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Weightclass: Light Heavyweight
From: USA
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Since turning pro in late 2008, Phil Davis has quickly risen through the prospect ranks and firmly established himself as one of the sport's most promising fighters. An elite level collegiate wrestler, Davis entered the sport after a stellar career at Penn State where he was a four-time Division I All-American and 2008 National Champion. He's continued working diligently on rounding out his ground game since, capturing a No-Gi BJJ World Championship in 2009 in the blue belt division. In his first two fights in the UFC, Davis has dominated former WEC Light Heavyweight Champ Brian Stann and submitted Swedish prospect Alexander Gustafsson with a beautiful anaconda choke. Although he'll need to continue focusing on his standup, Davis is a terrific athlete with tremendous fight instincts and he has a chance to develop into a very special fighter for years to come.
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Weightclass: Welterweight
From: Quesnel, British Columbia, Canada
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Rory MacDonald is a “new breed” welterweight whose road to mixed martial arts didn't come as a result of his strength or credentials in any single discipline. Instead the twenty one year old BC product dove headfirst into his MMA training, and his overall progression has been nothing short of excellent. MacDonald shows tremendous versatility in his game with strong wrestling, slick submission skills and dangerous standup abilities. He's also proven to be a remarkably intelligent and grounded fighter, evidenced by his post fight interview at UFC 115 when he suffered the first loss of his career to Carlos Condit. MacDonald is a superbly talented, committed, and mentally strong athlete who should develop into an impact top ten welterweight within 1-2 years.
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Weightclass: Welterweight
From: Cedar Rapids, Iowa, USA
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Ben Askren was an outstanding amateur wrestler prior to pursuing a career in mixed martial arts. While attending the University of Missouri, Askren would capture the Dan Hodge Trophy twice (only the second wrestler to ever do so), earn NCAA Division I All-American honours four times and win two National Championships (he was also a two-time runner up) amongst countless other titles and accomplishments. He'd go on to represent the United States at the 2008 Olympic Games before joining one of the top camps in the sport, American Top Team. There he's worked very diligently on rounding out his grappling arsenal and currently holds a purple belt in BJJ. In 2010, Askren easily won Bellator FC's season two Welterweight Grand Prix by defeating three opponents, including Dan Hornbuckle. His striking will definitely need work and his guard play is untested, but Askren is committed to the sport and appears well on his way to a prosperous career in the welterweight division.
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Weightclass: Welterweight
From: St. Louis, Missouri, USA
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Tyron Woodley is a terrific athlete who turned to MMA after a very successful amateur wrestling career. A two-time Division I All-American, Woodley has the explosive wrestling and takedown style that has traditionally transferred over successfully to mixed martial arts. Training at American Top Team he's continued working on his overall game, and shown the potential to develop into an above average athlete in every area of the fight game. Strikeforce has been extremely patient in their handling of Woodley's development and it appears he may now be ready to take a big step forward in his career. Woodley's talent level is undeniable, and 2011 could very well be the year he establishes himself as a major player in the welterweight division.
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Weightclass: Light Heavyweight
From: Brazil
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Roger Gracie is easily the most decorated Jiu Jitsu player in MMA today. Amongst his many accomplishments, Gracie is an incredible fourteen-time Jiu Jitsu World Champion and three-time ADCC Submission Wrestling World Champion. His pure jiu jitsu game is the very best on the planet and there are few, if any heavyweights in the world that could last with him on the mat. Gracie's also shown improving striking ability, most recently against Kevin Randleman during his May 2010 Strikeforce debut. If Gracie fully committed himself to his MMA training, he's the kind of the talent that could find himself a permanent top ten fixture within a year or two. The problem is that Gracie is very committed to his grappling career and has fought very sporadically (three fights) over the last four and a half years. If he decides to make a serious run in the division, Gracie's poised to make a lasting impression in the sport.
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Weightclass: Featherweight
From: Hanford, California, USA
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Chad Mendes is a gifted athlete and former two-time All-American wrestler at Cal Poly San Luis-Obispo. Although Mendes will need to continue working on his striking and BJJ, in the past five months he's established himself as the most promising fighter in the WEC's featherweight division. His combination of raw strength, wrestling pedigree and explosive athleticism makes for an intriguing prospect with mammoth upside. As part of Team Alpha Male, Mendes has also found a camp that is very well suited to cultivating talent in the lower weight classes (Urijah Faber, Joseph Benavidez). Look for Mendes to continue establishing himself as a featherweight contender, and possibly have cracked the top ten by the end of 2011.
