Lorenz Larkin is a naturally gifted light heavyweight who holds Melvin Manhoef-esque speed-power potential as a fighter. An undersized 205 pounder who’s fought as high as heavyweight, Larkin’s enjoyed a promising start to his career including wins against Gian Villante and Scott Lighty.

Larkin is a very talented striker who holds elite potential in his MMA standup. Coming from a kung-fu background, Larkin competes with incredibly fluidity and smoothness on his feet. His natural reaction times are off the charts, and physically speaking he’s an explosive athlete who holds fantastic speed- power attributes. Armed with a deep arsenal of kicks and punches from the outside, Larkin keeps opposing fighters on alert at all times. While Larkin would be considered an aggressive, forward pressing striker, he does make a point to keep his guard up and show intelligence on the defensive side of things. He uses his footwork intelligently, displaying excellent agility and quickness standing while alternating effortlessly between orthodox and southpaw stances. From an arsenal perspective, Larkin’s kicks and punches are equally as impressive. He throws a crisp jab, powerful hooks and crosses, and possesses excellent hand speed and punching power. From a kicking point of view, Larkin unleashing cracking low kicks, as well as snapping front and high ones. From in close he shows strong clinch control, delivering powerful knees and displaying good dirty boxing skills. Defensively, Larkin is adept at bobbing, weaving, and slipping opposition punches although he’ll need to get better at checking low kicks. At times Larkin will begin head hunting with power shots, and he’ll need to learn to pick his spots a little better.

Larkin shows good balance and improving sprawl techniques. He also possesses a great entry “shot”, a good double leg takedown, and overall shows potential in his raw wrestling abilities. Although his standup remains his bread and butter, Larkin will go to the ground to work an aggressive ground and pound game if he has his opponent in danger. Going forward, Larkin will need to continue refining his BJJ and wrestling in order to fully compliment his standup. As previous fights have shown Larkin does not present much of a threat off his back, where he can be controlled and neutralized. His progression as a grappler remains the “x” factor in his game.