Under the radar flies in The Ultimate Fighter Latin America 2, the follow-up to the first season, which was wildly entertaining. Featuring coaches Efrain Escudero and Kelvin Gastelum, the season features talent from all over Latin America and even one fighter from Spain.
The first season brought exciting fights and violent finishes, something that fans who watched the show enjoyed. It provided the UFC some exciting undercard guys, especially ones who can be marketed in Mexico and other Latin American countries.
There are two weight classes represented and numerous countries in these fighters’ backgrounds. Let’s take a look at both divisions and see who the favorites and dark horses are.
Lightweight
| Fighter |
Country |
Record |
| Cesar Arzamendia |
Paraguay |
6-1 |
| Enrique Barzola |
Peru |
10-2 |
| Horacio Gutierrez |
Mexico |
3-1 |
| Oliver Meza |
Panama |
3-0 |
| Jonathan Ortega |
Chile |
7-2-1 |
| Marco Polo Reyes |
Mexico |
19-7 |
| Daniel Salas |
Mexico |
15-5 |
| Christihian Soto |
Nicaragua |
5-4 |
Favorites
Of the two weight classes on this show, this is probably the weaker crop of talent. That said, if I had to venture a guess at the two favorites at lightweight right now, it would be Daniel Salas and Cesar Arzamendia.
Representing Bonebreakers MMA in Mexico, which has provided the UFC with fighters such as Augusto Montano, Juan Puig and Rodolfo Rubio, Salas is one of the most well-rounded fighters on the show. He is a finisher, as 13 of his 14 victories come before the judges can make their decision.
At one point, Salas found himself on the wrong end of a four-fight skid. However, coming into the show, he has won two in a row and has the experience and skill to make a serious run at the finals.
As for Arzamendia, the 24-year-old Paraguayan is a submission specialist known for his tight choking ability. He has a good guillotine choke, and when he’s able to grab a neck, he can finish quickly.
His most recent win came against TUF Brazil veteran Anistavio Gasparzinho, showing that he can hang with tough talent. Anybody in the lightweight bracket that goes to the ground with Arzamendia needs to be extremely careful, as he can use that part of his game to run all the way to the finals.
Dark Horses
When it comes to dark horses for the lightweights, Enrique Barzola and Horacio Gutierrez have to be the two guys to keep your eyes on. Both look solid and could make unlikely runs on the show.
Barzola is a guy who has spent time at American Top Team, showing that he has put in work with a great camp. He is known for being well-rounded in his own right, possessing a good rear-naked choke and some solid striking ability.
Peru has an underrated MMA scene, and Barzola could be a guy who can shed some light on that if he makes the unexpected run on this show he can potentially make.
As for Gutierrez, he was born in Mexico but trains in Chicago right now. He has just three fights in his pro career, with his only loss coming by way of disqualification.
He is the true definition of a dark horse, as there is probably not much expected out of him. However, he has the under-the-radar vibe about him, a menacing finishing ability and the toughness to overcome.
Interesting Notes
When looking at the records of each of the fighters, the biggest thing that stands out is that of Marco Polo Reyes. On tapology.com, a very respected record-keeper, Reyes is 3-1. The UFC, on their official cast unveiling on the website, has him at 19-7.
That’s a huge difference.
Also, another interesting note is that Christihian Soto made the cast despite having just a 5-4 record. He has to be the heaviest underdog in the history of the show just based on his subpar record.
Welterweight
| Fighter |
Country |
Record |
| Hector Aldana |
Mexico |
5-0 |
| Wilmer Fernandez |
Honduras |
7-1 |
| Alvaro Herrera |
Mexico |
8-3 |
| Enrique Marin |
Spain |
8-2 |
| Kevin Medinilla |
Argentina |
5-0 |
| Erick Montano |
Mexico |
9-5 |
| Marco Olano |
Peru |
6-1 |
| Vernon Ramos |
Panama |
3-0 |
Favorites
In examining the roster, the two favorites this season have to be Enrique Marin and Kevin Medinilla. Both have the experience and skills to make a serious run in this tournament.
Marin is the lone Spaniard on the season and a veteran of the European regional scene. If you think he’s flying all the way over from Europe just to take a back seat to the rest of the cast members, you are dead wrong.
Though both of his losses come via submission, all of his non-decision wins come via tapout. If he secures top position and can control his opponent, Marin will be a tough fighter to beat on this season.
Medinilla is an American Top Team and Nova Uniao rep that is undefeated. He is coming off a huge win over Brazilian Pedro Junior, which proves Medinilla is one of the best fighters on the show.
All but one of his wins come via submission, including two victories under the XFC International banner. Don’t be surprised if this Argentinian makes a serious run on the show and makes a serious run toward the finals.
Dark Horses
As noted, I think that the welterweight cast is stronger than the lightweight cast, making the dark horses a tad easier to pick. The two men I see as potential dark horses in this tournament are Erick Montano and Vernon Ramos.
Then there is Montano, a finisher who also represents the same Bonebreakers MMA team in Mexico as the aforementioned Salas. He is a striker with four rear-naked choke victories, showing he hurts people on the feet and can finish them on the mat.
He needs to avoid skilled grapplers, especially if they get on top. However, the wrestling on this season is probably not of the highest level, so Montano could find himself having a field day on the feet.
Then there’s Ramos, a Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialist known for his good ground game. In three amateur and three pro bouts, he is undefeated, though his competition isn’t the highest it could be.
He is another definition of a dark horse, as he usually stays in Panama and is highly unknown. However, in this competitive field of welterweights, he can go from unlikely to contender quickly.
Interesting Notes
It appears that Erick Montano is a relative to UFC roster member Augusto Montano, most likely his brother. That’s an interesting storyline going forward, especially since Augusto has trained in New Mexico and it’s not confirmed that Erick has been with him.
It’s also interesting to note that Enrique Marin made the cast even though he is from Spain. Many people think that Latin America means Spanish-speaking Central and South America, but because Marin can speak Spanish, he is a viable candidate for the show.
Plus, as noted before, most of the men on the cast when searched on Sherdog and Tapology have much different records than indicated by UFC.com. I wonder where they get their records from.
**all records according to UFC.com unless otherwise noted
***Note: This is the final month that I will be at Bleacher Report. If you wish to follow me on Twitter for predictions, opinions and other great things MMA, follow me @BigRilesMMA
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