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Weightclass: Featherweight
From: Porterville, California, USA
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Joe Soto made his mark in 2009 when he steamrolled through three opponents over the course of three months to win Bellator FC's inaugural featherweight grand prix. Since then, he's continued running through challengers with two consecutive stoppages. A former NJCAA All-American wrestler, Soto is a tenacious featherweight who shows solid potential in every area of his game. Of his nine career victories, one has come by decision, four via TKO, and four by submission - one of which was by gogoplata. Soto is young, tough, athletically gifted, and comes from a solid base. He's committed to his craft, developing at a good rate and ready to take the next step in his progression right now.
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Weightclass: Welterweight
From: Harlem, New York, USA
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After capturing Bellator FC's Welterweight Championship last June, Lyman Good has sat on the sidelines waiting to defend his title. With Bellator's second welterweight tournament wrapping up, Good's opponent has been set (Ben Askren) and he's ready to take the next step in his development. Known for his athletic abilities, strong striking, and enormous size, Good has the raw ingredients necessary to develop into an elite welterweight. Although he will need to focus on his ground game, Good's shown great potential in his raw wrestling game as well as strong ground and pound capabilities. The progression Good's made in the last year should give a better indication of where he stands in terms of his development, but it's not out of the realm of possibility to see his name surface as a top ten contender at some point in the near future.
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Weightclass: Bantamweight
From: Washington, DC, USA
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Mike Easton is a bantamweight standout ready to take a step up in competition. A gifted athlete, Easton's raw talent is prevalent every time he enters the cage. `His technical skills are also very solid, as he's placed third at the Mundials (as a brown belt) and holds a black belt in jiu jitsu under the very well respected Lloyd Irvin. Although he is a grappler by trade, Easton's proven to be a lethal striker on his feet. He packs incredible punching power for his weight, and a deep, diverse striking repertoire that makes him dangerous from any position, and any time the bout is kept standing. Easton's a polished product poised to take the next step in his progression; all he needs now is the right organization and appropriate matchups
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Weightclass: Bantamweight/Featherweight
From: Brazil
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Since losing his pro debut back in 2005, Renan Barao has reeled off twenty three straight victories in establishing his status as one of the top Brazilian prospects on the planet. Training out of Nova Uniao, Barao is a BJJ brown belt who possesses a good sprawl and a solid ground game. He excels on his feet where he shows excellent instincts, strong boxing, and a dangerous kicking game. Originally competing at 145 pounds, Barao made the decision to drop to bantamweight after signing with the WEC. He's an advanced prospect who shows versatility throughout his game, and could crack the upper echelons of the division as soon as he gets the chance to do so.
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Weightclass: Welterweight
From: Brighton, England
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After a strong showing through his first four fights in the octagon, John Hathaway is now 14-0 and one of top prospects in the UFC. He holds a dominating victory over Diego Sanchez, and at twenty two years of age is improving at an excellent rate. He's a strong wrestler with good ground and pound, conditioning and an ever improving standup game. Like many European fighters, Hathaway will need to continue proving his wrestling can match up with his American counterparts without ignoring the other aspects of his game. Hathaway is also no longer an unknown commodity and only figures to get tougher fights from here on out. A possible future title contender, Hathaway is quietly emerging as the top British prospect in the sport and could get a chance to crack the top ten as early as next year.
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Weightclass: Welterweight
From: Ada, Oklahoma, USA
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Johny Hendricks continues making a successful adjustment to MMA with eight consecutive victories since turning pro back in 2007. A high calibre wrestler, Hendricks was a four-time NCAA Division I All-American, two-time National Wrestling Champion, and three-time Big 12 Conference Champion at Oklahoma State University. He's hard working, fights out of an excellent camp and appears committed to making the most of his chance in the UFC. Although he's progressed nicely as a fighter, his striking, BJJ and submission skills remain areas of his repertoire that are still relatively untested. What isn't questionable is that Hendricks' is a superbly talented collegiate wrestler competing in a division that's dominated by top level grapplers. The UFC has been quite patient with Hendricks' development, but if he keeps winning it's only a matter of time before he'll get his shot at a division contender.
