For years, fans have dreamt of the day the top dog promotion would co-promote with their primary rival to put on a night of fights that would showcase previously impossible bouts. Wrestling fans have dreamed of WWE vs. WCW, then WWE vs. AEW. MMA fans have dreamt of UFC vs. Strikeforce, or UFC vs. Bellator. This Saturday, we are treated to a co-promoted event fans have clamored for years. Yes, I of course am talking about Rkena vs/ PFL. Fans have been begging to see the top promotion in Georgia match their fighters against third-tier PFL fighters. All jokes aside though, there are some intriguing matchups and prospects on display. Let us, the MMA diehards, dive into the best young prospects this bizarre event has to offer.
David Mgoyan (9-1, Featherweight)
It feels like the Russian-born Armenian fighter has been around forever, but he is still just 22. The American Top Team product has seen his star rise tremendously over the last year, having lost to Tommy McMillen in a bloody majority decision on the 2025 Contender Series. He then followed that up with a win in UNF, before fighting and winning on the inaugural MVP MMA card.
Mgoyan is a tough fighter with a good gas tank. His wrestling isn’t dominant, but it can be relentless. He is very active on the ground with strikes and submission attempts. On the feet, he is just dynamic enough to give fighters something to think about before he takes them down. Because of his age and the level of those he trains with, Mgoyan is a fringe top 30 prospect to me. He has a fascinating matchup here against Asa Ten Pow. Asa is a champion kickboxer, and should have a distinct advantage on the feet. The fight feels custom made for Mgoyan though, as he should be able to grapple his way to a victory, and hopefully by finish.
Ibragim Ibragimov (10-0, Featherweight)
The undefeated Ibragimov is clearly the most valuable PFL commodity fighting on this card. 4-0 under the PFL banner at just 21, “The Destroyer” could be a big deal for the PFL if he continues on his current trajectory. The big worry as of late has been his inability to find the finish in his last three fights. Look for him to be extra aggressive against the hometown Georgian, Nika Kupravishvili (9-4). The pressure-heavy grappler now fighting out of England compiled a 7-0 record before turning pro, having never endured an MMA loss.
With a Sambo and Freestyle background, Ibragimov is a chain wrestler but still a very dangerous one. He has fast hands on the feet, and can actually do good damage. He is a bit of a head hunter, but does well to work in kicks, knees, and elbows. On the ground he doesn’t settle for position and does well to work in strikes. His takedowns and trips are always well-timed and opportunistic; he doesn’t always force it. Ibragimov is a top 100 prospect for me, and I am excited about what his ceiling could be.
Joshua Adeboye (2-0, Lightweight)
Before turning pro, the Nigerian-born Adeboye was 6-2 as an amateur and competed in IMMAF. His pro debut was against fellow amateur standout and legit prospect, Aaron Pierre. He slowly dismantled him before dispatching him with a combination of hooks to the body and knees to the head, that inflicted some more damage with ground and pound. He one-upped himself in his second career fight, offing his opponent in the very first round with a slick head kick. The power and finishing capability are real for Adeboye. The 21-year-old has only been training for 5 years but looks incredibly polished and patient in the cage. His grappling is good enough at this stage in his career, but his standup game is the star. If he can get past grappler Ruslan Mirishov in style this Saturday, Adeboye will go from under the radar to squarely on the map.
Giorgi Poladishvili (4-0, Featherweight)
Not that the featherweight division needed any more fearsome prospects, but it sure does have one in the towering Giorgi Poladishvili. Starting his career as a boxer for GAMA before coming over to MMA, the unbeaten fighter is still just 21. At 6’0 he is huge for the weight division, and is a very natural athlete. It is hard to not get very excited about what he could become.
His boxing is crisp and powerful, and he is great at working the body. He overthrows a tad when going to the head, and his standup defense is just all right. He works well in the clinch, but even better in space. Giorgi is dangerous and explosive, with a spinning back kick that will get him a highlight reel KO one day. Where the surprises come is in just how well the kid can grapple. He has three wins by submission, outstanding takedown defense, and some great trips and judo throws. He is incredibly well-rounded, and honestly could have the greatest potential of any fighter on this card. Elvin Kamilli is a legitimate test this Saturday, but I have little doubt Poladishvili passes with flying colors.
