Every champion in MMA history started out somewhere.
For those who make it to the highest stage, the journey begins long before they strap on UFC, Bellator or PFL gloves. Modern-era fighters progress through the regional ranks with hopes of accomplishing the highest accolades. Many will try, few will succeed.
This month, five fighters on the verge of achieving major promotion notoriety – one for the second time – return to the cage for what could be their stepping-stone fight. There are dozens of fighters close to making the jump in the coming weeks, but these five are particularly exemplary.
- After a near two-year hiatus, one of the best flyweight prospects in the world is back and hopes to join his teammates Aljamain Sterling and Merab Dvalishvili in the UFC.
- An Australian regional champion hopes to be the next from City Kickboxing to take a step up to the UFC.
- A relentless Oklahoma-born up-and-comer looks to notch a win over a UFC alumnus and hopefully head to the big show thereafter.
- Piling up win after win, a Kazakh flyweight angles to be the next in an influx of fighters from his country headed to the UFC.
- One of the top pound-for-pound fighters in Texas had to rebuild against a loss to a top-tier opponent in 2023. Back on track, he hopes a win streak leads him into the UFC.
Phumi Nkuta
Record: 6-0
Age: 28
Weight class: Flyweight
Height: 5’4″
Birthplace: New Brunswick, N.J.
Next Fight: Aug. 4 def. Cleveland McLean (3-1) at CFFC 101 in Bensalem, Pa. (UFC Fight Pass)
Background: Phumi Nkuta’s love for mixed martial arts came only after his love for professional wrestling. As a child, Nkuta and his brother would watch their favorite athletes take each other on in the squared circle. In his teenage years, Nkuta found Ken Shamrock while flipping the channels. Shamrock wasn’t wrestling, no. He was fighting, really fighting – and that intrigued Nkuta. When he saw the belt wrapped around Tito Ortiz’s waist, Nkuta envisaged a new life goal. How he ended up at Serra Longo MMA is by chance. A flyer in the mail for Hofstra University changed his life trajectory. Rather than go to Tristar to pursue MMA, his mother pointed him in the direction of college – where he stumbled upon one of the world’s fast-rising gyms.
The Skinny: Nkuta is a main training partner of UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling, whom he lived with at one point, as well as bantamweight contender Merab Dvalishvili. Although he’s only six fights into his professional career, Nkuta has already captured a major promotional title. He’s shown he’s capable of putting forth 20 solid minutes of fighting… and now he’s showing he can finish fights. After a short hiatus from MMA to test the waters of professional wrestling, Nkuta is back and as motivated as ever. He’s charismatic, talented, dominant, tested, and experienced. What else does the UFC want from him?
In his own words: “At the end of the day, I don’t care what my record says. I know I’m one of the best in the world. I know that those guys couldn’t go through the same training that I go through. I know that those guys couldn’t spar the same way with Aljo and Merab that I can. As far as I’m concerned, … there’s a reason why I’m the CFFC flyweight champion of the world. There’s a reason why, in my last title fight, I was able to fight for 20 minutes straight and not get hit once.
“Say what you will about my record. Say anything about me that you can statistically but at the end of the day, man, I’m one of the best. I prove it in the room. Ray Longo and Matt Serra also believe I’m one of the best in the world. … The only thing Mick Maynard needs to do is give me the call. The same goes for Dana White.”
The quotes in this section were from a previous interview MMA Junkie conducted with Nkuta.
Kaan Ofli
Record: 11-2-1
Age: 30
Weight class: Featherweight
Height: 5’6″
Birthplace: Australia
Next Fight: Friday vs. Abdalla Biayda (11-2-1) at HEX Fight Series 27 in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia (internet pay-per-view)
Background: Lost in life and looking for a coping mechanism for hard times, Kaan Ofli found his way through MMA after losing his father. His dad was a combat sports enthusiast and Ofli turned it into his own purpose. At 12, Ofli won his first Brazilian jiu-jitsu competition. Faced with the choice between joining the military and fighting, Ofli chose the latter and went all in at age 18. Representing Melbourne, Ofli competed throughout the Australian ranks but also ventured into Belgium, Indonesia and the United Arab Emirates on his ascent up the ladder.
