Highlighting the best MMA prospect in each weight class fighting this week
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With so much MMA going on this week regionally, it’s hard to pinpoint which prospects you should be watching and which show they will be on. Well, have no fear – The Scrap has you covered with a list of the best MMA prospect in each division that you should be keeping a close eye on this week.
Read about the nine hungry, talented and young prospects competing over the next few days…
Heavyweight – Batradz Gazzaev
From Russia
Standing at 6’0″
30-years-old
3-0
Accolades: N/A
Fight this week: ProFC, Mar. 27th
Gazzaev started his MMA journey just last July, but still had a lot of experience as a wrestler. He was a junior champion and a Russian national champion in 2013. He has a really good background in freestyle wrestling and had some success. Gazzaev is one-dimensional, but with that background, it’s expected. What’s more overpowering than his wrestling is his top work landing big grounded punches.
Batradz still has a lot of uncertainties… He’s a big guy that carries a lot of muscle and the longest he’s fought has been almost seven minutes. There is a good chance his cardio may not hold up as the fight goes. Also the obvious; how will he look when he can’t get the takedown? It will happen too, because his footwork isn’t the best.
Still, he’s worth watching out for.
Potential: 44%
Light-Heavyweight – George Tokkos
From England
Standing at 6’3″
27-years-old
6-2
Accolades: Premier FC light-heavyweight champ
Fight this week: Fury FC 59, Mar. 27th
Tokkos fought in Bellator from 2019-2020, but went 0-2. Since that, he’s gone 2-0 winning two big fights. Tokkos beat a good guy in Clayton York and won a title in his last two fights. Training in the U.S. out of Sanford MMA has done nothing but improve his skillset.
George is light on the feet with a good jab. But it’s the grappling where he shines. If you’re caught slipping, he will catch you various chokes from the d’arce to the anaconda, to the arm-triangle. Not just a submission threat, his ground and pound is fight-ending as well.
Potential: 46%
Middleweight – Ozzy Diaz
From California, USA
Standing at 6’4″
31-years-old
6-1
Accolades: LXF middleweight champ
Fight this week: LFA 127, Mar. 25th
After a loss in 2018, Diaz has won his last four – finishing all four of his opponents. Diaz has finishes by knocking guys out, TKO, and by submission. In 2019 he went 2-0 in Bellator, and following that he fought in LFA. After a successful LFA debut, he won a regional title against a tough guy in Moses Murrietta.
There isn’t a bunch of footage available, but middleweight is thin this week and he easily stands out. Diaz throws straight punches down the middle and puts kicks behind what he throws. Diaz has really good accuracy and is proficient at everything he does. He’s on a roll looking stellar here lately…
Potential: 55%
Welterweight – Wisem Hammami
From Terracina, Italy
Standing at 6’2″
24-years-old
6-0
Accolades: Day in the Cage middleweight champ, Slam FC welterweight champ
Fight this week: UAE Warriors 27, Mar. 25th
Italy is in some need of forest talent in their MMA scene. Hammami could be that guy to be the next to lead the country to the next stage. He’s already won two regional championships… Undefeated as a pro, Hammami also went 3-0 as an amateur as well. This Friday he has a chance of winning the biggest title of his career for UAE Warriors.
Hammami has good hands from the looks of things, and seems to have some knockout power. He has a good one-two, and can sit on the outside with a jab and leg kicks. Hammami is even more of a wrestler and on top is where he’s comfortable. In the fights, I’ve watched he’s been able to quickly get into the mount. From there he’s got good finishing ability with his ground and pound.
Potential: 56%
Lightweight – John Mitchell
From Cork, Ireland
Standing at 6’0″
26-years-old
4-0
Accolades: N/A
Fight this week: UAE Warriors 27, Mar. 25th
Out of Ireland, Mitchell is a bright prospect in this lightweight division. Although he doesn’t have a lot of pro experience, Mitchell has shown enough in his short career. His first two fights were for Cage Warriors and his last two have been for UAE Warriors. Mitchell did have a long amateur career going 11-2 as well.
On the feet, Mitchell fights very well on the outside. He throws a good knee up the middle and has a strong straight jab. Making guys pay when they plant their feet, he’ll lunge in with lead hooks. Mitchell is an even better grappler… I have no complaint about his jiu-jitsu at all. He can open you up with constant ground and pound or take the back and secure the RNC. Really well-versed is the Irishman. Mitchell is must-watch.
Featherweight – Mate Sanikidze
From the Republic of Georgia
Standing at 5’11″
23-years-old
7-2
Accolades: N/A
Fight this week: Oktagon Prime 5, Mar. 26th
Sanikidze is someone that just recently got on my radar and I’ve should’ve known about this guy for years. He’s fought for ACB and M-1. Crazily enough, he was fighting for those big promotions at around 19-years-old. Now he is a bit more seasoned at 23. Since losing two consecutively in 2018, Sanikidze is on a nice four-fight win streak.
His counter striking is arguably his best attribute. Not to mention he has some excellent takedown defense… Outside of just one missing fight to find footage on, he’s never been taken down. More of a striker/kickboxer, but lately he’s decided to wrestle more. I wouldn’t say he’s a great wrestler, but he’s come a long way compared to a few years ago. At his age and with his skillset already, you can imagine how much better he will be in a few years. Sanikidze isn’t even near his prime and that’s a scary thought.
Potential: 80%
Bantamweight – Josh Wang-Kim
From California, US
Standing at 5’9″
29-years-old
4-0
Accolades: Tuff-N-UFF amateur champion
Fight this week: LFA 127, Mar. 25th
Wang-Kim is 4-0 as a pro and went 15-1 as an amateur. He is already 29, but has been fighting since 2015. Most of his fight career has been as an amateur. He’s a long-time martial artist that has been in combat sports since a kid, and that shows.
Josh is an excellent talent that has the full package. On the feet, his footwork is on point and his shot selection is top-notch. He has a wide arrange of offense from the outside with his hands and legs, and the inside with his knees. Wang-Kim has solid wrestling and his jiu-jitsu is arguably his best weapon. He can chain submission to submission from anywhere, being on top or more so off his back. Stud prospect.
Potential: 90%
Flyweight – Abdula Aliev
From Russia
Standing at 5’6″
25-years-old
10-0
Accolades: W.L.F Wars champion
Fight this week: UAE Warriors 27, Mar. 26th
Aliev has fought in China his entire career all for WLF Wars. He became their champion in 2019 and has two title defenses. Aliev hasn’t fought since early 2020, but is finally back this weekend and on the biggest stage of his career.
He is a strong wrestler with a dominant ground game with a deep gas tank. Aliev fights former UFC fighter Janel Lausa who is probably his toughest fight to date. A win here will do wonders for him going forward. He still has to show a lot and at flyweight, it’s a deep division outside the UFC. So a win here is big for the Russian…
Potential: 55%
Women – Dakota Ditchev
From England
Standing at 5’8″
22-years-old
4-0
Accolades: N/A
Fight this week: UAE Warriors 28, Mar. 26th
Ditcheva has an extensive Muay Thai background and a very successful one at that. She is a British Muay Thai champion and a member of the British team that won the International Federation of Muay Thai Amateur World Championships in Jönköping, Sweden. She’s also a three-time world champion. In her short MMA career she’s looked like the future…
Ditcheva does excellent work staying busy with knees while defending wrists and landing while she’s framing off. At distance, she will chip away with leg kicks, kicks to the midsection, and long strikes. Not to mention, her takedown defense has looked solid. I’m very high on Ditcheva.
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