The New Blood in MMA
A look at the young talent in MMA for 2010 and beyond
In 2005 Dream’s Pride Fighting thrived but Fedor Emelianenko was still unknown outside of Europe and Japan. Chuck Liddell looked unbeatable as the UFC light heavyweight champ. Five years later MMA and the men who pushed the sport into the spotlight of popular culture are taking their last bows. Ken Shamrock is a trivia question, Couture, Coleman, Filipovic, Hughes, Ortiz are ever so close to retirement, And it is only reasonable that in this decade they are soon to be joined by GSP, Emelianenko, Quinton Jackson, Anderson Silva and B.J. Penn. While the old guard moves toward legacy status their concept of MMA remains unchanged but the prototype for fighters continues to evolve. Overall today’s fighters are better athletes and are receiving the training and building the requisite skills early on in their careers to put them on the fast track to becoming contenders.
On the Ultimate Fighter season one Dana White et al made liberal mention of the fact that UFC welterweight Josh Koscheck was a former NCAA Div I wrestling champion. Suddenly MMA gyms became flooded with former collegiate amateur wrestling stars hoping to sign with a promotion. Lyoto Machida a black belt in traditional Karate is the Light Heavyweight UFC champion and now Karate tournament fighters and kick boxers are adding Jiu Jitsu and wrestling to compliment their striking so they may enter the octagon as well. Are Brazilians teaching MMA in gym class? Since the Gracie family became closely associated with MMA and the UFC in the 1990s, waves of tough Brazilian fighters have appeared in every major fight organization. MMA’s got talent, but who are these fighters?
Heavyweights:
Cain Velasquez
27-year old Cain Velasquez is of Mexican descent and in Mexico boxing still carries the day, but the heavyweight UFC contender is an impressive representative in MMA Undefeated at 7-0 Velasquez trains with the close knit group of fighters at American Kick Boxing Academy in San Jose. He is a former Division I wrestler at Arizona State and a purple belt in Jiu Jitsu, but six of his triumphs have come by way of TKO. The list of losers vanquished by Velasquez includes Jake O’Brien, Cheick Kongo and Ben Rothwell. Weighing 265 he’s a big man but nimble as a cat. Velasquez is scheduled to face Antonio Rodrigo Noguiera at UFC 110. Noguiera’s eyes are on the prize of regaining a title belt while Velasquez faces the fire against a true champion. It is a good matchup that appears to favor Noguiera on the feet and the younger Velasquez on the mat.
Junior Dos Santos
"Big Nog" Minaturo Noguiera is lauded for his accomplishments in the rings and cages of MMA as a contender and champion but perhaps he should receive as much acclaim for his sense of judging prospective fighting stars. After all it was Noguiera who helped Anderson Silva realize his true skills and talent. Currently another countryman heavyweight contender Junior Dos Santos of Brazil is being tutored in the same manor. Dos Santos, like his mentor, is a practitioner of Jiu Jitsu currently holding a brown belt and is a talented fighter with his fists. Dos Santos' knockout power was first displayed at UFC 90 when he nearly raised MMA contender Fabricio Werdum out of the cage with an uppercut on the way to victory. Holding a record of 10-1, the majority of Dos Santos’ fights were held in Brazil, but since joining the UFC fold in 2008 he is 4-0. Interestingly his only loss in Brazil occurred against a countryman with the same surname? One good heavyweight matchup deserves another and it is rumored that if “Big Nog” finds the title around his waist Dos Santos, 25, will gladly wait his turn. However if in the next year Cain Velasquez wears the heavyweight belt it could set up an exciting title fight between two of MMA’s newly minted stars. For now the protégé of Noguiera and Silva will try to keep his streak alive when he faces the always tough Gabriel Gonzaga on the Versus UFC premier March 21.
Light Heavyweights:
Jon “Bones” Jones
It was only a year ago that former collegiate Greco Roman styled wrestler Jon “Bones” Jones wowed the crowd at UFC 94 against season 1 Ultimate Fighter runner-up and UFC vet Stephan Bonnar. After seeing Jones toss Bonner about like a room full of novice training partners everyone knew Jon Jones was on his way toward contender status. Truly a young blood, Jones at 22 has amazing potential. Standing 6’4” with an 84.5” reach the New York native combines top shelf grappling with rangy kicks and punches that come from all angles. Jones’ UFC wins have come via decision but with more training and maturity he could become a larger version of Anderson Silva. It was almost frightening to witness the ease at which he tossed heralded wrestler Matt Hamill to the mat at the Ultimate Fighter 10 finale. Called for throwing an illegal elbow, Jones lost that fight, but he left an awesome impression with his still developing skills. He will face another rangy striker in Brandon Vera on the Versus network March 21 in a matchup that should only further his climb towards contention in the light heavyweight division.
