This is not a comprehensive list of prospects; it’s an overview of the most promising young talent in a given division. Given the sheer number of grassroots and regional promotions worldwide, it is almost a certainty that future stars have not yet popped up on my radar. If you feel I’ve overlooked a high-calibre prospect, please feel free to let me know in the comments section or on social media.
Saygid Guseyn Arslanaliev
Age: 24
Record: 6-1
Years Pro: 5
Among the new breed of fighters, Arslanaliev enrolled in a boarding school for martial arts at the age of five. ‘Dagi’s’ bases include Wushu, Sanda and Brazilian
Roman Bogatov
Age: 28
Record: 9-0
Years Pro: 3
An undersized lightweight, Roman Bogatov makes up for his size with his wrestling skills and tenacity. Bogatov doesn’t tend to waste much time before going for takedowns; if he isn’t successful on the initial attempt, he will continue to grind. When on top, Bogatov looks to pass the guard quickly and advance to a more dominant position and utilise his ground-and-pound or look for submissions; he is especially effective with side chokes. Bogatov does have a bad tendency to give up his back when going for takedowns but has been able to avoid being put in compromising positions so far. Striking-wise, Bogatov shows shades of of Alexander Shlemenko as he likes to throw spinning attacks which can trouble his opponents due to their unpredictability.
Yusup Raisov
Age: 23
Record: 14-1
Years Pro: 5
At 23 years old, Raisov is one of the brightest prospects coming out of Russia. Having faced tough competition from the start of his career, Raisov is ahead of the development curve; he’s already had his “prospect loss” against the grinding veteran Marat Balaev. Despite being dominated for a large portion of five rounds, Raisov went back to the drawing board and submitted Balaev in the rematch. This shows Raisov’s ability to learn from his mistakes as well as his mental fortitude, both of which are needed to make it to the top level and then stay there. ‘Borz’ prefers to control his opponents on the ground with his suffocating top game and, when the time is right, latch on to a submission. However, in his recent fights he has shown improvements in his striking which makes him an even more dangerous fighter going forward.
Mike Davis
Age: 26
Record: 6-1
Years Pro: 4
Despite coming up short on Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series, Mike Davis is still one of the best prospects at featherweight. Davis is primarily a striker with a polished game. He has a good understanding of the jab and the importance of going to the body with punches and kicks. Davis is also a very capable wrestler and has several finishes on the ground. In his loss to Sodiq Yusuf, he ran into a superb athlete with similarly technical striking. Despite having his leg tenderised by Yusuf’s low kicks, Davis stayed in the fight and showed his heart, helping put on one of the best fights DWTNCS has showcased. With a couple more wins on the regional scene, ‘Beast Boy’ is likely to find himself in the UFC.
Garry Tonon
Age: 27
Record: 3-0
Years Pro: 1
The grappling wizard made the transition from Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu to Mixed Martial Arts in early 2018, signing with Asia’s promotional juggernaut, ONE Championship. Tonon has since gone 3-0 with all of his wins coming by finish. Tonon has been more than willing to strike with his opponents and has had reasonable success doing so. As is the case with many jiu-jitsu based fighters, he utilises a lot of kicks due to not having to worry about getting taken down. In his most recent fight, Tonon came in with a more boxing-centric approach, signifying an active approach to getting sharper with his hands. On the mat, Tonon is as skilled as anyone in MMA. He has shown the ability to easily secure the mount and the willingness to utilise his ground-and-pound if the opportunity for the submission is not there. Tonon has good reactive takedowns but has not yet faced someone who could seriously test his wrestling skills.