Every fighter starts somewhere. Before the hype, before the Contender Series, before the UFC call — there’s the grind. Before They Blow Up is where @mmawizzard shines a light on prospects still in that phase. This time, the spotlight shifts, and I’ll be the one doing it — Cédric Dumas.
For my first go at this staple of MMA Prospect Vault and 7th edition of the series, I’ll showcase three lesser-known fighters that I’ve heard or seen great things about, and who I think deserve some recognition before they make it to the next level.
Bantamweight Raul Soares (3-0)
One of the youngest prospects currently emerging from the Brazilian regional scene is bantamweight Raul Soares, who has started his professional career with a series of impressive finishes.
Fighting out of Almirante Tamandaré in the state of Paraná and representing the Thai Brasil team, Soares turned professional at just 18 years old. Despite his young age, he has already built an impressive collection of highlight-reel finishes and has been turning heads among those who closely follow the smaller Brazilian promotions.
Soares has shown a well-rounded skill set early in his career. He secured his first professional victory with a guillotine choke in the third round before following it up with two quick stoppage-wins via strikes. His most recent victory came after landing a head kick, a front kick to the jaw, and a superman punch to end the fight in a performance of the night effort.
While his background comes from BJJ, like many of his countrymen, his striking game has been developing at an impressive rate. He brings an interesting frame for the weight class at 5’8’’ tall, though he will likely need to add some muscle, as he still shows a bit of softness around the midsection. That is something that should naturally improve with continued work in the gym. One of the more underrated aspects of his game is his takedowns, which constantly keep his opponents thinking and help create striking opportunities.
While still very early in his development, Soares has demonstrated a willingness to push the pace and hunt for finishes while also showing surprising patience when opportunities arise. On several occasions, he has chosen to let hurt opponents stand back up rather than immediately follow them to the ground, preferring to maintain striking control before securing the finish.
At just nineteen years old, Soares will likely continue building experience on the Brazilian regional circuit. With his finishing instincts and the amount of time he still has to develop, he is a prospect worth keeping an eye on as he progresses through the bantamweight ranks.
Flyweight Delffy Humer (3-0)
One of the more intriguing prospects emerging from the European regional scene is Delffy Humer, a Dominican-born flyweight who has begun to make a name for himself while competing in Spain.
Born in the Dominican Republic and fighting out of Cabarete, Humer trains with the well-known Great Britain Top Team, one of Europe’s most respected MMA gyms. Before turning professional, he built solid experience on the amateur circuit and competed in several IMMAF tournaments, where he faced international opposition from across Europe and Central Asia. During that run, he picked up notable victories, including a first-round arm-triangle submission over Spain’s Jose Gilarte at the 2024 IMMAF World Championships. Despite bringing home just one bronze in those IMMAF appearances, the experience he gained in those tournaments provided a strong foundation for his transition to the professional ranks.
Humer made his professional debut in 2025 and has quickly compiled an undefeated record while competing in the Spanish promotion WOW – Way of Warrior. His first victory came via rear-naked choke against Jefferson Cobo late in the third round. He followed that performance with consecutive knockout-wins, stopping former WOW title challenger and fellow prospect Yaman Mjahed in the second round and short-notice replacement Rafael Gemaque in the third.
Humer fits the definition of a “diamond in the rough.” His skill set looks promising, but his game is still developing and lacks polish in certain areas. At just 25 years old, that sometimes shows in the decisions he makes inside the cage. Still, he is a versatile fighter who uses both striking and grappling effectively to pursue finishes, and he consistently pushes the action rather than settling for safe moments during fights.
Training alongside fighters such as Lone’er Kavanagh at Great Britain Top Team also places him in a strong developmental environment. With the right guidance and continued cage experience, Humer has the tools to evolve into a serious prospect on the European circuit.
Light-Heavyweight Davyd Titorenko (1-0)
For my last entry in this text, I came back to my country to present a kid I’m really interested in seeing develop over the next few years. One of the youngest light heavyweight prospects currently emerging from the Canadian regional scene is Davyd Titorenko, a Calgary-based fighter who has recently begun his professional career after a very active amateur run. It’s easy to be wrong with prospect in the higher weight classes, but I’m hopeful in Titorenko.
Born on April 2, 2005, and fighting out of Calgary, Alberta, Titorenko trains with Dynamic MMA. Standing at 6’2”, he brings a solid frame for the light heavyweight division and had already begun building experience in several Canadian promotions before making the jump to the professional ranks.
Before turning pro, the Ukrainian Canadian accumulated a respectable amateur résumé while competing in organizations such as Havoc Fighting Championship, Unified MMA, and Rumble in the Cage. During that run, he picked up multiple victories across different weight classes, including a rear-naked choke win over Mark Hand and a second-round TKO against Darcy Caissie. He also showed his ability to go the distance, winning two five-round unanimous decisions over Terell Jonasson and Christopher O’Toole in amateur title bouts.
Titorenko made his professional debut in February 2026 at Unified MMA 67 in Calgary. Facing Cal Kostiniuk, he secured his first professional victory via TKO after landing punches in the opening round, immediately announcing himself as another young fighter to watch on the Canadian circuit.
At just twenty years old, Titorenko is still in the early stages of building his professional résumé. With his physical tools, growing experience, and the time he has ahead of him to develop, he is a prospect worth monitoring as he continues to compete on the Canadian regional scene. For one, I’d like to see him ultimately fight at 185 as a pro, if his body allows it.
Cédric Dumas