Prospects to watch this week (Patreon)

Lightweight, Amru Magomedov (7-0) - UAE Warriors 51
I'm high on Magomedov as he ranks as my top 20 prospect worldwide. What gets me excited about Magomedov is how talented he is at just 24. His wrestling and ground game is legit. He's got good technique on his takedowns and on top is a menace with ground and pound. Also, his jiu-jitsu is really strong. Magomedov as world champion level but just needs to stay active.

Light-heavyweight, Ilian Bouafia (4-0) - Hexagone MMA 19
Bouafia is a problem at middleweight standing at six-foot-six. Bouafia uses every bit of his length with jab, left hand, and just straight punches in general. His footwork is good and when guys rush in on him he'll sit you down with a counter. Bouafia can set the pace in space and is also good at using his slip-counters. Still a lot unknown about him as he hasn't hardly faced any adversity yet.  Not many guys that will be able to solve this puzzle, especially outside a big promotion.

Lightweight, Théo Ulrich (2-0) - Hexagone MMA 19
Ulrich has looked exceptional in his two pro career fights. It was after an extensive amateur career going 12-1. With Ulrich, he's solely a striker. With his frame at six-foot-one, he's comfortable at his preferred range just letting it go. Ulrich is a volume striker who throws punches in bunches and has a lot of knees on the inside. He continues to pour on the pressure and doesn't let off. He does get hit and taken down but with his size, cardio, and striking it's hard to steer him away.

Lightweight, Michael Pagani (7-0) - Cage Warriors 175
Pagani does a great job maintaining range while using footwork switching stances And sniping on the outside. He throws straight punches, the jab, a one-two, and straight to the body. Pagani throws those teeps to the body as well to create that distance control. He doesn't throw more than two strikes at a time but he throws them from different angles and finds those striking lanes so well. Pagani can dictate the pace and at the same time is so dangerous off his back foot. Pagani is a primary striker but did show some ground game in his last fight. His wrestling isn't anything notable and jiu-jitsu seems fine. If he can beat a guy like Mason Jones that would and should send him to the UFC.

Lightweight, Ieuan Davies (4-0) - Cage Warriors 175
I've been pretty high on Davies since he was an amateur. The Welshman is a strong kickboxer. His front kick is the jab and his roundhouses are his right/left hooks. Davies quickly asserts himself right away in fights, landing thudding kicks to knock you out. He kicks frequently and mixes it up going to the head and body before going upstairs. Davies also has a dangerous submission game off his back as shown in his last two fights. He should destroy a guy like Adam Shelley if he's the real deal.

Lightweight, Teddy Stringer (3-0) - Cage Warriors 175
Stringer had a long tenured amateur career with over twenty fights and fighting in IMMAF. He went 15-8 but about all his losses came to legit talent. Stringer won't shy away on the feet but is a primary grappler. He gets it there because of his wrestling timing his entries very well. Stringer is aggressive in passing the guard, taking the back, and snatching the neck. Really clean technical work from Stringer just getting to the point. On the feet defense is questionable but throws a good jab and just has clean hands overall.

Bantamweight, Asaf Chopurov (4-0) - UAE Warriors 51
Chopurov is a legit prospect who could compete in the UFC today. He proved that in his last fight when he beat an excellent fighter in Denis Lavrentyev. As an amateur Chopurov went 31-1 and was a three-time Russian champion and an IMMAF world champion. Chopurov has it all. He's a good wrestler and a slick grappler. On the feet he's quick with his release and is good on the outside attacking from both sides. He is smooth moving in and out and although his punches can be wide he's accurate and fast.

Flyweight, Rashid Vagabov (11-2) - UAE Warriors 51
agabov with a background in combat sambo is a well-rounded athlete. A strong kickboxer on the feet Vagabov is an excellent wrestler. He's done a fantastic job exploding in from the outside and driving on the hips for the takedown. Letting guys rush in and use their momentum to take em down. Vagabov is a nightmare on top with dominant top control, solid jiu-jitsu, and nasty ground and pound. Russia has a lot of good flyweight prospects and Vagabov is flying under the radar. this weekend.