There is no doubt that the UFC heavyweight division is thin in numbers. Luckily, the company has added two prospects to the ranks to give it some added depth.
The UFC has signed South African champion Ruan Potts and Josh Barnett teammate Jack May to the heavyweight division, the latter of which is already set to make his debut.
May, a 6’8″ behemoth, is signed on the heels of a win over the weekend for Tachi Palace Fights, where the monstrous heavyweight blasted through Strikeforce vet Carl Seumanutafa. There, after a clinch-heavy beginning to the fight, May leveled his opponent with a thunderous head kick that put his opponent down.
As mentioned, May is a teammate of Josh Barnett. The main difference is that Barnett is a catch wrestler, while May is a powerful striker with a vast arsenal of weapons.
He is 7-0 with six knockouts, all of which have happened since 2011, which was his pro debut.
May makes his debut in April at UFC on Fox in Orlando when he takes on fellow debutant Derrick Lewis, who makes his debut after an injury forced him from his original debut. It will be a battle of strikers, so don’t expect this bout to make it to the judges.
As for Potts, he was a champion in the Extreme Fighting Championship Africa promotion in South Africa, where he has posted a 8-1 pro record in his time.
Potts is a ground fighter with wrestling and judo backgrounds, so expect him to be a polished ground fighter upon entry. He has vicious ground-and-pound and surprising submission acumen.
He is most notable for being a two-time champion in the EFCA promotion and for his three-fight series with fellow South African heavyweight prospect Andrew van Zyl. He took two of the three fights in that series, with both of his wins coming via submission.
Potts does not have an opponent scheduled yet.
Both May and Potts will take huge steps up in competition by coming to the UFC, so we will see a sink-or-swim scenario. Either way, it’s encouraging to see the UFC start to pursue guys in the heavier weight class, as they are most in need of depth.
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