10 Best MMA Featherweight Prospects of 2014

#9: Bekbulat Magomedov

Bekbulat Magomedov is a virtual unknown outside of his native Russia. Despite going 12-0, I still can’t find any source as to where he trains. What I do know is he comes from a Sambo background and hails from the Dagestan region, though he now fights out of Moscow. Magomedov recently gained some attention after being rumored to have signed with the UFC, but his current promoter, RUFF, supposedly denied Magomedov’s release. It’s a bit of a surprise that Magomedov is even fighting in the China-based RUFF organization, yet after recently defeating China’s top prospect Guan Wang, Magomedov could be tied up there for some time. Magomedov’s wrestling and ground game are already at an elite level. He excels with a variety of takedowns, and once in top position, he attacks with heavy punches and submissions. Magomedov is only 23 years old and despite having not faced the best competition level, he’s proven with his win over Wang, that he is a cut above most other prospects. I will once again use the comparison of Khabib Nurmagomedov as a similarly-styled fighter currently competing in the big leagues. He doesn’t really attack with big slams like Rustam Khabilov, and his striking is not explosive like an Alexander Shlemenko. He’s more of a grinder, a push the pace type fighter, with a suffocating ground game.

Sherdog: http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Bekbulat-Magomedov-82154
Twitter: None