We’ve got 22 new prospects to cover, including an incredible 8 featherweights you should be tracking. Not as many big guys, but the HW and MW are both very exciting talents. Fight Pass promotions like LFA and FCC contributed plenty of prospects, as should be expected. There’s also deep cuts from Bangladesh, Bolivia, and Kazakhstan to prove that I really do scout everywhere. Hit me up @jameslikesmma on Twitter if there’s anyone I missed.
Highest potential
- Khetag Sabeev
- Tyjani Beztati
- Georgiy Gudz
Heavyweights
Khetag Sabeev: 25 years old, 2-0 amateur, 4-0 pro, 6W streak.
Probably should have been on my list after his last win, clearly too good for the regional scene. Big frame and carries his weight well, which is more impressive since he’s young for the division. Insane power with no pro fight lasting over 71 seconds, though that means his cardio is untested. Had long layoffs between amateur fights in Russia and even longer before going pro in the US but is now very active. Will probably be on DWCS or a short-notice UFC call-up in 2027.
Middleweights
Brayan Aspegren: 29 years old, 7-5 amateur, 6-0 pro, 7W streak.
I didn’t have a lot of hope for Aspegren before this year. He’d never gotten past the second day of IMMAF tournaments, and his early pro wins were against weak competition. Also a little short for MW, but he makes up for it with muscle. 2026 has been a breakout, with a big KO of Bartosz Kwiatkowski (7-3 but crushed cans) then by far a career best DEC W vs UFC vet Andre Fialho (17-10). Landed clean but strangely couldn’t crack a pretty bad chin. Showed good cardio and gameplanning to keep pressure without emptying the tank too early. A bit old, but worth a shot at a heavier weight class.
Welterweights
Senan Coakley: 22 years old, 10-3 amateur, 3-0 pro, 8W streak.
Tall, athletic, young, and already in the Cage Warriors pipeline. Hasn’t lost since he was a teenager and won IMMAF European gold last year, though competition was weak. Took debuting opponents to decisions before breaking out this month with an impressive R1 KO vs. his best opponent yet. Still green, but may be contending for regional titles by 2028.
Andrey Pashnyuk: 25 years old, 16-4 amateur, 5-0 pro, 12W streak.
Clearly never skips bicep curls if you check his IG. Impressive ammy record including an IMMAF junior world title and some Ukranian tournaments, but no standout wins. Four finishes as a pro, all on the ground, and has some sort of grappling background. Went to majority decision against his best pro opponent (5-2). May be a fraud, but hard to ignore that win streak and athleticism.
Michael Noris: ? years old, 20-3 amateur.
Very impressive resume for less than 3 years fighting, but not a special athlete. Has been patient/composed as a striker, including kicks since his early fights. Mixes in wrestling and can control on the cage, but not a submission threat and top control could use work. Wins consistently vs. strong competition in Italy including tournaments, but just 2-2 in IMMAF. Looks to be in his 20s, age will determine his true ceiling.
Lightweights
Tyjani Beztati: 28 years old, 4-0 pro.
World-class kickboxer with numerous Glory titles. Elite length, speed, and natural power, but grappling untested. Wasn’t on the list earlier because 3 opponents were total cans. Incredible timing on a counter knee for highlight 54-second KO this month. Defense seems solid after switching to small gloves. Crazy potential but low floor if he hasn’t worked wrestling enough.
Parviz Berberugly: ? years old, 5-0 pro.
Five dominant R1 finishes in 15 months for Central Asia’s best regional shows. Short, jacked, and incredibly explosive with his hands and takedowns. Mixes targets some on the feet though rarely kicks, looks to damage with GnP and can find chokes, including his best win this month vs. Shakhriyorbek Mamatkulov (6-0). Looks relatively young and would be very promising if so.
Kelton Sneve: 26 years old, 6-1 amateur, 7-1 pro, 4W streak.
Well-rounded and polished but upside may be capped. DEC Ls to best opponents as an ammy and pro, struggles to match top-end athleticism. However, Sneve has no big weaknesses and has built a good record for LFA, though most wins are decisions. He’d make a lot of sense as a PFL signing.
Tyreece Richards: 25 years old, 6-1 amateur, 3-0 pro, 6W streak.
Explosiveness and physicality jump off the screen. Fought at 145 as an amateur, including a good title win but has bulked too much to go back. Two good KOs to start his pro career were almost enough to earn a spot, but his grappling concerned me (and still does). A majority decision this month is less exciting, but he broke both his nose and hand according to social media. You can’t teach toughness like that, and it will combine well with his athleticism.
Featherweights
Noah Gasho: 24 years old, 5-1 amateur, 5-0 pro, 7W streak.
Couple good amateur wins and only L came at 135 pounds vs. a great prospect. Not sure how he made that cut, as his pro career has mostly been at 150lbs. Gasho is a great athlete who’s mostly fought for LFA. Clear progress in all areas of MMA from his earlier fights and has developed physically too. This month’s matchup was easy and he dominated as you’d hope, with nasty elbows and a smooth transition to a RNC finish.
