Best KSW Fighters Who Could Do Well in The UFC (Top 4)
KSW has been one of the best European MMA promotions for many years now, and it still rising at a rapid rate. It is a great platform for all upcoming talents to work their way up towards the world stage and showcase their talents. We don’t have to talk too much about how much quality and excitement comes with each KSW event.
Although its roster consists of mostly Polish fighters, KSW is doing a great job of signing fighters from other parts of the world as well. For instance, some of it’s weight classes, 185lbs for instance, is as strong as in some bigger promotions like Bellator. The quality of their roster makes us believe that some of its best fighters can switch to the UFC and do really well.
In the end, fans tend to forget that KSW gave the world UFC champions like Jan Blachowicz and Joanna Jedrzyezhek. Now, let’s look at the fighters who may achieve the same.
1. Roberto Soldic
Soldic is, by far, the biggest KSW star whom we may see signing with the UFC very soon. He is one of those fighters we cannot wait to see fighting inside the octagon against elite opponents. Although still young and growing, he already has all the skills and weapons in his arsenal to deal with the best.
The Croatian Soldic set on his MMA journey in 2014 fighting and working his way up in the regional circuit. After beating the biggest names in the region, he got the call from the KSW bosses to join their roster. And oh boy, KSW put him right into the fire against Borys Mankowski, who at the time, has already had over 10 KSW fights. The bout was for the 170lbs title, which Soldic won by corner stoppage in the third round. But, he would lose it in his first title defense against Du Plessis.
Yet, this was one of those losses that every great champion needs. Soldic went back to the drawing board, learned from it, and came back like a totally different fighter. He got his revenge by knocking out Du Plessis and went on to score three finishes in his next four bouts.
Why Soldic would do well in the UFC?
First of all, he spends a lot of time training in the US. He did a couple of his training camps at one of the best MMA camps, “Tristar Gym” under Firas Zahabi.
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What he brings to the table is heavy pressure, strong takedown defense, good boxing, and insane power in both hands. He is one of those gifted fighters who can shut your lights out with a single touch of the wrist. On top of that, he is very patient, likes to keep it all technical, and doesn’t rush in. These are the skills that, in our opinion, will bring him a lot of success in the UFC.
2. Shamil Musaev
Musaev is one of those rare talents you see once in a few years, or, that’s how it looks at this stage of his career. But in our view, the world is yet to hear his name as he is rising really fast. The cause of his rapid rise is very simple, his fighting style is both exciting and awkward.
Born in Russia, Musaev kicked off his pro MMA career in 2013, fighting for the various eastern promotions like M-1. On his road to KSW, he left nothing but carnage just about every time he stepped inside the steel cage. At the moment he received a call from the KSW, he was on an 11 fight winning streak, young, talented, and very exciting. In our view, KSW was lucky to sign him as it is clear that Musaev belongs in some other, big promotion.
He proved this by scoring two highlight finishes, and a dominant decision win over Uros Jurisic in 2021. We are not sure what are his plans, or how many fights he has on his contract, but we would like to see him signing with the UFC as soon as possible.
Why would Musaev succeed in the UFC?
Unlike most Russian fighters, Musaev’s game is not based on wrestling and grinding from the top. No, he is a very exciting striker who has a strong background in Wushu Sanda. This is the main reason why his stance, footwork, and the way he mixes punches with kicks are so unique.
We don’t want to exaggerate his fighting abilities, but he reminds me of Giga Chikadze or Wonderboy Thompson.
3. Daniel Torres
Torres is a KSW 145lbs champ who has been with the promotion for quite some time now. In our view, this is the right time for him to make a move to a bigger promotion like the UFC. He proved his talent inside the KSW cage, became a champion, and is just hitting his athletic prime.
Unlike most other pro-MMA fighters who made it, Torres didn’t start his career with a long winning streak. No, he set on his MMA journey with one “No Contest”, and two back to back losses fighting on the regional circuit in Brazil. He bounced back with four good wins and would put together a record of 6–3 before signing with KSW.
Although his record wasn’t that great, Torres went on to unleash his full potential in the following years. He even got married and moved his entire life to Austria to live with his wife and train at “Star Fight” gym.
The changes he made and hard work paid off as he scored three “Fight of the evening” and one “KO of the Night” bonuses in five KSW fights thus far. The KO bonus he got came against a very skilled Salahdine Parnasse at KSW 58, which also secured him a 145lbs title.
Why does Torres belong to the UFC?
Torres has a very unique fighting style, mainly because of his strong background in Shotokan Karate. He has very good footwork, is always on the move, and like true karateka does a good job of moving in and out. It’s really hard to cut him off and land a clean strike on him as we have seen against Filip Pejic. What he does best is keeping his range, timing blitz attacks, and landing each strike with a lot of precision and big power.
This may sound funny, but he reminds us of a much smaller version of the great Lyoto Machida. He too likes to hold his hands low, circle around, and attack with various flash kicks and punches. Combine that with a good takedown defense, and the UFC may get a total package in Torres.
4. Salahdine Parnasse
Parnasse is the most talented striker on the KSW roster, and that’s a fact. He is one of those exciting fighters you need to watch perform for two minutes to become a fan. He maybe isn’t the most likable guy to some people, but oh boy he delivers every time on fight night.
Born and raised in France, Parnasse started his pro-MMA career as soon as he turned 18. While working his way up, he fought for various European and even Chinese promotions before coming to KSW in 2017. At the time, Parnasse was already seen as a hot prospect who has all the skills to become a champ.
He kicked off his KSW career with five fight winning streak, beating some big names in Poland like Artur Sowinski. During this time, he also won the KSW 135lbs title at KSW 48, but he lost it to Daniel Torres at KSW 58. Despite the loss, Parnasse is still a fighter we would like to see moving to the UFC as he really is an amazing talent.
Why would we love to see Parnasse fighting in the UFC?
The main reason is his exciting style that, if all plays out well for him, would surely allow him to rise very quickly. He is a fighter who likes to move forward all the time and use his high reach to do damage from the distance. Although he is a complete striker, we have to highlight his boxing skills. He has an amazing speed in his punches, footwork, and always keeps the head off the centerline. The best example of how talented he is was his performance against Ivan Buchinger at KSW 58.
We truly believe he will do well in the UFC’s 145lbs weight class.
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