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.
- A “TUF 29” cast member hopes his battles inside the cage lead to a UFC contract as he continues to fight a different kind of fight to make his community safer outside of it.
- An explosive Brazilian out of Xtreme Couture sees knockouts as his way to get into the UFC – and he’s nearing closer and closer as the highlight reel expands.
- The front-runner candidate to be the next Tristar fighter to sign with a major promotion, an exciting lightweight travels into enemy territory against perhaps his biggest name to date.
- An Arizona-based, Sierra Leone-born bantamweight aims to be the first born in his country to grace the UFC, but he needs to pick up another win in Fury FC first.
- A 21-year-old undefeated phenom who already has double-digit pro wins faces his toughest test to date with major promotion circling the waters.
Dustin Lampros
Record: 8-0
Age: 29
Weight class: Featherweight
Height: 5’7″
Birthplace: Freeburg, Ill.
Next Fight: Sept. 16 vs. Scott Ettling (6-3) at Shamrock FC 349 in St. Charles, Mo.
Background: Dustin Lampros found fighting through faith. After he met Tyron Woodley through church and received a gym recommendation, Lampros turned his attention to the fight world during his senior year of high school. His life would never be the same. Lampros packed up his car and drove down to Coconut Creek, Fla. to American Top Team. After a successful amateur and early professional run, Lampros got a big break on “The Ultimate Fighter 29” in 2021. While he ended up losing in the opening round of the bracket to Vince Murdock, the experience is one Lampros values greatly. He’s won three-in-a-row since then with two TKOs. Not having fought since July 2022, Lampros has used the past year to get healthy and improve – while also bettering his community catching child predators as a part of 561PC.
The skinny: Lampros is strong, quick and explosive. “Scrappy” is a very apt nickname. For his entire pro career, he’s dominated, with the finishes coming more fast and furious as time has gone on. Even prior to being finished during his exhibition loss on “TUF,” Lampros had success vs. Murdock. While perhaps his resume doesn’t jump off the paper in terms of opponents’ records, Lampros’ development has been executed well. He’s walking evidence of that. Training among some of the best fighters in the world at American Top Team for a decade has done him well. At 29, he’s approaching prime fight years – and check out his YouTube channel where he just filmed a predator catch with SteveWillDoIt. The man is promotable and worth a shot.
In his own words: “I’m lucky and blessed (my “TUF” fight) didn’t go on my professional record, but it was an important lesson. It was probably the best thing that’s happened to me, though. It humbled me in the sense of how I approached guys in the cage. I used to think I was just the best. I didn’t think I could get hurt like that. I didn’t think it could happen to me. I thought if I would lose a fight, it would be a Division I wrestler maybe just holding me down because that’s how I lost my amateur fights. Getting caught like that was an eye-opener.”
“… I’ve been getting my body right, getting my mind right, kind of hoping for a call. I’m still going to do that. I’m hoping in the next four weeks, I still get the call. This fight was kind of scheduled for me to get my weight down so if they do call, I’m ready to go and I don’t have to pass on the opportunity like I’ve had to previously.”
“… When I’m training with guys who are in the UFC or One Championship or Bellator, I can definitely tell I’m ready for the UFC. My teammates all vouch and are pretty honest. If I wasn’t, I’m sure they’d tell me to get more fights. I think everyone could agree I’m ready for that next level.
Matheus Camilo
Record: 6-2
Age: 22
Weight class: Featherweight
Height: 5’9″
Birthplace: Brazil
Next Fight: Sept. 17 vs. Dorian Ramos (6-1) at Fury FC 83 in Tulsa, Okla. (UFC Fight Pass)
Background: Matheus Camilo only started training six years ago. His first professional fight was only four years ago. All of this stemmed from seeing what the legends of yesteryears were able to accomplish in MMA. Jose Aldo, Anderson Silva, Fedor Emelianenko, and Khabib Nurmagomedov inspired Camilo to try to change his and his family’s lives. He initially started training at Nova Uniao under Aldo coach Andre Pederneiras in Rio de Janeiro for three years but eventually moved to full-time in Las Vegas and started to train at Xtreme Couture in 2021. Since a 4-2 start to his pro MMA career, Camilo has gone 3-0 with three finishes.
