Best Prospects in Action This Week (Patreon)

Lightweight, Mehdi Dakaev (15-2) - Friday, ACA 165:
Dakaev is someone I haven't paid close attention to until now and he's a serious talent. Dakaev is a solid wrestler and an even better grappler once on top. He’s well-rounded and has a deep gas tank. From what's been showcased lately is his striking. Dakaev is a fireball of offense. He explodes forward in flurries throwing rapidly while possessing speed and power. Also what he does so well is set the tone with the jab and heavy calf kicks. If Dakaev wins this I'll probably don a feature on him.

Lightweight, Marko Bojković (4-0) - Saturday, FNC 13:
Bojković is someone who's popped on a lot of people's radar recently. The only concern with me besides the unknowns is the cardio. The reason is would be because of the amount of effort he puts into his offense. Bojković is well-rounded. On the feet, he throws with big pop in his hands and does a fine job of mixing it up going to the body and head. He's not someone you want to land clean on your chin. I think Bojković is even better on the mat. His wrestling has checked out and so has his grappling and heavy ground and pound. With the right push, Bojković can be a serious problem.

Bantamweight, Cecilie Bolander (2-0) - Saturday, Superior Challenge 26:
Bolander is an interesting prospect at 135. She fought at 145 as an amateur and had a lot of success in IMMAF. Last year in worlds she won bronze and then went on to win the European championship. Bolander is labeled as an armbar specialist. All eight of her career wins come by armbar. Her only loss is to arguably the best current amateur prospect Sabrina De Sousa. Bolander has excellent Jiu-Jitsu, good judo, and is a pure finisher.

Heavyweight, Aleksandr Maslov (10-1) - Friday, ACA 165:
Maslov has a strong resume along with a good-looking record. He has wins over former UFC fighters in Cody East. Luis Henrique, and Vinicius Moreira. Although he has good wins his performances don't match. Lately he's been battling injuries so that's why he hasn't been as active. Maslov is a dangerous athletic striker who has a lot of pop behind his punches. He’s also very fast with his output and overall has good hands with a key uppercut he loves to throw. In a few of his fights, his performances have been lackluster but for a heavyweight you have to take notice.

Middleweight, Robert Valentin (9-3, 1 NC) - Saturday, RCC Intro 30:
I first scouted Valentin years ago and stopped because I wasn't impressed anymore. Even though he has huge gaps in his game still he's improved a lot. His gaps are in poor takedown defense and poor striking defense. Valentin does a great job of weathering the storm and breaking guys later in the fight. His striking isn't clean but he comes forward throwing with a lot of power. His jiu-jitsu is his best weapon. He scrambles really well and is a big submission threat no matter where he's at. Middleweight is thin so he's worth watching out for.

Bantamweight, Gage Gill (5-0) - Friday, CFFC 127:
Gill is an unproven guy with the guys he's fought. With that said, when looking for a top prospect they should crush these cans like Gill has done. From what I've seen is he's a good wrestler and just slices through guys on the mat. Gill is quickly cutting through the guard and into a dominant position. He's both a threat with the RNC and ground and pound. On the feet, I'm still not sure of but he is confident and has had good decision-making.

Lightweight, Akonne Wanliss (7-2) - Saturday, Oktagon 48:
Wanliss is a physical specimen at lightweight as he shredded and huge for the weightclass. He's a talented guy that's well-rounded but his cardio is concerning. He's dangerous early because he's fresh but as the fight goes he tends to make mistakes in the fight. If he was to work on his cardio he'd be a big problem because he's good everywhere. I'm concerned that he's worried more about his social media then he is his fighting career.