Introduction
Russian bantamweight prospect Magomed Magomedov is a Bellator contender. After besting CeeJay Hamilton in his last bout, he will be looking for another win, as Magomedov looks to impress the Bellator brass in an attempt to earn an eventual title shot. He represents Tiger Muay Thai and DagFighter, both solid camps in MMA. Let’s take a closer look at this prospect as this week’s “Prospect Spotlight.”
Strengths
Kickboxing: Magomedov is a good striker who has improved ten-fold since going Tiger Muay Thai. He has become a more technical fighter to go along with his good natural power. He has good in-and-out movement, for which he gets some shots in and then backs out to avoid the counter. His boxing is solid as well, as he throws good combos with his hands that mix it up to the body and head. His attack has increasingly become more kick heavy. That includes throwing a lot of spinning attacks to both the head and body. Magomedov can knock out any man who stands toe-toe-toe with him, and in awe-inspiring fashion.
Submission Wrestling: Like most Dagestani fighters, Magomedov is an excellent wrestler with the submission skills to boot. His go to submission is the guillotine choke, which he uses very well with technique and pure strength. It’s also part of his excellent takedown defense, which he uses to keep the fight standing when he’s comfortable. He’s also great in scrambles, whether he has the upper hand or is fighting off a charging opponent. Offensively, he’s explosive, possessing excellent takedowns and gorgeous throws. If he gets his hands together, you can expect his opponent to go for a ride. When he gets you in the clinch, he has excellent control and can land good shots from close. Once on the mat, he has precise ground-and-pound, which he uses to punish his opponent or advance position.
Needs Improvement
…Hard to Tell: This isn’t even a knock, but it’s hard to tell what Magomedov’s weakness is, as he’s so well-rounded. I guess you could take a look at this cardio or fighting off his back, as those could be attributed to his lone loss. That said, it was against UFC Champion Petr Yan, so at least he was fighting the cream of the crop (and even owns a win over Yan).
Outlook
Bellator Champion: It’s only a matter of time before Magomedov gets a few wins and fights for the Bellator title. Whoever that may be is going to have their hands full with Magomedov. He is very well-rounded, tough as nails and matches up well with most in the Bellator division. Will it be easy to secure the gold? No, Bellator has a very good 135-pound division. However, he has the will, power, skills and ability to achieve that goal and be the champion of a major MMA organization.
MMA Intel 