Season’s Greetings from the MMASucka family!
After the first edition of our UFC Prospect Watch got a bit of attention, we are proud to bring you another breakdown of the up-and-coming fighters for the coming month.
December will be home to four UFC fight cards with two of them going back-to-back next weekend (Friday and Saturday night). There will be a UFC Fight Night card, a UFC on FOX event, as well as The Ultimate Fighter 20 Finale, with the most anticipated card of the month happening this coming weekend at UFC 181, as two UFC championships will be on the line.
UFC Prospect Watch: December 2014 Edition
Even though these names are a ways away from title contention, they all have the potential to impress on a long term basis. Some fighters are making their debut, while others are trying to recover from a lousy one. Even more impressively, some of these fighters will be looking for their second win in the UFC, and they will be taking on some very tough competition to accomplish that feat.
Without further ado, here is the last edition of the UFC Prospect Watch for 2014.
Honorable Mention
Jake Collier (8-1-0)
Making his UFC debut at 26 years old, Jake Collier has been a first round wizard outside the UFC, finishing seven of his nine fights in the first five minutes (4 TKO, 3 submissions). He is riding a five-fight win streak and has only lost via submission back in 2012. While he possesses great potential and a good record, there are far too many good fighters hitting the octagon this month and Collier will have to prove himself against the veteran Vitor Miranda. If he comes away with the win, expect Collier to get a much more credible opponent in his next bout.
David “Bulldawg” Michaud (7-1-0)
Similar to Collier, David Michaud had been very impressive outside the UFC, collecting seven straight wins, finishing five of those fights in the first round (3 TKO’s, 2 Submissions). Michaud fought his UFC debut back in May and lost via split decision to Jingliang Li. Going into his next fight against Garett Whiteley, Michaud will hope to shake any UFC jitters and put on an impressive performance. He is a strong kid, has good takedowns and should be able to use his versatility against the much older fighter.
Josh Samman (10-2-0)
With a lot more experience under his belt against better competition, Josh Samman could have been a much more recognizable face had he not fought Kelvin Gastelum on The Ultimate Fighter. Though he was the heavy favorite,, he lost the fight in the first round after being taken down and submitted. Furthermore, this will be Samman’s first fight since his UFC debut back in April of 2013, where he defeated Kevin Casey via knee strikes. He has a very tough test in Ultimate Fighter winner Eddie Gordon, but Samman’s striking and experience should be considered his biggest assets heading into this bout. With his girlfriend passing away a few months ago, expect Samman to be a very emotional and driven fighter, as he tries to make his mark on the UFC come Saturday.
The Top 15
#15 – Ashlee Evans-Smith (3-0-0)
It could be difficult to argue for a UFC newcomer who has just three bouts and is now fighting in a brand new division, but Ashlee Evans-Smith has some good potential and notoriety. For the hardcore MMA fans, Evans-Smith is most remembered for her third round knockout of Fallon Fox, the fighter who headlines one of the most controversial stories in MMA. Going into her UFC debut, Evans-Smith followed up that third round TKO with another one earlier this year. Known primarily for her striking, the 27-year-old will be taking on the UFC’s 13th ranked bantamweight in Raquel Pennington. Pennington is coming off a close split decision loss to Jessica Andrade, and will be looking to use the rookie as a punching bag come Saturday night. If Evans-Smith can weather the storm and come away with a victory, expect even more surprises from this promising strawweight.
#14 – Justin “Lazybones” Jones (3-0-0)
Coming off an undefeated pro and amateur fighting career, Justin Jones is an interesting position as he enters the octagon for the first time. He has finished all his pro fights and will be taking on a very strong opponent in Corey Anderson. This will be his biggest challenge by far, and it will be interesting to see how Jones fairs against such a highly-touted, and skilled, fighter. Wrestling will be a huge question going into this fight, and focusing his training camp in that area would do him wonders with such a good grappler. If Jones can keep the fight standing, he has a good chance of pulling off an upset. With a strong performance, and and even prettier finish, Jones would likely land a huge opportunity in his next fight.
#13 – Henry “The Messenger” Cejudo (6-0-0)
Henry Cejudo comes in from the Legacy Fighting Championship where he went 2-0 and was originally scheduled to fight Scott Jorgensen back at UFC 177, but pulled out of the bout due to medical reasons. Fighting at bantamweight, Cejudo will now make his long-awaited UFC debut against another tough opponent in Dustin Kimura. Losing only to Mitch Gagnon and George Roop, Kimura will easily be Cejudo’s toughest test to date, and very good stepping stone as well. for the newcomer. He is a good striker and has been the distance in his last two fights, but he will need to work on his overall versatility to surprise the much more experienced Kimura. Expect the young Arizona-native to leap frog the division if he comes away with the victory.
