MMA Prospects

After some time away, FiveOuncesOfPain.com (www.FiveOuncesOfPain.com) is back the version 2.0 of its MMA Prospects section.

The goal of this section is to highlight and chronicle new talent in mixed martial arts so that casual and hardcore fans can have an idea of what to expect from the future of the sport. Additionally, we want to increase the recognition of the prospects we’ve chosen for the relaunch of this section so that you will be more familiar with these fighters when you hear their names announced on upcoming fight cards.

Our definition of a prospect is simple: a fighter who is currently flying under that we strongly feel will develop into a superstar in the near future.

There’s plenty of good young talent that we monitor on a constant basis and we intend to update this area frequently. If you don’t see a fighter’s name on this list that you feel belongs, instead of crucifying us, please educate us by sending us a kindly-worded message about why you feel a certain fighter belongs. It would help if you included video links so that we could take a look for ourselves at the fighter.

Without further ado, here is the Five Ounces of Pain MMA Prospects Section 2.0.

(note: fighters are listed randomly within each weight class)

Heavyweight:

– Shane Carwin/UFC (8-0) - Carwin has gained recent national attention thanks in large part to a perfect 8-0 record that includes victories over former IFO heavyweight champion Chris Guillen and also Miletich Fighting Systems-product and former UFC fighter Sherman Pendergarst. Carwin’s most recent victory came against Pendergarst on Dec. 1 while fighting for Sven Bean’s Ring of Fire promotion in Colorado. In addition to his perfect record, Carwin has gained acclaim because of his collegiate athletic credentials, as he was not only a Division II wrestling champion but also a two-time All-American in football. Often compared to Brock Lesnar, Carwin’s upside was too much to ignore and the UFC signed him earlier this year. He is scheduled to make his debut for the promotion against Christian Wellisch at UFC 84 on May 24.

– Jon Murphy/EliteXC (4-2) - Murphy went to Syracuse University on a football scholarship as a middle linebacker and played on the same team as Eagles’ quarterback Donovan McNabb. Murphy is more athletic than your average heavyweight and is definitely a fighter who has top-ten potential at 265 lbs. Possessing great knockout power in his hands, that power is complemented by solid ground skills that the MMA public has yet to really see in his fights. With his strong athleticism and aggressive punching, Murphy reminds many of the old Andrei Arlovski, which is a tremendous compliment. Hailing from Minersville, PA, Murphy has built up great a reputation on the East Coast and went national this past August when he knocked out Dave Huckaba during his ShoXC debut. The performance was impressive enough that it has earned Murphy a shot to fight in a swing bout against fellow heavyweight prospect Brett Rogers during EliteXC’s first-ever show on CBS on May 31 at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.

– Brett Rogers/EliteXC (8-0) - An undefeated heavyweight hailing from Minneapolis, Rogers is a big-time heavyweight prospect in the midwest who has clobbered the competition en route to an undefeated 8-0 record. Despite supporting four young children, he left his job as a tire repairman at Sam’s Club so that he can dedicate himself fully towards his dream of becoming a heavyweight champion of a major fight promotion. Nicknamed “The Grim,” the Team Bison member took one step closer to realizing his dream when he TKO’d James Thompson at EliteXC: Street Certified this past February.

– Dave Herman/EliteXC (10-0) - A former standout wrestler at the University of Indiana, Herman has been very active since debuting in professional MMA in December of 2006. Utilizing his outstanding wrestling skills along with the ability to soften up his opponents in the clinch, he has dominated his competition on the Midwest circuit. Herman took a step up in competition while making his EliteXC debut during the promotion’s “Street Certified” event this past February, where he dominated American Top Team heavyweight Mario Rinaldi for three rounds. Utilizing his tall frame, Herman worked out of the clinch often during the fight and delivered many vicious knees to the head of Rinaldi. While the fight went the distance, Herman showed enormous potential during that fight and appears to be a force to be reckoned with in EliteXC’s heavyweight division.

