UFC Prospect Watch is back on MMASucka and there is no better time to discuss the youthful talent making their way to the octagon this month. The UFC will kick off their November with UFC Fight Night: Belfort vs. Henderson 3 tonight in Sao Paulo, Brazil and have three other cards lined up for the next four weeks.
Despite the quantity of fight cards, the amount of quality prospects remains questionable. Several of the young UFC fighters have already fought a few times in the octagon but have had mixed results. While some have made steady rises or comebacks from losses, some highly-touted fighters are in need of bounce back wins.
Here are the 15 most notable up and coming UFC fighters to keep an eye on through November.
Honourable Mention
Leo “The Lion” Kuntz (17-2-1)
Leo Kuntz will be making his UFC debut on November 28 and is one of the older fighters in this group. At 32 years old, Kuntz has a wealth of experience and a well-balanced set of skills. He is an aggressive fighter who likes to finish and his endurance allows him to bring continuous pressure. Another fighter representing American Top Team, Kuntz could have a nice run in the UFC with a win later this month.
Steve “The Creepy Weasel” Montgomery (8-3-0)
After losing his first UFC bout to Tony Sims, Steve Montgomery will hit the octagon once again to take on the Australian Daniel Kelly. Montgomery has good size for the middleweight division but needs to utilize his strikes while also being defensively sound. He is a good finisher but needs to be more responsible against better talent. He came in on a five fight win streak and will hope for a better showing on November 15.
Valmir “Bidu” Lazaro (13-3-0)
Valmir Lazaro is an interesting fighter to watch going forward. He is just 23 years old and has already fought in the UFC twice. His debut against James Vick was a hard fought decision loss, while his most recent bout against James Krause was a close split decision. Taking on Michel Prazeres in his next fight, Lazaro will want to avoid the judges and keep his opponent guessing. He has good cardio, striking and looks to be the better athlete of the two. If he can come away with a decisive victory, Lazaro should continue to rise in the UFC lightweight division.
Ben Nguyen (13-5-0)
Despite the five losses, Ben Nguyen made an impressive debut back in May, finishing Alptekin Ozkilic in the first round via strikes. Currently riding a seven fight win streak, Nguyen is currently in his prime and looks poised to make a splash in the UFC. Taking on another young fighter in Ryan Benoit, it will be interesting to see who comes away with a victory.
Bruno “Korea” Rodrigues (4-1-0)
Coming from the Shooto Brazil circuit, Bruno Korea is a talented grappler who is currently riding a four fight win streak, and his only loss was his first amateur fight via split decision. While pure grapplers have very little room to operate in the new-era UFC, as long as he stays exciting, he could spoil the party for Nova Uniao’s Matheus Nicolau Pereira.
The Top 10
#10 – Bartosz “The Butcher” Fabinski (12-2-0)
Bartosz Fabinski made his UFC debut against Garreth McLellen back in April and came away with the unanimous decision victory. Showing good takedown defense and overall power, the 29-year old Polish native looks ready to hit his prime in stride. Taking on American Top Team’s Hector Urbina in his next fight, a finish could get him a lot more attention if he utilizes his strength and powerful strikes to come away with the victory.
#9 – Gabriel “Moggly” Benitez (18-5-0)
With a wealth of experience and a 2-0 UFC record, Gabriel Benitez comes in as one of the UFC’s top Mexican prospects and will have a chance to fight at home against Andre Fili. Displaying good submission skills in his debut, Benitez won his most recent fight against Clay Collard via unanimous decision. Coming up through the Mexican ranks, it remains to be seen if Benitez can hang with the UFC’s level of talent. If he can come away with a third victory in a row, his next fight should determine his overall potential in the UFC.
# 8 – Ning Guangyou (6-2-1)
The winner of TUF China and a knockout victory against Royston Wee, Ning Guangyou will be making his highly-anticipated return to the octagon against Marco Beltran. He is 2-0 in the UFC and is a good wrestler with improved striking skills. However, at 33 years old, Guangyou needs to continuous his impressive performances if he hopes to make a name for himself in the UFC.
