Billy's MMA Blog

1. Paul Hughes Cage Warriors 161

Easily pound for pound top ten prospect in 2022/2023 winning the Cage Warriors Featherweight Title. Beating some of the best featherweight prospects such as Morgan Charriere & Jordan Vucenic.

Paul Hughes right now can defeat quality UFC Featherweights because of his all-around talents and continues to progress his skills to next level at world class gym Kill Cliff FC under the tutelage of Henri Hooft.

Boggles my mind why UFC didn’t sign Paul Hughes yet, but possible options are UFC contract is a cheap rookie deal or timing isn’t right.

Either or Paul Hughes is one of the best Featherweights outside of the UFC and love watching him fight, Next fight is October 14th Cage Warriors 161. Moving up to Lightweight for next challenge and aiming for another dominant performance.

No brainer for UFC, Bellator, PFL, One Championship to sign this great fighter and Northern Ireland starlet.

Skills

• Technically advanced for MMA prospect
• Controlling pace/range
• Hard to do for some but can be the hammer or nail
• Fluid crisp boxing
• clinch fighting against cage
• timing wrestling takedowns
• wrestling scrambles when being pressured
• fighting inside pocket
• take a shot to give a shot
• mentally strong fighting to last minute

2. Haris Talundzic LFA 170

Watching this young man start fresh with 1-0 record back in 2019 when Haris Talundzic trained at Tristar Gym. Moving forward into 2023 is one of the best prospects coming out of United States right now.

On the doorstep of signing with UFC with one or two LFA wins. Be sweet addition to the UFC welterweight roster as the division needs some new names to change things up.

Only has seven professional fights but can hold his own against respectable UFC welterweights.

Haris trains out of underrated gym Factory X Muay Thai with Brandon Royval, Chris Gutierrez, Johnathan Martinez, Josh Fremd and bunch of upcoming prospects. Haris is next man up to come out of Marc Montoya’s gym.

Next LFA fight is against Daniel Frunza at LFA 170. Expect strong grappling win and possible submission.

• Skills/BIO
• wrestling pressure takedown after takedown
• continuing to push the gas
• nice 1&2 combinations
• variety of low leg kicks, push kicks, front kicks
• strong conditioning
• top mount pressure
• comparison- Belal Muhammad
• 27 years old

3. Ayk Kazarayan ACA 154

Caught my eye 2021/2022 fighting for OPEN FC having great competitive fast paced technical fights against talented Russian fighters.

Definitely overlooked prospected coming out Armenia, watching his OPEN FC/ACA fights looks like a seasoned UFC veteran with strong grappling, technical boxing. Looking great against respectable Russian opponents.

Right now has 3-2 ACA record but if he starts a winning streak can attract ONE Championship/UFC/Bellator to signing the 29 year old Bantamweight. One Championship my opinion be the best option for him because of the Wushu Sanda style fight he’ll express inside the cage. Asian market will really appreciate his style of fighting.

• 29 years old
• 13-3 record
• Runner up Open FC 135lb grand prix title
• 3 1/2 stars strength of schedule
• trains at Fight Club lionheart with Eduard Vartanyan ACA Lightweight Grand Prix winner , Aren Akopyan, Martun Mezhlumyan.

Skills

• Sanda mixed with russian style wrestling
• wushu styled leg kicks and striking, fighting in range
• escaping dangerous jiu-jistu positions
• faster fighter than most opponents
• nasty ground & pound
• chopping legs really well
• fluid crisp boxing and kickboxing
• top mount pressure

4. Amiran Gogoladze Oktagon 47

Georgian Welterweight talent is one of the best European/ Caucasus prospects right now. Winning all over from M-1, EMC, GFC and now fighting for one of the best European promotions Oktagon.

• 15-3 record
• 25 years old

Short end of stick in his Dana White Contender Series fight, injuring his shoulder in the first round back in 2022. Amiran Gogoladze deserves second opportunity on the contender series.

Winning significant fights for Oktagon can lead to Sean Shelby offering another opportunity. Country of Georgia starting to surge with talent and Amiran Gogoladze can be next impactful Georgian fighter.

Upcoming matchup is against Lukasz Siwiec, preferable matchup for the Georgian can lead to strong dominant victory. Potential fights such as Bojan Veličković, Ion Surdu

“I’m going to show him the Georgian power, what it means. And I’m going to show that he cannot take me down and control me, because I’m going to dominate in this fight.” https://cagesidepress.com/2023/10/01/oktagon-47-amiran-gogoladze-interview/

• takedowns transitioning to top mount pressure
• pressure kickboxing
• take advantage of fence to control opponents
• use of judo to takedown opponents
• underrated boxing combinations

5. Mateusz Legierski Oktagon 47

Rising Polish Lightweight prospect is making some noise fighting for Oktagon from defeating fighters with strong grappling performances like Gamrot did with KSW.

Top three Polish lightweight, top 15 Polish prospect with 9-1 record potentially can become future UFC/PFL/Bellator/One Championship signee when his Oktagon contract runs out. Right now, the mission is to regain back the Oktagon Lightweight Title.

• 9-1 record
• trains with Marcin Held
• comparison- Mateusz Gamrot & Sean Brady

Mateusz Legierski skills

• grappling pressure
• successful takedown rate
• side control transitions
• jiu-jistu offensively
• fence control
• back mount attacks
• simple effective striking
• gifted with KO power

6. Mehdi Baidulaev ACA 164

Riding high since the Trevin Jones loss back in 2019 going on a 9 fight winning streak, dominating opponents under ACA. Considered top 20 Bantamweight outside UFC/Bellator right now because of his talents and strength of scedhule wins.

Number 5th ranked ACA Bantamweight is competing in the ACA Bantamweight Grand Prix, first round fight is against Akhmed Musakaev #3 ranked ACA Bantamweight. Toughest fight of his MMA career but I believe Mehdi Baidulaev is the better overall fighter.

Baidulaev

• usual combat sambo skills
• taekwondo style kicks from roundhouse kicks, push kicks, high kicks to the body
• faster athletic fighter than opponents
• scrambling away from takedowns
• beautifully transitioning from getting hit with strikes to transtioning for takedowns
• great level changes
• All-Around talent

UNDER THE RADAR

• Abdul Karim Badakhshi
• Shannon van Tonder
• Daniel Donchenko
• Amru Magomedov
• Tariq Ismail vs Vilson Ndregjoni