By T.P. Grant

Few things in sports are as exciting as prospects. Young athletes trying to assemble their own puzzle of athletic talent, mindset and opportunity often provides compelling drama.

In a sport as global and decentralized as MMA, it's challenging to follow prospects. The UFC is the crown jewel of the sport, and most fans are aware of Bellator, but it's hard to keep track of the young fighters on their rosters much less try to navigate the seemingly countless regional promotions.

To help provide some insight on the best up-and-coming talent outside the UFC and Bellator, FloCombat complied the following prospect list.

Methodology: To be considered a prospect, a fighter must be in the first five years of his career; debut professionally before age 30; and not have any UFC or Bellator fights on his record. World Series of Fight champions were not considered prospects. Fighters are ranked by skill sets, athletic abilities, and rate of improvement. Quality of competition and training camp factors acted as tie-breaking factors. This is not a list of the most “UFC- or Bellator-ready” fighters—it showcases talent that could develop into Top-10 fighters.

The list starts with prospects 10-6 in this article. The top five each get their own piece. Without further delay, here are the 10 best prospects in MMA:

#10: Abubakar Nurmagomedov​

Age: 26 | Years Pro: 5 | Division: Welterweight | Promotion: WSOF | Record: 12-1 | Camp: FightSpirit Team | Location: Dagestan, Russia

The younger brother of UFC star and lightweight contender Khabib Nurmogomedov, Abubakar hails from a similar wrestling and Combat Sambo background. Fighting out of the combat sport talent hotspot that is the downtrodden region of Dagestan, Abubakar is the youngest son of Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, a decorated international wrestler who holds a Judo black belt.

He began wrestling at a young age and transferred his talents to Combat Sambo. Under the tutelage of his father, he won bronze at the 2014 Combat Sambo World Championships. He started his MMA career on the regional scene in Dagestan, and after eight straight wins, he was matched with Magomed Mustafaev, another elite welterweight prospect. After a competitive and exciting four minutes, the fight was stopped due to a cut, and Mustafafev was declared the winner. Following that win, Mustafafev was signed by the UFC and currently sits at 2-0 inside the Octagon. The bout brought Nurmagomedov attention, as well—he was signed by the U.S. promotion World Series of Fighting (WSOF) in mid-2015.

Nurmagomedov won his first 3 fights there and appears to be building toward a welterweight title shot within the promotion. Comparisons between Abubakar and his older brother are easy to make and not entirely wrong—the core of his game is wrestling. He has an explosive step on his shot takedowns and is a strong finisher of take-downs once he gets in on the hips. From there, he's excellent at finishing singles and doubles with quick spins, dumps, and lifts.

If an opponent is able to stop the shot, Abubakar can quickly transition to his clinch game, which is focuses on getting a body lock. Once there, he has a multi-directional throw game that make his takedowns extremely diverse. On the mat, he uses heavy hips to trap opponents and then lands creative and effective strikes from unexpected angles. His submission game isn't fully developed, but he can submit lesser-ground fighters. His striking is developing, and he has a sneaky right hand that seems to cover more distance than opponents expect.

Abubakar is getting better at closing distance effectively but it will be very interesting to see what happens when he faces his first highly skilled MMA striker who can keep him at distance for a round or two.

Overall, Abubakar is almost certainly ready to step up in competition. In Bellator, he would almost certainly be a title challenger. In the UFC, Abubakar would be a mid-roster action fighter right now, but if he continues to develop, he could become the welterweight version of his brother.


https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3xpvYASM3s...


#9: Adlan Bataev

Age: 22 | Years Pro: 3 | Division: Featherweight | Promotion: ACB | Record: 5-0 | Camp: Unknown | Location: Gronzy, Russia

A relative MMA neophyte, Adlan Bataev is a generally unknown commodity, but his fights speak volumes. Bataev grew up in the troubled North Caucasus region of Russia, known for breath-taking mountain vistas, near constant unrest, and unbelievable combat sports talent. For decades, Soviet Union and Russian wrestling, Judo, Sambo, karate, and boxing teams have been filled with disproportionate amounts of athletes hailing from Dagestan, Chechnya, and other Caucasus regions. It's no surprise that one of Russia’s top MMA promotions, Absolute Championship Berkut (ACB) is headquartered in Gronzy and features some of the best young MMA talent in all of Russia. 

Bataev fought his entire career thus far in ACB, and has progressed quickly. Fighting from an orthodox stance, Bataev is light on his feet, flashes impressive angles and demonstrates an ability to cut the cage off. Bataev maintains a high guard, which many would see as the classic boxer’s stance, and seems equally comfortable coming forward on an opponent as he does moving backwards and countering.

When Bataev attacks, he almost always throws combinations and a diverse array of strikes, including straight punches, kicks, and knees. He's particularly dangerous if he can trap opponents against the fence, but can fight well at the center of the cage with the occasional jab. Bataev transitions smoothly into the occasional takedown, and once on top, he has shown awareness of how to operate in and pass the guard.

Bataev is young both in age and in years fighting, but he has a shockingly well rounded game and already seems to understand aspects of cage wrestling some fighters don’t master until they are veterans. He still can be a bit too aggressive and willing to grapple from his guard, and a strong wrestler may be able to get him to give away rounds submission hunting. But Bataev’s already deep striking game and obvious athletic ability mark him a serious talent to watch moving forward. He is likely a few years off from hitting the big show, but his is a career worth following.


https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3xpvYASM3s...