Elene Loladze (4-0, Strawweight)
Elene Loladze has arguably risen more than any women’s prospect in 2026. Starting the year off 2-0, she picked up wins in ONE Championship and UAE Warriors, respectively. The UAE Warriors win, over the then-unbeaten and very highly-regarded Oceane Samson, was particularly impressive. She bloodied up Samson on the feet, forcing her to shoot for the takedown. When Samson shot, Loladze was ready, and locked on a tight guillotine choke to secure the first round tap-out. At just 24, she still has room to grow, but is coming along very well.
Loladze, who had a short but impressive amateur career in GAMMA, is a product of the legendary gym Tiger Muay Thai. Nicknamed “The Blood Fairy”, she shows a ton of poise and confidence in the cage. Her striking is powerful, but she needs to improve on her footwork and getting her hands back up fast after throwing. At this point in her career she could struggle with good counter strikers. Her high kicks are fast, and a favorite weapon of hers. As one would expect, she has a good thai clinch and deadly knees from that position. Her grappling defense has held up very well thus far in her career. Her jiu jitsu seems to be coming along well, as displayed with her most recent finish. She has shown herself to be dangerous in all aspects of MMA. I would expect her to pick up another win this Saturday, but her opponent Ekaterina Yar is no pushover. I would imagine that a win here on the co-promoted PFL card would get her signed to PFL outright, but they don’t have an established women’s strawweight division. If the PFL pass on her because of that, I could see her picking up one more win on the regional scene before getting a call from the UFC.
Mucahit Aydin (5-0, Middleweight)
The 26-year-old Aydin was a decorated wrestling champion, winning Turkish titles in Sambo and Greco Roman before turning to MMA in 2024. The Turkish middleweight had as good of a combat base as one could have prior to entering MMA, so it is no surprise he has gone undefeated up to this point in his career. Prior to his most previous win, a decision over undefeated prospect Suren Manukyan, he had finished all of his opponents in the first 2 rounds. His standup game could use some work, and he is undersized a little for the division. With that being said, he is a natural athlete with good speed, power, and stamina. He has a finish on the feet via lightning quick head kick. As one would expect though, his best work comes on the ground. He has tremendous balance, good trips and throws, and is relentless in his pursuit of takedowns. He prioritizes ground and pound over submissions, and it has served him well. Aydin is the prospect on this card that I am least sure of. The young Georgian striker Zurab Ivaniadze will be a good test for Aydin on the feet this Saturday. I am hoping to see what Aydin has in the striking department before he inevitably gets his opponent to the ground. The floor is low on Aydin, and I would be much more bullish on him having a high ceiling if he was at Welterweight. But with that said, he is a legitimate threat to everyone he’s stacked up against. Wrestling champions always have the tools to keep racking up win after win.
Gimbat Magomedov (1-0, Welterweight)
Flying under the radar and fighting in the opening fight on Saturday, the Bahraini fighter Gimbat Magomedov could end up being a stud. His amateur career was incredibly impressive, racking up a 28-4 record before turning pro this year at 22 years old. Including his one pro bout, in which he choked out his opponent in under 2 minutes, he is riding a 21-fight win streak. The former multiple time IMMAF gold medalist is a very well-rounded fighter. He has quick hands and is good at combinations that touch up both the head and the body. He always manages to end up on top in grappling exchanges, and is well-versed in maintaining that position. I wouldn’t say he is a buzzsaw by any means, but he has no weak spots, which is crazy to say about a 23-year-old fighter. I don’t expect to learn much more about Gimbat this weekend, he should have the advantage in every facet of the game and win by however he pleases. That being said, he is always going to be a must-watch going forward, and is bound to become a top prospect here at the Vault at some point. Bahrain, here’s your guy, get behind him.
As always with Middle Eastern-based cards, the talent is undeniable. The PFL co-promotion aspect of this is undoubtedly underwhelming. Yet, there are still men and women featured that are bound to become key players in the MMA sphere going forward. Mgoyan and Poladishvili stand out as the must-watch prospects on this card. Still, anyone in any fight has the opportunity to shine on Saturday.