Jair Perez: 28 years old, 2-1 amateur, 12-3 pro, 5W streak.
Had momentum in 2022 with good wins for Combate before losing to Landry Ward. Four KOs in his current streak against mostly-strong competition. Will always be more of a striker but has worked on defensive wrestling and seems less susceptible to being controlled. Has consistently been on UFC Fight Pass and his style is fan-friendly, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see a short-notice call-up. Ceiling isn’t high, but a good fighter in his prime.
Emanuel Arzola: 28 years old, 4-0 pro.
National sambo champion in Mexico with a short, muscular build that pairs well with his style. Getting a late start in MMA but has fought frequently in just 13 months. A dominant RNC vs. Pedro Pena (10-3) this month proved he’s ready for more big steps up in competition. Mexican grapplers haven’t had great success at the highest level but Arzola seems likely to run through the regional scene.
Theo Bashford: 29 years old, 2-1 amateur, 9-1 pro, 3W streak.
Was previously on my watchlist after going 6-0 with some big KOs for WOW. Got dominated on the ground by Nikolay Grozdev, who is now my #35 prospect worldwide. Bashford has rebounded well with 2 head kick KOs vs. quality opponents and a less-impressive decision this month. He’s a finished product with power in all his striking weapons, but comparatively weak wrestling/BJJ. Could be a UFC target for his highlight reel but would struggle making a big step up. A signing for Oktagon or PFL’s European cards would make more sense.
Danilo Marques: 20 years old, 4-0 amateur, 7-1 pro, 5W streak.
Crazy experience for his age but still short and clearly needs to add a lot of muscle even at 135 pounds. A striker with fast hands, though I haven’t seen much grappling. Getting fights for Jungle Fight and Shooto Brasil so young means others see the potential. Beat a couple other rising prospects in his streak, on a good trajectory but plenty to prove.
Yuto Iino: 28 years old, 6-0 pro.
Whole career with Shooto fighting other early-career guys and a washed-up Teruto Ishihara (ex-UFC). Added because of the record, getting a slow build despite being older for a prospect means he may get fed to someone younger. Maybe a little small for 145, but seems well-rounded.
Dean Jarvis: 18 years old, 7-0 amateur.
Four buggy chokes! 4!! That’s all I needed to see to add Jarvis. May end up being just a meme, but he clearly understands how to use his very long limbs well on the ground. He’s athletic already with a good frame to add strength. A long way to go, but I’ll be watching with interest.
Nizami Ghulam: ? years old, 8-0 amateur.
7 decision wins paints a clear picture as a grinder, but a 24-9-2 combined record for his opponents is top competition for an ammy. That includes 2 of his best opponents in 1 night for a tournament win this month. Ceiling will depend on age and whether he can start finishing, but worth tracking.
Bantamweights
Georgiy Gudz: 20 years old, 12-1 amateur, 2-0 pro, 6W streak.
Excellent potential with a dominant grappling base plus athleticism, especially for his age. Developed in the IMMAF grinder, including a junior world title last year. Only loss by split decision. A highlight slam KO in his pro debut showed the ceiling he has, but will need to prove he can do that against tougher competition.
Armand Herczeg: 26 years old, 7-8 amateur, 7-3 pro, 6W streak.
After a mediocre ammy spell and a terrible 1-3 start to his pro career, nobody expected much of Herczeg. He’s learned how to translate his crazy length (6’1″) into both volume and power at range. Substantially improved BJJ after getting submitted in most of his losses. Can even threaten his own subs now, but at his best fighting long. Signature win over TUF contestant Marlon Jones (5-0) to claim the FCC title in a good showcase of his striking skills.
Neyver Melendres: ? years old, 6-0-1 amateur, 5-0 pro, 11W streak.
Not a great athlete but just keeps winning after a debut draw. However, has yet to face any steps up in competition. Gradually takes over fights because he can’t overwhelm with power or elite technique. Most of his career has been with Inka FC, which sent fighters to DWCS this year but doesn’t test them much along the way. May be older than 30 based on images but I can’t confirm either way.
Manjoor Alam: 25/6 years old, 7-0 pro.
6-0 is an automatic add to my lists and Alam has a 7th win only on Sherdog. However, crushing cans in Bangladesh is about as fraudulent as it gets, though he does seemingly have abs so that’s something at least. His “best” win is a 1-0 opponent coming off a 4-year layoff. He’s obscure enough that databases can’t agree on his age, and I can’t be bothered to find tape until he fights a real opponent.
Flyweights
Agapito Orozco: 28 years old, 6-0 pro.
5’2″ so undersized even for 125. Prefers to wrestle and has a decent mix of GnP to set up chokes from top control. Will struggle to out-muscle better opponents, but has handled weak competition solidly. Bolivian, but most of his career in small Mexican promotions. May get a look somewhere for his record, but likely to lose if matched against a legit prospect.
