Top 50 prospects in Mixed Martial Arts
1 Phil Davis | Light Heavyweight | UFC Height: 6’2″, Weightclass: Light Heavyweight Since turning pro in late 2008, Phil…
1 Phil Davis | Light Heavyweight | UFC
Height: 6’2″, Weightclass: Light Heavyweight
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.
2 Rory MacDonald | Welterweight | UFC
Height: 5’11”, Weightclass: Welterweight
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
3 Ben Askren | Welterweight | Bellator FC
Height: 5’10”, Weightclass: Welterweight
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.
4 Tyron Woodley | Welterweight | Strikeforce
Height: 5’9″, Weightclass: Welterweight
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.
5 Roger Gracie | Heavyweight | Strikeforce
Height: 6’4″, Weightclass: Heavyweight
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.
6 Chad Mendes | Featherweight | WEC
Height: 5’6″, Weightclass: Featherweight
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.
7 Joe Soto | Featherweight | Bellator FC
Height: 5’6″, Weightclass: Featherweight
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.
8 Lyman Good | Welterweight | Bellator FC
Height: 6’0″, Weightclass: Welterweight
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 in the near future.
9 Mike Easton | Bantamweight | Ultimate Warrior Challenge
Height: 5’5″, Weightclass: Bantamweight
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
10 Renan Barao | Bantamweight/Featherweight | WEC
Height: 5’7″, Weightclass: Bantamweight/Featherweight
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.
