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 — Cangrejo Ruiz.
In this sixth edition, I’m looking at a few rising talents with five fights or fewer that are on my radar. I usually don’t expect these fighters to be making any waves anytime soon, but I made an exception this time. Regardless, these are fighters I have watched, and I think they have a good future in this sport
Welterweight, Ronald Humphrey (4-0)
If you are reading this article, you have likely heard the name of Ronald Humphrey, as he has been super impressive. He has victories against other highly regarded prospects and is unbeaten both as a pro and an ammy.
The product of American Top Team Atlanta is a former 2-time Muay Thai Champion and has a 100% finishing rate in MMA. Despite not being the tallest welterweight, he has a 77-inch reach, which, for context, is the same size as Joel Alvarez’s and longer than Bahamondes’s or Jalin Turner’s, despite being 4 or 5 inches shorter. You can pair that with great athleticism (almost elite in my opinion), and you get an absolute freak.
Humphrey is also an extremely polished MMA fighter with a highly technical skill set. On the feet, he will apply pressure to his opponent, leveraging his Muay Thai background and mixing it with a takedown threat. Once that’s established, he will use different feints to find the openings, like feinting a takedown while throwing the overhand. If the fight hits the ground, he will use his superior athleticism to control his opponents and deliver high-level ground-and-pound: heavy and precise.
Some remaining questions concern his TDD, as he was taken down in the Dupree Stewart fight. I would say it is solid; it was more about Stewart being a really good wrestler. It’s still something that may need work in the future. Regardless, Humphrey’s ground defense is quite good, which, paired with his athleticism, makes him difficult to control. We also have questions about his cardio. He’s never been to round three, but I’m confident he can hit the 15-minute mark without getting tired.
I usually have a long-term projection f,or a fighter’s future. For Humphrey’s, I see him getting another win this spring and entering DWCS later this year. Usually, bringing a 5-0 player might be risky, but I don’t think many players in the regionals would be a favorite against Humphrey. I think he is ready for the big leagues and I expect the general public to know about him quite soon.
Lightweight, Bondo Meskhi (4-0)
Back to some of the lesser-known guys, Bondo Meskhi feels like one of those fighters who go under the radar for quite some time and then come out of nowhere with a great win, leaving people wondering where this guy came from.
While his background is largely unknown, we can confirm Meskhi has been training at one of the top Georgian gyms, Mix Fight Georgia. Meskhi is a highly complete MMA artist who blends multiple disciplines, making him dangerous across the board.
In the striking department, the first thing you notice is the variation in his striking combinations. He never throws the same thing during a fight, which keeps his opponents guessing. He will adapt that to his counterstriking, where he is at his best. Other than a few unchecked leg kicks, Meskhi is defensively sound, using fluid hips to avoid the opponent’s striking and setting up counters.
Bondo’s highest-level skill is his TDD, as he has successfully defended multiple attempts in the past. If there is an opening, he will threaten with chokes too, so he can finish fights by using his defense. When the fight hits the ground, it’s in his own terms, looking for quick scrambles and attacking his opponent’s neck.
A step up in the level of competition would be welcome, even if the current one is normal (combined record of the opponents was 6-2), just to really know how he is. I expect a slow burn for him as he is still young. I see him as someone who would be a great addition to one of the top companies around 2027-2028.
Welterweight, Veljko Aleksic (4-0)
One of the biggest names on the new wave of Balkan prospects is Veljko Aleksic, who has been performing quite well at FNC, one of the best promotions currently in Europe.
Training out of Fight Company MMA in Serbia, Aleksic had a pretty illustrious Ammy career with a big win over American prospect Lester Batres and only losing to ammy legend Ramazan Gitinov.
He is quite a composed striker who focuses on throwing simple combinations. He has a wide range of kicks that he uses to set up the pace of the fight. You can see his cage experience as he doesn’t rush the finish. Instead, he focuses on winning rounds as he has the cardio to easily go the distance.
The most dangerous weapon in his arsenal is his wrestling, which he effectively uses once the fight hits the ground. He focuses on controlling the fight there and rarely gets reversed from a position. This also translates to his GnP, which he only unleashes when he feels the finish is close. Aleksic is a high-IQ guy who knows how to successfully win fights; he has a complete MMA skillset and knows when to use it.
Aleksic’s short-term future should be at FNC where they are doing a great job slowly building him. In case of making the jump early, he would be a great signing for companies like Oktagon or KSW, but he has the level to eventually get to PFL or UFC.