October has been a great month for MMA so far, and 17 new prospects have impressed me enough to earn a ranking spot. 13 of them are undefeated pros or amateurs, including a mix of Mexicans, Americans, Central Asians, and more. Lightweight is the most represented, with 5 new guys in what I believe is the sport’s deepest division. Hit me up @jameslikesmma on Twitter if I missed anyone.
Highest potential:
- Gulzhigit Adilet uulu
- Oscar Escalante
- Diego Garcia
Light Heavyweights
Rafael Kveldstad: 23 years old, 9-2 amateur, 3-0 pro, 8W streak.
Young for the division and in good shape. Won the IMMAF junior world title at 185 lbs and can probably drop back down as a pro. Both ammy Ls by split DEC, avenged one vs KSW prospect Tagir Machmudov. Beat Juho Suvanto (now 15-3 ammy), another prospect I like. Great BJJ with creative choke set-ups from a variety of positions. Showcased power more as a pro, including a 36-second KO this month, but gets very wild throwing bombs. Hasn’t been punished yet and sometimes advances with feints and a good guard, but he risks getting chinned in longer exchanges.
Patryk Gorgiel: 19 years old, 9-0 amateur.
His last 2 fights were at 205, but most were at 170 or even 155. Still developing physically, but MW is the more likely long-term fit. Very weak competition in Poland, but 7 finishes and great experience for a teenager.
Middleweights
Simba Mavungo: 26 years old, 8-0 amateur.
Most MMA fighters are muscular, but Mavungo is next-level jacked. A little old for an ammy prospect but debuted in late 2024 and has stayed active. Mostly throws hooks, but in combinations and with a tight lead hand, he sometimes mixes to the body. Overhand rights get there fast as well. If he can learn to jab, he’ll secure even more KOs than the 5 he has. Grappling unknown, weak competition, but cardio was good enough to win a decision vs. a 5-3 opponent.
Welterweights
Ivan Maryniak: 20 years old, ~21-4 amateur, 11W streak.
A young grappler who ends about half his fights by submission despite often only getting 1 round to do it in Polish tournaments. Minor differences in his record between Tapology and Sherdog, but either way, he has a ton of experience and has been dominant since early 2025. Pretty weak competition and needs to improve his striking, but he has plenty of room to grow.
Mason Dykes: 27 years old, 7-0 amateur.
Another older amateur who picks up KOs for fun. Very tall for WW (6’3″) but consistently misses weight by a couple of pounds, so he either needs to move up or get better at cutting. Dominant champ for Midwest USA promotion DCS but hasn’t been tested elsewhere. He doesn’t fight often, but he has the natural power to be a prospect if he’s more consistent.
Ronin Lee: 21 years old, 4-1 amateur, 6-0 pro, 6W streak.
Total can crusher (no pro wins with a positive record) who’s had every fight in a small Colorado show called Battle MMA Championships. Tall but skinny, he has fought at lower weights but missed by 2 pounds this month. Very basic striking and basically looks to shoot takedowns early, then work to the back for an RNC. It’s worked against bad opponents, but he got KO’d in his amateur title shot in what is still his toughest test. Young enough to improve, and his record will get him noticed.
Lightweights
Diego “Santoperro” Garcia: 22 years old, 4-1 amateur, 4-0 pro, 6W streak.
Tall and has gotten in great shape since winning IMMAF Pan-American tournaments at 185/170 pounds. He caught my eye in his first pro fights with a 1-shot KO in 34 seconds and a crazy backfist KO. Had grappling questions after getting choked in his only L by a debuting opponent. That was almost 3 years ago, and his BJJ looked much better when he got an R1 RNC vs Daniel Reyes (6-0) to start the month. Young and developing fast is a great combination so that I could see a breakout in 2027.
Christopher Lalone: 24 years old, 7-1 amateur, 5-1 pro, 5W streak.
Tall striker with a variety of weapons and good natural power. Impressive strength of schedule as an amateur with 3 title wins and a doctor-stoppage loss. Very disappointing pro debut, losing by Kimura in R2 to a 1-2 opponent, exposing BJJ weakness and some cardio concerns. 5 straight R1/2 KOs show his ceiling, including an improved grappling performance vs Paul Garza (7-4). Stole a prospect spot from Dee Reddick (3-0 + 9W streak), who I had expected to win.
