While our site is primarily known for showcasing prospects of smaller organizations, we know we have readers who are both experts and merely prospect-curious. For those just beginning to dip their toe outside of the UFC and PFL/MVP, here is a list of must-watch fighters under major MMA banners around the globe. These fighters are ranked 10 to 1, taking into account their current resume as well as their ceiling in MMA. While you may disagree with the order, there is no denying that these killers all have the potential to make huge splashes in the big North American MMA promotions if they were to ever make the jump.
Honorable Mention: Bibert Tumenov
While Bibert won’t quite get a full write-up here as an honorable mention, he is very much worth checking out if you are unfamiliar with his game. The “Headhunter” is a very fun striker with natural power that puts his opponents out cold. He is a finished product fighting out of ACA, with his only career losses coming to the unbeaten fighters Timur Khizriev and Islam Omarov. Tumenov has a puncher’s chance against any lightweight in the world, and his exciting, polished style on the feet has even drawn comparisons to McGregor at times. While the charisma isn’t there, his fighting will do the talking for him, and he would attract a massive fanbase if his skills were showcased on a global stage.
10. Max Holzer
Max “Made in Germany” Holzer is a fighter that, if you have been following his career, gets better every single time he steps foot in the cage. The undefeated OKTAGON fighter has evolved from primarily a mat-based technician to a well-rounded finisher with very few flaws in his game. If you were to watch his previous fight with UFC veteran Khalid Taha, you would think he had been a kickboxer his entire life. He handed the talented Taha only his second career knockout loss in only three minutes.
At just 24, it’s difficult not to get excited about Max Holzer. He gets in on the legs quickly and takes his opponents down with relative ease. He has displayed tremendous top pressure and constant ground activity, punishing both the body and head with fists and elbows every chance he gets. His relentless pressure usually forces his opponents to get either tired or desperate to get up, allowing Holzer to finish with a very tight rear naked choke. His strength is on display in his chokes, top pressure, and his body locks that squeeze the air and willpower out of his opponents.
He displays the same pressure and pace on the feet, with solid 1-2s and a powerful left hook, giving his opponents just enough to think about on the feet before he shoots in for a single leg. He keeps his hands high and has displayed good defense on the feet, although he can be overly aggressive and stay in the pocket far too long at times, leading to him taking unnecessary damage.
The unbeaten German would rank higher on my list if I felt better about his level of competition. He has a great fight currently booked against Igor Severino, as he will actually be dropping down to bantamweight to challenge for the belt. I think being at bantamweight could allow him to be even more dominant, and if he continues to gain confidence on the feet, he could end up being one of the top bantamweights or featherweights in the world. The UFC would be wise to scoop him up at the earliest possible juncture, as he is very popular and they lack any German star power on their roster.
9. Adrian Bartosinski
At 30 years old, the powerful Polish welterweight is the closest thing on this list to a finished product. It is a product that, as shown by his 19-1 record, has been very difficult for his opponents to solve. His one loss came when he tried to move up to challenge for the middleweight belt in KSW, so he remains unbeaten at his natural weightclass (170). Bartosinski has used his domineering style to rack up impressive wins over the likes of Salahdine Parnasse, Andrzej Grzebyk, and Muslim Tulshaev during his time as champion.
Bartosinski is a bully in the cage. His striking isn’t complex, but it is powerful and relentless. “Bartos” will set an exhausting pace early in the first round, and has shown the ability to keep that pace up over five rounds. He seamlessly transitions his rapid-fire hooks on the feet into takedowns, and has heavy top pressure once he gets it to the ground. While he is very happy to strike and search for the finish on the feet, he always has the takedown in his back pocket and knows when to use it. He, like almost everyone on this list, has ruthless striking on the ground and solid jiu jitsu. His power, whether it comes from his knockout power on the feet or his physicality on the ground, is what sets him apart from his opponents.
His defensive grappling and submission defense are very good. If his first, second, and third takedown attempts don’t work, he operates as if he knows that his fourth will. While no particular weapon is a 10 of 10, he has no big weaknesses and is very smart in how he operates within the cage. There are zero moments on tape where you think he is making a mistake, he is always making the right move at the right time.
Honestly, I do have questions about how Adrian Bartosinski would do against the best of the best in the UFC. He would undoubtedly rack up a lot of wins, but I think his ceiling could be similar to that of Sean Brady, even though Bartos’ striking is a little better. Whether or not you think that is good enough to be a champion really depends on A: your opinion on heavy-handed grapplers like Barosinski and Brady, and B: who the reigning champion is. Either way, Bartosinski would be a dangerous addition to any roster.
