Top 5 British MMA Prospects

After Leon Edwards' loss to Belal Muhammad, the euphoria surrounding British MMA has slightly subsided. Currently, there isn’t a permanent champion, but that won’t last for long. Here, we’ll explain why. Presenting a list of lesser-known but promising up-and-coming British MMA fighters with title potential. We promise it’s not all about the UFC. And, of course, we’ll share the best and most up-to-date betting options.

First, as a bonus, we’ll spotlight a couple of British fighters who may not meet the “young and early” criteria but have crucial fights in the near future. These bouts could restart their careers and even open the door to a title shot.

Aaron Aby

Record: 16-9-1

A former footballer, he’s been making waves in the Oktagon promotion for several years. After losing to Elias Garcia in Manchester in a flyweight title fight, the Welshman remains determined to secure a rematch. His journey toward that goal begins on November 9 at Oktagon 63 in Bratislava, where he’ll face former UFC star, Kazakhstani fighter Zhalgas Zhumagulov.

Aby to win against Zhumagulov

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8/5

The Kazakh is considered the favorite by bookmakers. On the respected combat sports site Tapology.com, experts have rated Aby’s chances of winning at only 8 percent. However, they seem to have underestimated the Welshman’s versatility, which combines striking skills with grappling.

Aby vs Zhumagulov stats

With an advantage in weight and, especially, reach, the older and more explosive Zhumagulov will try to finish the fight quickly and at a distance. However, the main chance for the more durable Aby is to trap his opponent with a submission. 38 percent of his wins have come by submission. He proved once again how formidable this weapon is with his arm-triangle choke submission victory in a recent ACB fight. Zhumagulov, on the other hand, has already lost by submission.

Paul Craig

Record: 17-8-1

Of course, we’re talking about Bearjew’s chances for a UFC middleweight title, but to start that journey, he needs a bit of a miracle – a victory on November 17 over the highly promising American Bo Nickal, where the Scot is considered the underdog.

Craig to Win against Nickal

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11/2

The thing is, the American looks unbeatable. With a career record of 6-0, he has three wins in the UFC, all by submission. But what's even more frightening is that in none of his professional fights has he needed more than two rounds. And before facing Cody Brundage, he hadn't fought past the 2:54 mark of the first round.

Nickal vs Craig stats

Many are expecting a quick beating, given that Craig’s record over the past 2 years stands at 1-4, with his most recent loss coming by knockout to Borralho in May. If you're ready to bury the legend, the bookmakers are offering less-than-tempting odds.

Nickal to Win against Craig

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1/10

We see betting on Craig as a value pick at the rather inflated odds. Craig holds various records, including the most triangle chokes, which is a particular threat for opponents. The Scotsman can still pack a punch, as seen in UFC 263 when he knocked out Jamahal Hill in less than 2 minutes into the first round. His submission win percentage is higher than Bo's: 76% compared to 67%. Bearjew has defeated strong wrestlers, skillfully maintaining distance and picking the right moment for a submission. Nickal has yet to face an opponent with such high-level jiu-jitsu skills and experience.

Now, let’s move on to the Top 5 MMA Prospects of Britain.

Oban Elliott

Record: 11-2-0

7 wins in a row. 2 by knockout. 3 by submission. 4 in the first round. That’s the magic of the Welsh gangster’s numbers. Before his victory over Preston Parsons at UFC 304, he claimed that nothing could stop him.

I’ve worked to do it, I went out and did it, so if I can take an idea like that and turn it into reality, there’s nothing stopping me turning all my ideas into reality.

He’s only 26. In the Welterweight division, he’s currently unranked. Judging by his progress, training at the UK Shore Mixed Martial Arts, the main talent hub, is clearly paying off. His takedown accuracy is higher than that of the 8th-ranked Gilbert Burns, and his striking accuracy is better than that of champion Belal Muhammad.

Elliott’s stats

In his upcoming fight against Bassil Haffez on November 17, Elliott is the clear favorite, surpassing his opponent in endurance and fight IQ. Haffez will try to win through his grappling game, but he’ll run into a huge obstacle with Elliott’s 78% takedown defense.

