In this piece, I will highlight three prospects that I am personally high on. These fighters are three I believe have an extremely high ceiling and in the next few years, will be a household name.
If you’re not familiar with these names you will be soon in the near future…
Bantamweight, Matheus Mendonca (9-0)
Brazil’s Matheus Mendonca is an outstanding prospect. I’ve known of him for years, but it wasn’t until his last fight when he beat veteran Pedro Nobre when I knew he was the real deal. Not only did he prove he was a top 135er out of Brazil, but the whole world. Billed more of a striker, it’s the grappling/jiu-jitsu that makes him the special prospect he is.
Mendonca trains out of an excellent team in Chute Boxe Diego Lima. He’s a training partner of UFC lightweight contender Charles Oliviera. He’s still really young being only 23 so it would be silly to think he’s even near his peak. He’s an explosive, hard-hitting, athletic striker with a high-level ground game.
Mateus “Bocao” Mendonça is a name that everyone’s gonna know in a year or two.
Strawweight, Yazmin Jauregui (8-0)
Last year, Jauregui won the Combate Global’s strawweight one-night tournament. She beat three girls in one night including Criszaida Adames who I liked a lot. At the end of the night, she won the tournament championship. Before that, Jauregui was the UWC strawweight champion.
From 2019 to now, she’s a much-improved fighter. From someone I thought could be a contender one day in UFC is now someone I know will be a huge threat in the coming years. Jauregui throws a lot of volume with her kicks and punches putting it all together. She is always throwing and looking to end the fight.
Of eight wins, six have been finishes and five came in the first round.
Lightweight, Mateusz Rebecki (15-1)
There is a lot of deserving prospects outside a big promotion still needing an opportunity. To me, Rebecki is the most deserving there is. He is the reigning defending FEN champion out of Poland who has defended that title seven times. Rebecki has been into jiu-jitsu for years. Among his accomplishments, winning the Polish ADCC gold medal. He is actually a two-time ADCC gold medalist in fact…
Outside of his gold medals, his biggest accomplishment in jiu-jitsu is his BJJ black belt. Rebecki was a bit one-dimensional at a time being solely a grappler. Now he’s slowly developed a striking game, mainly with a lot of power. He’s just so dangerous on the mat and that’s on top or bottom.
Twelve wins in a row and he’s ready for anything.
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