– Cain Velasquez/UFC (3-0) - While the UFC heavyweight division has been weakened by the departures of Tim Sylvia, Mirko Cro Cop, and Randy Couture, the future looks very bright due to the arrivals of Brock Lesnar, Shane Carwin, and now Cain Velasquez, who will debut at UFC 83 on April 19 in Montreal. Velasquez trains out of the American Kickboxing Academy in San Jose and has drawn raves from training partners Josh Koscheck and Jon Fitch. A standout freestyle wrestler while at Arizona State, Velasquez has the wrestling base needed to make an immediate impact in the UFC. While it has been Lesnar that is receiving much of the publicity in regards to the future of the UFC’s heavyweight division, Velasquez’s star is just as bright.

– Marcus Jones/Unsigned (2-1) - A Pro Bowl defensive end with the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Jones retired early from football and decided to follow his passion and pursue a career in MMA. Don’t confuse him with another former NFL player turned mixed martial artist in Johnnie Morton, as Jones is for real. You would think that a man with Jones’ tremendous athleticism would be all standup, but it’s the exact opposite, as he has picked up the grappling game very quickly training under Rob Kahn at Gracie Tampa. Jones needs to tighten up his striking but his upside is endless. Once his striking catches up to his grappling, he’ll be scooped up by one of the major national promotions.

– Bobby Jones/EliteXC (2-0) - An undefeated heavyweight with a record of 2-0, Jones first made his MMA debut on August 24, 2007 during a Fight Fest show in Ohio, where he recorded a TKO over Darby Hodge at just 0:34 into round 1. He followed up his successful debut with a second victory this past January when he recorded another TKO in the first round, this time against William Clifford. Jones is a graduate of Penn State and in addition to lettering in football for the university as an offensive lineman, he was also a member of the wrestling team as a senior after having been a state champion in high school. After Penn State, Jones played one season for the New York Giants in 2002. He appeared in 11 games that year but was eventually released. He continued his pro football career with a brief stint in the Arena Football League and was also a high school teacher. He’ll fit right into a burgeoning EliteXC heavyweight division that already includes prospects such as Jon Murphy, Brett Rogers, and Dave Herman.

Light Heavyweight:

– Rafael Feijao/EliteXC (5-1) - Feijao’s introduction to MMA was one of a kind. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira happened to be in Feijao’s hometown in Brazil on business. He was looking to squeeze in some training and asked a few locals if they could recommend someone that would be good to train with. Without pause, they recommended Feijao. Trained by his father in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu since a young age, Feijao had a basement that doubled as a training area. Nogueira and Feijao trained together and the current interim UFC heavyweight champion was so impressed with Feijao’s skills that he invited him to start training MMA with him. The rest shall we say is history… or should we say, the future? In addition to outstanding grappling credentials, Feijao’s striking is starting to make major strides under the tutelage of UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva. With Nogueira as your grappling coach and Silva as your striking coach, how can you go wrong? After having moved from heavyweight to light heavyweight, Feijao looked like a future top ten fighter while making a successful EliteXC debut this past February.

– Andre Gusmao/Unsigned (5-0) - The Brazilian native caught fire last year and recorded back-to-back wins in the IFL. During an IFL event in Las Vegas last June, Gusmao submitted Wojtek Kaszowski with a rear naked choke in the first round. Then, in September, at the IFL team finals in Florida, he knocked out Mike Ciesnolevicz with a knee at just 0:53 into round 1. Before you call the win a fluke, take note that Gusmao had TKO’d Ciesnolevicz in the second round of a fight that had taken place a year prior. Undefeated in the IFL with a 4-0 record, the UFC came calling towards the end of last year and tried to add him to the UFC 81 undercard. However, the deal could not be finalized after it was revealed that the IFL still retained an option on him. That option could be expiring soon, and when it does, don’t be surprised to see Gusmao begin an ascension into the top ten light heavyweight world rankings.

