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 I’ll shine a light on prospects still in that phase. In this fifth edition, I’m looking at a few rising talents with five fights or fewer. These aren’t fighters […]
Before They Blow Up Vol. 5 – Rising MMA Prospects Read More »
Regina “Kill Bill” Tarin Fighting at 125 (flyweight) Standing at five-foot-seven Born in Distrito Federal, Mexico 21-years-old 7-0 (4 KO/TKOs, 2 Submissions) It was only a matter of time until Regina Tarin was officially in the UFC. She was supposed to fight on last season’s Contender Series, but contract issues held it up. Since
Welcome to the UFC: Regina Tarin Read More »
Weight Class: Bantamweight Record: 6-2 Age: 21 Height: 5’8” Born in: Croatia Training out of: American Top Team Zagreb Combined Opponent Records (at the time they fought): `16-6 Key Win(s): Stipe Brčić Over the last year in the European Balkans scene, a lot of the top prospects took major setbacks — guys like Dani
Fighter In-depth: Fran Luka Đurić Read More »
This weekend, a new wave of talent steps into the professional MMA world. These fighters are taking their first official pro bouts, leaving behind the amateur ranks and stepping onto a bigger stage. For fans and scouts alike, it’s the perfect opportunity to spot the next stars before anyone else. Each week, if worthy, I
Debuting Pros to Watch – 2/16/26 – 2/22/26 Read More »
Arguably, the best fight of the weekend will happen in Dublin, Ireland, for Cage Warriors 200. The promotions’ featherweight champion Solomon Simon will put his title on the line against the streaking Nik Bagley. Both, to me, are high-end featherweight prospects, but who do I have winning? Read below and let’s find out.
Fight Breakdown: Solomon Simon Vs. Nik Bagley Read More »
Josiah “Muscle Hamster” Harrell Fighting at 170 (welterweight) Standing at five-foot-seven Born in Grove City, Ohio, US 27-years-old 11-0 (6 KO/TKOs, 4 Submissions) Josiah Harrell is finally getting his opportunity after a stretch where it felt like that moment might never come. In 2023, Harrell was signed to the UFC on short notice
Welcome to the UFC: Josiah Harrell Read More »
Gianni “Kriptonita” Vazquez Fighting at 125 (flyweight) Standing at five-foot-seven Born in Mexico City, Mexico 31-years-old 13-4-1 (4 KO/TKOs, 3 Submissions) Vazquez has earned his UFC roster spot on the strength of his current win streak. He’s the UNF flyweight champion, but more than anything, it’s his fights that stand out. Nearly all of
Welcome to the UFC: Gianni Vazquez Read More »
Fully into the LFA on the Vice era, we see the middleweight title as the headline. This Friday, we are in Clarksville, Tennessee, for the numbered 226 event. The card sees an important main event headliner and a mix of other prospects from multiple weightclasses. Middleweight, David Allakhverdiev (7-0) Vs. Joseph Kropschot (7-3)
LFA 226 – Who to watch Read More »
Black Combat 16: Exodus ends the month of January with their biggest event in company history. The card will host 14-fights and five of them will be title bouts. Let’s get started with who I believe you should be watching for. The event has a banger of a main event lined up for us
Black Combat 16 – Who to watch Read More »
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 third edition, I’m looking at a few rising talents with five fights or fewer that are on my radar. These
Before They Blow Up Vol. 3 – Rising MMA Prospects Read More »
