Introduction
Saturday, March 2nd, Serbian lightweight prospect Predrag Bogdanovic will be in action for Oktagon, where he will be looking continue his winning ways against Hafeni Nafuka. He will be looking for another win, as Bogdanovic looks to inch closer to a UFC contract. He represents Family Fight Team, an unknown camp in MMA. Let’s take a closer look at this prospect as this week’s “Prospect Spotlight.”
Strengths
Submission Grappling: Bogdanovic has a strong submission grappling ability. He has good transitions and set ups, especially when he achieves back mount, where he loves to use the rear-naked choke. He has good grip strength and choking ability, which allows him to gain the tapout with ease. He does prefer to grapple from top position, which is where he is dominant. He can grapple off his back too, but obviously there is more risk in that for Bogdanovic.
Strength of Schedule: For a regional fighter with a strong record, Bogdanovic actually has a strong strength of schedule, unlike some other regional fighters that build their record fighting cans. Most of his opponents are experienced and Bogdanovic has been battle tested against the likes of strong fighters like UFC veteran Kevin Souza, Jackson Loureiro and Bakhtiyar Arzumanov. That gives us a better gauge of his abilities than some other prospects on the regional scene.
Needs Improvement
Counter-Wrestling: Bogdanovic’s only loss in his pro career came against Will Brooks, a strong wrestler that was able to get Bogdanovic down and keep him there. Bogdanovic struggled to keep Brooks from shooting in on him and getting wrangled to the mat. Once on this back, Brooks top wrestling stifled Bogdanovic’s grappling chops, which eventually led to a late finish by ground-and-pound for Brooks.
Decision Machine: Dana White and his cohorts at the UFC are big fans of guys that are exciting fighters that score finishes. Bogdanovic needs to improve in that facet. He has more decision wins (8) than he does finishes by TKO or submission (7). Plus two of his finishes come by way of injury and opponent quitting on the stool, so those aren’t representative of a more convincing finish.
Outlook
Regional Champion/Major League Prelim Fighter: Bogdanovic is clearly a talented fighter and has been somewhat battle tested in his career. He’s definitely a guy that could/most likely will grace the roster of a major MMA league promotion. His setback against Will Brooks should not be completely held against him, as Brooks is a top-level MMA veteran and a guy that is a top talent. I expect Bogdanovic to collect a regional championship or two before he makes his way to a top-level organization.
MMA Intel 