Ryan Bader
Again enter Noguiera. When the then UFC Heavyweight champ agreed to coach on the Ultimate Fighter season 8 he did not know what to expect but he did know what he was looking for in fighters for his team. This is why Ryan Bader of Arizona Combat Sports was chosen first by Big Nog that season. Picked first over Vinny Magalhaes and Tom Lawlor, Bader, a former NCAA champion wrestler at Arizona State possessed the athleticism, discipline and toughness Noguiera looked for in a fighter. He predicted Bader could win the show and he was right.
Post TUF 8 he has developed good boxing skills to compliment his heavy hands and he has been matched up with a struggling vet in Keith Jardine for a UFC 110 fight. Struggles aside Jardine will pose a threat to young Bader as a man desperately hungry for a win. A win by Ryan Bader could put him on a rung of a crowded ladder of light heavyweight contenders heaed into the Spring of 2010.
Muhammad “King Mo” Lawal
Former Oklahoma State Big 12 Champion and Division I All American wrestler Muhammad Lawal, AKA “King Mo,” was fighting in Japan in 2008 when he was photographed for an article in Fighters Only magazine. Lawal defeated MMA veteran Travis Wiuff in a light heavyweight bout. It was King Mo’s first win but he was celebrated as much for his entrance that showcased an artificially crowned Lawal striding toward the ring escorted by a bevy of Japanese beauties. Before he even earned a handful of victories Muhammad Lawal was attracting attention. Fortunately he does not rely on gimmicks and provocative acts alone to cement his status in MMA.
After college he narrowly missed becoming a member of the 2008 Beijing Olympic team, so he participated in a short lived pro wrestling league. Then he turned his attention to MMA joining Team Quest under the guidance of Dan Henderson in California.
Mat skills aside, Lawal does as much damage with his hands as all of his four fights all have ended via TKO or KO. King Mo might possibly be another Quinton Rampage Jackson only with more wrestling skill. The 29 year old Lawal is also a Tennessee native but reportedly Quinton Jackson is not pleased with “King Mo” having supplanted him in popularity in Japan. Lawal finally made his way stateside in 2009 and soundly defeated MMA vet Mike Whitehead fighting for the fast-rising Strikeforce promotion as Mo’s KO of Whitehead was executed in record time. So with rapidly improving skills and fanfare it’s a wonder if Strikeforce will keep the Lawal busy enough in 2010. It is not a stretch to say that he could find his way into the UFC in another year depending on whether he gets a title shot at the Strikeforce light heavyweight title belt worn by Gegard Mousasi. That battle with Mousasi is rumored to take place on the April 17 Strikeforce event on CBS.
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Middleweight:
Nick Diaz
Surprise! Yes past is prologue in the case of Stockton’s Nick Diaz. Scouring the promotions of up and coming middleweights Diaz leads the pack. Though his time as an up and coming fighter was seven years ago he is still only 26 and with the exception of having minor facial surgery is no worse for wear. Diaz who began his career in the lightweight division by all accounts a serious threat to the Strikeforce Middleweight crown held by Jake Shields and is the recent winner of the Strikeforce welterweight title as well. Everything hinges on his ability to focus limit his fondness for weed smoking. Winning means the elder Diaz brother can write his own ticket and travel far and wide in search of titles.
In the new decade he’s sure to be hailed as one of MMA’s premier Jiu Jitsu experts and talented strikers. Injured Patrick Cote is 29 and the clock is ticking for 30 year old UFC contender Nate “The Great” Marquardt. Meanwhile Damien Maia has little time to prove himself so a future journey back to the UFC is not out of the question for bad boy Nick Diaz.
