Prospect in the Spotlight (Oct 3-4): Rashid Vagabov

Introduction

Tuesday, September 30th, Russian flyweight prospect Rashid Vagabov will be in action for Dana White’s Contender Series, where he will be looking continue his winning ways against Paulo da Silva. He will be looking for another win, as Vagabov looks to score a UFC contract. He represents Eagles MMA, a highly respected camp in MMA. Let’s take a closer look at this prospect as this week’s “Prospect Spotlight.”

Strengths

Submission Wrestling: Like many of the fighters that have been produced from Eagles MMA and the Nurmagomedov family circle, Vagabov is an excellent wrestler with control from top position. He has solid ground-and-pound, but he’s tactically smart and good at finding a position to look for the submission. He has an equal amount of TKO finishes and submissions, as he likes to grab the neck and finish fights. When he wins fights, he wins in dominant fashion.

Power: For a 125-pound fighter, Vagabov is very strong and powerful. This is seen in his wrestling for sure, but also in his clinch/cage work and striking. He’s not the most technically gifted striker, but it serves its purpose in setting up his takedowns. He also has great grip strength and choking ability.

Needs Improvement

Counter-Grappling: Vagabov’s only weakness is running into somebody who is a better wrestler than he, or somebody who can get him on his back. In both of his losses to Mansur Malachiev and Ruslan Sariev, he was outwrestled and put taken down himself. In the fight with Malachiev, he was choked out in the first due to his relentless wrestling and submission attack. Vagabov is going to be a better wrestler than most, but if he steps into the UFC, there are guys that will be able to resist his wrestling attack.

Outlook

UFC Midcarder: Vagabov is a guy that I think has been UFC ready for the last several years, and now he gets his shot at a contract. He has a tough fight on his plate right now against Paulo da Silva, a Charles Oliveira disciple who will fight fire with fire on the mat. He’s a strong jiu-jitsu player. Should Vagabov pass this test, I think he can be a guy that sniffs the top 15 in the UFC, maybe even the top 10.