#7 – Ryan “Baby Face” Benoit (8-3-0)
A fighter who has appeared on this list before, Ryan Benoit is an exciting fighter but needed to show show more patience and technique in his debut. He was a high school wrestling standout and has improved his striking to a level that makes him dangerous anywhere on the mat. He had a very exciting debut against Josh Sampo but went on to win his first UFC bout against Sergio Pettis earlier this year. If he comes away with another impressive victory in Australia, Benoit could see the main card in the very near future.
#6 – Matheus Nicolau (10-2-1)
Another young fighter at 22 years old, Matheus Nicolau will make his UFC debut in front of his hometown crowd in Brazil. He is also coming out of the Shooto Brazil circuit and is riding a four fight winning streak. He also made it to the TUF: Brazil 4 semi-final but lost his fight as well. Interestingly enough, Nicolau beat Reginaldo Vieira in the opening round, who ended up winning the tournament as a replacement fighter. He is an exciting fighter with a black belt in BJJ. Not to mention, he trains out of the best Brazilian camp today in Nova Uniao, which gives him an edge against his current-level opponents.
#5 – Doo Ho “The Korean Superboy” Choi (12-1-0)
Having gone 1-0 in the UFC already, the exciting Doo Ho Choi is already a fighter to watch in the UFC. He went on an absolute tear with the promotion Deep before getting his UFC opportunity last November against Juan Puig. Choi came away with an 18 second TKO victory and will take on Sam Sicilia in his second bout. Similar to a young Korean Zombie, Choi is exciting and always looks for a finish via strikes. If his past success is any indication, Choi could take the UFC by storm with another impressive victory against a much tougher opponent.
#4 – Jake “The Celtic Kid” Matthews (9-1-0)
At just 21 years old, Jake Matthews has already fought three times in the UFC but is coming off a loss against James Vick. In a very tough bout, Matthews proved that there is some room for improve in his game and he will get his chance at redemption against Akbarh Arreola in homeland of Australia. He came into the UFC on a six fight win streak and went 2-0 in the UFC after that. Despite the loss, Matthews has plenty of time to develop his skills as he climbs the UFC lightweight ladder.
#3 – Taylor “Double Impact” Lapilus (10-1-0)
The 23-year old Frenchman Taylor Lapilus has begun his UFC career on a high note. He is 2-0 as a UFC fighter and came away with a second round TKO finish over Ulka Sasaki. Taking on much tougher competition in his next bout, Lapilus will have to avoid the heavy hands of Erik Perez. While both fighters may like to strike, the edge has to go to Perez. Nevertheless, both fighters are heavily skill in all areas of MMA, which should make this a very exciting bout for the Mexican crowd.
#2 – Jimmie “El Terror” Rivera (17-1-0)
Another young fighter who made a huge impression in his UFC debut is Jimmie Rivera. Knocking out UFC veteran Marcus Brimage in the first round, Rivera could be a fighter to watch in the coming year. He has not lost since his second professional bout and has proven cardio at outside the UFC. Taking on Pedro Munhoz in his upcoming bout, Rivera would certainly leave an impression with another impressive finish in Brazil.
#1 – Alberto “Soldier of God” Mina (11-0)
While 33 years old is hardly a prospect, Alberto Mina surprised everyone with his spectacular UFC debut against Pancrase standout Shinsho Anzai. Having never gone to a decision, Mina has that rare combination of aggressiveness and technique, which makes him a great fighter to watch and a tough opponent to predict. He is a black belt in BJJ in Judo which gives him a tremendous advantage in the grappling department. Taking on Yoshihiro Akiyama on a main card in his second UFC bout, it is clear the UFC also recognizes his potential and a finish could get him a high-ranked opponent in his next bout.
