On the Doorstep: 5 fighters who could make UFC with August wins
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
Kaan Ofli
Aryion Young
Sanzhar Adilov
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)
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)
Andre Barquero (8-2) – Aug. 11 vs. Irvin Amaya (9-3) at Irvin Amaya (9-3) at Lux Fight League 35 (UFC Fight Pass)
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)
Luis Gurule (5-0) – Aug. 27 vs. Jonathan Davis (7-2) at Fury FC 82 (UFC Fight Pass)
