The MMA Outreach: 10 Fighters the UFC Should Sign from Poland

Mixed martial arts is spreading like wildfire, and it's evident in the UFC's expansion throughout the world. Not long ago, MMA had a couple of main hot spots in the United States, Brazil and Japan, among other places.

MMA outreach has become rapid, spreading to places that are now MMA-crazy. The sport has blown up, with fighters looking to make their way in the MMA world.

For four days this week, we are going to examine four of the newest hot spots in MMA. These are places where prospects and stars are starting to pop up, and they have a chance to provide great talent to the sport. We have chosen Ireland, Poland, Mexico and Russia for this series, as they seem to be the biggest hot spots right now.

In the heels of a huge UFC title victory for Joanna Jedrzejczyk, we will now examine Poland. There has been a boom in talent surge in this country, as it has one of the best talent pools rising in the world.

Here are 10 prospects this MMA hot spot could send to the UFC soon.

10. Marcin Lasota

Weight Class: Flyweight

Record: 9-1

Gym: Gracie Barra Lodz

Kicking off the list is a guy who could fill in a division desperately in need of bodies. Flyweight Marcin Lasota is an exciting fighter with good skills who could be a guy in that 125-pound division.

A ground fighter and submission specialist, he is known for his vicious leglocks, which he uses efficiently. He especially loves the heel hook, a technique he will look for early and often, as well as other submissions he's utilized such as the armbar and rear-naked choke.

He prefers to fight from top position, and his striking is still developing. That said, he is one of the best flyweights Europe has to offer, as well as a top fighter from Poland.

If the UFC was to ink him, he could make waves immediately. This is especially the case if any fighter dared to engage in a ground battle with him.

9. Damian Grabowski

Weight Class: Heavyweight

Record: 20-2

Gym: Lutadores Opole

One of the older fellas on this countdown, 34-year-old veteran Damian Grabowski has not let age get to him. In fact, he is one of the best heavyweights in Europe right now, especially from the hotbed that is Poland.

Grabowski is a savage, owning a 20-2 pro record with 17 of his victories coming by knockout or submission. Not only that, but his only two losses came to former Bellator kingpin Cole Konrad and top Polish fighter Marcin Tybura, who you will see later in this countdown.

Grabowski is not necessarily weak in any area either. He can strike, though he prefers the takedown, ground-and-pound and submission approach. When he achieves top position, his uncanny strength allows him to hold guys down and give them a relentless beating. 

He's racked up some big wins in his career over the likes of Konstantin Gluhov, Dave Huckaba, Kenny Garner, Eddie Sanchez, Dion Staring, Michal Kita and numerous others. With that kind of resume, he should be a lock to come over to the UFC and test his skills in the Octagon.

8. Agnieszka Niedzwiedz

Weight Class: Bantamweight

Record: 7-0

Gym: Gracie Barra Lodz

There is good news and bad news (yes, I stole this setup from her Twitter). The bad news is that you will not see Agnieszka Niedzwiedz competing for at least another year. The good news, for her, is that she will be a mother soon.

Now, a year away from MMA can be huge, seeing that the window for hitting your peak is so small, but Niedzwiedz is just 20 years old and has time to return. It's also impressive that she's 20, as she has become one of the brightest prospects at 135 pounds and is 7-0 as a pro.

Before her time away from the cage, her striking was her main point of development, something she worked diligently on. That's because her takedown and submission game is already polished, which is why she has stoppages in all but one of her fights.

Her submission game is strong, and her ground-and-pound game is vicious. We look forward to seeing her back in the cage.

7. Michal Pasternak

Weight Class: Middleweight

Record: 11-0

Gym: Okninski MMA

Believe it or not, middleweight is probably the toughest division to find legitimate prospects. That's why a hidden gem like Michal Pasternak must not be passed up, as the 11-0 Pole looks to be one of the best 185-pound prospects in the world. 

Pasternak has fought most of his career in Poland, where he saw great success, including a win over the respected Hracho Darpinyan. Like most Poles, his ground game is his strength, as he has good takedowns, is strength and works well from the top. 

The problem is he may be tied up with a One FC contract. He took his last fight there, where he upended Rafael Silva in a one-sided decision.

If he can relinquish himself from his contract, there is no reason why the UFC should not grab him. He could compete with most UFC roster members from the onset of his tenure.

6. Borys Mankowski

Weight Class: Welterweight

Record: 17-5-1

Gym: Ankos Zapasy Poznan

The first KSW champion to appear on the list, welterweight kingpin Borys Mankowski is making waves in his native land. The 170-pound champ is a savage who is using the KSW promotion to prove he's one of the best welterweights outside of the UFC.