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Weightclass: Welterweight
From: Akureyri, Iceland
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Iceland's top prospect, Gunnar Nelson has continued taking huge strides in developing his grappling game. By the age of twenty one, Nelson had already earned his BJJ black belt from Renzo Gracie, captured a silver medal at the 2009 BJJ World Championships (as a brown belt), and finished fourth at the 2009 ADCC Submission Wrestling Championships in the absolute division – which included a win over former UFC heavyweight title contender and former ADCC Champion Jeff Monson. In that same time Nelson's compiled a perfect 6-0-1 MMA record, showing versatility and well rounded potential in his victories. Like many young fighters, Nelson still has quite a bit of maturing to do physically, and his MMA game remains green. His talent however is undeniable, and he's still on track to make an impact at the pro level in the future.
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Weightclass: Bantamweight
From: Modesto, California, USA
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Michael McDonald is part of the MMA youth movement that has really picked up in recent years. At just nineteen years of age, McDonald has already scored two stunning victories over former WEC standouts, in stopping Manny Tapia and knocking out Cole Escovedo. He's an intelligent, athletic fighter who's not biased towards any particular discipline, having shown well rounded abilities in finishing every single one of his opponents early in his career. What's most impressive about McDonald is that despite his age and capacity for further growth, he's already a very competent fighter who's ready for a step up in competition. It couldn't hurt for McDonald to continue getting experience under his belt, but he's already poised to make his mark - possibly in the very near future.
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Weightclass: Heavyweight
From: Appleton, Wisconsin, USA
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While Cole Konrad is quite green and has a lot of developing left to do, he does come to the sport with tremendous size and excellent amateur wrestling credentials. He's a four-time Division I All-American, two-time National Champion, and three-time finalist who wrestled at 285 pounds throughout college. Konrad now serves as a main training partner to heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar, and that time together can only help Konrad in his future. He does have issues in his game that need to be addressed going forward, with his striking and pure athletic abilities raising questions amongst critics. Nevertheless, there's few, if any fighters in the division that possess the kind of wrestling pedigree Konrad does. The next couple of years will be vital to his development, but Konrad is a potential impact player in heavyweight division down the road.
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Weightclass: Featherweight/Lightweight
From: Florida, USA
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Pat Curran's enjoyed a breakthrough campaign through the first half of 2010. Although he was a dark horse entering Bellator's Lightweight Tournament, Curran left as the tournament champion after posting three consecutive victories over very respectable lightweights (including former UFC poster boy Roger Huerta). Curran's a wrestler by trade whose shown fantastic upside in his striker. He's a fast, precise striker who shows good diversity, flow and power to his standup game. Training alongside his cousin Jeff Curran, Pat continues making progress in his grappling and jiu jitsu games. With the growth he's shown in the last six months and a future bout with Eddie Alvarez guaranteed, it's definitely within possibility to see Curran knocking on the door of many top ten lists by the end of 2010.
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Weightclass: Heavyweight
From: Evansville, Indiana, USA
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Todd Duffee wasted no time in making his name known to casual MMA fans, scoring the fastest knockout in UFC history during his octagon debut. A gigantic new age heavyweight, Duffee's blessed with a scary combination of size, athleticism and world class training. He's progressed at a very steady rate and shown excellent potential in his striking and raw wrestling abilities. Although he did stumble in his sophomore bout in May, Duffee was putting on a dominating performance prior to getting knocked out. Given his size, strength and agility, Duffee does hold considerable upside as a future impact player in the heavyweight division.
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Weightclass: Featherweight
From: Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil
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2010 saw Patricio Freire finally make his North American debut competing in Bellator FC's second featherweight tournament. Long regarded as one of Brazil's best prospects, Freire showed that his skills were well suited to the North American game in defeating Will Romero and Wilson Reis before falling to Joe Warren in the finals. A versatile, well rounded fighter, Freire is capable of finishing the fight with his striking and submissions skills. He's a gifted athlete with a strong technical standup game, superb knockout potential and legitimate black belt level BJJ ground skills. As past years have shown, there is definitely an adjustment period for fighters as they make their way stateside. Freire appears to be making the transition well, and training with one of the top camps in Brazil is poised to make his mark in the sport in the near future.
