2018 Prospect Grand Prix Draft

Rules of the draft:
-It will be a snake style draft -you will draft 5 prospects to your team -Every weight class is available -anyone outside the UFC is available but current and former Bellator champions aren't available. -With that above being said, if you choose a fighter that goes on to win the Bellator title you will receive a 10 point bonus and be forced to drop and take someone else. -TUF fighters are allowed to picked but you won't be awarded points for their wins through the house. -you have 8 hours to make your draft pick -if you are to miss your pick, you will have to wait till it comes back around to you and you will make 2 picks. If you were to miss 3 picks in a row I will remove you from the game.

Stosic just signed with the UFC, so I figured him ineligible. Hardman and Menifield were two I considered for my final pick, though I went with Crute due to him being the biggest fish in the smallest pond. Almost all fighters from Russian organizations, KSW, One Championship, Brave CF and Rizin were omitted from my list due to the exclusive nature of competing contracts. 

I am interested, however, in learning more about our respective draft strategies. In seeking the greatest talents nearest to a UFC debut, I disregarded other major promotions like Bellator. My wisdom is formidable, though not impervious to change. 

* Edited at 12.28.2017, 12:29 AM ET *

Just saw the news of the Stosic signing. Had a prospect article on him published like the day before it came out.

I've been prospect watching more and more over the past few years and Russia + to a lesser extent the rest of East Europe is definitely where most of the big prospects seem to be coming from these days. A lot of good feds there and none of the more worldwide promotions go there for whatever reasons. US promotions seem to be getting better at signing but on paper I'd say a majority of the best unsigned guys are still in that single area.

I am with Ben Kenobi, the greatest concentration of high level prospects is definitely in Russia and the surrounding areas, but they don't leave there to fight in the UFC that often compared to North American or even Brazilian fighters, plenty are locked into exclusive deals and very few fight with the regularity to make them attractive draft picks to me. The ACB, M-1, Fight Night or whoever champions aren't often fighting more than 3 times a year.

I tried to get a balance in my team. So I went volume of bouts, volume of bouts, rumoured TUF competitor, a fighter who could find her way in to the UFC or a Bellator title bout but if not will still probably pick up 2-4 wins this year and then I dropped the ball on Noblitt who I figured was a great shout to be picked up by the UFC in a paper thin division until I remembered Dana dropped him from DWCS for being a ****** and is thus never getting to the UFC.

That's what I did too with my team. Picked Yusupov up because he's in PFL now, which looks like it might be dead on arrival so he might end up getting picked up by the UFC soon, and Frolov because they usually pick up an M-1 Champ that looks promising.

Bevon, Curtis and Brady are just guys that have good chances of getting picked up as well, especially Levis thanks to his showing on TNC.

Sergey Pavlovich - He has said he wants to fight in the UFC and he is by far no.1 HW prospect outside the UFC.
 
Nathaniel Wood  - Will be defending his belt at CW 92 and of course Cage Warriors champs often end up in the UFC.

Alex Lohore - Wiil be defending his belt at BAMMA 34 and easily could be done with UK scene soon, so the UFC is the only logical next step.

Karl Moore - Same as Wood, he'll be fighting at CW 92 and will go going up in weight to challenge  the HW champ. A win would make him the 2nd person to hold two belts in CW after Mcgregor.
205er + Irish, why wouldn't the UFC not want this guy.

Gamzat Khiramagomedov _ Don't think this guy will be signed in 2018 but ACB do keep fighters active and I bought into this hyptrain after he incredible performance at ACB 77.

@sayatus you need to make a new pick cus Israel Adesanya has been signed to the UFC before 2018.

https://twitter.com/BigMarcel24/status/946493720991584256

That was originally my 2nd choice for my 1st pick. Glad I scratched them both, and this was the exact scenario that I thought might happen with either Torres or Adesanya.

Damn it Israel, why didn't you wait few more days lol!? I will choose Joby Sanchez for replacement

* Edited at 12.28.2017, 9:21 PM ET *

my bad, I choose "The True Viking" Soren Bak 

That was a little surprising, I wasn't sure if Adesanya was even full time MMA. Glad he got signed though.

I didn't necessarily pick the best prospects but rather those I thought had the best opportunity to sign to the UFC. Can have a great prospect that fights once, twice a year and doesn't get signed. Can have a lesser prospect that either A) stays active and racks points up or B) is already signed to a feeder promotion such as LFA, that's more likely to sign. 


I also looked at upcoming UFC events and picked fighters who were likely to be signed for upcoming cards (UFC London in this case). I made a list of Boston, Texas and Belem as well. Picked all the top regional fighters in those areas and compiled a list. Quite a few of you picked them up as well tbh barring the Brazilians.


Aside from Yan, cos we all know he's heading to the UFC when recovered, I avoided Russians, specifically Chechen and Dagestanis as they struggle getting visas, which in turn makes the UFC hesitant. ACB guys also tend to stay there. From memory only Zabit has left ACB and ended up in the UFC. Yan will be only the second fighter to do so when he eventually signs. Kind of a one-way street atm.

Was gonna pick PFL guys initially because I figured a league format would offer a lot of fights in a calendar year. Plus the successful ones would be signed come year end. But PFL's inability to present a schedule made me decide against it completely. I'm actually still waiting for an email back about their schedule. Can't say it's looking promising.

https://twitter.com/ryanthomasmma/status/946666460386119681

* Edited at 12.29.2017, 3:58 AM ET *

Jesse Arnett- Has head many offers to compete in the UFC but different problems have held him back. Being the TKO champ he might have to wait a bit longer but I'm confident he will get a couple wins and get signed.

Demarte Pena- By far the best fighter out of Africa and has really expressed wanting to fight in the UFC and I'm really not sure what else he has to prove for EFC.

 Alexander Keshtov- He was contacted to fight Tim Elliott but didn't have a Canadian VISA. He is the Ring of Combat Bantamweight champion and fights out of K-Dojo Warrior Tribe and has a great management that is in contact with the UFC.

Joseph Lowry- CFFC Lightweight champion which the promotion is a nice feeder to the UFC and he is undefeated at 7-0 and a finisher.

Daniel Crawford- Just won the Bamma Featherweight title but is now a free agent and in talks with the UFC. With the London card happening soon maybe he will get on that card.

On December 31st, Sean Shelby announced that MacKenzie Dern will be making her UFC debut in 2018.

* Edited at 12.31.2017, 8:12 PM ET *

Idk what this means for our game, but damn, I had a bad feeling the UFC would try and rush her. She needed at least 3-5 more fights in Invicta, I feel.

So does MMA Opinion need a replacement for Dern sean? 

I really didn't think this would be an issue when Confusion brought it up. But that is two big losses for players. This sucks. Bad for Dern too.

Mackenzie Dern vs Ashley Yoder in UFC 222 by MMA Fighting, i think someone take the first points of 2018 because of her signing. If she makes the debut, the guy who choose she will make other choice if I understand the rules.

the signing was done 31st, one day before the start of the game...

Its **** luck but the Dern signing doesn't count sorry.