The number of relevant pro debuts wasn’t as stacked as September, so a bit more time was needed to show some of the new blood entering the professional ranks. Regardless, these two months have welcomed some interesting prospects that are ready to make their mark.
The highlight debut of October was Delton Kaufmann. The teenage phenom made his pro debut at only 18 years old. He was an Arizona Wrestling champion, a Pan-American wrestling champion, and an IMMAF youth world champion.
The first thing you notice in his debut is that he is pretty well built for 185. At his age, even if there is still room for improvement as he gets older and builds into his frame. The striking isn’t fully refined, being a bit stiff and lacking a bit of activity. You can still see the fundamentals are there, throwing some well-set combinations. You can see the high-level wrestling in his takedowns and his patience transitioning into mount. Once there, he unleashed high-volume GnP to win the fight in the first round.
Kaufmann seems like the perfect prospect. He’s skilled, athletic, and focused on his goals. That all being important in a middleweight division in dire need of talent.
One of the brightest up-and-coming Irish MMA prospects, Damien McGuigan, started training in kickboxing by the age of 10. Training at Fight Academy Ireland, he went 9-1 as an amateur. His pro debut was short, but you can notice the kickboxing background with a lot of mobility on the feet and using his kicks to set up more complex combinations. This worked really well in the fight as he was able to damage his opponent with a kick and immediately rushed for the finish. Ending the fight in under one minute, making a statement.
McGuigan should be a fun addition to a British flyweight scene currently on the rise.
A former IMMAF European and World Champ, Elias Erber’s pro debut was one of the most anticipated ones this year. A super seasoned vet with a 28-5 ammy record against top opposition, Erber already has more experience than most pro fighters.
Erber made his pro debut in November at CFS, where he handled his opponent in less than two minutes. While showing a lot of mobility, he got a few reads before starting to shoot. To me, he was doing it from a bit too far, which resulted in his first takedown getting stuffed, which is an area for improvement in the future. The second takedown, despite also being from afar, was successful. Once on the ground, Erber quickly transitioned to the back with a slick triangle on the opponent’s hip, finishing the fight with an RNC.
Despite a flawed debut, Erber has a lot of potential in the division and should quickly rise in the central European prospect rankings.