The skinny: It is legitimately stunning to learn Camilo has only competed for four years, but it also explains why he’s had to learn on the fly – sometimes at the expense of his record. But in recent fights, when he’s fought his toughest competition by far, he’s passed each test with flying colors. Xtreme Couture members rave about his skill level and now we’re seeing why. He’s a well-rounded threat who still has a ton of room to grow. That’s a scary prospect for any opponent. With an upbeat personality and improving English, Camilo could be a fan-favorite, especially considering his fighting style. It’ll be interesting to see how the powers that be handle his career. He’s so good and could probably already beat up on some UFC folk, but a few more regional fights could also do him wonders, too. This is a good problem to have for all involved.
In his own words: “Every fight that I’ve lost, I’ve learned a lot. I made mistakes. It was bad for me, but I learned a lot. I’m getting better every fight. This is good. I had no amateur fights. I’ve only been a professional. … Every one of my fights have been against tough opponents, so I’d be prepared for big things. And I’m ready for big things.”
“… I can’t wait for this moment. My focus now is to get better every fight. Every fight I’m only getting better because I know I’ll be there in the UFC one day. My focus now is getting better every fight. I know the UFC is coming eventually. … I have big dreams. I’ve followed this. I want to change my life and bring my mom to the U.S.A. There are big things around me, motivating me every day. I sacrifice every day.”
Michael Dufort
Record: 11-4
Age: 29
Weight class: Lightweight
Height: 5’8″
Birthplace: Soral, Quebec, Canada
Next Fight: Sept. 23 vs. Joe Giannetti (14-4-1) at Cage Titans 61 in Plymouth, Mass. (Spectation Sports)
Background: An MMA practitioner since 13, Quebec’s Michael Dufort has long eyed combat sports greatness. Coming from a big family, Dufort had to learn how to fight quickly. For 14 years, he’s been in the gym moving toward one goal: the UFC. In order to achieve that, he trains at the world-renowned Tristar Gym in Montreal and H2O MMA. Training with the likes of Olivier Aubin-Mercier and the great Georges St-Pierre, Dufort has surrounded himself with some of the best partners possible.
The skinny: Dufort has crafted a highly-technical arsenal that he continues to round out day-in and day-out at Tristar. The end product is all that matters and if Dufort’s 87-second submission over Luis Pena didn’t prove to you he’s making the right improvements in between fights, you need to give it another watch. The UFC can always use more representatives from north of the border and Dufort could be the next in line to carry that torch. As he’s competed more frequently the wins have become more consistent, too. In his most recent 13 fights, he’s 11-2 with the two defeats split decision losses to UFC alumni Jesse Ronson and Kyle Prepolec. Dufort also has a win at PFL Challenger Series and is open to an offer from the PFL to enter their regular season should he beat Joe Giannetti.
In his own words: “I believe in my skills. Right now, I’m on another level skills-wise. I’m smarter than ever. I’m stronger than ever. I push in the gym like crazy. I believe I can deal with the best fighters in the world. I feel on such a different level right now.”
“… I don’t know what the plans are with the UFC. Right now, there are great organizations and talent everywhere. Maybe the top five fighters are in the UFC. I’m always looking for good tests to get better. I’d like it for sure. If it’s going to be PFL, it’ll be PFL. I know the pay is good. My friend Olivier Aubin-Mercier just won the $1 million and he’s going to repeat it. So if I can go into PFL and win $1 million, I’ll be happy, too. … For sure, it’s my dream. I want to compete in the UFC. But I have friends like Olivier (Aubin-Mercier) who are making their life money in other organizations. It’s crazy. He’s 34 years old. He’s going to retire pretty soon and he just banked f*cking $2 million in the last two years. That’s awesome.”
Abdul Kamara
Record: 7-1
Age: 31
Weight class: Bantamweight
Height: 5’10”
Birthplace: Sierra Leone
Next Fight: Sept. 24 vs. Casey Jones (10-8) at Fury Challenger Series 7 in Houston (Facebook)
Background: A former track star, Abdul Kamara encountered bad news followed by good news. First, he realized he wasn’t good enough to run at the next level – but then he realized how well his skills translate to MMA. Tired at being “average at every sport,” Kamara tried MMA after a suggestion from his younger brother. The skills backfired on his brother, who drunkenly tried to fight him at a house party one night. Kamara took his 5-0 amateur of a brother down and told him, ‘Anything you can do, I can do better.’ Two weeks after formal training, Kamara debuted. He went on an eight-fight winning streak. Eventually he turned professional and focused solely on fighting. In 2019, he turned professional and in June 2020, he moved to train at the MMA LAB in Phoenix. Since then, he’s 5-0 with three finishes, including a massive knockout at Fury FC 74 in February.
