can control space and use his athleticism. He can also make things gritty against the cage and work in takedowns. His submission upside is there, but he’s more conserned on control than anything.
Marques, to be has been underwhelming in his last two fights. In fact, in his fight with Luann Sardinha, I thought he clearly should’ve lost. I think Staines is the better fighter everywhere and is the younger, more experienced guy.
Lightweight, Ieuan Davies (6-0) vs. Michael Pagani (8-2)
Another banger brought to us by Cage Warriors. Davies is finally getting back in the cage after an injury-riddled 2025. Pagani is 1-2 in his last three but lost to UFC’s Mason Jones and to Ntelis, which he arguably won. He got back on the board last year, knocking out veteran Tim Wilde.
I’ve been high on Davies since his amateur days. The Welshman is a powerful kickboxer who builds much of his offense around his kicks. He uses the front kick like a jab and throws his roundhouse kicks with the impact of hooks. Davies tends to establish himself early, landing heavy kicks that can quickly change a fight. He attacks often, mixing his targets well between the body and head before going upstairs. He’s also shown a dangerous submission threat off his back and on the back
Pagani, early on in his career, struggled with takedown defense, cardio, and striking defense. Over time, he’s really sharpened up everything, but still questions there. He’s unpredictable, sniping with spinning attacks, elbows, and jumping knees, with real intent behind everything he throws. Using footwork and stance switches, he maintains range and picks shots from the outside with straight punches, one-twos, body shots, and teeps. He rarely throws more than two strikes at a time but finds angles well and can control the pace while remaining dangerous off the back foot.
If I were to make a prediction, it would lean towards Davies. It’s pretty even on the feet, but Davies, I believe, could use his wrestling to win top control. I really think it could go any way with the fight-ending ability both guys have.
Featherweight, Oliver Tero (3-0)
Oliver Tero trains out of the underrated SubZone Fight Academy in Manchester, England, under head coach Kameron Atakuru, surrounded by many solid training partners. Tero is undefeated in MMA with a combined 10–0 record and holds black belts in both BJJ and judo. So far in his pro career, things have come fairly easily for him.
While Tero is clearly at his best on the ground, he’s no fish out of water on the feet. He sticks to the basics, throwing clean, straight punches and working well as a counter striker while avoiding unnecessary risks. He’s also an effective wrestler, often using his opponent’s forward momentum to time his shots.
Once the fight hits the mat, that’s where Tero becomes especially dangerous. He has a strong base, applies steady ground-and-pound, and constantly threatens with submissions. If the referee doesn’t step in for the TKO, he’s more than capable of eventually finding the neck. Tero has looked excellent so far and will have a good opportunity to show his true level with a solid step up in competition this weekend.
Flyweight, Joe Fields (6-0)
I’ve been on the fence about Fields, but he’s worth mentioning. He’s solid everywhere without being exceptional in one area. On the feet, he’s calculated and plays it safe, working mainly behind straight punches, though his volume can be low at times. He’s a capable wrestler, and once on top, he’s fairly well-rounded with a good understanding of attacking chokes.
*I don’t have much proof of his MMA ability, but Ramon Costa was a solid Muay Thai practitioner. He won multiple titles and picked up quality wins, including one over Andre Lima. There’s no available footage of his lone MMA fight, so it’s difficult to fully gauge his skill set. In Muay Thai, though, he was known as an aggressive combination striker who mixed in strong body work and leg kicks.