8. Kyoma Akimoto
At only 20 years old, Akimoto has rightfully been tagged with labels like “Phenom” and “Prodigy”. With a record of 12-1, Akimoto lost by decision to veteran Yuki Motoya (36-13) when he was just 18, but has had a spotless record before and since. While featherweight is a stacked division across the globe, Akimoto stands out as a must-watch fighter with an incredibly high ceiling.
Rightfully nicknamed “The Hunter”, Akimoto has shown great fight intelligence for his age. He picks his shots well, rarely blitzing and instead landing stiff body shots and quick 1-2s to the dome. He manages his range extremely well, and gets in and out of the pocket in a flash. It would not be out of bounds to say he has the best boxing for any young fighter in MMA outside of Joshua Van. He doesn’t throw many kicks, but has solid clinch work and throws deadly knees to the body.
Up until recently, his takedown defense has been largely untested. His last two opponents, Suguru Nii and former Bellator champion Patchy Mix, went 0 for 5 combined on takedown attempts. Akimoto showed great sprawling and ability to circle off away from shots, showing how fast he is growing as an MMA fighter. He has even displayed an offensive grappling game, taking down and then dropping acclaimed kickboxer Koki Okada before latching on a rear naked choke.
There is still a lot to learn about Akimoto, but he impressed greatly in his most recent win when he finished Patchy Mix in under six minutes. Mix was a heavy favorite at -450, and Akimoto made him look completely out of his depth. Even more will be learned about “The Hunter” when he faces two-time RIZIN featherweight champ on August 11th. If he passes that test, get ready because the bandwagon will be getting very full. There is truly no limit to how good Akimoto can be if he continues to develop his wrestling defense and overall ground game. If there is ever a time where he wants to jump ship to an even bigger promotion, both the UFC and PFL/MVP would welcome him with open arms, as Japanese superstars are an extremely hot commodity.
7. Mochamed Machaev
The 26-year-old Machaev, better known as “The Beast” is a fighter that has really come into his own over the past couple of years. At 18-2, he has fought all over Europe. The fighter based in Austria has been getting wins over stiff competition in BRAVE CF, UAE Warriors, and OKTAGON, where he would still be featherweight champion if it weren’t for an incident on the scales.
The first thing that will jump off the screen when watching him is his lightning-fast hands. He has a great lead jab, but rarely throws just singular strikes. His combos will come quick, usually starting at the body to get his opponents to drop their hands, before ending with a detonating hook to the jaw. He has seven knockouts in his career, each more brutal and definitive as he matures. There is a lot of power packed into his compact 5’7 frame; he is a true fire hydrant. Machaev is constantly winning the footwork battle on the feet, always keeping his lead foot to the outside of his opponents, and cutting off the cage well when pressing. He manages distance well, either committing to the pocket or staying out of range against his often larger opponents.
He has shown himself to be adept on the mat in his own right, even though his fights are often on the feet. His size allows him to scramble well, and his jiu jitsu defense is calm and advanced. This was best on display against UFC veteran and accomplished submission fighter Makwan Amirkhani. Amirkhani tried to deploy a submission and grappling-heavy gameplan against Machaev, but was met with sound defense at every turn. Amirkhani eventually tired out, leading to another knockout for “The Beast”. He can effectively grapple offensively as well, and has done so to effectively keep his opponents guessing and tiring them out. He is extremely well-rounded, capped off by plus power on the feet and adept defense in all facets of the game.
Machaev would be a fun addition to any roster, and he has already shown the ability to compete at the UFC level. I would like to see him get a couple more title fights in OKTAGON to truly gauge how high his ceiling really is. If he were to make the jump to the UFC today, he would be a very heavy favorite over anyone outside the top 20.
6. Adam Masaev
Born in Chechnya, but fighting out of Toulouse, France, Adam Masaev reminds me a whole lot of Harry Potter. That’s my not-so-subtle way of saying that he is a wizard. His judo background will get his opponents to the ground, and his submission wizardry will prevent them from getting back up. In his 11 fights, burning his way through ACA and KSW, he has submissions by Armbar, Rear Naked Choke, Buggy Choke, Ninja Choke, and Triangle Choke. As the ring announcer for KSW so perfectly put it when introducing him for his fight at KSW 112, “to let him fight on the ground is to choose death”. He is no lay-and-pray fighter either; rather, he initiates scrambles and tenderizes his opponents with clubbing blows on the ground until they give him an inch of space to slide in and submit them.