The skinny: From Sierra Leone, his birth country, to Oregon, to Arizona, Kamara has gotten a number of different looks and instructions from all over the world. Few fight for more reasons and with more pride than Kamara, who strives to be the first from his home country to make it to the UFC. Not only that, but Kamara’s journey has largely been inspired by an effort to promote anti-bullying. For his entire life, Kamara has stuttered, something outside of his control but which has led to hate and bullying. Kamara is driven by the idea of serving as an example that you shouldn’t listen to the critics. It’s not just his story, Kamara can fight, too. He continues to improve each fight and his highlight reel continues to grow. With a win here, Kamara would be perfect for a short notice opening.
In his own words: “The energy at the gym now is crazy because of all of the success. … I spar with O’Malley and trained with him for quite a few of his camps. Being able to help him has really helped me grow as a fighter over the years. … Ever since the first day I stepped foot in the LAB and started training with all the UFC-caliber guys, my coach actually asked me if I was trying to give O’Malley a cage round when I first got out here. I thought that was the coolest thing ever. We sparred and ever since then it’s like my mind has only been stuck on one thing and that’s to make it into the UFC.
“I’m really inspired to be where my teammates are at. I think through hard work over the years, I’m getting close and am just praying for a great performance to be able to get into the UFC. I’ll be the first fighter from Sierra Leone, Africa to get in.”
“… I feel like I’ve been on that edge for a while and every fight from here on out could possibly get my foot in. For me, I’m not the type to just sit at home and wait for a call. If the opportunity comes and they present it to me, I want to fight. I want to stay active. I can always make weight. I’ve never missed weight in my life. … I’ll fight one more time to prove that I really do belong in the UFC. I love to fight. It’s the best way I can express myself.”
Austin Bashi
Record: 10-0
Age: 21
Weight class: Bantamweight
Height: 5’3″
Birthplace: Michigan
Next Fight: Sept. 30 vs. Askar Askar (14-3) at Lights Out Championship 13 in Wayne, Mich. (Spectation Sports)
Background: Introduced to MMA by a cousin, Austin Bashi began his MMA journey at eight years old. The goal from the start was to become a UFC champion, a trajectory Bashi continues in line with. He started with jiu-jitsu and muay thai tournaments. After a high school wrestling career, Bashi officially entered MMA competition at 18. After a 2-0 amateur career, Bashi turned professional. Built as one of the faces of the then-reborn (and now dormant, again) XFC promotion, Bashi won five fights under the banner. Once outside the promotion, Bashi took a step up in competition for Shamrock FC and Lights Out Championship, as he handily defeated opponents with 6-1, 8-1, 9-3, and 7-3 records respectively among others.
The skinny: Bashi is a rare breed and it’s not just because of his ridiculous pro record at 21. That’s unusual, yes, but his ability to conceptualize his career pathway with visions of both the immediate and the long term is immaculate. He’s admittedly in no rush to join the UFC and has purposely put off accepting an offer from the promotion. In fact, he’s already gotten major promotional offers. It’s about going far, not going fast. In terms of how his development is coming, Bashi could wreck some UFC fighters as things stand. He’s so well-rounded that it’s not that he really has to fill any holes. It’s just about bettering himself anywhere. The word “phenom” shouldn’t be used loosely – and with Bashi it isn’t. His UFC stint is just a matter of “when” not “if.” While he still hasn’t officially declared, it sounds like his acceptance of a major offer could come with one more win.
In his own words: “Last fight I was supposed to fight Ricky Bandejas and it was an opponent switch last-second. … I’m excited for this next one. It’s going to be a good test, someone like Ricky. … I really wanted to fight Ricky. He was a high level guy and a good opponent. It would’ve showed me where I was at a lot. But it’s all right and part of the game. Now this next one we have it.
“(Askar) is the toughest guy I’ve fought to date thus far. But I’ve fought tough guys. Guys like Joe Penafiel are super tough. That taught me a lot about myself. Then someone like Chris San Jose, who was an 8-1 guy and very tough as well. I feel like Askar is like them but even better.”
