We’re back! The “Prospects the UFC Should Sign” series is in its second-to-last installment. We left off with the bantamweights and now move onto the flyweights.
The flyweights are one of the newest additions to the UFC roster and have been a fine addi…
We’re back! The “Prospects the UFC Should Sign” series is in its second-to-last installment. We left off with the bantamweights and now move onto the flyweights.
The flyweights are one of the newest additions to the UFC roster and have been a fine addition at that. They consistently put on great fights, and the division is quickly becoming stacked with contenders.
The weight class is under the rule of Demetrious Johnson, but it boasts a deep lineup that includes Joseph Benavidez, Ian McCall, Zach Makovsky and Ali Bagautinov, among others.
Without further ado, let’s look at the five flyweight prospects that the UFC should sign.
The Ultimate Fighter 19 cast has been announced, and the show is ready to commence on TV in mid-April. The show will feature middleweights and light heavyweights, all of whom will be vying for a contract with the UFC.
The show is coached by competitive…
The Ultimate Fighter 19cast has been announced, and the show is ready to commence on TV in mid-April. The show will feature middleweights and light heavyweights, all of whom will be vying for a contract with the UFC.
The show is coached by competitive rivals Frankie Edgar and BJ Penn. Both men have been UFC champions in the past and have crossed paths on two occasions, with Edgar being the victor in both.
Let’s take a look at the current field of fighters and pick out the favorites and dark horses of the tournament.
There is a very strong field of fighters occupying the middleweight bracket, which could make for a great season. In looking at the field, the three favorites have to be considered CathalPendred, Dhiego Lima and Eddie Gordon.
Pendred is probably the outright favorite to win the season, as the Irishman is a top prospect in any weight division. He is a combination of gritty grappling and refined striking, making him a well-rounded threat to run away with this season. He is also a guy that the UFC can market when moving into Ireland.
Lima, the brother of potential Bellator champ Douglas Lima, is another top prospect. Like Pendred, Lima is a prospect at welterweight, but the lack of cutting a ton of weight in the house will likely benefit the two. Lima is a fantastic striker with good jiu-jitsu skills, though he must beware of the wrestlers in the house.
Gordon is a disciple of Matt Serra and Ray Longo who combines developing striking with a solid ground game. He has faced some high-level guys in the East Coast circuit and should be ready to compete in a big way in this tournament.
Dark Horses
When looking at the dark horses, two men come to mind right away: Ian Stephens and Mike King.
Stephens is likely considered a top dark horse because he has just a 2-0 record. However, Stephens and his little-known status will make him unfamiliar as opposed to more famous guys on the cast like Lima and Pendred. He has solid wrestling and developing all-around skills that could pose a threat to guys with weak takedown defense.
King is an undefeated fighter with a nasty top game that has led to stoppages in all five of his fights. He is a ferocious ground-and-pound artist who has even added a nice submission touch to his game. He could truly be THE dark horse of the tournament.
Light Heavyweights
Fighter
Gym
Record
Corey Anderson
n/a
2-0
Kelly Anundson
American Top Team
6-2
Anton Berzin
n/a
3-1
Josh Clark
AFS MMA Academy
5-2
Chris Fields
SBG Ireland
10-5
Jake Heun
American Top Team
5-3
Tyler King
Connors MMA
6-2
Todd Monaghan
n/a
5-3
Cody Mumma
Grudge Training Center
5-1
John Poppie
n/a
3-1
Doug Sparks
Team Hoedown
7-2
Dan Spohn
Cambridge Martial Arts
8-3
Josh Stansbury
Team Impact
5-2
Matt van Buren
Alliance MMA
6-2
Patrick Walsh
WaiKru MMA
4-1
Favorites
The light heavyweight division definitely doesn’t have as recognizable of a cast as the middleweight bracket. That being said, the three men who are likely favorites in this field are Corey Anderson, Dan Spohn and Chris Fields.
Anderson is a former collegiate wrestler with explosive takedowns and good size. One might place him under the dark-horse category, but I think because of his wrestling and the exploitation of some of the participants’ takedown defense.
Spohn is a Bellator veteran who has greatly improved fight to fight. His experience and well-roundedness is a great asset, something that will make him an enigma when guys are game-planning him for their fights.
Fields is another representative from Ireland that usually fights at middleweight and has good experience fighting with Cage Warriors. He is a good striker who has developed his ground game and could follow Pendred as one of the best fighters in the house.
Dark Horses
The dark horses of the bracket at this point are definitely Anton Berzin and Patrick Walsh.
Berzin is a ground fighter with a strong submission style that has seen him tap out all three of his victims. He does great work from the top position but has been known to have a solid defensive ground game as well. Anybody who goes to the ground with him must proceed with caution.
Walsh is a WaiKru representative who has a good striking base that should make him feared by anybody who stands and bangs with him. He is a big 205-pounder who may struggle to stay on weight, but if he plans that out well, he can use his size to give other guys fits.
We left off with the featherweights. It’s time for the “Prospects the UFC Should Sign” series to continue—this time with the bantamweights.
The bantamweight division is a weight class in need of additional bodies that could make it better. The di…
We left off with the featherweights. It’s time for the “Prospects the UFC Should Sign” series to continue—this time with the bantamweights.
The bantamweight division is a weight class in need of additional bodies that could make it better. The division has some great fighters, but it could use some new guys.
With that, let’s take a look at five bantamweights the UFC should ink.
We left off with the lightweights. It’s now time for the featherweights.
That’s right, the Prospects the UFC Should Sign series is back with a vengeance.
The featherweight division has recently become one of the deepest divisions in the UFC. Jose…
That’s right, the Prospects the UFC Should Sign series is back with a vengeance.