The skinny: The Australia-New Zealand regional scene is in a weird place these days. MMA is thriving perhaps more than it ever has in the regional, yet it’s almost harder than ever for some of these fighters to get the call. The UFC isn’t overly keen in contacting fighters from the region for short-notice opportunities, unless the fight is on that side of the globe. The straight-up signings overall, are few and far between. So what does that mean for the athletes? Well, they’re really having to do extra to stick out. Ofli has done just that. He’s sought tough opponents, which he certainly found in No. 1-ranked Australia/New Zealand featherweight Abdalla Biayada. With seven finishes (including five submissions) in 11 fights, Ofli has shown he’s a well-rounded threat. Add another finish to the mix and he’ll be primed for the UFC.
In his own words: “My two losses have aged really well. I’ve always fought really good competition. I believe out of all the featherweights in Australia, I’ve probably fought the toughest opponents. In my eyes, I still feel undefeated. That energy has carried on. I’ve continued to dominate.”
“… I think if you watch my last couple fights, especially my last one, it’s UFC-worthy. It’s not only UFC-worthy, it’s Performance of the Night, $50K-worthy. I’m quite upset that I wasn’t already in the UFC because I probably would’ve been paid and put on a performance for the fans. This is the fight game. We have to stay active and fight the best and beat the best. I believe I’m No. 1 so I’m going to go out there and show it.”
“… I really hope that all my hard work gets to get recognized soon. I believe I’m right on the cusp. It may just be a short-notice fight where someone gets injured and I step on a UFC card in Sydney, Singapore or Paris. I’m staying ready and I’m the lookout for anyone who pulls out.”
Aryion Young
Record: 6-1
Age: 26
Weight class: Featherweight
Height: 6’0″
Birthplace: Oklahoma City, Okla.
Next Fight: Aug. 20 vs. Carlton Minus (13-4) at Fury Challenger Series 5 in Houston (UFC Fight Pass)
Background: Rather than have dreams of being an astronaut or a cowboy like many of his friends, Aryion Young always wanted to be a fighter – and he never grew out of that pursuit. As soon as he got his driver’s license, Young drove over to the local boxing gym. He eventually added jiu-jitsu and then had his first MMA fight shortly after his 18th birthday. After a brief collegiate wrestling stint at University of Central Oklahoma, Young dropped out. He wasn’t having a good time and fighting was on his mind, not strictly wrestling. Young hopped on a greyhound bus and headed out to California where he found former UFC fighter Joe Stevenson. The two hit it off immediately and Young remained there for four years, training under “Joe Daddy” and at Dan Henderson’s gym in Temecula, Calif. Eventually, Young wanted to move a little closer to home, so he settled on Denver and Factory X in 2020.
The skinny: Talk to Young for just a few minutes and you’ll realize he has a good head on his shoulders. Whether it’s confidence, intelligence, or just by luck, Young has followed a tremendously productive path to this point in time. His MMA game is rooted in multiple foundations – another true example of the sport’s “new breed.” His journey around the western United States has lead him to pick the brains of multiple wealths of knowledge, get numerous looks, tighten up loose ends, and see first hand what it means to be a UFC fighter. His in-cage performances have each been a step in the right direction, with his only loss due to a cut in his second pro bout. His upcoming opponent Minus is a fantastic litmus test, especially if Young can finish him. That’ll move him to 7-1. He’s only 26, so there’s really no rush. Perhaps he’ll need one more to twist the UFC’s arm, who knows. But one thing is certain: Young is UFC-bound, whether it’s now or later.
In his own words: “I really look up to some of these great fighters like Georges St-Pierre and Jon Jones. For me, I’m trying to be the best fighter I can. When I look at them, they weren’t necessarily the best at everything. It was that they were all-around good and their game plans were so good. For me, every fight I go into, I’m like, ‘What’s going to be the easiest and best way for me to win based on who I’m fighting?’ I basically want to make these fights look easy. When you’re game planning against me, it’s going to be hard to know what to do. I can stand up and strike with you at long distance or go inside with the clinch. I can take you down and submit you. I think I’m a hard fighter to deal with.”