Welterweights:
Dan “The Outlaw” Hardy
Not much introduction needed in introducing the bandy mohawked wearing Brit to the roster of new MMA stars. Spending part of his training schedule in the U.S. and the rest in the UK at Team Rough House, Hardy, 27, has made quite enough noise on his own since he defeated Mike Swick at UFC Fight Night 19 in 2009 and earned a shot at reigning champion Georges St. Pierre. Owning a background in Tae Kwon Do and wrestling, Hardy is also a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. It was a long road to the UFC for Hardy consuming all of 25 fights. In the UFC Hardy’s fights have been entertaining to watch and his prefight interviews more so. But there are many including this writer that feel his date with GSP was scheduled prematurely.
A split decision over Marcus Davis and a fight against an anemic looking Mike “Quick” Swick in which he had his man wobbled but could not finish is not overwhelmingly impressive. He has the power and is in top condition but lacks the kind of experience needed against someone as well rounded as the Canadian champion.
Paul Daley
If you want to become a better fighter then you have to fight. Apparently 26 year old welterweight sensation Paul Daley took this mantra to heart with 33 pro MMA fights since 2003. Hailing from the UK Daley fought all of his bouts close to home until 2007 when he made his way onto the Strikeforce card Shamrock vs Baroni in California where he bested vet Duane Ludwig by TKO. From there his path wound through some of the former Elite XC events losing to middleweight Strikeforce champ Jake Shields via arm bar. After a couple of showings in Canada Daley landed with both feet soundly in the UFC.
He has won enough fights by submission but undoubtedly it is the dynamite in his fist that attracted the attention of UFC prez Dana White who gladly doles out dollars for KO of the night. Daley’s fearsome fists are connected to a frame that suggests that one day he may fight at light heavyweight.
His last four fights have ended in KO’s or TKO’s and entering the UFC in 2009 has knocked out or stopped each of his opponents. Dustin Hazelett learned the hard way at UFC 108 that standing toe to toe with Daley comes at a price. As of right now the import KO machine is linked to face Josh Koschek at UFC 113. As a top contender
Koscheck will be Paul Daley’s first great test in the UFC possibly his career. If he wins he could be catapulted toward a year end title shot.
Lightweights:
Evan Dunham
Dunham’s rise in the lightweight ranks could not have been more surprising were he cannon fired. Evan Dunham first caused a commotion with a vicious Fight Night 20 submission win over Efrain Escudero that made the crowd in Virginia gasp. Where did this kid come from? Turns out Dunham toiled in smaller shows winning with slick submissions and a couple of TKOs always improving until receiving an invite to train at Xtreme Couture and then a bigger invitation to fight in the UFC. By then the 28 year old lightweight was 7-0 and his skills that include sharp wrestling, striking and a respected level of Jiu Jitusu were making his name known. Now 10-0 he’s no longer a well kept secret and has to be taken seriously by all future opponents in the lightweight division.
Efrain Escudero
You’re only as good as your last performance so naturally we have the image of Escudero on the mat hesitating to tap out at Fight Night 20 and then writhing in pain afterwards. But the proud product of Mexico will return. At 24 Escudero, winner of TUF 8 Lightweight is an excellent wrestler and has worked diligently on his boxing showcasing KO power knocking out lightweight contender 25 year old Cole Miller at UFC 103 in one of his three UFC fights. His wrestling will continue to serve him well but he needs supplement his first art with dedicated training in Jiu Jitsu to avoid the kind of humbling submissions that victimized him at Fight Night 20. After healing up look for Efrain to appear later in the summer more determined than ever. Also look forward to another clash between Escudero and Dunham in the UFC future.
Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone
26-year old Donald Ceronne is one tough New Mexico bred hombre fighting out of Greg Jackson’s camp in his home state. He is a former bullrider, Muay Thai champion and displays Jiu Jitsu skills second to none. Fighting in the Zuffa-owned WEC he is 5-2 and 14-2 overall. The rangy 5’11” lightweight has been a hair close to becoming champion losing only to ex-WEC Lightweigh champ Jamie Varner and current champion Ben Henderson. Time is on Cerrone’s side and if he is not WEC champ in 2010 one wonders if Dana White will give the signal to bring the always colorful “Cowboy” up to the big dance in the UFC?
Talent abounds in MMA’s new decade but the questions remains whether the new generation will be as dedicated or as patient as their predecessors in a still developing combative form of entertainment and sport.
By Darrell Howard
ProFighting-fans.com MMA Staff Writer