Best Prospects of Week (4/24-4/26)

After a solid weekend of regional MMA, we have a slower weekend with some lesser-known fighters in the regional MMA scene. Here are quick notes on ten prospects to look out for this weekend:

1. Sean Clancy Jr (Welterweight, Scotland, Cage Warriors): The headliner of the weekend for the prospects in the spotlight is Sean Clancy Jr, the Cage Warriors Welterweight Champion who is undefeated to this point in his career. Clancy combines a refined ground game with a solid boxing game on the feet, mixing up head and body shots to great effect. He has a vast submission arsenal and a good technical game on the mat. He has his biggest test to date this weekend when he takes on Contender Series vet and fellow prospect Justin Burlinson for his Cage Warriors title.
2. Andrey Goncharov (Lightweight, Russia, BetCity Fight Nights): Headlining the BetCity Fight Nights card, ACA vet Andrey Goncharov has floated between featherweight and lightweight in recent times. He has fought well in both weight classes and racked up a number of impressive wins. He has a strong attack on the feet combined with a good wrestling game. Put together, it makes him a formidable opponent for some of the most seasoned vets on the Russian regional scene. He takes on Fanil Rafikov this weekend.
3. Jaeleen Robledo (Women’s Bantamweight, United States, Tuff-n-Uff): Just 22 years old, Jaeleen Robledo appears to be one of the few young blue-chip fighters in the women’s bantamweight division. Robledo started her pro career taking fights in the featherweight division but smartly dropped to 135 as there is no future for her at 145 seeing as the UFC and PFL do not have that division. She meets Bellator vet Alejandra Lara this weekend at Tuff-n-Uff.
4. Lucia Szabova (Women’s Bantamweight, Slovakia, Oktagon): A fighter who has been my long-time #1 prospect in the bantamweight division, Lucia Szabova is a UFC-level fighter that continues to build herself up in the European MMA scene. Szabova is a gifted striker who has a Muay Thai background, which is frequently seen in her fights. That said, she’s not merely a striker. She also has an impressive submission game which has led to five of her ten wins in the cage. She takes on fellow prospect Lediane Fernandes in the main event of the Oktagon event this weekend.
5. Rainn Guerrero (Women’s Flyweight, United States, AFP): Our third female in a row on this list, Rainn Guerrero is a top female flyweight whose window may be closing faster than other prospects given she’s 33 years old. Guerrero had a shot in 2023 on the Contender Series but was ultimately defeated in that late-notice bout against Dione Barbosa. Since that fight, she’s gone undefeated. There is nothing flashy about Guerrero; she’s just a tough, aggressive fighter that gets in your face and makes things dirty. She fights longtime MMA vet Carina Damm this weekend.
6. Doston Bozorov (Lightweight, Uzbekistan, Mangu PL): Our under-the-radar prospect of the week actually headlines the Mangu Professional League card this weekend in Uzbekistan: Doston Bozorov. The 13-1 Uzbek has not lost since his pro debut and has turned in some impressive performances in that time. He has combined an exciting striking style with a strong submission wrestling approach. He has an impressive ground-and-pound game when he does get the fight down, which is what does a good deal of damage. He headlines the Mangu card opposite Darlan Ferreira this weekend.
7. Shukurjon Abdurakhimov (Light Heavyweight, Uzbekistan, Mangu PL): Also on the Mangu card is undefeated Uzbek light heavyweight prospect Shukurjon Abdurakhimov. A primary grappler, Abdurakhimov is strong on achieving the takedown and when he gets the fight down, he has an impressive arsenal of submission techniques. He will grab a leg, arm or neck. He can also land big damage with his ground-and-pound, which makes him an all-around threat on the mat. He fights Dushan Burale this weekend.
8. Darkhanbek Ergeshov (Welterweight, Kyrgyzstan, XFC): Main eventing the XFC event will be underrated Kyrgyz fighter Darkhanbek Ergeshov, who will be fighting PFL vet Sarek Shields. Ergeshov is a dominating ground fighter with good wrestling and an excellent submission arsenal. He’s riding a strong four-fight winning streak, which includes the biggest win of his career in his most recent fight against former PFLer Ray Cooper III. His fight with Shields is a tough one, but if he can implement his ground attack, he will be in for a good night.
9. Kyven Gadson (Heavyweight, United States, XFC): Sticking in the XFC promotion, we have 33-year-old Kyven Gadson, a late starter in MMA and former All-American wrestler from Iowa St. He has transferred that outstanding pedigree into mixed martial arts, where in the short time he’s been in the cage, he’s gone 1-0 as an amateur and 3-0 as a pro. His wrestling has been a big part of that, using his takedowns to transition to massive ground-and-pound and submissions, with the kimura being his go-to. He appears to have a gimme fight against Michael Zahn this weekend.
10. Jackson Stanford (Heavyweight, United States, Liberty FL): Our final prospect of the week is undefeated heavyweight Jackson Stanford. He is a combined 8-0 as an amateur and pro, with three of those wins coming as a professional. All three of those pro wins come in the first round, with two of them in under a minute. His most recent fight saw him knock out Contender Series vet Anthony Guarascio in 17 seconds, which really put Stanford on the map. He fights Joshua Marsh this weekend at Libery Fight League.

LAST WEEK’S PROSPECT RESULTS

1. Darragh Kelly got brutally knocked out in the main event of PFL Belfast by Jay Jay Wilson.
2. Ciaran Clarke also got viciously knocked out by Dean Garnett at PFL Belfast.
3. Sean Gauci made a victorious debut for the PFL, outpointing Liam Gittins in hostile territory.
4. Juscelino Pantoja fought up at bantamweight for his fight at Shooto Brasil, scoring to a unanimous decision win over Micael de Jesus.
5. Bilal Hasan had his CFFC main event cancelled and was one of the first two fighters announced for this year’s Dana White’s Contender Series.
6. Lucas Seibert scored a submission win in the CFFC main event over Sebastian Ruiz, keeping his undefeated record in the process.
7. Itso Babulaidze kept his undefeated record intact, scoring a unanimous nod from the judges over DeWitt Dixon.
8. Taner Trembley stayed undefeated in the LFA co-main event, scoring a quick TKO over Korey Taylor.
9. Magdalena Czaban moved up to strawweight at Canggu Fight Night and was able to secure a win in hostile territory over Dede Dina Mariyana.
10. Radley da Silva had his fight cancelled and instead booked a fight with Battlefield Fight League to defend his belt later this year.