Introduction
Friday, October 18th, Georgian bantamweight prospect Asaf Chopurov will be in action for RCC, where he will be looking continue his winning ways against Nikita Mikhailov. He will be looking for another win, as Chopurov looks to inch closer to a contract with the UFC. He represents Sambo-34, a lesser-known camp in MMA. Let’s take a closer look at this prospect as this week’s “Prospect Spotlight.”
Strengths
Wrestling/Top Ground Game: Chopurov is a sambo fighter, which means he has excellent wrestling and submission fighting, as well as solid striking. All five of his wins come by finish, with three rear-naked chokes, a ground-and-pound TKO and a knee strike knockout. That well-roundedness has made him the top prospect he is now. However, it’s his ground game and wrestling that is definitely his best asset. He gets guys down easily and from top, throws absolute hammers. That can score the stoppage or open his opponents up for a submission.
Youth/Not Yet in His Prime: Chopurov is just 22 years old. This guy isn’t even sniffing the prime of his career yet and he’s already dominating. He has 30-plus amateur fights, winning all but one of those. In addition to that, he has five pro fights. In his fourth pro fight, he was matched up with top Russian bantamweight Denis Lavrentyev, a guy who could have been in the UFC at the time. In that bout, Chopurov needed just 125 seconds to dispatch of this seasoned fighter, putting him away with a ground-and-pound stoppage.
Outlook
UFC Top-15: Chopurov’s age and experience are impressive given how good he is. I think this is a guy that could easily be toward the top of the UFC bantamweight in five years or so. Chopurov is highly athletic, strong and tough, so when you combine that with his dominating ground game and underrated striking, you have a nightmare opponent. When this guy is in his prime, he is going to be a lot for anyone to handle.
MMA Intel 