All of this isn’t to say that Masaev is one-dimensional, as he is more than capable of holding his own on the feet. He has a vast array of punishing kicks and keeps his opponents on the back foot before setting up perfectly timed takedowns. He shows supreme confidence, edging on the side of arrogance inside the cage, and his finishing his opponents truly feels inevitable. If you watch him once, you will be a fan for life.
The biggest test of his career is scheduled next as he takes on fellow member of this list Adrian Bartosinski in the main event of KSW 122. That fight is in the top three for me of all scheduled fights on the current MMA calendar, and the winner will come out of it looking like a true superstar. And for as good as Bartos is, I for one would bet on Masaev improving to 13-0.
5. Lucia Szabova
The lone WMMA representative on this list, Szabova has earned her “Silent Killer” nickname. 11-0 with nine finishes, the Slovakian superstar currently holds both the 135 and 125lb belts in OKTAGON, with the best likely still to come.
With a Muay Thai and Kickboxing background, she is comfortable and dangerous on the feet. While she doesn’t possess one-punch power, she lands at a very high clip and is much sharper than the vast majority of WMMA fighters. Szabova has great elbows, quick high kicks, good low kicks, and a very evolved boxing arsenal. She is perhaps most brutal in her clinch work, throwing slicing elbows and brutal knees that really hurt her opponents. She even once submitted former UFC fighter Kalindra Faria with a standing americana from the clinch. Her standup game is very well-rounded, and to me, very reminiscent of PFL/MVP star Dakota Ditcheva.
She is susceptible to being taken down but is tremendously athletic and good at getting back to her feet. She isn’t much for jiu jitsu from the bottom, but she is still very dangerous when she goes to the ground on her terms. Utilizing double legs and judo throws to get to the ground, she has a merciless top game with hellacious ground and pound. She is even an arm snatcher, having tapped out four opponents to armbars early in her career.
Lucia Szabova is marketable, durable, and a thrill to watch compete. In an era where women’s MMA has stalled in the UFC, she has become a beloved star in OKTAGON. If she ever were to make the jump to an even bigger promotion like the UFC, she would be an instant fan favorite and threat to the title.
4. Christian Lee
Christian Lee first won the ONE Championship lightweight title at 21 years old in 2019. Seven years later, he remains on top of the mountain, a grizzled double champion at both light and welterweight. Top dog of a fighting family, Lee has gone through countless wars and come out on top, impressing with his heart and grit as much as his fighting talent. At 18-4 with 17 finishes, Lee is truly one of the most exciting fighters gracing MMA today.
Lee is an accomplished BJJ black belt with knockout power, much like the great Charles Oliveira. Lee can, and has, finished opponents in any way imaginable. If you were creating him as a video game character, he would get a 9 out of 10 on all attributes. He can grapple, both offensively and defensively, at a very high level. His hands are heavy, and he comes out fast and aggressive, even overly aggressive at times.
Having been training since he could walk, Lee has a tremendous fight IQ, often evolving over the course of the fight to break his opponents down. His footwork is fluid, and he works in feints well to keep his opponents off balance. He may not have otherworldly power, but he counterstrikes very effectively and always seems to find the chin. There have been multiple times where he has been rocked badly and not only survived but come back to finish his opponents, which is a credit to his instincts and his cardio.
Simply put, Lee is must-watch television. He is never in boring fights and has a kill-or-be-killed fight style that ingratiates himself with fans. I do believe he would struggle a little bit if he were to cross over to the UFC at welterweight, but if fans were ever so lucky to have him come over as a lightweight, he would be an instant contender. I think he beats Pimblett, I think he beats Gaethje, and while I would favor Arman and Ilia over him, Lee has proven over the course of his career that he can never be counted out.
3. Islam Omarov
Islam Omarov is a 17-0 featherweight and current champion for ACA, the best MMA organization in Russia. The first thing that stands out for Omarov is his level of competition. He has finished his last six opponents, four of those in title fights, and said opponents had a combined record of 134-28. As the level of competition has gotten better, so has Omarov, which is exactly what you want to see out of a championship-level fighter.