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Weightclass: Bantamweight
From: Brazil
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Competing in the Shooto organization, Eduardo Dantas is a rising star in the bantamweight division. He's a strong grappler who's shown no aversion to the standup game, and his potential is that of a dangerously versatile fighter. Training out of Nova Uniao, Dantas is backed by one of Brazil's best teams that will surely aid in his future development. At twenty one years of age Dantas does have quite a bit of maturing left to do (both physically and technically), but he's well ahead of the learning curve and only scratching the surface of what his true potential holds. Look for Dantas to continue gaining experience in Japan and Brazil before making a move to North America, possibly as early as next year.
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Weightclass: Lightweight
From: Sao Paulo, Brazil
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Charles Oliveira is set to make his mark in North America after signing with the UFC in early 2010. At Just twenty years of age, Oliveira's already armed with a strong submission game and rapidly developing standup, while showing a remarkable learning curve early in his career. Oliveira's overall game shows tremendous fluidity and he fights with poise beyond his years. Like many imports, Oliveira will need to take some time to adjust to the cage and North American brand of fighting. His wrestling and takedown defense will play pivotal roles in his continued development and success in the UFC, but his talent level is undeniable. Oliveira's versatility and offensive instincts suggest the lightweight should continue progressing into a strong submission-striker hybrid.
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Weightclass: Lightweight
From: Nova Friburgo, Brazil
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Edson Barboza is a fantastic lightweight talent known for his explosive muay thai game and dangerous knockout power. Barboza's a dynamic, offensive striker who possesses a complete package standing with his speed, power and raw athleticism apparent any time the fight's kept on the feet. A native of Brazil, Barboza's made the move to the United States so that he can focus on improving his wrestling and ground games. He's currently plying his trade in the Ring of Combat organization which historically has produced many solid UFC competitors. From an athletic standpoint, Barboza is supremely gifted with his raw talent and style of fighting comparable to Jose Aldo. He'll need to continue working on his ground skills and shoring up his defensive game, but the sky is the limit for Barboza going forward.
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Weightclass: Middleweight
From: Baldwin, New York, USA
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Chris Weidman has made incredible strides in his ground game since graduating from Hofstra University. An exceptional wrestler, Weidman was a four time Collegiate All-America; twice at both the Junior College and NCAA Division I levels. Since then he's focused heavily on his technical ground skills, and picked up the jiu jitsu and submission side of things at an alarming rate. Weidman qualified for the 2009 ADCC finals despite having less than a year of formal BJJ training under his belt, and he holds immense potential in his ground game given his wrestling background and rapidly developing jiu jitsu skills. He'll need to improve his striking, but All-American wrestlers with top notch jiu jitsu skills are difficult matchups for anybody (see Jake Shields) and that's the potential Weidman holds as an MMA fighter.
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Weightclass: Heavyweight
From: Fort Wayne, Indiana, USA
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In his four years as a pro, Dave Herman's proven he's a talented fighter who's blessed with the raw talent to succeed in the sport. He's a former Division I wrestler with a strong clinch game, and he's shown good striking power and ground and pound abilities. Additionally, Herman is extremely athletic and he's earned a good deal of experience with eighteen professional bouts already under his belt. Although Herman's talents are unquestionable, his technical skills remain very green. He's still raw, and because of that there's still tons of room left for further growth. Thus far, Herman's relied heavily on his raw talent but that will only get him so far. If he buckles down and focuses on his technical game, Herman has a realistic shot at developing into a top ten fighter within a couple of years.
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Weightclass: Middleweight
From: Santa Cruz, California, USA
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Luke Rockhold's development continues to come along nicely and he's now earned six straight first round stoppages in the Strikeforce cage. Rockhold is a slick grappler who makes up for his shortcomings as a wrestler with a strong guard and aggressive submission game. His standup game is coming together nicely training at the American Kickboxing Academy, as Rockhold is blessed with very good reach, good power and strong clinch skills. Rockhold's currently the top middleweight prospect under Strikerforce's banner, and the coming year will be incredibly important to his development as a fighter. Expect Rockhold to be challenging for a top ten spot as soon as the first half of 2011.
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Weightclass: Welterweight
From: Tacoma, Washington, USA
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UFC prospect Rick Story continues making strides with his development. In his two years in the promotion, Story's earned a reputation for his ultra-aggressive, offensive style of game. Physically he's a powerful athlete with a good wrestling background who shows potential in his ground and pound and burgeoning power-submission abilities. As is the case with many wrestlers, Story will need to work on his guard and polish off his defensive game. He is however tough, hard working and committed to his craft. With continued focus on the technical aspects of his game, Story should prove to be a competitive upper-echelon welterweight fighter.