#12 – Anthony “El Toro” Birchak (11-1-0)
Coming into the UFC with 12 fights under his belt, Anthony Birchak has a lot of experience for a 28 year old and has a very good matchup in Ian Entwistle for his debut. Birchak is the taller fighter and as a solid reach advantage, which could be a major factor given his solid wrestling and submission skills. Of his 11 victories, six of them have come via submission, four of which were in the first round. If he can get this fight to the ground, Birchak could very well end the fight or grind it out for three straight rounds. If the fight stays standing, this could be anyone’s night, but expect both fighters to push the pace and look for a finish.
#11 – Joanna Jedrzejczyk (7-0-0)
Joanna Jedrzejczyk is 1-0 in the UFC and will be trying to make a name for herself against a very tough opponent in Claudia Gadelha. Jedrzejczyk has been on a roll as a professional fighter and has demonstrated strong versatility in her past bouts. If she has any chance of winning this fight, Jedrzejczyk will have to keep the fight standing and use her striking skills to out muscle Gadelha. If this fight hits the ground, it could be a very short night for the Polish native. Nevertheless, with plenty of new strawweight talent making their way to the UFC, Jedrzejczyk will have to stand out from the crowd, and a win over such a tough opponent would help her make the jump to the top.
#10 – Alex “The Spartan” White (10-1-0)
If it were not for his last loss, Alex White would’ve probably made it past this list and moved on to bigger and better things. Sadly, White got paired up with a very promising fighter, Lucas Martins, for his second fight and lost in the third round via KO. The good news for White is he has already notched his first victory in the UFC, finishing Estevan Payan in the first round back in April. To try and redeem himself, White will be taking on Clay Collard, a good wrestler who does not mind keeping the fight standing as well. White is a good striker but has demonstrated some all-around skills in the past. Even with five submission victories, it would be best for White to keep the fight standing, rather than test his ground and grappling skills in the UFC. He has yet to be taken down in the octagon, which could be the deciding factor come fight night.
#9 – Yuta “Ulka” Sasaki (18-1-2)
Making his UFC debut on the China card back in August, Yuta Sasaki has been very impressive outside the UFC, losing just once back in 2011, and won his debut against Roland Delorme via first round submission. He is an excellent grappler and submission artist, which will be put to the test against a very similar fighter in Leandro Issa. Issa is a UFC veteran with a strong BJJ background. Of Sasaki’s 18 victories, nine have come via submission while seven have gone to a decision. If you enjoy ground wars, this fight has all the makings of a classic BJJ battle. Going 2-0 would be a huge feat for Sasaki in the UFC, and a very impressive win could land him on a main card in his next bout.
#8 – Marcos Rogerio “Pezao” de Lima (12-3-1)
If you saw Marcos Rogerio de Lima’s last fight, then you are likely one of those people who are not surprised by his appearance on this list. de Lima looked like an absolute tank in his last fight, winning his UFC debut with a devastating KO in just 20 seconds. Toss in the fact that the UFC heavyweight division is in extreme need of talent, de Lima looks like an absolute gem for the UFC. He has solid striking and has never been submitted in 16 career fights. De Lima will look to prove himself against the veteran Igor Pokrajac, a Croatian native who has demonstrated solid durability throughout his MMA career. It seems highly unlikely that this fight will hit the ground, so if you’re one of the many fans who enjoy a good knockout, this could be the fight for you.
#7 – Claudia Gadelha (12-0-0)
A very promising strawweight fighter in the women’s division, Claudia Gadelha has one of the most impressive records of all women in MMA and will be putting it on the line against Jedrzejczyk. Technically speaking, Gadelha is a well-versed BJJ practitioner and has utilized her submission skills throughout her career. Even more impressively, Gadelha has won two of her last four fights via TKO, with the other two, including her UFC debut, decided by the judges. She seems to be improving with every fight and is becoming a dangerous fighter in all areas of MMA. Could that have something to do with training at Nova Uniao? Gadelha is a member of the very successful Brazilian team and her hard work is definitely paying off. She has all the potential in the world and could very well be in title contention later next year. Keep your eye on her.