Omarov has an advanced approach, using his striking to get in close, and once he has a hold of his opponents, he sticks like glue. Adept in single legs, double legs, and all kinds of trips, Omarov wants to take you down and drown you. He has a grappling pace that exhausts opponents and helps to set up submissions. If his opponents refuse to give up the neck, he is more than happy to pepper them with rough shots until they give him an inch of space for him to slide in and put them to sleep. His physical strength looks up there with other Dagestani greats, allowing him to have brutal chain wrestling, unbreakable grip, and very intense chokes.
Omarov is a composed fighter whether on the ground or on the feet, never seeming out of his depth and always implementing his game plan. His boxing has slowly improved, especially since he became champion, but his ground game will always be his bread and butter. While not the most exciting fighter on this list, he presents a much bigger finishing threat than current UFC featherweight grapplers like Evloev or even Sabatini. If he were dropped into the UFC, it’s hard to envision him not being able to implement the same game plan that has made him one of the most respected fighters outside of the UFC or PFL/MVP.
2. Kade and Tye Ruotolo
I know this is a bit of cheating, but honestly this list was so difficult to cut down. If you’re even slightly aware of BJJ and MMA outside of the UFC, odds are you have heard of the Ruotolo brothers. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu prodigies that have begun the crossover to MMA, both are so advanced for being just 23 years of age. Competing in the Welterweight division, they will have a submission advantage over anyone at that weight class in the world.
While gone are the days when a jiu jitsu specialist can mow down their clueless contemporaries in MMA (besides Valter Walker and Bia Mesquita), Kade and Tye have proven to be quick learners when crossing over to MMA. Both have a vaunted killer instinct and aren’t afraid to take a punch, although they have been hammers and not nails this far in their respective careers. You would expect that at 4-0 and 2-0 they’ve been handed cans to crush this early in their careers, but that’s far from the case. ONE Championship has dropped them in the deep end, and they’ve swum with ease, with all six of their combined wins coming by finish against far more experienced opponents.
Tye remains partially entrenched in the grappling world, winning titles and looking dominant; Kade has fully committed himself to MMA. Tye still has lots of growing to do in the striking department, while Kade has showcased scary power with his hooks and overhands on the feet, as well as some polished footwork and murderous ground and pound. Both Ruotolo brothers have no ceiling on what they can accomplish in MMA, and Kade especially looks like someone who will be competing for a world title in ONE in no time.
If they were both signed to the UFC today, I could see Tye being ready to beat some recent contender series grads, while Kade could be dropped in closer to the middle of the division against the likes of Nikolay Veretennikov and Jean Paul Lebosnoyani. In three years, if both were 100% committed to MMA, they could be scratching the top 5 and top 15 respectively.
1. Razhabali Shaydullaev
Razhabali Shaydullaev is THE fighter outside of the UFC and PFL/MVP that fans and experts alike are dying to see against the best in the world. 18-0 with 18 finishes at just 25, it feels like the Kyrgyzstani fighter is still a year or two away from even hitting his prime, and yet he’s already the best fighter in RIZIN and arguably the most dangerous man not under the UFC banner.
It is very hard to poke holes into Shaydullaev’s game. He is excellent everywhere and rightfully conjures comparisons to some of MMA’s greats. His size, coupled with his relentless, in-your-face style of fighting with sound defensive grappling and powerful takedowns, is very reminiscent of Merab Dvalishvili. He will routinely carry his opponents across the ring before dumping them on their heads just because he can. His fundamentally sound and deceptively powerful striking personally reminds me a lot of Islam Makhachev, although Shaydullaev is much more willing to stand and trade.
He applies pressure, puts his opponents on the backfoot, and truly has an air of invincibility about him in the cage. His chain grappling is beautifully deployed, his hands are heavy on the feet and almost even more so on the ground, and his ability to finish feels inevitable. While it’s true that fighting in Japan, he isn’t facing fighters with a ton of high-level grappling experience, his ground and pound is the best in the world amongst the lighter weight classes. If you go through his tape, he has won almost every second of every fight he has ever had.
To the delight of myself and many other MMA fans, Shaydullaev’s next matchup is against PFL great AJ McKee. This will be his toughest test to date, and it will be intriguing to see how he deals with not only the grappling ability of McKee, but the height and reach advantage of “The Mercenary”. If he can get past McKee, it would be fair to say he can get past anyone in the featherweight division. If the UFC signed him, he would easily dispatch anyone outside of the top 10 and be live for the finish against anyone in the entire division.