#8: Vadim Nemkov

Age: 23 Years Pro: 3 Division: Light Heavyweight Promotion: Rizin FC

Record: 5-2 Camp: Alexander Nevsky Club Fighting out of: Stary Oskol, Russia

The younger brother of M-1 Light Heavyweight champion Viktor Nemkov, Vadim has been consorting with MMA royalty for much of his adult life. A sparring partner of all-time MMA Heavyweight great Fedor Emelianenko, Vadim started his athletic career in Combat Sambo. Vadim is a 3-time Russian national champion in Combat Sambo and the 2014 World Champion.

Vadim has competed both in MMA and Combat Sambo for much his career, and fought on the regional Russian scene for three years before being signed by the new Japanese promotion Rizin FC for their Light Heavyweight tournament. In the first round Nemkov knocked out UFC veteran Goran Reljic before losing to Jiri Prochazka in the semifinals.

Nemkov is an outstanding athlete who prefers to pressure opponents with forward movement. Nemkov works in behind a measuring jab, meant to gauge distance and tie up the opponent’s lead hand as much as it meant to do damage. Behind that jab comes a murderous right hand and heavy kicks, which Nemkov mixes in combinations both to the head and to the body. In the clinch Nemkov is a good grip fighter, getting himself in superior position for strikes and takedowns. Nemkov is a good wrestler, with powerful takedown finishes if he can get a body lock or in on the hips in addition to an array of trips and foot sweeps he will occasionally use. On the mat Nemkov is dynamic in transition and aggressive, if a little green at times.

Nemkov has the look of a special talent in the works despite his loss back-to- back losses to Prochazka and another top flight Light Heavyweight prospect Karl Albrektsson. Both losses were very competitive and if they exposed anything it is Nemkov doesn’t likely have the size for Light Heavyweight. Nemkov has a good deal of developmental time in front of him, but his next few fights are crucial and the sooner he drops to middleweight likely the better for his career.


https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3xpvYASM3s...


#7: Jiri Prochazka

Age: 22 Years Pro: 4 Division: Light Heavyweight Promotion: Rizin FF

Record: 17-3- 1 Camp: Jetsaam Gym Brno Fighting out of: Hosteradice, Czech Republic

A very active prospect, Jiri Prochazka has been a rising star out of Central Europe for a few years now. Coming out of the relatively small Czech Republic scene, Prochazka has traveled up and down Europe going from promotion to promotion seeking fights. He has had two major fights in the Moscow based promotion Fight Nights, taking on Abdul-Kerim Edilov and Mikhail Mokhnatkin, both top notch Light Heavyweight prospects. And while Prochazka lost to Edilov and drew with Mokhnatkin, he still accounted for himself well. In 2015 he was signed by Rizin FF for their Light Heavyweight tournament were he beat the #8 prospect on this list Vadim Nemkov to advance to the finals. There he lost to Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal, in a very difficult bout for a prospect as young as Prochazka.

Prochazka is likely the best athlete the Light Heavyweight division has seen since Jon Jones, he is remarkably quick and light on his feet for a man his size. He also has excellent endurance, allowing him to keep a very fast pace and throw a high volume of strikes. Many fighters have broken their own cardio trying to keep up Prochazka in the cage.

Skill wise Prochazka has come a long way, he started out a highly aggressive, raw athlete with some offensive striking skills, but now his overall MMA game is starting to come together. He has shored up his wrestling and mat grappling, and his striking is starting to look polished as is now able to put together powerful, charging combinations. Defensively there are still holes, Prochazka is still rather hittable. He has added a great deal of feinting to his striking game to keep opponents guessing. Prochazka also seems to be trying to add head movement to his skills, but the King Mo fight exposed that is still a work in progress.

Prochazka is already a very compelling Light Heavyweight able to compete with the upper levels of the division, before getting knocked out he was preforming well in spurts against Lawal. His athletic talent marks him a possible elite fighter down the road, but how well continues to add skills will be the determining factor on if he reaches that level. He very well could be a championship level fighter if all things fall into place, and even short of that he looks very much like a future Top 10 fighter.


https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3xpvYASM3s...


#6: Mateusz Gamrot

Age: 25 Years Pro: 4 Division: Lightweight Promotion: KSW

Record: 10-0 Camp: Ankos MMA Poznan Fighting out of: Poznan, Poland

Mateusz Gamrot is a product of the growing European Mixed Martial Arts infrastructure system. A two time European amateur MMA Champion, Gamrot turned pro in 2012 and had three fights that year in Poland’s fast growing MMA scene. He then signed with the Polish MMA promotion Konfrontacja Sztuk Walki (KSW), the largest promotion on continental Europe. In KSW, Gamrot has faced stiff competition, and his wins include Brazilian veteran Rodrigo Cavalheiro Correia, top Welterweight prospect turned Lightweight Marif Piraev, and former Ultimate Fighter finalist Andre Winner. It is now rumored Gamort will be fighting for the vacant KSW Lightweight title.

Gamrot is a plus-plus athlete who is strong is all phases of MMA. His striking seems to have a heavy karate influence as he makes heavy use of his lead leg from his othrodox stance. Gamrot is a power puncher who doesn’t particularly favor pressing forward or fighting off his back foot, he is content at range going in any direction as long as he is able to land heavy offense. Gamrot has a natural feel for transitions into his takedowns, and once in on his shots Gamort is a strong finisher. On the mat Gamrot has a good awareness of submission threats and can land heavy ground strikes.