“… My next opponent fought two weight classes up in the UFC and has never been finished. I think I can really shock a lot of people, going in and finishing this fight quick. I think it really puts me on the map for getting to the next level. It’s always hard getting into the UFC. It’s not a set-in-stone thing. Nothing is ever promised, but I really think a good performance here sets me up to be in that conversation to get a short notice UFC bout or (Dana White’s) Contender (Series). However I need to get on, I’ll do it.”
Sanzhar Adilov
Record: 11-1-1
Age: 27
Weight class: Flyweight
Height: 5’6″
Birthplace: Kazakhstan
Next Fight: Aug. 26 vs. Kylymbek Altymysh uulu (8-1-1) at UAE Warriors 44 in Abu Dhabi (UFC Fight Pass)
Background: Sanzhar Adilov admired MMA from afar, and that’s all he thought it’d ever be. Adilov vividly even remembers feeling hesitation as his friends tried to convince him to enter a 32-man tournament. The emotions ran wild and the adrenaline pumped. Was he really going to enter a fighting tournament? Indeed, he was. Not only did he enter, he won. That moment in time changed his life. Adilov, who was in the school of the Ministry of Internal Affairs to become a police officer, changed course. Now, he wanted to become a UFC champion. Since
The skinny: The Kazakh invasion continues. A massive wave of untapped potential and well-roundedness has already begun to drown the rest of the world. Adilov should be part of that. Recently UFC matchmaker Mick Maynard signed two Kazakh flyweights outright: Azat Maksum and Assu Almabayev. This could help Adilov … or perhaps delay things. Has the UFC opened the floodgates? Or will it be a little while before they add more Kazakh representation to the flyweight division? Based on Adilov’s abilities, the odds have to lead toward a signing sooner rather than later. He’s a problem, particularly on the ground but has worked at Tiger Muay Thai to improve striking, too. With high-level wins in Eagle FC, Alash Pride and Naiza FC among others, Adilov will only further prove himself at UAE Warriors this month.
In his own words: “There are many gifted athletes who stop halfway because they can’t figure out why they should keep going. In big sports, in addition to physical qualities, what makes a person go forward is of great importance: will, motivation, and discipline. It is impossible for many years, in any physical or moral state, to remain equally motivated. And at such moments, the only thing that will push you forward is discipline.
I think that I am the best at everything. I respect every fighter, but I’m just on a different level now. I am the future king of pound for pound.”
“… I am a professional athlete, and my task is to train and be constantly in good physical shape, show good fights and be always ready. I fulfill my task 100 percent, so I think a contract from a major promotion is just around the corner. I think it’s a matter of time.”
“… I am a patriot of my country, so representing Kazakhstan on the world stage is always a great pride and, at the same time, a huge responsibility. … I approach each of my fights responsibly, so the fans will have a spectacular fight.”
Paris Moran
Record: 8-2
Age: 27
Weight class: Flyweight
Height: 5’8″
Birthplace: U.S.
Next Fight: Aug. 27 vs. Alberto Trujillo (8-2) at Fury FC 82 in Houston (UFC Fight Pass)
Background: Paris Moran is 27, but his journey in combat sports already is two decades long. At 6, his father put him taekwondo. He hated it – as he did most sports. And like other sports, taekwondo was not an athletic activity he excelled in. In 2007, along came jiu-jitsu and eventually things changed. For the first time, the long-haired gamer found the sport that pulled him out of his shell. His parents divorced, Paris found jiu-jitsu classes as the perfect father-son bonding opportunity – an added bonus. Two years of jiu-jitsu later, Moran joined high school wrestling. Then came striking. His striking took off. He became a seven-time national champion in sanshou karate (wushu). Next scene, Moran was competing in Russia, China, Costa Rica, Taiwan – you name it. A national champion had become Mr. Worldwide.
