In the first weekend of notable MMA action in 2026, there are several notable MMA organizations providing action. Here are quick notes on ten prospects to look out for this weekend:
- Virgil Augen (Middleweight, France, Ares FC): One of the top middleweight prospects in the world, Ares FC Champion Virgil Augen has a chance to really break out to start 2026 against Contender Series vet Henrique Shiguemoto. Augen is a grinder whose best quality is his grappling. He has average-to-above-average wrestling, which helps him get the fight down. From there, he’s methodical to getting to a submission finish. The undefeated Frenchman has half of his wins by submission.
- Alexandra Tekenah (Women’s Flyweight, France, Hexagone MMA): Sticking in France, Alexandra Tekenah is the top female in the country not currently in the UFC. Tekenah is a striker known for her outstanding kickboxing and Thai skills, which has led to knockouts in 2/3 of her wins. That said, she’s shown holes on the ground in submission losses to UFC vet Ivana Petrovic and former Glory champ Jady Menezes. She takes on experienced Brazilian journeyman Thalita Soares, the champion of Hexagone MMA. A win here would give Tekenah a nice gold belt and something on the resume to warrant a potential opportunity with the UFC.
- Theo Ulrich (Lightweight, France, Hexagone MMA): Staying in the Hexagone promotion, undefeated Frenchman Theo Ulrich is our under-the-radar prospect this week. Though he’s yet to really step up in competition yet, he had a long, successful amateur career that transitioned into his current 6-0 record. He’s a well-rounded fighter that has scored finishes in five of his six wins. He has another undefeated fighter as his next opponent in David Spira, which would continue to help build his resume. A look in the UFC is probably too soon at this point, but he’ll be someone to watch out for on the rapidly building French MMA scene.
- Islam Omarov (Featherweight, Russia, ACA): One of the best fighters in Russia right now, 16-0 Islam Omarov is the champion of ACA and has been hardly challenged by even some of the best featherweights the country has to offer. He is a masterful wrestler and submission grappler, scoring a number of impressive finishes, especially in recent times. He has not taken a single easy fight and is no doubt the best prospect in action this weekend, even against fellow top prospect Alikhan Suleymanov. At 28 years old, he’s entering his prime, so it would be advisable that he gets to the next level, whether it’s the UFC or PFL, as soon as humanly possible.
- Sulim Batalov (Light Heavyweight, Russia, ACA): Staying in the ACA, we next look at Sulim Batalov. While he’s coming off a loss, he’s no doubt one of the best light heavyweight prospects outside the UFC and PFL. That loss came to fellow top prospect Elmar Gasanov, which comes with no shame. Batalov is a hulking 205er with nasty knockout power and strong wrestling. He has another tough test in Kazakh opponent Asylzhan Bakhytzhanuly, a guy who could either completely take the wind out of his sails with a loss or get Batalov back on track with a win.
- Mansur Khatuev (Flyweight, Russia, ACA): The last of the ACA fighters to watch this weekend, Mansur Khatuev is another Russian that has taken no easy fights in recent memory. He’s as tough and rugged as they come, especially in the competitive flyweight division over in Russia. He’s a powerful submission wrestler that is aggressive in looking for the finish. He takes on ONE veteran and longtime journeyman Kairat Akhmetov, another solid test.
- Shane Collins (Featherweight, United States, 559 Fights): The most intriguing prospect throwing down for 559 Fights this weekend is the undefeated Shane Collins, the A1 Combat Champion who is looking to continue building his resume against Israel Delgado. Collins is a very good wrestler with a submission skill set and developing striking. He had an extensive amateur record, where he was very successful. He’s a prime candidate for this year’s Contender Series, which he could net with another win here.
- Christian Avalos (Lightweight, United States, 559 Fights): A solid veteran and intriguing lightweight prospect, Christian Avalos has somehow found a way to fly under the radar despite his strong resume. He defends his 559 Fights Championship against 10-fight veteran Josh Altum, a fight which could net him more attention from the UFC matchmakers.
- Chance Ikei (Flyweight, United States, 559 Fights): The MMA Lab has long been a center of great fighters, and one of their current top prospects outside the UFC is the undefeated Chance Ikei. He’s seen most of his action with the LFA, which has given him good exposure and opposition to help build his cage time. He’s a good, rounded fighter that is solid anywhere the fight goes. With gold on the line this weekend, he takes on 10-fight vet Corvan Allen on UFC Fight Pass, so you can expect the matchmakers to be watching, especially since he’s a prime candidate for the Contender Series.
- Huaxiang Dong (Women’s Strawweight, China, WLF): One of the top prospects coming out of China, Huaxiang Dong is an experienced fighter that is already on the UFC’s radar given her opportunity on the Road to UFC series in Asia. She’s a fantastic submission grappler with seven tapouts on her record and a number of solid names beaten. She has a bit of a gimme fight, in theory, when she takes on pro debutant Anastasiya Zaytseva, so I expect Dong to get another victory and continue to look for her next UFC shot.
MMA Intel 