Best Prospects of the Week (Aug 7-Aug 9):

After a strong weekend of prospect action, we have another good weekend in the regional MMA scene, mostly with the PFL organization. Here are quick notes on ten prospects to look out for this weekend:

1. Keito Yamakita (Flyweight, Japan, ONE Championship): We kick off the weekend with ONE Championship’s Keito Yamakita, a guy who is likely on the short list to challenge for their 125-pound title belt. He’s a solid wrestler with good physical strength and an offensive submission game. His last four opponents had a combined 67 wins in pro MMA and Yamakita beat them all. This weekend, he takes on Koyuru Tanoue.
2. Tuul Namnanbayar (Lightweight, Mongolia, JCK Kings): Our under-the-radar prospect this week is Tuul Namnanbayar of Mongolia. He has a tough fight against 30-plus fight vet Rustambek Nurzhanov, so this will be a major test for Namnanbayar. He has a good submission wrestling game which is the key to most of his success in the cage. This main event spot at JCK Kings should get him some spotlight from MMA scouts.
3. Baktygul Kurmanbekova (Women’s Strawweight, Kyrgyzstan, JCK Kings): The other JCK Kings fighter to keep an eye on this weekend is 22-year-old Baktygul Kurmanbekova, a young-but-skilled fighter known for her ground prowess. She has good offensive wrestling and a strong submission arsenal, which she mixes well with ground striking. This weekend, she fights solid veteran Chiara Penco.
4. Livio Ribeiro (Flyweight, Brazil, CFFC): Heading to the CFFC and their main event, Brazilian jiu-jitsu ace Livio Ribeiro will be competing against Casey Norton in an attempt to keep his perfect record intact. A veteran of the worlds in BJJ, he’s transitioned smoothly to MMA and been dominant on the mat. He’s dangerous both on top or off his back on the mat, as he has submissions in offensive and defensive positions to finish his MMA fights. He’s 33 years old now, so he’s approaching an age where he can no longer be a prospect, so he needs to find his way into the UFC as soon as possible.
5. Brant Moore (Lightweight, United States, Synergy FC): A few years ago, Brant Moore was a guy that was near the top of the lightweight prospects list due to his success in the LFA. In 2022, he took a loss to Arthur Estrazulas and then Moore disappeared for a few years. He now makes his return and looks to re-announce himself as a fighter atop the lightweight prospect rankings. Moore is an outstanding submission grappler, dominating the ground game and possessing a superb arsenal of finishing techniques. This weekend he gets what should be a “gimme fight” against Travis Foster.
6. Hasan Mezhiev (Heavyweight, Russia/Austria, PFL): Hasan Mezhiev had his PFL debut against Denis Goltsov pushed back a few weeks, but now he’s ready to go this weekend in that delayed bout. Mezhiev is a strong fighter with good athleticism. He is a rounded guy with solid submission wrestling and good power striking. He’s a finisher that gets in the cage and looks to keep the judges out of it.
7. Cheyanne Bowers (Women’s Flyweight, PFL): Former LFA Champion Cheyanne Bowers makes her sophomore effort with the PFL this weekend and is looking to get into the win column after a close, split decision loss to Sabrinna de Sousa. Bowers is a grappling heavy fighter who uses her striking to set up her takedowns. Once down, she mixes ground striking and transitions to open up submission opportunities. Five of her seven wins come by tapout, showing how efficient she is on the ground. She fights Elora Dana this weekend.
8. Lewis McGrillen (Bantamweight, England, PFL): Lewis McGrillen makes a quick turnaround of less than a month to take this fight here again with the PFL. In losing to Rafael do Nascimento last month, McGrillen was upset and is clearly looking to regain his momentum in this fight here against Brandon Lewis. Should he win and do so impressively, McGrillen can get back on track and make himself a contender against at 135 pounds.
9. Eduardo Neves (Heavyweight, Brazil, PFL): A two-time loser on the Dana White’s Contender Series, one would think that Eduardo Neves would be done as a prospect. However, he’s still just 26 years old and has gotten himself back on track, including two-straight wins against opponents of note. He is heavy handed and likes to bang on the feet. He has big knockout power and is aggressive in going for the finish. This weekend, he takes on Maxwell Djantou Nana.
10. Michael Boylan (Lightweight, United States, PFL): A prospect that is going to go unnoticed this weekend at the PFL is undefeated lightweight Michael Boylan. He’s run a 6-0 pro record thus far while showing off good fundamentals on the feet and solid submission wrestling. This is a major step up for Boylan in moving to the PFL, as he’s used to the regional shows and taking on a 10-3 opponent in Landry Ward. He’s not fought somebody of this level yet, as he’s built up his record against lower-level competition.

LAST WEEK’S PROSPECT RESULTS

1. Elbek Alyshov won the ONE Championship title in knocking out Enkh-Orgil Bhaatarkhuu.
2. Lazaro Dayron scored the biggest win of his career, taking a split decision over Raufeon Stots at the PFL card.
3. Khabib Nabiev had his opponent withdraw days before his fight at the PFL and did not compete.
4. Herbeth Sousa won his LFA main event with a rarely-seen reverse arm-triangle choke over Paulo Portillo.
5. Juan Pablo Vieira scored another submission win over Eduardo Terencio at the LFA card.
6. Seyedmostafa Salehizadeh needed just nine seconds to knock Roggers Souza clean out at Samourai MMA.
7. Tommy Morrisson got his much-needed finish at Samourai MMA, scoring a TKO over Jesus Gutierrez.
8. Mehdi Zeidvand did not compete, as his fight was cancelled.
9. Lucia Szabova continued to show why she’s the best female prospect in the sport, scoring another win at Oktagon over Lucie Pudilova.
10. Lucas Armand had his opponent withdraw the week of his fight and did not compete.