Salvador Hernández: 26 years old, 2-0 amateur, 5-0 pro, 7W streak.
Impressive flowing BJJ and can pull off a finish anywhere. Works to take the back but will also attack arms/legs if you leave them hanging. Mixes in GnP with enough power to force reactions. Goes to the ground early in fights, so not as much striking film, but has solid length and boxing fundamentals seem to be there. High ceiling; has finished every fight inside two rounds, but against weak competition. Should return to UWC or sign with LUX to get more exposure on Fight Pass.
Nachin Sat: 28 years old, 1-0 amateur, 9-3 pro, 3W streak.
Not the prettiest record or biggest streak, but Sat is an explosive finisher who went 4-1 vs. good competition in ONE. He can end the fight on the feet or the ground, and his danger carries well into late rounds. However, he’s frustratingly low-volume and a bad minute-winner, so all of his losses have come by decision. He’s back on the regional scene with Pancrase and would be a very fun Rizin signing.
Jasur Mannapov: 29 years old, 6-0 pro
Made it to 6-0 with 5 R1 finishes, mostly on the ground, in less than a year. However, his opponents’ combined record is just 3-2. Not a great athlete and almost at the prospect age limit. Can’t say I expect much, but maybe Mannapov will surprise me.
Featherweights
Julian Salvador: 25 years old, 7-1 pro
An absolute tank for featherweight with at least a purple belt in BJJ. His only loss came as a teenager to Adrian Luna Martinetti, now in the UFC. He’s dominated physically with his grappling since, though he’s had several 2+ year gaps in competition. Two best wins this year in new Ecuadorian promotion Altum, including a 57-second RNC this month. Needs a test away from home but has the athletic potential to go far.
Dastan Malik: 27 years old, 1-2 amateur, 6-0 pro
Short and explosive, with all of his pro fights ending within two rounds. Prefers to wrestle, with strong chained takedowns, and is aggressive with GnP on top. Will take the back and attack the neck or go back to damage. Put his most recent opponent to sleep in 20 seconds with solid jabs to set up a flush overhand right. Hadn’t seen that power in the stand-up before, which is a promising development. Mostly fights in Octagon (Kazakhstan) and is gradually improving his competition.
Bantamweights
Gulzhigit Adilet uulu: 24 years old, 6-0-1 pro
Another undefeated prospect off the assembly line in Central Asia. Has fought at 125lbs and is probably a more natural fit there. Started his career with 5 straight chokes, then took 1.5 years off after his draw. Significant improvements in an upset decision win over 5-0 pro and former IMMAF champion Jamshid Tilyaev. Willing to exchange hooks early and sharp jabs, especially on the counter. Mixed in lots of wrestling, sometimes reversed but forced a pace, tired by R3 but persistent. Gave back too easily but defended his neck well, only gave up top position to chase SUBs at the end of rounds, scored with GnP but didn’t commit to posture. This was my first in-depth watch; not dominant, but there’s plenty to work with.
Fernando Diaz-Marquez: 23 years old, 6-0 amateur, 2-0 pro, 8W streak.
Long frame for the division, which he uses well to strike at range, but could add more muscle. Fought at 145 as an ammy and 140 in his debut for LFA, so may change weight classes with age. Prefers to strike but has shown polished BJJ when things go to the ground. Showed his well-roundedness this month with a decision win over Ramon Cornejo (1-0 pro but 11-2 ammy).
Damion Lee: 23 years old, 4-0 amateur, 4-0 pro, 8W streak.
Not sure if he’s related to Ronin Lee, but he has also been crushing cans in the same promotion. More varied in his style, with both fast KOs and a couple of RNCs. He’s young and seems like a decent athlete, but he has no standout wins to judge his potential better.
Flyweights
Oscar Escalante: 20 years old, 6-0 amateur, 3-0 pro, 9W streak.
Incredible boxing for a young prospect with fast-twitch combos. Goes to the body early and often with great effect, ending all pro fights within 2 rounds via body shots. Five more amateur KOs further showcased his fast hands and looked sharp in his only decision win against another 5-0 amateur. He’s fought only in small Mexican shows, but he’ll break through soon if he keeps these performances on Fight Pass. Grappling is still mostly unknown, though.
