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 of several divisions. The fights will air on UFC Fight Pass Friday night.
Tommy “Rambo” Morrison (11-0)
Tommy “Rambo” Morrison is one of the most accomplished fighters competing at Samourai MMA 20. The undefeated Tristar Gym product enters the event with an 11-0 record. He has built his success around a pressure-heavy style. In particular, he combines strong wrestling, effective grappling control, and the ability to dictate where the fight takes place.
The Samourai MMA flyweight champion has developed a reputation as one of the division’s toughest matchups. He uses his physicality and technical discipline to consistently neutralize opponents. While the majority of his victories have come by decision, his recent knockout win over Jean Tejena showed that the finishing ability is still there.
After that fight took place on Fight Island down south, Morrison decided to return to Samourai MMA. Here, securing regular matchups is easier. The challenge remains the same, however. Questions surrounding his level of opposition continue to follow him. His next opponent, Mexico’s Jesus Gutierrez (8-8), is another fight that may not completely silence those doubts. Additionally, the fight also takes place in a 132-pound catchweight bout.
The good news is that Samourai MMA reportedly has a more significant matchup planned for September if Morrison chooses to remain with the promotion. At this stage of his career, the next step is finding opponents who can truly test his skill set.
Liam Macfadyen (5-0)
Still unbeaten through his first five professional appearances, Liam Macfadyen has become one of Canada’s more intriguing bantamweight prospects. The striker relies on a clean, technical approach rather than raw power. However, his ability to put together combinations and maintain a high level of efficiency makes him a consistently entertaining fighter.
Macfadyen recently joined the Samourai MMA roster as his previous promotion, Unified MMA, goes through a difficult period. For his debut with the organization, he draws Tarcísio Romano (12-7-1). Romano is one of the toughest and most reliable veterans on the roster, known for accepting difficult matchups against anyone.
The bantamweight division is arguably Samourai MMA’s deepest weight class, which creates plenty of interesting opportunities for Macfadyen moving forward. A strong performance against Romano could help establish him as one of the division’s names to follow.
Camilo Avellan (4-0)
At only 25 years old, Camilo Avellan is one of the most promising prospects currently competing under the Samourai MMA banner. Training out of H2O MMA under Richard Ho, Avellan has become a familiar face for the promotion. He is also a fan favorite since making his debut last year.
The undefeated featherweight has built a 4-0 record. This upcoming fight represents a significant step up in competition. Avellan will face Chilean prospect Martin Leon (5-0), another undefeated fighter. This will be Avellan’s first career main event.
A strong grappler with a submission-heavy finishing style, Avellan has shown that he is dangerous once the fight hits the mat. This matchup should provide a much clearer indication of how his skill set translates against higher-level opposition.
Seyedmostafa “Mustafa” Salehizadeh (5-0)
At 33 years old, Seyedmostafa Salehizadeh would normally be a fighter whose age raises questions when discussing prospects. However, competing at heavyweight changes the equation. Athletes often have longer windows to reach the highest level.
Known as Mustafa throughout Quebec, the Montreal-based fighter originally from Iran recently turned down an offer from ONE Championship to continue his career with Samourai MMA while pursuing his UFC dream.
Salehizadeh is built around one elite weapon: wrestling. A Greco-Roman wrestling specialist, he was a regular competitor at the Asian Championships. He also represented Iran at the World Championships before transitioning to MMA. Since making the move, he has compiled a perfect 5-0 record. However, finding opponents has been a challenge. This has forced him to travel as far as South Korea for his last fight.
Recently training with heavyweight boxer Alexis Barrière, Mustafa has been working on becoming a more fan-friendly fighter while continuing to develop his MMA skills. He faces veteran Roggers Souza (15-9) in the co-main event.
Honorable Mentions
Mehdi Zeidvand (7-0)
The current Samourai MMA featherweight champion, Mehdi Zeidvand, was originally scheduled to face T.J. Laramie in March before that matchup fell through. Instead, he returns against Theoren Thorn (5-2) in a lightweight non-title bout.
Zeidvand is one of the most complete fighters on the roster, combining solid striking fundamentals with a well-rounded MMA skill set. He scored his first knockout since 2023 in his last appearance at Samourai MMA 15 against veteran Gustavo Erak.
The main reason he lands in the honorable mention category is his age. At 34 years old, the timeline for a potential move to a larger promotion becomes more complicated. Still, Thorn is an interesting matchup, and Zeidvand should have the advantage in most areas of the fight.
Cédrick Bégin (0-0) – Lightweight
Cédrick Bégin’s long-awaited professional debut is finally scheduled for Samourai MMA 20. After a frustrating 2025 filled with injuries and cancelled fights, the highly regarded prospect will finally make his transition to the professional ranks.
Before turning pro, Bégin built an impressive amateur résumé. He collected 32 victories in 38 fights across three combat sports disciplines. While Tapology lists him differently, the reputation he built on the amateur scene remains one of the reasons expectations are high.
There is even a running joke in Quebec MMA that nobody should talk about a Bégin fight until he is actually inside the cage. This started after his previous matchup fell apart when his opponent withdrew moments before the bout.
Training out of Nova Gym, Bégin brings a well-rounded skill set and an exciting style that should make him a fighter worth following as he begins his professional career.
