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 we shine a light on prospects still in that phase. I’m looking at a few rising talents with five fights or fewer that are on my radar. These aren’t fighters […]
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July might’ve been the best month of the year when it comes to prospects. There were so many loaded events across the regional scene that it was absolutely brutal to leave some names off this list. Though without further ado, here are five UFC-ready prospects from July: Asaf Chopurov, 24, 11-0-0, Bantamweight If we’re
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A number of fighters are set to make their promotional debuts this weekend at UFC Belgrade, and Serbian bantamweight Borislav Nikolić is sure to generate a significant pop from the crowd when he enters the cage to meet Mark Vologdin. Boasting a 16-2 record, Nikolić began his professional MMA career with nine-straight victories before
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After a rough year inside the cage last year, this Saturday at Eternal MMA 108, Tasar “The Machine” Malone will look to grab his second win of 2026. The 29-year-old takes on Eternal vet Justin Van Heerden in a rematch, as Malone looks to get revenge for the loss Van Heerden gave him just under
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Samourai MMA 20 – Who to Watch Samourai MMA returns with its 20th event. It brings together some of Quebec’s most promising prospects and established regional names. The promotion continues to serve as a proving ground for Canadian talent. This card features undefeated fighters, rising contenders, and key matchups that could shape the future
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LFA 238 is back in Brazil this Friday with a banger of a card. They are in Brasília, DF, Brazil, at the Ginásio Nilson Nelson venue for a 14-fight card. No title bouts, but twelve undefeated fighters. Let’s hope LFA actually airs all their fights because all these fights deserve it. Here are the prospects
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UFC Belgrade has its fair share of UFC debuts this weekend. One of the best fights on the entire card just so happens to be between two debuts. Noah Gugnon from France will meet Montenegro’s Milos Janicic live in Serbia. Noah Gugnon Gugnon was on a two-fight skid before putting together his current
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From Ilia Topuria, to Khamzat Chimaev, to Benoit Saint Denis, Brave Combat Federation has been the proving grounds for quite a few superstars before they signed to the UFC. Every time I tune into Brave, I am hoping to find a new prospect that has the potential to be something great, and this upcoming weekend
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Nina Nikolija Milošević, better known as Queen Beast, is the Serbian bantamweight who recently became the first woman from her country to sign with the UFC. Born in Sweden to a Serbian farming family and carrying dual citizenship, the 29-year-old has long split her identity between those roots and the Australian gyms where she now
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Marina Spasić is a 32-year-old Serbian strawweight from Belgrade, nicknamed Maki Beki. She is set to make her UFC debut on August 1 in her hometown against Stephanie Luciano. Before mixed martial arts, she competed for years as a kickboxer on the Balkan K-1 circuit. Additionally, she competed on other regional shows, establishing herself on
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