The UFC has secured highly touted Polish light heavyweight Jan Blachowicz, a move that adds a little more depth to the light-on-talent division. This is great news, as Blachowicz was considered one of the best 205ers not with the company.
Poland, like Russia and Hawaii, has recently become a hotbed for MMA talent, as seen with the UFC signings of Blachowicz, Piotr Hallmann and Daniel Omielanczuk. There is a ton of talent to be had and the UFC should continue to look in that region for fighters to inhabit their divisions.
Here are three more fighters the UFC should look to secure from the country to bolster their divisions.
Mamed Khalidov
I get it, certain circumstances such as a good payday with KSW and strict religious restrictions have kept Mamed Khalidov from making the jump. That doesn’t mean the UFC shouldn’t pursue him.
Khalidov is probably the best middleweight in the world not currently in the UFC. His combination of crisp power punching and slick ground work make him a man to fear at 185.
He is a guy that, if the UFC were to go into Poland, could either headline (not out of the question) or make the main card of that offering. He is that good.
Don’t believe me? Check out his resume. He is 28-4-2 and has finished all of his opponents but one man. Of those 28 wins, he has defeated UFC veterans Kendall Grove, Rodney Wallace, Jesse Taylor, Matt Lindland, James Irvin and Jorge Santiago, as well as Strikeforce headhunter Melvin Manhoef.
No biggie, really.
Damian Grabowski/Marcin Tybura winner
The UFC has a lack of depth at the heavyweight division. It is thirsty for some talent and Poland definitely has a few guys to offer.
Both Damian Grabowski and Marcin Tybura could definitely step up and be a part of the UFC heavyweight division. That being said, they face each other in M-1 at the end of February.
Grabowski is a Bellator veteran whose only loss came in that organization to former champion Cole Konrad. The well-rounded Pole owns victories over the likes of Kenny Garner, Stav Economou, Dave Huckaba, Eddie Sanchez and Joaquim Ferreira, among others.
His current foe, Tybura, is in his late 20s and is undefeated in nine pro bouts. He has come on strong as of late, beating the likes of Konstantin Gluhov, Chaban Ka and Denis Komkin.
This is a high-profile fight that UFC officials should be keeping a watchful eye on. The winner could be a great addition to the company.
Lukasz Sajewski
The lightweight division is a shark tank that has a ton of talent, but it can continue to stockpile talent if Lukasz Sajewski was added to its ranks.
Known as “Wookie,” Sajewski has been a stud thus far in his career, winning all 12 of his bouts. The submission specialist is just 23 years old, showing that his best days are probably in front of him.
He already has a win over fellow Polish prospects and Bellator vet Marcin Held. One has to think he is on the UFC’s radar, especially if they were eventually to touch down in the country somewhere down the road. With Poland’s growing interest in MMA, it seems inevitable.
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