10 Heavyweight Prospect The UFC Should Sign in 2024 (Patreon)

Anthony Cesar
27
Rocky Hill, New Jersey
2-0
1 Submission
Combined opponent's record: 3-20

Something you will see a lot with this list is a lot of young pro records. That's because heavyweight is so this. With that said, Cesar is an actual legit heavyweight prospect. We've seen wrestling standout Bo Nickal make it to the UFC early in MMA so Anthony Cassar could be next. He is an NCAA Division I champion and a  Big Ten Conference champion out of Penn State University. He's 1-0 in MMA beating someone with twenty-two pro fights. He could be fast-tracked to the UFC considering his background and mainly fighting in a shallow division. So far in MMA he's been dominant but does need to fight someone at least with a pulse.

Mario Pinto
25
Portugal/England
7-0
4 KO/TKOs, 1 Submission
Combined opponent's record: 18-11

Pinto didn't pop on anyone's radar until 2023. In March, Levels Fight League held an eight-man one-night heavyweight Grand Prix to crown a champion. Pinto fought and won three times in one night taking home the title. MMA in Portugal is still growing. Pinto isn't only the best heavyweight from his country but the best prospect from the area in general. He's well-rounded with heavy hands, strong wrestling, and is adaptable on the mat. Pinto should be a lock for the UFC.

Hugo Cunha
30
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
8-1
4 KO/TKOs, 4 Submissions
Combined opponent's record: 33-15

Cunha was close to the UFC a few years ago but is prime for an opporunity now. After a brieg stint in ONE Championship Cunha has won his last two. In his last fight he won the LFA heavyweight title which usually means a ticket to the UFC. Cunha is limited on the feet but is growing in the area getting more confidence. Where he is a problem is if he can get the fight down to the mat. Cunha is so heavy on top and his jiu-jitsu for a bigger guy is pretty legit.

Greg Velasco
30
Union Beach, New Jersey, US
6-1
3 KO/TKOs, 2 Submissions
Combined opponent's record: 17-11

Velasco is coming off a loss but it was to a top prospect in Shamil Gaziev on the contender series. Velasco has a few things most heavyweights don't have and that's wrestling and cardio. Velasco has a lot of fights where he fought deep in the second round or fought a four-round fight. He's the current Cage Fury FC heavyweight champion with one title defense. He should still be one or two fights away from another big opportunity.

Azamat Nuftillaev
29
Uzbekistan
15-1-1
10 KO/TKOs, 3 Submissions
Combined opponent's record: 55-41

Nuftillaev quietly had a 12-0-1 record when he came up short to Bellator's Slim Trabelsi. That loss came in 2022 and since he's won his next/last three fights. In the past, he was a champion for Alash Pride FC, a promotion out of Kazakhstan. He's looked promising since his loss to Trabelsi. The fighter from Uzbekistan has good experience even though it's against lesser competition. He's actually skilled and well-rounded but just needs a big win to get more notice.

Guilherme Pat
age?
Brazil
4-0
3 KO/TKOs
Combined opponent's record: 4-2

I scouted Pat when he was just 1-0. I didn't know what to think of him then and I still don't know what to fully think. He's in shape for a heavyweight and has good size. I'm worried about his striking defense, especially with how low he holds his hands. In his pro debut, he won from a simple jab that led to the finish. In his second fight, he won with a quick head kick. His third fight went into round three but it was low volume and the stoppage was odd. His latest fight it went all three rounds but there is no footage of the fight.

Petera Wilson
27
Memphis, Tennesse, US
3-0
2 KO/TKOs
Combined opponent's record: 2-1

Wilson is still a work in progress but can still find his way into the UFC with a few more wins. He's undefeated as a pro and went 5-1 as an amateur. Wilson has been fighting for CFFC as a pro which puts eyes on him where the promotion is on UFC Fight Pass. He's in shape, explosive, decent wrestling, and an overall good ground game. Like most others on this list, he's still raw and has only been beating piss-pour competition.

Anthony Wint
28
Homestead, Florida, US
1-0
1 KO/TKO
Combined opponent's record: 2-2

Wint is early in his MMA career but he played college as an FIU Panther as the starting linebacker. He went undrafted in the NFL draft and was picked up by the New York Jets. He was waived a year later and signed to play in the Canadian Football League. After covid happened the season was canceled so Wint decided to switch over to MMA. It was a good thing because he's been a natural so far. 3-0 as an amateur and 1-0 as a pro. Wint is physically in shape which is hard to find at heavyweight. On the feet, he's shown a good jab, good movement, and uses a lot of feints. He wrestled when he was younger and that's been his game plan in MMA. Wint is a strong dude just powering guys down and his jiu-jitsu has checked out. Obviously, he's still green but I have a good feeling about his future.

Heavyweight is always thin but this year is the weakest it's ever been. Here are two other names we could see in the UFC without going to in-depth about it. 

Navajo Stirling (2-0) who has a kickboxing background and trains out of City Kickboxing. Also, Shah Kamali (1-0) who went 6-0 as an amateur and was the FightStar Championship heavyweight champion.