The skinny: Moran built up a pretty impressive resume before he was matched up with Joshua Van in 2022. In a fight that seemed like a sure-thing big-league tryout of sorts, Moran was finished by the youngster Van. Months later, Van was signed to the UFC. But Moran had to go back to the drawing board. It was a crushing loss in the days that followed, but Moran got back on the horse. He quit his job and went full-time into MMA. It’s his sole focus now. The lifestyle change led to confidence and improvements. Moran also added weekly sessions at Yves Edwards, training alongside UFC flyweight contender Matt Schnell, Adrian Yanez, Raufeon Stots and others. And look at where Van is now: In the UFC with a win under his belt. Many think Van will be a UFC contender, so the loss has aged well. Always in need of flyweights, Moran should be on the UFC call-up list if he wins this month.
In his own words: “I always feel like I’m not doing enough, which is crazy. I need to slow down a little bit and take my time and rest more, which I have. I have more time now to rest and ultimately train more. It’s definitely paid off for sure. I think it showed in the (Jose) Cejas fight, too. It changed my mentality. I used to fight a little bit too safe. I think that was just my lifestyle. I was working, playing it safe. I was fighting, playing it safe. I needed to take the risk or I lose the chance. I quit working and in the fight I think it really paid off.”
“… The things I took from my loss, I learned a lot from that. I made a lot of changes. Would I have rather won? Yeah, but if I would have won, I probably wouldn’t have started training (with Yves Edwards). I wouldn’t have quit my job. I would’ve been doing the same stuff that I’m doing. That loss would’ve came eventually. I took that loss like a champ, got home that night, and I said, ‘F*ck this. This hurts. But what am I going to do?’ I had 24 hours to cry. So I cried and made that plan. … It paid off.”
“… If I had won the Van fight, it was either going to be Dana White’s Contender Series or fight for the title next and go to the UFC. I feel like I’m right back there where I was. It feels good to get this opportunity again to go out there. I feel like as long as I get the job done, the UFC is next. I won’t be fighting in Fury again, whether it’s Dana White’s Contender Series or a straight-shot call, I’m going to stay ready.”
Fighters worth watching who didn’t crack the list, yet are on the verge of something big:
- Isaac Thomson (5-1) def. Lerryan Douglas (8-5) – Aug. 4 via TKO at LFA 164 in El Paso, Texas (UFC Fight Pass)
- Myktybek Orolbai (10-1-1) – Aug. 4 def. Glaucio Eliziario (10-8) via TKO at LFA 164 in El Paso, Texas (UFC Fight Pass)
- Daniel Frunza (7-2) – Aug. 4 def. Jalin Fuller (7-4) via TKO at LFA 164 in El Paso, Texas (UFC Fight Pass)
- Sabina Mazo (10-4) – Aug. 4 def. Sandra Lavado (12-5) via unanimous decision at LFA 164 in El Paso, Texas (UFC Fight Pass)
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Jeff Creighton (8-2-1) – Aug. 4 def. Ozzie Alvarez (10-9) via unanimous decision at Urijah Faber’s A1 Combat 13 in Leemore, Calif. (UFC Fight Pass)
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Andre Barquero (8-2) – Aug. 11 vs. Irvin Amaya (9-3) at Irvin Amaya (9-3) at Lux Fight League 35 (UFC Fight Pass)
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Omar Arteaga (8-0) – Aug. 12 vs. Carlos Ciappino (10-4) at Samurai Fight House 12 in Lomas de Zamora, Buenos Aires, Argentina (YouTube)
- Adalla Biayda (7-1) – Aug. 18 vs. Kaan Ofli (7-1) at HEX Fight Series 27 in Melbourne Victoria, Australia (internet pay-per-view)
- Ricky Biechun (6-2) – Aug. 18 vs. Randall Rayment (12-3) at HEX Fight Series 27 in Melbourne Victoria, Australia (internet pay-per-view)
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Luis Gurule (5-0) – Aug. 27 vs. Jonathan Davis (7-2) at Fury FC 82 (UFC Fight Pass)
