Ultimate Fighting Championship

5 heavyweight prospects the UFC should sign in 2017

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 4:30 p.m. ET

Fansided, Riley Kontek/Fansided

There are plenty of fighters throughout MMA who deserve a shot in the UFC. Here are the top five heavyweight prospects for 2017.

Welcome to year six of my annual “prospects the UFC should sign” series, in which I examine five MMA prospects per division the UFC should sign this year. It’s a series that started during my time at Bleacher Report, continued with my tenure at Today’s Knockout and stays alive this year through FanSided.

First, I’ll examine the heavyweight division, a weight class that desperately needs new, talented fighters on the roster. The division is aging and hasn’t brought many new, fresh faces into title contention for a while. Simply put, the division needs a shake up, and quickly.

With that, I take a glimpse at the five heavyweights the UFC needs to sign. I’ll try my hardest to stay away from fighters who are currently in top organizations (Bellator, WSOF, etc.), but a couple may pop up. In the past, I’ve had some great picks on the list and some that haven’t worked out. Below are the previous year’s selections, followed by the five men the UFC should offer roster spots to this year.

Previous Selections

2012	2013	2014	2015	2016
Shamil Abdurakhimov*	Derrick Lewis*	Marcin Tybura*	Marcin Tybura*	Cody East*
Jared Rosholt*	Damian Grabowski*	Anthony Hamilton*	Cody East*	Denis Goltsov**
Guram Gugenishvili	Smealinho Rama**	Konstantin Erokhin*	Denis Goltsov**	Denis Smoldarev
Magomed Malikov	Satoshi Ishii	Dmitriy Sosnovskiy*	James Mulheron	Sergey Pavlovich
Tyler East	Maro Perak	Smealinho Rama**	Chris Barnett	Karol Bedorf

**Indicates fighter is ineligible due to two years on the list

James Mulheron (10-1, United Kingdom)

The United Kingdom has consistently produced great fighters, but not many in the heavyweight division. However, that could change with the emergence of James Mulheron, a 250-pound brute that has made his bones slugging it out in his native UK.

Mulheron’s only loss came via TKO, but he was injured before his opponent was able to achieve that TKO. Since then, he’s come back strong, winning three in a row, including two fights in 2016. He was able to best veteran Neil Grove under the Bellator banner, his biggest win to date. His other 2016 win came over Welsh fighter Geraint Hill, a title defense for his Made 4 the Cage Championship.

Mulheron’s game is simple. He keeps the fight upright and uses his speed and athleticism to land punches in volume and accumulate damage quickly. And while he’s fought some lower-end talent, he’s also fought a good number of top fighters in the UK regional scene, which shows he’s capable of a step up in competition.

At 28 years old, younger than the average UFC heavyweight, Mulheron still has some good years left in him in this sport. The UFC is returning to London in March, which would be a great opportunity for the UFC to ink Mulheron and give him a chance in the world’s top promotion.

Sergey Pavlovich (10-0, Russia)

The best heavyweight prospect in the world, especially given his age, is Sergey Pavlovich. The Russian has an undefeated record thus far while fighting legit competition under the Fight Nights banner. He deserves to be given an opportunity in the UFC sooner rather than later.

A Greco-Roman wrestler by trade, Pavlovich has proven he’s a real mixed martial artist, as his striking has been the key to his success in the ring. Eight of his 10 wins came by first round knockout, showing how dangerous he is from the onset of the fight. His other two fights went to a decision, so he can last for a full 15-minute scrap if needed.

2016 was a major year for Pavlovich, as he went 4-0 in a seven-month period. His beat veterans Alexei Kudin, Chaban Ka and Baga Agaev, and is inching closer and closer to the top fights in his native land.

He tips the scales at around 240 pounds, so he’s a good size for a heavyweight. Not only that, but he’s athletic and only getting better. Given his wrestling pedigree and knockout power, he’s the type of fighter that could be a future title contender. The UFC needs to realize this and get him a contract ASAP.

