Introduction
Tuesday, October 26th, Russian middleweight prospect Gadzhi Omargadzhiev will be in action for Dana White’s Contender Series, where he will be looking to stay undefeated against Jansey Silva. He will be looking for another win, as Omargadzhiev looks to score a contract with the UFC. He represents Golden Team, a respectable camp in MMA. Let’s take a closer look at this prospect as this week’s “Prospect Spotlight.”
Strengths
Wrestling: Like many other Russian fighter, Omargadzhiev is an outstanding wrestler. He has quick, powerful shots which he sets up with his hands. Once he shoots, he has a high percentage of successful takedowns. On top he’s very efficient. He passes through his opponent’s guard quickly using strength, technique and ground-and-pound. His ground-and-pound is quite powerful as well, which can open up new positions, hurt his opponents or get him to a spot where he can score a submission. Most of his stoppages come from strikes, but he is capable of putting opponents away via tapout.
Power Striking: On the feet, Omargadzhiev does have power in his fists and can hurt opponents easily with one shot. He has knockout power. Plus, as mentioned, his ground-and-pound is quite nasty. Many of his stoppages come via ground-and-pound stoppage, which is a result of him landing with great force…
Needs Improvement
Technical Striking: …on the other hand, Omargadzhiev’s technical striking could use some work. On the feet, he is very flat footed and could take better angles when entering with his hands. His head generally stays on the center line and can be hit if on the feet for an extended amount of time. He could also be a little more diverse with his striking arsenal, as he does not utilize as many kicks as he could. While he is still a threat on the feet due to his power, there are other aspects of his striking that could use some work.
Outlook
UFC Midcarder: Omargadzhiev’s wrestling and toughness are classic of the Russian fighter that succeeds at a higher level. That will get him to the big leagues. That said, there are a number of fighters, especially at middleweight, that can match his wrestling and are more well-rounded. So, there are plenty of guys on the roster that he will match up well against because he will impose his wrestling and batter him. On the other hand, there are plenty of guys on the roster that he will not match up well against because they will defend his takedowns and pick him apart on the feet. Either way, he’ll have a solid career on the UFC roster if he makes it there.
MMA Intel 