The bantamweight division never rebuilds, it just reloads. It’s as deep as any division in MMA and there’s an influx of fighters on the regional scene that are waiting to burst through. Back in May, we posted another rendition of fighters the UFC needed to sign. As of November, two of those fighters signed with the UFC and another signed with Bellator. Below are five bantamweight prospects to watch.
Zviad Lazishvili (13-0)
Lazishvili, age 29, won the vacant LFA bantamweight championship back in September. Zviad Lazishvili is 13-0 and with the recent Georgian fighters being signed to the UFC, Lazishvili may be the next. Eight of his 13 professional wins have come by submission. His career was derailed from 2015 to 2019 due to multiple surgeries and fight cancellations. Otherwise, the Georgian may be signed with the UFC or Bellator already. Ultimately, LFA is one of the premier regional promotions and Lazishvili is in a superb position to get to the next level.
Sebastian Przybysz (7-2)
Heading across the pond to the Polish promotion KSW, Sebastian Przybysz is the #1 ranked bantamweight in Poland. Only 27 years old, “Sebic” is still entering his prime. Przybysz last fought at KSW 53 in July. As a result, he was victorious with a wicked body shot. With only nine pro fights, Przybysz could be a suitable candidate as one of the bantamweights for the Ultimate Fighter’s return in 2021.
Kasum Kasumov (13-1)
Undoubtedly, the MMA pipeline from Dagestan is one of the most prominent around the world. Kasumov is a former combat sambo world champion. A member of the controversial Akhmat Fight Club, Kasumov is just the latest fighter from Brave CF to excel. In his latest victory, he displayed some of that elite grappling skillset with an arm-triangle choke. Next up, we have another fighter to win his last bout by arm-triangle.
Jack Cartwright (9-0)
Despite being only 25 years old, Cartwright is one of the premier prospects in the UK. The Cage Warriors champion has only gone the distance once in his professional career. Coming off a title defense at Cage Warriors 115, Cartwright is considered one of the most balanced fighters on the roster possessing 3 knockouts and 5 submission victories.
Muhammad Mokaev (4-0)
If there’s a list of bantamweight prospects to watch, Muhammad Mokaev needs to be on it. At just 20 years of age, Mokaev is being labeled as MMA’s “blue chip” prospect. With a stellar amateur background, Mokaev went 22-0 before turning professional this year. As a result, “The Punisher” rattled off 4 victories between the Brave CF and Celtic Gladiator promotions. Born in Dagestan, Mokaev now fights out of Manchester, England. Mokaev has a long way to go before stepping into the octagon. However, Mokaev has the opportunity to become the biggest prospect the sport has ever seen.