Elliott to Win against Haffez

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3/5

Ammari Diedrick

Record: 6-2-0

A former kickboxer and Muay Thai fighter, he recently transitioned to mixed martial arts and has been showing impressive results. As a child, he lived in a troubled neighborhood, and at 11 years old, he enrolled in a Muay Thai school. Here’s how he recalls those years:

The unique conditions of his upbringing and his experience in striking martial arts explain his exceptionally high knockout rate. And what’s more, his knockouts come in a variety of forms. Daniel Hromek was knocked out with punches, Julio Lima with a knee, and Mohamed Ghalab with a head kick.

How Diedrick defeats his opponents

In his upcoming fight against Robert Pukac, the Brit is considered the favorite. What works in Pukac's favor is the location of the fight—Bratislava—and the fact that Diedrick may not have had enough time to study his opponent properly due to the short-notice opponent change. But that's about it. The Slovak has 3 losses in his last 4 fights, and experts on Tapology rate his chances of winning at just 18 percent. We’re betting on a knockout, which could pave the way for Diedrick to a title fight in the welterweight division of the Oktagon promotion on November 9.

Diedrick to Win against Pukac

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3/4

Lone’Er Kavanagh

Record: 7-0-0

The 25-year-old Brit has been practicing martial arts since he was 10, and turned professional at 19. He has the hardest punch in his gym and dominates his opponents in Cage Warriors. Naturally, the UFC took notice and invited him to the Dana White’s Contender Series. But even there, no opponent could challenge Kavanagh. He knocked out unbeaten prospect An Tuan Ho in the very first round, which made Dana White exclaim the immortal “ ***** S…t!”

Kavanagh’s win statistics

Kavanagh’s technique is seamless, constantly switching stances and strikes, making him unreadable as he fluidly shifts between southpaw and orthodox. He uses a mix of spinning attacks and feints, throwing nearly everything in his arsenal.

Overall, he has borrowed much from the greatest fighters of today and recent history. Kavanagh’s striking accuracy of 50-55% mirrors the efficiency of elite fighters like Robert Whittaker, known for precision and timing. And the fact that he delivers high output without sacrificing defense is reminiscent of Max Holloway’s volume striking and 60% strike defense.

Francis Breen

Record: 2-1-0

The 24-year-old from Liverpool has recently entered the world of professional MMA. He trained for a long time at the Rotunda ABC boxing gym, the same gym that is home to past and present world champions such as Natasha Jonas, Liam Smith, and Tony Bellew.

There are several factors that give reason to place hope in Breen. Tired of boxing, he made his amateur MMA debut at just 16 years old and became the first to defeat top UK prospect Lewis McGrillen.

A year ago, he was selected as one of six most promising British fighters for the international MMA Fight Academy program. The elite academy includes 680 fighters from around the world, training in London, San Diego, and Bali. Among the mentors is Marc Fiore, who trained UFC legend Matt Hughes.

The Scouser couldn’t hide his emotions after being selected for the program.

Aidan Rooney

Amateur Record: 6-1-0

He’s the only amateur on our list, but he’s on his way to turning pro with Cage Fighters. His win against Jacob Gifford, a very gifted fighter from Southend-on-Sea and the current Cage Warriors Academy Featherweight Champion, crowned Aiden as the new champion.

Rooney’s last 5 fights

With an impressive array of devastating submissions and an in-depth mastery of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, not to mention his refined striking abilities, he poses a significant challenge for any opponent who steps into the cage with him.

Having achieved an astounding 83 percent of his victories by submission, he has consistently demonstrated his ability to finish fights in a variety of ways, establishing himself as a well-rounded threat. In addition to his grappling prowess, he also boasts a remarkable takedown defense rate of over 70 percent, a stat that underscores his ability to keep fights standing and control the flow of the action, much like fighters such as Justin Gaethje. 

Scouts from prominent organizations such as Bellator and ONE Championship have been rumored to be closely monitoring his rise in the sport.