Other than an injury loss to Aslambek Saidov in 2012, a setback he avenged, Mankowski has not lost since 2010. In that time, he has looked impressive, beating the likes of Mohsen Bahari, Ben Lagman and the aforementioned Saidov. 

He is well-rounded and aggressive, the latter of which is symbolized in his "Tasmanian Devil" nickname. He constantly moves forward, looking to impose his will and take the fight where he feels comfortable. 

I am sure contract ties to KSW have him held up, but he would be a welcome addition to the UFC. There, he could truly show his potential.

5. Mateusz Gamrot

Weight Class: Lightweight

Record: 9-0

Gym: Ankos Zapasy Poznan

An undefeated lightweight young in his career, Mateusz Gamrot may have the highest total ceiling of anybody on this list. That is especially true if he lives up to his potential, because early on, he has looked nothing short of impressive.

A ground fighter, Gamrot has shown persistent takedown ability and heavy pressure from the top. Each fight, he has taken on stiffer and stiffer opposition, which led to his most recent beatdown of Bellator veteran Rodrigo Cavalheiro.

He has rarely ever been in trouble either. He imposes his will from bell to bell, showing who the dominant fighter is to the judges at ringside.

He is another guy I would assume is tied up by KSW. However, if he can pull a Jan Blachowicz and eventually get out of it, his entrance to the UFC would be great for the lightweight division.

4. Michal Materla

Weight Class: Middleweight

Record: 21-4

Gym: Berserkers Team

Another KSW titleholder, Michal Materla is a middleweight who could fill the void in the UFC. He's a physical brute with a fun style that fans could get behind. 

Materla has been a pro for more than a decade and has run an impressive 21-4 record. In that time, he has stepped in the cage with UFC vets such as Jay Silva (three times), Kendall Grove and Rodney Wallace. 

Materla is an aggressive, wild striker who needs to improve his technique, but his power is there. He is also powerful on the takedown, as it seems effortless when he grabs a leg to get the fight to the mat.

With a tight guillotine choke, excellent grappling chops and one-punch knockout power, Materla should be a sought-after commodity. However, like some of these fighters, he would have to get out of his contract.

3. Karolina Kowalkiewicz

Weight Class: Strawweight

Record: 7-0

Gym: Gracie Barra Lodz

Another Polish fighter on this list, another KSW champion. Strawweight Karolina Kowalkiewicz is a champion in Poland, but she is also an Invicta employee with experience in the United States, making her a tempting pickup for the UFC (who deals with Invicta).

Kowalkiewicz is undefeated and has been impressive in her pro career. She is well-rounded, possessing good, technical striking to go along with a polished ground game.

Her resume is remarkable as well. She earned victories over the likes of Simona Soukupova and Jasminka Cive before she took giant steps up in competition against ranked fighters Mizuki Inoue and Kalindra Faria. She won both bouts in exciting fashion.

Kowalkiewicz is relatively young at 29, exciting and skilled. That's the type of fighter you want in the UFC's strawweight division, especially as it continues to develop.

2. Mamed Khalidov

Weight Class: Middleweight

Record: 30-4-2

Gym: Arrachion MMA Olsztyn

I know folks, this is a pipe dream. Mamed Khalidov has been highly desirable for a long time, but he has stayed in KSW and dominated for years. 

Fans have yearned for Khalidov to take his game to the UFC, but it simply hasn't happened. There are rumors as to why he hasn't, and I am not sure which are true, but making the money he is in Poland in unison with being the top draw probably makes him comfortable with where he's at now.

Khalidov is truly a mixed martial artist, as he is dangerous anywhere he fights. He has huge power in his striking, powerful wrestling and a very good submission game. 

Then you look at his resume and realize he's even better than you think. He has beaten (and dominated) such big names as Brett Cooper, Maiquel Falcao, Melvin Manhoef, Kendall Grove, Rodney Wallace, Jesse Taylor, Matt Lindland, James Irvin and many more guys who have tasted the big leagues.

That's the type of guy who can be an immediate contender in the UFC.

1. Marcin Tybura

Weight Class: Heavyweight

Record: 12-0

Gym: United Gym

An undefeated heavyweight with little mileage on him? Marcin Tybura is a gem.

Perhaps one of the best prospects outside the UFC right now, Tybura is a machine. With a heavy top game and great submissions, he can excel in the heavyweight division.

He has an impressive resume, great skill set and good years ahead of him. That's everything you want in not only an MMA fighter but a heavyweight.

It's a division that needs high-level bodies, and there may not be a better heavyweight to sign right now than Tybura. He's that good.