Top 10 MMA prospects from Australia and New Zealand
MMA ANZ brings you the top 10 MMA fighters to watch from the land Down Under
Everyone loves a prospect, don’t they?
For some, it’s a chance to get excited about the next big thing, while for others they represent hope.
Want to impress your friends with your knowledge of MMA?
Look no further than our list of the top 10 prospects to watch this year.
Quillan Salkilld
Eternal lightweight champion Quillan Salkilld - who is set to make the second defence of his belt next month - sits atop the list.
Salkilld won the title with a first-round knockout of Blake Donnelly - before following that up with a masterclass over Brett Pastore.
Already a champion at the age of 24, there is no limit to his potential.
Jonathan Micallef
Jonathan Micallef became the HEX welterweight champion in just his fifth fight.
Boasting a perfect record of 5-0, there’s a lot to like about Micallef, not least his striking.
A couple more wins, you’d imagine, might get him the call from the UFC.
Anthony Drilich
Drilich says he only started taking MMA seriously in his mid 20s. He’s 29 now.
The Queenslander, who trains at Scrappy MMA under Ben Vickers, is the Eternal flyweight champion and has won four straight.
Oh, and Manny Pacquiao is also his favourite fighter. Go figure.
Dom Mar Fan
Nicknamed “Street Buddha” Dom Mar Fan might just have the best nickname in mixed martial arts.
After losing to Salkilld in 2022, Mar Fan has put together a three-fight winning streak.
He will get his chance for revenge next month in the main event of Eternal 82.
Harry Webb
Like Mar Fan, Harry Webb also has a fight coming up against Abdalla Biayda.
Also like Mar Fan, if he wins, it will massively upset the apple cart.
Webb went unbeaten as an amateur before turning professional last year and has found the transition to be one that suits him.
Colby Thicknesse
One of the most promising young fighters on this list, Colby Thicknesse has been on the radar for years, as he enjoyed huge success at amateur level.
Thicknesse, who fights out of Freestyle MMA, is a longtime teammate of UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski.
No pressure, then.
Tasar Malone
Tasar Malone may only have two fights to his name, but he always brings a huge crowd.
The 27-year-old will look to make it three wins in a row as a professional when he faces Jayden Binnie at Eternal 83 on 16 March.
Malone comes from a sporting family as his sister Ambrosia plays for the Hockeyroos.
Ethan Thomas
Thomas, 29, has had a mixed start to his MMA career, going 4-2.
In submission grappling however it’s a completely different story having won the 66kg division at the Asian trials to qualify for the 2024 ADCC World Championships.
He’s a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt who isn’t afraid to bite down on his gumshield either as he showed during his fight with Rod Costa.
George Mangos
Speaking of submission specialists, George Mangos is also a talented grappler, who has finished every single one of his opponents to date.
As a young fighter with great wrestling and grappling, he has a chance to do well in the sport.
Who knows, we might even see him fight Thomas at some stage. Wouldn’t that be something?
Luke Dally
Since dropping his debut in 2022, Dally has won two straight, including a hard fought victory over Coby Porter.
While he may only have a couple of wins to his name at the moment, don’t be surprised if we see him further up this list next year.
He seems to be more comfortable at lightweight after starting his career at featherweight.
In case you missed it
Changes are happening: A reintroduction (of sorts)
Team spirit: Inside the mind of Scrappy MMA head coach Ben Vickers
Mark your diaries: Full list of MMA events in Australia and New Zealand
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