– Muhammad Lawal/Unsigned (0-0) - More commonly known as “Mo,” Lawal is a decorated amateur wrestler who has been debating on whether to represent the U.S. in the ‘08 games or transition into MMA on a full-time basis. It’s very possible he’ll represent the U.S. in Bejing this summer and then leverage any success he has into a potentially lucrative contract with a major mixed martial arts promotion in the U.S. Lawal is already planning his move into MMA as it has been announced that once his wrestling career is over that he will train full-time with Team Quest in Temecula, Calif.

Middleweights:

– Jake Rosholt/Unsigned (4-0) - The 24-year old light heavyweight is the current the Masters of the Cage champion at 205 lbs. but it appears as though his long-term plan could be dropping down to 185 lbs. As a middleweight, the talent-laden Rosholt will be a monster. A member of Ted Ehrhardt’s Team Takedown, Rosholt was a three-time NCAA Division I champion and a four-time All-American while wrestling for Oklahoma State. His ground game is already strong and he’s working on improving his Jiu-Jitsu skills while training primarily out of Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas.

– Mike Massenzio/IFL (10-1) - A former standout wrestler in college, Massenzio has adapted to MMA quickly and is without question one of the top fighters on the East Coast. After having been one of the top unsigned middleweights for an extended period of time, Massenzio is set to make his IFL debut in May as a member of Gary Marino’s Team Bomb Squad. While he’s an unknown to many, Masszenzio should have no trouble getting the MMA world take notice. It shouldn’t be long until he’s challenging for the IFL middleweight title.

– Aaron Miesner/UFC (3-0) - Miesner made a name for himself competing in various Muay Thai tournaments and earned a reputation as one of the most technical and devastating Thai strikers on the East Coast. Since deciding to compete in MMA bouts earlier last year, he’s been nothing but dominant. In spite of a pre-existing knee injury, Miesner was dominant in his qualifying match during on “The Ultimate Fighter” and just might have made it into the house had he not aggravated his injured knee. The UFC would be wise to keep Miesner under contract and bring him back once he’s healthy. If they don’t, chances are other national promotions will be after him.

– Mark Munoz/WEC (3-0) - Training under the watchful guidance of WEC featherweight champion Urijah Faber in Sacramento, Calif, Munoz has successfully made the transition from standout collegiate wrestler to budding mixed martial arts superstar. Munoz was an NCAA champion while at Oklahoma State, which is a powerhouse in wrestling that has produced the likes of Randy Couturte, Jake Rosholt, Johny Hendricks, and Shane Roller — so you can see that Munoz is in excellent company. After beginning his career a perfect 3-0 competing for the Gladiator Challenge and Palace Fighting Championship promotions, it was only a matter of time until he got the call from a major national promotion. Signed to Zuffa-owned World Extreme Cagefighting earlier this year, Munoz is set to debt on June 1 in an undercard bout prior to the biggest fight in WEC history that pit Faber defending his WEC featherweight title against former UFC lightweight champion Jens Pulver.

– C.B. Dollaway/UFC (6-0) - Dollaway entered MMA with a strong buzz behind him having been an All-American wrestler at Arizona State in 2005. He’s currently training with Arizona Combat Sports, an up and coming fight camp that features some of the sport’s top prospects all training up the same roof. After beginning his pro career with a flawless 6-0 record that included wins on bigger shows such as HDNet Fights and the IFO, the UFC decided to cast Dollaway for the current season of “The Ultimate Fighter.” Based on his strong wrestling ability and athleticism, Dollaway appears to be a strong favorite to win the show and earn a six figure contract to fight in the UFC. Before you call us a front-runner, we’ve been touting Dollaway since before the UFC showed an interest when we launched version 1.0 of this section.

– Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza/Unsigned (7-1) - We challenge anyone to name a better middleweight grappler than Souza that’s currently competing in MMA. While you try and think of one, let us remind you that Souza placed second in the Absolute Division at the invitation-only Abu Dhabi Combat Club’s 2005 world championships. An “Absolute Division” in grappling is a tournament without weight restrictions and the first place finisher that year was Roger Gracie, who competes as a heavyweight in MMA. While he’s still an active competitive grappler, Souza would make for an excellent addition to any MMA promotion’s middleweight division. While his striking still must evolve, he has already proven himself in MMA having won his last seven fights after losing his pro debut following a first round knockout by Jorge Pantino at Jungle Fight 1 in 2003.

– Paul Bradley/EliteXC (6-0) - The UFC’s loss is almost certain to be EliteXC’s game. Despite being one of the top middleweight prospects in the world, UFC president Dana White was highly critical of Bradley’s performance in his qualifying bout during the premiere for the seventh season of “The Ultimate Fighter.” White believed that Bradley relied too much on his wrestling, but what do you expect from a fighter who only had five pro fights going into the competition? The former two-time All-American is hardly a finished product, but to write him off at such an early stage of his career would be foolish. Many other top amateur wrestlers weren’t the most exciting fighters upon their arrival into MMA, as they needed to develop other aspects of their game for the first time. It seems that the expectations for a wrestler new to MMA are much higher than competitors coming from other disciplines because they are able to look so dominant right out of the gate. And dominant is exactly what Bradley has been since transitioning to MMA. Once he expands his game, he’s going to be tough to beat. Then again, he’s already tough to beat.

Welterweights:

– LeVon Maynard/Unsigned (2-0) - Maynard is a 5 Oz. of Pain sponsored-fighter so some might claim including LeVon on this list is self-serving on our part. Our official response? Get real. There was a reason why we decided we wanted to sponsor LeVon in the first place; which is that he has the potential to be a top ten welterweight within the next several years. We first encountered Maynard when he was trying out for the IFL in New York this past November. Maynard made it into the IFL’s final draft pool after dominating his competition during live sparring in grappling, striking, and MMA. A virtual unknown going into the tryout, Maynard was the talk of it by day’s end. The WKA’s national champion in 2006, Maynard turned pro after compiling an impressive 8-1 amateur record. Undefeated as a pro at 2-0, it is only a matter of time until you see LeVon fighting for a major national promotion.

– Matt Makowski/EliteXC (2-0) - Makowski is best known for his impressive amateur Muay Thai record but he’s more than just a striker as he’s worked hard to improve his all-around game. He put his well-rounded skills on display during his ShoXC debut on January 25 in Atlantic City when he fought Muay Thai standout Joe Shilling. Many had expected the fight to be a Muay Thai battle in a cage but Makowski was able to get the fight to the ground, where he finished Shilling with a rear naked choke at 4:01 into round 1. With his well-rounded skills, outstanding cardio, and aggressive striking, it’s only a matter of time until you see Makowski fighting on television.

– Eric Bradley/EliteXC (2-1) - The 26-year old middleweight was the second ever member of Team Takedown. Like his teammates, Bradley has outstanding amateur wrestling credentials. However, one thing that sets him a part if the fact that he was the National Collegiate light heavyweight champion in boxing in 2003 while at Penn State. Bradley suffered an upset against James Head at a Masters of the Cage event on Sept. 28, 2007 but Bradley’s upside is undeniable. He put some of that upside on display when he grinded out a unanimous decision against Mikey Gomez at EliteXC’s “Street Certified” this past February. During the fight, it was clear that Bradley needs to become more active once he gets a fight to the ground, but it is important to remember that as good as he is, he’s still new to MMA. We’ll see him make some major strides in the next 12 months as he continues to hone his skills at Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas.

– Johny Hendricks/Unsigned (3-0) - Yet another Team Takedown member, Hendricks was successful in his MMA debut this past September. While at Oklahoma State, Hendricks was a four-time All-American and a two-time Division I champion. In addition to being an outstanding athlete, Hendricks was known during his college days for being charismatic, which is an outstanding attribute to possess in the fight game. Currently unsigned, Hendricks is already on the radar of many of the major national promotions.