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Weightclass: Welterweight
From: Neville, Ohio, USA
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Strikeforce's blue-chip welterweight prospect, twenty eight year old Roger Bowling appears to be on the right track in his development as a mixed martial artist. He's an exceptional athlete who's blessed with the natural attributes to turn into a physical force in the division. Bowling's armed with fast hands, improving kicks and tremendous knockout power. Although he doesn't come from a wrestling background, Bowling's mat game and takedowns have progressed at a very strong rate. He's still relatively raw and will need to work on improving his jiu jitsu and submission skills, but Bowling's talent level is undeniable and his ceiling is sky high. Bowling should get plenty of chances to assert himself competing in Strikeforce, so look for him to get his first real shot at a top ten competitor by the end of 2011.
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Weightclass: Welterweight
From: Santa Cruz, California, USA
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Quinn Mulhern's submission savvy has seen him take the reigns as King of the Cage's top welterweight prospect and not look back. 2010 has been a turning point for Mulhern, as he's secured four consecutive stoppage victories and captured the King of the Cage Welterweight title. A very slick, dangerous submission grappler, Mulhern is incredibly proficient at fighting on the mat. He has an excellent guard game, long flexible legs, and an unorthodox yet very effective arsenal of sweeps and submissions. He'll need to improve his striking game, but the development Mulhern's shown over the past eight months is very encouraging. If he gets the rest of his MMA game up to par with his submission skills, Mulhern should develop into a formidable welterweight for years to come.
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Weightclass: Welterweight
From: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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Canadian promotions MFC and TFC have been very prudent with their handling of Ryan Ford thus far. As a result, he has had the opportunity to develop his game in Canada for the past three years without being thrown in against top competition before he's ready. So far Ford's shown he's an outstanding athlete who's blessed with superb raw talent, speed and freakish power. Although he has progressed, Ford's gotten accustomed to simply overwhelming opponents using his natural athletic abilities and his technical game hasn't quite caught up. He's also dealt with personal and legal issues as well as having his character bought into question, but Ford's natural talent is top notch. At the moment he seems content making his mark on the Canadian circuit, but if Ford were to continue making strides in his technical game his success at the next level is almost inevitable.
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Weightclass: Lightweight
From: New York, USA
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Although Al Iaquinta does come from a good wrestling background, it's his standup game that's garnered early attention in his MMA career. Iaquinta's technical striking skills have continued developing at an outstanding rate, as he shows beautiful footwork and head movement to compliment his dangerous offensive striking arsenal. A talented high school and collegiate level wrestler, Iaquinta's also a USKBA Amateur Thaiboxing East Coast Super Middleweight and USKBA Amateur MMA 160lb North East Champion. He trains out of a recognized camp and has been very patient with his development, compiling a flawless 12-0 amateur record prior to turning pro. A wrestler with tremendous striking upside, look for Iaquinta to be competing for a major promotion, possibly within the next year.
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Weightclass: Heavyweight
From: El Paso, Texas, USA
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Tony Johnson's size-skill attributes make for one of the most unique prospects in the heavyweight division. He was a star football player in college where despite weighing over 365 pounds at one point, he was often lauded for his speed, agility and natural athletic abilities. Johnson's been clocked running a sub five second forty yard dash, and he is former Division I All-American and High School State Champion Wrestler. He has a lot of work to do on his striking and BJJ games, but Johnson's natural talent is obvious and he does train with American Top Team. Johnson is currently the King of Cage Heavyweight Champion and if he continues improving his overall game it's possible he could find himself in a major promotion in due time.
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Weightclass: Light Heavyweight
From: Stockholm, Sweden
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A talented Swedish light heavyweight, Alexander Gustafsson's MMA arsenal consists of dangerous striking power, an underrated wrestling game and strong ground and pound capabilities. His style of fighting's well suited for the cage and he aggressively looks to finish each of his bouts. Although his offensive game shows promise, Gustafsson's defensive instincts are still developing and he will need to work on his jiu jitsu game and submission skills. He had an outstanding showing in his UFC debut against Jared Hammen and the next fifteen months could be a breakthrough of sorts for the talented Swede. Gustafsson's potential is that of a power light heavyweight with top ten promise. Look for him to get a chance to make his mark in 2011.