# 6 – Marcio “Lyoto” Alexandre Jr. (13-1-0)
Making it to the finals of the TUF Brazil show, Marcio Alexandre Jr. was an undefeated fighter heading into the last fight and had never been more than halfway through a bout. His longest fight lasted a little over a minute into the second round, while all his other fighters were first round finishes. He is a well-versed striker, with a good ground game, and trains with MMA veteran Thiago Tavares. Unlucky for him, Warlley Alves, who we ranked fourth in last month’s rankings, came out in beast mode and took the submission victory in the third round. Hoping to bounce back with a win, Alexandre Jr. will have to get through MMA veteran Tim Means, another proven striker with a respectable ground game. Given both their skill sets, this fight will likely stay standing, which should open the door for a very entertaining bout.
#5 – Antonio “Cara de Sapato” Carlos Jr. (5-0-0)
There could definitely be an argument for Antonio Carlos Junior to be higher on this list, but simply based on competition and number of fights, Carlos Jr. falls in at number five. He is another TUF winner to make it on this list and has been a highly-touted fighter since his appearance on TUF Brazil. He seems to be in great shape and will be looking to use his BJJ skills to end the fight on the ground. If the fight remains standing, Carlos Jr. has also been known to have some heavy hands, which makes him a very dangerous fighter no matter where the bout takes place. His opponent is the very promising Pat Cummins, who has been on a 2-fight win streak since being dominated by Daniel Cormier. This could get interesting if Cummins takes the fight to the ground, as Carlos Jr. has immense confidence in his submission skills. Regardless of where this fight takes place, anticipate fireworks, and if Carlos Jr. comes away with the win, expect a pay-per-view appearance by the Brazilian in the near future.
#4 – Corey “Beastin 25/8” Anderson (5-0-0)
If we are to base Corey Anderson’s abilities on his UFC debut, it’s pretty difficult to criticize his performance. Not only was his UFC debut the TUF finale, but he made it look like it was just another huge favorite against an unlikely underdog. He was pushing the pace, using head fakes, and landing extremely quick punches that seemed to catch Matt Van Buren completely off guard. For a guy who is fundamentally based in wrestling, Anderson showed tremendous improvement in his striking and was not afraid to get in close to land the big combos. While his opponent Jones may be bit tougher in the striking category, Anderson seems poised to take the UFC by storm. As long as he continues to improve his overall MMA skills, Anderson has all the makings of another wrestler transitioning into a successful UFC fighter.
#3 – Eddie “Truck” Gordon (8-1-0)
In terms of potential, there’s only so far the 31-year-old Eddie Gordon can go. However, if you consider his improvements over the course of the Ultimate Fighter, and the fact that he trains at Serra-Longo Fight Team, Gordon has all the makings of a quickly rising star. His striking is pretty deadly, as he continues to hound you until he finds an opening. His win against Dhiego Lima proved his power, while he did not have to use his wrestling skills at all. As mentioned, Gordon will be taking on another Ultimate Fighter contestant in Samman, who will be very driven to come away with a victory. On the flip side, Gordon is an ever-improving fighter and seems to be ready to take his game to the next level. I guess it helps when you train with the Anderson Silva killer and current UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman.
#2 – Joe “Excalibur” Ellenberger (15-1-0)
The only thing that prevented Joe Ellenberger from being number one on this list is the potential and age of our number one prospect of the month. In fact, Ellenberger is quite possibly the closest to moving to the next tier of fighters with a victory in December. Currently ridiing a three fight win streak, Ellenberger won his UFC debut via split decision and has not lost since 2011. The 29-year-old has a solid all-around game and will want to use all the tools he can to overcome Bryan Barberena. Barberena will be making his UFC debut and will look to use his durability and pace to over come the much more experienced Ellenberger. Ellenberger was a solid collegiate wrestler and is comfortable in all areas of the fight. With that said, starting his UFC career with a 2-0 record will help him get some attention, as if being Jake Ellenberger’s brother is not enough.
#1 – Sergio “The Phenom” Pettis (11-1-0)
While there could be tremendous backlash with regards to Pettis’ prospect status in our book, one must understand that name is not everything, and there are three key reasons why Pettis should still be considered a young and unproven fighter. Pettis is just 2-1 in the UFC, losing to Alex Caceres, is still fighting on the Fight Pass preliminaries and is only 21 years old. From what he has displayed so far, it’s very difficult to give him any status outside of ‘high-end’ prospect and brother of UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis.
If his last name were not Pettis, I doubt there would be any issues with this ranking. His two victories have come via decision but he has displayed some good striking in all three fights. He has good training partners and fights out of a very respectable camp. With that said, Pettis has all all the tools and resources to become a top fighter in the UFC, but it will be up to him to finally show us some of that “Phenom” status against a very favorable opponent in Matt Hobar.