“… Honestly, every fight I’m getting more and more comfortable in there. I’m not rushing and I want to get experience. I want to feel comfortable when I’m in that cage and feel the best I can perform to. This fight is going to show me a lot and teach me a lot. I don’t want to say anything yet until this fight is over, but we’re for sure going to gauge things here.”
Fighters worth watching who didn’t crack the list, yet are on the verge of something big:
- Jose Perez (8-1) – Sept. 1 def. Chris Vasil (6-4) via unanimous decision at LFA 166 in Cajamar, Sao Paulo, Brazil (UFC Fight Pass)
- Richard Martins (7-1) – Sept. 2 def. Joao Paulo Silva (6-2) via TKO in Round 2 at LFA 166 in Cajamar, Sao Paulo, Brazil (UFC Fight Pass)
- Marciano Ferreira (12-3) – Sept. 2 def. Wellington Mourao (11-4) via unanimous decision at LFA 166 in Cajamar, Sao Paulo, Brazil (UFC Fight Pass)
- Fernando Laurenco (17-3) – Sept. 2 def. Joao Pedro Saldanha (9-3) via submission (rear-naked choke) in Round 2 at LFA 166 in Cajamar, Sao Paulo, Brazil (UFC Fight Pass)
- Gerald Neto (18-6) – Sept. 2 def. Magnus Conrado (18-5) via unanimous decision at LFA 166 in Cajamar, Sao Paulo, Brazil (UFC Fight Pass)
- Nekruz Mirkhojaev (8-3) – Friday vs. Cristian Lopez (7-6) at ROC 81 in Atlantic City, N.J. (Airy TV)
- Armando Gjetja (7-3) – Friday vs. Jacob Bohn (13-10) at ROC 81 in Atlantic City, N.J. (Airy TV)
- Roberto Hernandez (7-1) – Friday vs. Toby Misech (12-7) at Cage Warriors 159 in San Diego (UFC Fight Pass)
- Ramil Kamilov (6-0) – Friday vs. Roberto Pixley (6-4) at Unified MMA 52 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada (UFC Fight Pass)
- Maged Hammo (13-6-1) – Friday vs. John Nguyen (5-3) at Unified MMA 52 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada (UFC Fight Pass)
- Jack Becker (10-3) – Saturday vs. David Martinez (10-5) at Eternal MMA 78 in Sydney, Australia (UFC Fight Pass)
- Adam Bramhald (12-2) – Saturday vs. Daniel Melo (9-4) at Caged Steel 33 in Doncaster, England (Internet Stream)
- Bahromjon Mashrapov (7-2) – Sept. 15 vs. Shaidkhan Magomedov (6-1) at LFA 167 in Niagara Falls, N.Y. (UFC Fight Pass)
- Ryder Newman (6-1) – Sept. 15 vs. Rocky Edwards (12-10-1) at Tuff-N-Uff 130 in Las Vegas (UFC Fight Pass)
- Harris Bonfiglio (5-1) – Sept. 16 vs. Blaine Shutt (8-6) at Combat FC 5 in Wilmington, Mass. (UFC Fight Pass)
- Jacobe Smith (6-0) – Sept. 17 vs. Brian Grinnell (12-11) at Fury FC 83 in Tulsa, Okla. (UFC Fight Pass)
- Josh Walker (7-1) – Sept. 17 vs. Aric Mercado (6-4) at Fury FC 83 in Tulsa, Okla. (UFC Fight Pass)
- Julius Holmes (8-2) – Sept. 17 vs. Jared McLoughlin (7-4) at Fury FC 83 in Tulsa, Okla. (UFC Fight Pass)
- An Tuan Ho (4-0) – Sept. 22 vs. Kendrick Latchman (9-9) at LFA 168 in Prior Lake, Minn. (UFC Fight Pass)
- Lucas Clay (9-2) – Sept. 22 vs. Bobby Lee (13-8) at LFA 168 in Prior Lake, Minn. (UFC Fight Pass)
- Sean McPadden (6-1) – Sept. 22 vs. Mitchell McKee (4-0) at LFA 168 in Prior Lake, Minn. (UFC Fight Pass)
- Joe Giannetti (14-4-1) – Sept. 23 vs. Michael Dufort (11-4) at Cage Titans 61 in Plymouth, Mass. (Spectation Sports)
- Luke Riley (7-0) – Sept. 29 vs. Alexander Loof (5-0) at Cage Warriors 160 in Manchester, England (UFC Fight Pass)