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Weightclass: Featherweight
From: Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang, South Korea
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It only took Chan Sung Jung one fight in the WEC to assert himself as a fan favourite and future impact featherweight. His offensive brand of striking brings fans to their feet, and his combination of punching power and granite chin has earned him maybe the most appropriate nickname in the sport - “The Korean Zombie”. Jung's forward pressing style was on full display in his bout with Leonard Garcia during a memorable three round war and potential fight of the year matchup. While Jung's striking has garnered most of the attention, it should be noted that Jung's also a good grappler with a strong fundamental understanding of the MMA ground game. Although Jung will need to work on his defensive game, he's already a polished featherweight who holds a win over Michihiro Omigawa. Look for Jung to get an opportunity to crack the upper levels of the division in the very near future.
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Weightclass: Welterweight
From: Brazil
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Another young, well rounded and athletically gifted fighter out the American Top Team camp, Yuri Villefort has seen his stock rise meteorically in his first year as a pro. At nineteen years of age, Villefort's already shown excellent instincts on the mat and the ability to finish in explosive fashion standing. He's a tremendous athlete who's backed by one the best MMA teams on the planet, and he continues developing his game in a steady manner. As a fighter he still has plenty of maturing left to, but he's committed himself to his craft and training on a full time basis. You can expect Villefort to continue gaining experience in the some of the smaller promotions for the next couple of years, but he's a future impact welterweight with sky high long term potential.
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Weightclass: Middleweight
From: New York, New York, USA
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Uriah Hall's stock is quickly on the rise. Since making a permanent move to mixed martial arts in 2009, the former World Combat League standout has steamrolled through three opponents in impressive fashion. Athletically, he's a tremendously gifted fighter whose natural speed and power is quickly evident when watching him compete. Especially dangerous on his feet, Hall's a strong middleweight striker whose vast natural talents are combined with confident, technical abilities standing. He does have issues with his game that will need to be addressed at some point, as his grappling instincts are still green and will require work. He'll need to continue acclimating himself to the MMA game, but Hall's potential is that of an impact middleweight fighter.
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Weightclass: Lightweight/Welterweight
From: Russia
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Magomed Shikshabekov was set to make his North American debut in June, but visa issues kept the Russian welterweight off Strikeforce's card. Until that issue is resolved, the M-1 veteran is left sitting on the sidelines although he remains committed to fighting in the United States before the end of 2010. A strong sambo and pankration fighter, Shikshabekov is a skilled grappler with a good standup game. His versatile fighting style makes him dangerous at any point in the fight, and he has compiled a 7-0 record by finishing all of his opponents inside the first round. There are some size concerns about Shikshabekov competing at welterweight, but as of yet those haven't negatively impact his game. With Magomed determined to bring his game stateside, he has a chance to make an impact in the division as early as 2011.
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Weightclass: Lightweight
From: Tychy, Poland
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Poland's prized lightweight prospect, Marcin Held has continued making significant strides in his development as he's gained experience and matured. After dropping a controversial decision to Lukasz Sajewski in May, Held rebounded less than one month later by stopping Cage Rage and Pride veteran Jean Silva in early June. Held's a slick grappler with strong submission skills and developing standup. He's been extremely patient in his development and continues to impress on the European circuit. Given his age and experience, Held's learning curve has been excellent and he's light years ahead of most at this age. He'll need to cut his teeth in the smaller promotions for a while, but Held has the talent to be a formidable lightweight in a major promotion.
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Weightclass: Lightweight
From: Coro, Falcon, Venezuela
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Although Maximo Blanco is still green, he projects as a future power lightweight having shown strong wrestling, powerful takedowns, good ground and pound, and impressive raw punching power. He possesses strong amateur wrestling credentials - including a Pan-Am's bronze medal, and his physically imposing, ultra offensive brand of fighting is always entertaining. Going forward, Blanco will need to focus on his technical skills and learn to control his emotions better in fight. In 2010 he's gotten off to a good start with two big wins (Chang Hyun Kim, Rodrigo Damm), and the next year will be a critical time in his development. Blanco has a chance to become an important lightweight competitor by late 2011 - early 2012.
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Weightclass: Middleweight
From: Salvador da Bahia, Brazil
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Bruno Santos deviates from the prototypical Brazilian fighter in that he's a strong wrestler who loves utilizing his ground and pound. He's armed with powerful takedowns, good ground control, sound submission instincts and excellent conditioning. While he is unproven, Santos' style is one that is well suited to the North American game. He will need to focus on his striking and continue gaining experience, but at twenty three years of age Santos has plenty of time to develop his arsenal. With continued progress, Santos could prove to be a significant, UFC calibre middleweight within a couple of years.
