There are always young, up-and-coming fighters to watch around the world. Unfortunately, most mixed martial arts fans don’t get to know these diamonds in the rough unless they are in the UFC.
That is where MMASucka.com decided to get involved to bring you this “Five fighters to watch from…” feature.
In this edition, we bring you the top five prospects from one of Australia’s top MMA gyms, Riot Vale Tudo (RVT). Based in Capalaba, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, the gym is headed by a notorious individual named Dan Enson Hyatt, who also serves as co-promoter for Aussie MMA promotion, VALOR. The gym currently boasts ten fighters, who have all strut their skills in reputable outfits such as Australian Fighting Championships, VALOR, Cage Fighting Championship, Nitro MMA, BRACE and Cage Wars among others.
In this calendar year alone, RVT’s fighters, together, amassed an impressive 14-4-1 record from their outings.
Head trainer Dan Enson Hyatt personally gave me the following names. Check them out below in no particular order:
Hyatt first made headlines in the aftermath of his relationship with current UFC fighter, Bec Rawlings, before coming forth with a story of his own to deny his ex-partner’s allegations. But how ever fans perceive it, the 26-year-old still remains, today, as one of Australia’s MMA pioneers. Along with overseeing duties as head coach at Riot Vale Tudo, ‘Da Bad Guy’ is the only active fighter in the country, presently, to head a professional MMA organization. He takes charge of matchmaking duties as well.
As a fighter, Hyatt’s only losses have come against past or present champions, most notably UFC vet Ben Alloway, and ONE FC stand-out, Rob Lisita. Having won six out of his past seven fights, the Tasmanian is renowned for his elbow strikes and flying knees all over the country. Although not official, the 155-pounder is expected to make his Mixed Martial Arts comeback under the REBEL Fighting Championship flag in Singapore early next year.
At a tender age of 18, most of us would probably be in school, studiously striving to achieve academic success. But for Christina ‘Creepy’ Tatnell, she was feeling the nerves for her first pro MMA fight – and the start, of a Mixed Martial Arts journey.
Although her debut ended in defeat against none other than the aforementioned Bec Rawlings, Tatnell has since won four straight fights with three stoppages.
Now 20, she looks to be a hot starlet out of the female Flyweight ranks in Australia and a spot on the Invicta Fighting Championship roster might just be on the horizon. Victories via decision, submission and knockout epitomizes Tatnell’s well-rounded facet but wait, there’s more: the gifted athlete garners a reach advantage over most of her opponents too.
His record may entail more losses than wins, but make no mistake that David Butt is a phenom in the eyes of many in Australia. Aptly nicknamed ‘The Punisher’ for his fierce and dangerous style, Butt, a Lightweight, has been a participant of a myriad of Australian MMA Fight of the Year accolades throughout his career. The 25-year-old is known for dishing out heavy leather, with 75% of his victories coming by way of knockout.
He’s slated to compete under the Carnage in the Cage banner this weekend, and at Eternal MMA 7 by year’s end.
‘TNT’ is truly a gem to be on the lookout for, particularly after tasting success in the Boxing circles. A two-time state and national Boxing champ with 30 victories to her credit, Taylor will make the transition to pro Mixed Martial Arts for the first time next month.
She possesses an array of explosive and technical striking skills which sets her apart from most fighters.
Taylor’s highly decorated Boxing career has undoubtedly encouraged her to see if she can replicate the same amount of success with 4-ounce gloves, and only time will tell if the 27-year-old Featherweight has made sturdy strides in her grappling game to mesh her striking prowess.
‘Pretty Boy’ Pete Smith is still learning the traits of the game at just 20-years-old and after a disappointing result in his most recent appearance under the VALOR banner, expect the young gun to return to the win column soon enough. With just 12 months of training experience under his belt, Smith has already garnered knockout power in his punches and kicks, and thus far, has seemingly adapted to the Mixed Martial Arts billing rather meticulously.
While not confirmed, he is expected to move to 155-lbs in the future.