Lightweight:

– Jim Bova/Unsigned (3-0) - I was very impressed with Bova after he won the Combat in the Cage lightweight championship from Mark Getto with a rear naked choke at 3:59 of round 1 on Oct. 6, 2007. However, I became completely sold on Bova after watching him fight his way into the IFL’s 2008 draft pool during the fight promotion’s New York tryouts on Oct. 20. A well-rounded fighter with technical ability you don’t see often on small shows, Bova’s greatest attribute could be his conditioning. The longer a sparring session would go during the tryouts, the stronger Bova looked. With the CITC lightweight title and a finalist’s spot to be in the IFL for 2008 on his resume, Bova is on the fast track to success.

– Jim Miller/IFL (11-1) - Miller is a solid all-around fighter who has done nothing but win against some of the top fighters on the East Coast. His stock was so high that the UFC, IFL, and EliteXC have all expressed an interest in recent months. After the UFC attempted to add him to their UFC Fight Night 13 card in a match against Marcus Aurelio, it was revealed that Miller already had signed a three fight contract with the IFL. He served the first fight on his contract during the IFL’s April event at the Izod Center in East Rutherford, N.J. Miller showed a national TV audience on HDNet why he was such a sought-after prospect by upsetting Bart Palaszewski with a unanimous decision victory. Based on the big win, it won’t be surprising to see Miller challenging for the IFL lightweight title by year’s end.

– Andre “Dida” Amade/DREAM (6-3-1) - Calling him a prospect might be a stretch to hardcore fans because in a lot of ways, he’s already established. However, so many people in the mainstream are unaware of him, it can’t hurt to try and get him some additional exposure. Having formerly trained out of the the famed Chute Boxe camp in Brazil, Dida has a 3-1 record when competing for K-1 HERO’s with his only loss coming against Gesias “JZ Calvan” Calvancante during the finals of the lightweight GP on September 17. But there’s no shame in losing to JZ, who is without question a top three lightweight in the world right now.

Featherweight:

– Wilson Reis/EliteXC (3-0) - Only 23, Reis has been a black belt (which he received from Roberto Godoi) for several years. A world class grappler who won the brown belt division at the Mundials in Brazil in 2004, Reis has been flawless since making his professional MMA debut last year. He won his first pro bout last July, recording a unanimous decision over Baba Shegeyasu at Extreme Challenge 81. He then fought Diego Jimenez at a Combat in the Cage show last October, where he was able to submit Jimenez with a rear naked choke at 2:00 of round 1. Reis then fought former Division I wrestler Zach Makovsky at a ShoXC event on Jan. 25 in Atlantic City. The fight was expected to be close but Reis recorded a dominant victory by finishing Makovsky with a rear naked choke in round 2. Reis’ back game is strong but he’s also tough from top position as well. While he has no formal wrestling background, Reis’ takedown defense and takedown ability are exceptional and had he grown up in the States, he probably would have received a wrestling scholarship to a Division I school. Possessing all the right tools, ir won’t be long before Reis is universally regarded as a top ten featherweight.

– Raphael Assuncao/Unsigned (12-1) - The WEC features some of the best 145 lbs. fighters in the world but they don’t have all of them as there are a lot of featherweights who compete for Shooto and DEEP in Japan. And while he doesn’t fight for Shooto or DEEP, Assuncao ranks at the top of the list of top featherweights not currently competing in the WEC. Known for his outstanding submission skills, Assuncao has earned a tremendous reputation with eight of his ten wins coming via submission. His brother, Junior, has competed for the UFC so chances are he’s already on Zuffa’s radar. However, Raphael is already on the radar of hardcore fight fans across the world.

Send your recommended additions for the FiveOuncesOfPain.com prospect list to: SCaplan8 at comcast.net