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Weightclass: Welterweight
From: Sao Paulo, Brazil
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With just five pro bouts to his record, Andre Galvao's already competed for both Dream and Strikeforce in his first three years as a fighter. An elite level competitor in the grappling world, Galvao is a multiple time BJJ World Champion, and ADCC medalist who's widely regarded as one of the best pound for pound grapplers on the planet. He possesses a lethal submission game, beautiful ground skills, and the technical ability to finish almost anyone in the division on the mat. Like many BJJ players, Galvao will need to continue maturing as a mixed martial artist by putting work into his striking and takedowns. Given more time to develop, Galvao is potentially a top level welterweight fighter.
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Weightclass: Welterweight
From: Sandefjord, Norway
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Simeon Thoresen is the top Norwegian prospect in MMA. An agile welterweight with a good grappling game and slick submissions, Thoresen will need to concentrate on his wrestling if his ultimate goal is to make his mark in North America. For now, Thoresen appears content with biding his time overseas where he has been tearing through the British circuit. A Joachim Hansen protégé, Thoresen is an agile welterweight whose finesse style of fighting definitely gives a European feel to his game. If he keeps going the way he has, it's inevitable that Thoresen will eventually make his way across the Atlantic to try and crack to the upper echelons of the welterweight division.
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Weightclass: Featherweight
From: Moscow, Russia
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Like fellow Armenian Gegard Mousasi, Georgi Karakhanyan is an offensively gifted fighter who always looks to finish. He's a strong grappler who combines a good submissions game with explosive striking potential on his feet. A participant in Bellator's second featherweight tournament, Karakhanyan showed glimpses of his star potential with his tremendous knockout win over Bao Quach. That tournament also highlighted the weaknesses in Karakhanyan's game, as his inexperience in the wrestling department cost him his semi-final matchup against Joe Warren. The tournament overall was a good learning experience for Karakhanayan, whose offensive instincts and exciting style have him poised as a potential breakout candidate for 2011.
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Weightclass: Lightweight
From: Chechen Republic, Russia
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Mairbek Taisumov's stock is rapidly on the rise. The M-1 prospect has already reeled off four straight win this year, showing well rounded abilities in the process. Taisumov possesses a quality submission game, excellent ground and pound abilities, and shows outstanding potential in his striking. He does have a freestyle wrestling background, and despite showing a good sprawl as well as a competent overall wrestling game, he is far from tested against top competition. Still twenty one, if his wrestling abilities continue progressing to the point where he can match up with his North American counterparts, his success in the division is almost inevitable. For now, Taisumov appears content in gaining experience and making his mark fighting in Europe.
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Weightclass: Heavyweight
From: USA
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Heavyweight Chad Corvin is ready to take to the main stage after signing with the UFC in early 2010. Although he comes from a wrestling background, Corvin appears to have found his comfort zone on the feet where he's shown tremendous raw punching power. At 6'5” tall, he's a physically imposing heavyweight who hasn't let even one of his six pro fights make into the second minute. Given his size, knockout power, and ability to finish, the stylistic similarities between he and Shane Carwin are obvious. Also similar is that aside from his wrestling background and power, much of his game is completely untested. Corvin hasn't fought since early 2009 and is still extremely raw, but he is a potential top ten fighter down the road.
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Weightclass: Lightweight
From: Liverpool, England
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Paul Sass is part of the growing number of talented English fighters to join the UFC in recent years. Just twenty one years of age, Sass solidified his spot as one of the top lightweights in Britain by earning ten straight victories to start his career. For his age, his grappling instincts are off the charts with nine of his ten wins coming via submission. He's proven especially dangerous off his back where his long, lanky frame has aided in his securing eight of those wins by triangle choke. Like most young fighters, rounding out his game and filling out physically will be keys at the next level. He's still raw, but the UFC will likely be patient with his development so Sass should get plenty of time to develop his game.
