Sweden isn’t typically thought of as a major producer for top MMA talent, but writing this piece gave me the opportunity to take a serious look at some names that I wasn’t already very familier with and introduce me to some very promising fighters. Allstars Training Center is unsurprisingly very well-represented, and I’m also excited to see how a few of the prospects that just missed out on the main list progress in the near future.
Liam Pitts: Bantamweight, Age 22 (4-0 pro, 6-0 amateur)
Mentioned by Shawn Bitter as part of his “Global Watchlist” highlighting the best MMA prospects from each country, Pitts put together a 6-0 record as an amateur fighter and has stopped all four opponents he’s faced since turning pro in late 2024.
The undefeated bantamweight makes good use of his long frame on the feet and relies on his jab while chipping away at the legs and body of opponent with kicks. He’ll also mix in a right straight as both a lead and counter shot while trying to catch opponents with a lead left hook as they come forward.
The 22-year-old has shown off good timing on his takedowns and is at his best when he can bring things to the mat to establish a dominant position, where he’ll either unload with ground and pound or look to finish the fight via submission, especially if he’s able to take the back.
Pitts will turn 23 this summer and has already scored two first-round submissions in Oktagon MMA, so he should be poised for big things going forward.
Millie Eriksson: Flyweight, Age 26 (4-0 pro, 7-8 amateur)
Eriksson was highlighted during our “She’s Next” series from Cedric Dumas ahead of her headlining fight at Fight Club Rush 28, where she picked up the biggest win of her pro career against Mabelly Lima.
Following a 7-8 amateur run that closed out with a loss to Josiane Oliveira in the 2023 IMMAF women’s bantamweight tournament finals, Eriksson has gone 4-0 with top Swedish promotion Fight Club Rush.
Primarily a striker, Eriksson likes to take the initiative in her fights and keep opponents on the back foot with a double jab and variety of kicks. She does a good job of using her punches and kicks in combination once she settles into a fight. If her opposition covers up against the fence, she’s quick to turn up her volume and open up with a barrage of strikes.
She also loves to establish head control from the clinch and will immediately start battering her opponents with knees from this position. Her ground game is definitely something that still needs some work, but she’s a lot of fun to watch on the feet and did a good job of nullifying Lima’s attempts to grapple during her most recent outing.
Baysangur Makaev: Lightweight, Age 26 (8-2 pro, 1-0 amateur)
Following a failed interim lightweight title bid against Jefferson Nascimento in his LFA debut last year, Makaev returned to the win column in January with second-round submission at Latvia’s Bazar 0 Fight Club 3.
Makaev is typically a patient striker that will largely uses his punches and kicks to get his opposition settled into a striking battle before looking for opportunities to shoot in and bring things to the ground.
The lightweight has good timing on his takedown attempts from space and will immediately try and establish stifling pressure once he settles into top position on an opponent. Makaev doesn’t rush things on the ground, but he will open up with ground and pound if given the opportunity and is also capable of ending things via submission.
Aside from that LFA title bout with the still-undefeated Nascimento, Makaev’s only loss came in his pro debut against longtime Swedish standout Samuel Bark. He put in a solid effort in that fight with Nascimento before fading as the fight went on, and his wrestling skills make him a considerable challenge for a lot of lightweights on the regional scene.
Sakhi Qambari: Lightweight, Age 26 (9-2 pro, 0-1 amateur)
A fun fighter to watch on the feet, Qambari is a confident striker that uses a lot of feints and mixes his punches and kicks together well while he tries to dictate the pace of striking exchanges. His left hook is a particularly dangerous weapon on the counter, and he’s quick to open up with combinations as soon as he feels an opponent is hurt or on the retreat.
“Machete” is also a dangerous finishing threat on the ground and has secured six submissions out of his nine career victories. While he’s more than happy to stand and trade, he’ll look to mix things up with takedowns and bring things to the ground if his opposition thinks they’re engaged in a straight-up kickboxing match.
Qambari was stopped in his pro debut back in 2022, and his only other pro loss came via decision against recent ARES FC title challenger Ghassen Jbalia. He’s stopped three-straight opponents in the first round since then, and he could be in line for an ARES title shot following that run.
Rafael Kveldstad: Light Heavyweight, Age 23 (2-0 Pro, 9-2 amateur)
After closing out his 11-fight amateur career with a five-fight win streak capped off by winning the 2023 IMMAF middleweight title, Kveldstad has established himself as a promising light heavyweight prospect through his first two pro outings.
The five-straight wins that ended his amateur run include four-straight finishes, with the last two coming via Von Flue choke. It took nearly two years for Kveldstad to make his pro debut, but he stopped Daniel Sinitari with strikes in the first round before submitting Patryk Grabowski at Fight Club Rush 29 earlier this month for a 2-0 start to his pro career.
Kveldstad made short work of Sinitari in his pro debut and reversed an early takedown attempt from the Portuguese fighter before working into mount so he could finish things with ground and pound just over a minute into the fight. The 23-year-old’s grappling skills were also on full display in his last fight, as he wasted little time before bringing things to the ground and gave Grabowski no opportunity to get to his feet before finishing things with a rear naked choke.
Honorable Mentions
Bilal Tipsaev: Featherweight, Age 27 (8-2-1 pro, 2-0 amateur)
Currently on a four-fight win streak that came after he dropped a decision to recent UFC debutant Hecher Sosa, Tipsaev is scheduled to face Heimo Gregorio at Vendetta Fight Nights 52 next weekend.
Oliver Axelsson: Welterweight, Age 29 (5-0 pro, 4-1 amateur)
Axelsson was a serious consideration for the main list, as he’s 5-0 with four finishes and has a fan-friendly striking style. He also has won four of his pro MMA bouts via first-round submission, so I’m interested to see where his career goes amid the recent cuts ONE Championship has been making to its MMA divisions.
Najib Adams Morllah: Light Heavyweight, Age 29: (3-1 pro, 5-0 1 NC amateur)
“Silverback” was stopped in his pro debut in 2025 but has finished three-straight opponents since then and was included in our “5 European MMA Prospects to Follow” from @mma_prospect. That streak, plus a solid amateur run, make him a light heavyweight prospect worth watching.
Other Swedish prospects to keep an eye on: Bajad Damarkani, Benjamin Hajijan, Abdurakhman Nastrutdinov