The featherweight division has recently become one of the deepest divisions in the UFC. Jose Aldo is the champion, but there is a seemingly endless stream of challengers in his way of staying champ.
Mirsad Bektic and Chas Skelly were set to make the list, but they are now set to fight next month at UFC on Fox 11. That shows the UFC is intent on replenishing their talent at this weight class.
With that being said, there are still many featherweights that could be signed by the UFC.
Here are five such prospects the UFC should sign to further strengthen its ranks.
We left off with the lightweights. It’s now time for the featherweights.
That’s right, the Prospects the UFC Should Sign series is back with a vengeance.
The featherweight division has recently become one of the deepest divisions in the UFC. Jose…
That’s right, the Prospects the UFC Should Sign series is back with a vengeance.
The featherweight division has recently become one of the deepest divisions in the UFC. Jose Aldo is the champion, but there is a seemingly endless stream of challengers in his way of staying champ.
Mirsad Bektic and Chas Skelly were set to make the list, but they are now set to fight next month at UFC on Fox 11. That shows the UFC is intent on replenishing their talent at this weight class.
With that being said, there are still many featherweights that could be signed by the UFC.
Here are five such prospects the UFC should sign to further strengthen its ranks.
Note: All quotes and material were obtained firsthand by Bleacher Report through a one-on-one between Luke Harris and Bleacher Report’s Riley Kontek.
Episode 11 begins with the ride back from the fight between Kajan Johnson and Chad Laprise. Eve…
Note: All quotes and material were obtained firsthand by Bleacher Report through a one-on-one between Luke Harris and Bleacher Report’s Riley Kontek.
Episode 11 begins with the ride back from the fight between Kajan Johnson and Chad Laprise. Everyone was concerned about Kajan and his injury. With the unpredictability of fighting, we could have easily been sitting there with Kajan, had Chad been the guy who got injured. However, we were here with Chad while Kajan went to the hospital.
None of us liked to see Kajan lose or get injured, including Chad. Chad was in a strange predicament and was genuinely upset that he hurt his friend, yet fulfilling his dreams at the same time and possibly winning $25k for Knockout of the Season.
It was great to see Kajan back at the house from the hospital, initially in good spirits. Later on, it wasn’t the case as the painkillers wore off. The pain of losing set in. It was heartbreaking to see a friend go through this.
Next up is Tyler Manawaroa vs. Elias Theodorou. Tyler truly lives up to his nickname “Wild Thing,” both in his training and in his general demeanor. Kyle Noke thinks that Tyler is going to win easily. Tyler says he has no game plan. He just wants to get in there and “crack him.” Elias goofing around and wrestling with Tyler was pretty funny. The two had become friends, but Elias was calculated in his horseplay. Every time the two wrestled, Elias was thinking about the fight. Making mental notes, figuring out Tyler’s strengths and weaknesses. Pretty smart.
Tyler’s pre-fight diet was hilarious: Popcorn then French fries and tater tots cooked in oil. I joked around with the guys that I would have given Tyler some nutritional advice if he wasn’t fighting Elias. I’m not sure if it’s because he doesn’t know any better or because he doesn’t care, maybe both. Before he fought NordineTaleb, he ate a full pizza. It cracked me up when Nordine said “I lost to a f*cking pizza eater.” Obviously, the broken foot played a role in that fight, but that comment was hilarious.
Elias is motivated for this fight. He has the ability to push the pace of the fight and has no quit in him.
It was a very cool experience having MuriloBustamante as a guest instructor in the gym. The man is a legend in the sport being a former UFC Middleweight Champion and the founder of Brazilian Top Team.
I’ve had the pleasure of training with him in Brazil back in the Pride days, when the gym was packed with the Nogueira brothers, Paulo Filho, Mario Sperry and Ricardo Arona. He’s one of the guys who inspired me to start MMA. It seemed like a full circle to be instructed by him again. I kind of wish they showed a bit more of our training.
Before the fight, I predicted Elias winning, mainly due to his pace.
Tyler says that Elias doesn’t like to get punched in the head…as opposed to the rest of us who like to get punched in the head, haha. I always find it funny when people say that.
Next up was fight time. First round was mainly clinching with Elias controlling Tyler on the cage and securing a couple takedowns. Tyler briefly takes Elias’ back and Elias defends by jumping backwards to the canvas with Tyler on his back. Pretty unorthodox but that’s Elias! It worked for him although it almost gave me a heart attack.
Round two was led by a brief exchange then much of the same as round one with Elias grinding out the round. Tyler’s only success was landing a knee to Elias’ face. Both guys end up in lots of strange positions in this crazy fight.
This fight reminds me of a cartoon where there’s a big ball of smoke and hands, feet and other objects randomly protrude. When the smoke dissipates, the guy is beating himself up.
I agreed with Kyle Noke that Tyler is down two rounds going into the final frame. Round three hits the ground for a bit with Elias on top. Elias didn’t give Tyler any space and continued that until the end of the round. The fight wasn’t pretty, but it got Elias the win and he’s onto the Finals. Tyler was left frustrated.
“How’s my hair?” is all Elias said about the fight. I can identify with Tyler being frustrated in that he wasn’t able to show his skill set.
Next up is Olivier Aubin-Mercier vs. Team Australia’s Richard Walsh.
*Tune in next week to hear Luke’s thoughts on the continued tension between teams, more in-depth stories from the house, and his thoughts on the fight between Olivier Aubin-Mercier and Richard Walsh. Follow Luke on Twitter@HayabusaHarris and follow his gym @Hayabusa_TC.
