One such name is Oskar Piechota. The Polish middleweight is set to make his UFC debut after his signing from European promotion Cage Warriors earlier this summer.
Piechota will face off against American Jonathan Wilson, who has lost his last two bouts, and the Pole will be well worth watching following his last, spectacular, performance that prompted the UFC matchmakers to pick up the phone.
Piechota was drafted as a late replacement for an injured Victor Cheng to face Brit Jason Radcliffe for the vacant Cage Warriors middleweight title back in June. And the Polish submission specialist shocked the watching audience with a stunning 32-second knockout to capture the title.
WHOA! Oskar Piechota ends it with ONE SHOT and becomes the @CageWarriors middleweight champion! #CW85#UFCFIGHTPASS! pic.twitter.com/fynOp8ssj9
— UFC Fight Pass (@UFCFightPass) June 24, 2017
The UFC call came just two months later, as Piechota was handed a dream debut in his hometown at UFC Fight Night 118 in Gdansk.
The Pole has an unbeaten pro record of 9-0-1, with all nine victories coming inside the distance – five by submission, four by KO/TKO.
And he arrives in the UFC with a glowing reference from Cage Warriors president Graham Boylan, whose promotion has delivered a host of top-drawer fighters to the UFC including current UFC champions Conor McGregor, Michael Bisping and Joanna Jedrzejczyk.
“Here at Cage Warriors we have a proven track record of producing UFC-level talent, and it’s always a proud moment when one of our athletes gets the opportunity to fight on the big stage with the UFC," Boylan said.
“Oskar won the title in his very first Cage Warriors performance and we were looking forward to seeing him defend the belt later this year.
“But when the UFC comes calling you don’t stand in the way. He leaves with our best wishes and we look forward to seeing him in action in the octagon.”
Pre-fight thoughts
Piechota is a dangerous addition to the UFC's middleweight division and should win inside the distance against an opponent whose recent form puts him under extra pressure heading into this weekend's bout.
PICK: Piechota by KO/TKO
[Image credit (both pics): Dolly Clew / Cage Warriors]
Follow Simon Head on Twitter @simonhead.
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