Fernando Rodrigues Jr. (11-2, Brazil)

On last year’s list, I featured Poland’s Karol Bedorf, the KSW Heavyweight Champion I thought was a shoe-in to be named to the UFC’s roster at some point. However, a Brazilian by the name of Fernando Rodrigues Jr. may have delayed Bedorf’s entry into the UFC, as he not only beat Bedorf for the title, but knocked him out while doing so. If Rodrigues wasn’t a good prospect before that win, he became a top prospect after.

A member of Team Nogueira in his native land of Brazil, Rodrigues is a 29-year-old prospect that has quietly put together a very respectable career thus far. After ending 2015 with a loss to UFC veteran Oli Thompson, Rodrigues came back strong in 2016, besting Swedish prospect Yosef Ali Mohammad in addition to Bedorf. That helped boost his stock back to where it was even before the loss to Thompson, putting him on the radar of major MMA organizations.

Of course, training with the Nogueira’s has helped give Rodrigues a solid ground game, but it’s his hands and striking that have brought him most success. Most of his wins come via knockout, showing he’s a finisher that requires attention and good defense.

He’s still a young fighter, and at roughly 240 pounds, he’s a strong, big heavyweight. He may be a tough signing for the UFC at this point, seeing as he just captured the KSW Heavyweight Championship, but somewhere down the line, if he ever becomes available, the UFC needs to sign him.

Ivan Shtyrkov (7-0, Russia)

I’ll be honest: coming into 2016, I’d never heard the name Ivan Shtyrkov. That was likely because he was just 4-0 at the time and had only been a pro since 2015. In 2016, Shtyrkov more than earned his stripes, establishing himself as one of the top heavyweight prospects in MMA.

The 28-year-old Shtyrkov started 2016 by submitting high-level BJJ black belt Jeff Monson, and after two more wins, against Georgy Sakaev and Ricco Rodriguez, was handed his biggest test to date. In November, he was tasked with fighting Antonio “Big Foot” Silva, fresh off a long tenure with the UFC. In what was a barnburner, Shtyrkov walked away with a unanimous decision victory, overcoming some adversity late in the fight to add a huge win to his resume.

The Russian is a physical brute. He’s 230 pounds but looks like he’s carved out of stone, which explains why he’s been able to overpower opponents so easily. He possesses good, powerful punching, but enjoys taking opponents down and bullying them on the mat. He has heavy ground-and-pound, strong submissions and good positioning, which allows him to wear opponents out and force the referee to make the save.

He’s carved out a nice niche fighting for the German Titov Boxing Fight Night promotion, which is the definition of a regional promotion. However, now that he’s beaten Silva and proven he’s big-show ready, it’s time for the UFC to offer him a contract. He’ll make an impact the moment he steps into a UFC Octagon.

Denis Smoldarev (12-2, Estonia)

Denis Smoldarev, who makes his second appearance in this series, has still not made it to the UFC. That’s a shame, as the Estonian heavyweight has proven to be one of the best fighters outside the UFC, and one that could make a big impact in a larger MMA promotion.

A 6-foot-5, 270-pounder, Smoldarev would be one of the largest heavyweights on the UFC roster. Size is important, but Smoldarev’s skills set him apart — he’s a strong, well-rounded fighter that has proven he can beat top guys in the M-1 promotion.

His base is in combat sambo, which has proven to be one of the best bases in the sport of mixed martial arts. The only two losses of his career came to UFC roster members and top European fighters in Marcin Tybura and Alexander Volkov, the latter of which happened in 2016. That shouldn’t matter, though, as those are top heavyweights in the world.

Smoldarev does his best work on the ground, as his takedowns are strong and he doesn’t give up positions easily. He can pound you out or tap you out, showing he’s no one-trick pony. With that skill set, he needs to be brought to the US via the UFC as soon as possible.