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Weightclass: Light Heavyweight
From: Zevenbergen, Holland
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Hans Stringer continues progressing at a very steady rate. In stark contrast to most Dutch fighters, Stringer's known for his strong grappling and developing standup game. The multiple time Dutch BJJ Champion shows sound fight instincts, and appears 100% committed to his fighting career. At twenty two year of age, Stringer has really started to come on in the last couple of years and is currently in the midst of a seven fight win streak. Although he has been in contact with several major promotions, Stringer does have issues in his game that need to be addressed. His wrestling and takedown defense are still subpar, and will be major areas of focus as he moves forward in his career. Expect to see Stringer pushing for a spot in a major promotion at some point in 2011.
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Weightclass: Welterweight
From: Belgium
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The versatile Belgian is often overshadowed by the young welterweights of the UFC, but Tarec Saffiedine is a talented fighter and rising star for Strikeforce. The Team Quest product possesses a quality striking game, good submissions skills and quickly maturing wrestling abilities. He's young, tough and shows an exceptional work ethic for an athlete his age. Saffiedine's also responsible defensively, and he projects as a very well rounded fighter in a division that demands it. He continues developing at a steady rate, and should prove to be a very reliable welterweight fighter over the course of his career.
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Weightclass: Featherweight
From: Sao Paulo, Brazil
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An extremely skilled BJJ practitioner and power grappler, Wilson Reis is just one of many high calibre prospects to compete for Bellator FC. He's a former BJJ World Champion who possesses a strong, technical understanding of the ground game and dangerous submission abilities. Reis has competed in the first two Bellator featherweight tourneys, coming up short both times when matched against more versatile fighters. Although his striking does show potential, Reis' is still green and has work to do technically. Still only twenty five years of age, Reis is already a very mature grappler who with continued focus on his standup has a chance to make an impact in the featherweight division.
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Weightclass: Featherweight
From: Ushiku, Ibaraki, Japan
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Powerhouse Shigeki Osawa is just one of many promising featherweights on the Asian MMA circuit. Of the group, Osawa's combination of brute strength, athleticism and strong wrestling pedigree make him particularly intriguing going forward. A 2012 Olympic hopeful, Osawa's a former All-Japan Freestyle Wrestling and World University Wrestling Champion. Although his overall game is very raw, Osawa's strength and takedowns have transitioned seamlessly to mixed martial arts competition. He appears to have found a home with Sengoku, so in the immediate future look for Osawa to continue developing his game while competing in Japan.
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Weightclass: Light Heavyweight
From: Riga City, Latvia
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A dynamic athlete and versatile grappler, Misha Cirkunov is a superbly gifted fighter currently training out of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He enters the sport with a tremendous grappling pedigree, as his decorated judo, wrestling, and jiu jitsu backgrounds make for a very proming mix in the light heavyweight division. Cirkunov is a special athlete who's blessed with tremendous speed, power and natural raw talent. There are issues in his game, and he will need to continue focusing on his striking and cardio. The Xtreme Couture product has always been praised for his incredible work ethic, and given his vast talents, team and hard working nature; the twenty four year old Cirkunov has all of the tools he needs to be an impact light heavyweight at the highest level of the sport.
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Weightclass: Bantamweight
From: Tucumcari, New Mexico, USA
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New Mexico's Abel Cullum has fought very actively early in his career. He's compiled an 18-3 record in his five years as a pro and is still just twenty three years of age. The reigning King of the Cage Flyweight (135 pound) Champion, Cullum has flip flopped between the bantamweight and featherweight divisions in recent years, competing in Dream's Featherweight Grand Prix in 2009. Cullum is an aggressive submission grappler who will need to continue developing his standup game. Currently one of the top bantamweight prospects not fighting in the WEC, Cullum shows the talent and has the age to develop into a permanent fixture in the bantamweight division.
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Editors Note
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As a sport, Mixed Martial Arts has experienced tremendous growth in recent years. And while it has continued to expand, the structure, framework, rules and regulations that characterize and govern the sport are still developing.
We at MMARanked.com abide by a criteria when deciding who is (and who isn’t) considered a “prospect”. At this point while there are certain subjective measures in place, much of our evaluation process involves an objective outlook also.
That criteria is continuously under review and we are always looking to better our process. The list we’ve constructed is based on fighters who’ve fallen under the prospect banner according to our criteria.
While still developing, we feel that it’s imperative MMA be covered in as similar a fashion as possible to traditional sports. Every major sport has multiple publications and a foundation for judging the young talent for their respective sports. We are trying to help build that structure in MMA.
Feedback is both welcomed and appreciated.
Vikram Sandhu
Editor-in-chief MMARanked.com
vik.sandhu@mmaranked.com
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