Top 10 MMA Prospects With 5 or less Pro Fights in Australia & New Zealand

#7 Matt Fordham (4-0)

Lightweight

26 Years Old – Collective Grappling Co & Ignite MMA

 

Matt Fordham is a prospect who carries long-term UFC upside if his development continues on its current trajectory. Still unbeaten across both his amateur and professional career, Fordham has already accumulated an impressive resume of quality wins over names such as Niamh Stephen, Coby Porter, and John Brewin. Those victories underlined Fordham’s impressive grappling pedigree with a series of well-timed takedowns, strong control, and slick submissions, marking him as a dangerous operator that demands respect.

 

Although still early in his career, Fordham has shown a clear capacity for improvement, with each outing revealing greater confidence, composure, and tactical clarity. He’s an aggressive and physically imposing wrestler who looks to impose himself early, often pursuing takedowns through powerful double-leg entries and well-timed trips.

 

Fordham strongly prefers to bring the fight to the ground rather than engage in prolonged striking exchanges, where he can leverage his heavy ground-and-pound and slick submission game to maximum effectiveness. On top, he demonstrates strong positional awareness and control, applying pressure intelligently while hunting for openings rather than forcing finishes prematurely.

 

There are moments where Fordham’s eagerness to advance position can see him overcommit, but even in those situations, he shows encouraging instincts either recovering dominant positions quickly or scrambling effectively back to his feet. That awareness, combined with his physicality and grappling IQ, gives him a strong overall base to build upon.

 

The clearest area for continued development lies in Fordham’s overall striking, both offensively and defensively. At present, he remains heavily reliant on his grappling to secure victories, and there have been instances where he has been clipped while attempting to close distance or force the fight to the ground. Addressing those gaps, tightening defensive responsibility, improving shot setup, and adding layers to his overall stand-up game will be crucial if Fordham wants to make that next step up towards the UFC. If he can make those adjustments while retaining his aggressive grappling identity, Fordham has the tools to develop into a serious problem for Lightweights in the years ahead.