Issue 138
February 2016
Fighters Only’s fourth annual list of the world’s leading prospects who are all set to break out on the world stage
With both the UFC and Bellator set to schedule more events than ever this year, their rosters are full to bursting with fighters chasing the chance to make their names and a handsome paycheck. But if 2015 taught us anything it’s that if you’re good enough you’ll get your chance, and the year ahead will be similar.
Planet MMA is infested with talented chasing the jump to the big leagues who have the potential to go all the way. By following carefullycultivated career paths they are gaining experience and building their records in the smaller promotions around the world in preparation for an assault on the big leagues. Their numbers are many, and Fighters Only has scoured the globe again to bring you some of the most promising.
It was no easy task, as some MMA bigwigs appear to have stolen a look into the office crystal ball during 2015 too. Several of the ones to watch, including Sage Northcutt, were high up the list of the fighters destined for big things, but were snapped up to fight on the world stage before the turn of the year.
However, unfazed by the supremely diligent work from household-name promotions, FO continued in its pursuit of the most promising prodigal prizefighters and marked 25 fighters out for potential future greatness.
Femmes Fatales
Sharon Jacobson
Age: 32
Based: Colorado Springs, Colorado
Division: 115lb
Gym: US Army World Class Athlete Program
Pro record: 4-1
What they say: “You might expect such a decorated wrestler to stick to her ground game, but she won her last outing against Jamie Moyle by keeping most of the fight standing. She has that hardened, tough, wrestler mentality and can fight through adversity to find a way to win. Although she’s older than some of the other fighters on this list, she’s very young in her career and we could easily be talking about her wreaking havoc in the UFC within a year.”
Nick Peet, Fighters Only editor
Andrea Lee
Age: 25
Based: Shreveport, Louisiana
Division: 125lb
Gym: Karate Mafia
Pro record: 4-1
What they say: “I have to reel her in because she’d train 24/7 and fight every weekend if she could. That mindset along with her talent are what great champions are built of. This kid’s got it all. She’s got the talent, the marketability and the mind. She’s our ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone – she’s that athlete with that attitude and that’s really refreshing. She fought Roxanne Modafarri with a burst ear drum. It’s a testament to how mentally tough this kid is. You can’t train that and that’s why she’s so dangerous.”
Shannon Knapp, Invicta FC president
Alexa Grasso
Age: 22
Based: Guadalajara, Mexico
Division: 125lb
Gym: Lobo Gym
Pro record: 7-0
What they say: “You can imagine the delight when we finally got Alexa in to compete. I think that’s when we identified we really had an athlete that had the potential to become incredibly dominant in the 115lb division. She’s very young, incredibly talented, her standup is top-notch and she comes from a gym where a long line of family members are boxers. She’s a real standout – she encompasses it all. She’s very dedicated and you can tell she’s really adapted and can follow in her father and uncle’s footsteps on the boxing side. She’s definitely going to be an athlete who makes he mark on the sport.”
Shannon Knapp, Invicta FC president
Micol DiSegni
Age: 27
Based: Rome, Italy
Division: 125lb
Gym: Hung Mun MMA Studio
Pro record: 1-0
What they say: “Following her gold-medal-winning effort in the IMMAF World Championships last summer, inked fighter-model DiSegni made a successful pro debut in South African MMA leader EFC in 2015. If she continues to develop her skills and is marketed in the right way, she could be destined for huge things.”
Michael Owens, Fighters Only magazine
Colbey Northcutt
Age: 22
Based: Katy, Texas
Division: 135lb
Gym: 4oz. Fight Club , Revolution Dojo
Pro record: 0-0
What they say: “My older sister has had a couple of amateur fights and some pro kickboxing. She’s taking a break right now as she’s focusing on school. But she’s seeing how much fun I’m having in the UFC and I think she’ll definitely compete again. It would be really cool if she did – the first brother and sister to compete in the UFC. She definitely has the ability.”
Sage Northcutt, brother and training partner
Barely legal – 21 and under
Benedict Ang
Age: 19
Based: Singapore, Asia
Division: 145lb
Gym: Evolve MMA
Pro record: 2-0
What they say: “He has tons of potential and all the qualities to become a great fighter. With his work ethic and being in the right environment he has unlimited potential as a fighter. Our job at Evolve is to give him the best tools and the opportunity to become great. He has all of these at his disposal. I am excited to watch him grow as a fighter and mature into one of the world’s best.”
Heath Sims, Evolve MMA head coach
Ffion Davies
Age: 21
Based: Wales, UK
Division: 125lb
Gym: Rob Taylor Academy
Pro record: 1-0
What she says: “Like Ronda Rousey, I come from a judo background. I’ve got the standup but I’m confident I can take people to the ground. I want to be able to submit them and I want my grappling to be my main weapon. I’ve noticed in the strawweight division a lot of the grappling isn’t extremely high-level. It’s no rush to get to the UFC, because when I get there I want to stay there. Invicta would be a great place to go and get some experience.”
Ffion Davies, judo black belt
Kaue Fernandes
Age: 20
Based: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Division: 155lb
Gym: Nova Uniao
Pro record: 2-0
What they say: “In Nova Uniao there’s lots of good talent, but one kid I can see becoming a champion is Kaue Fernandes. He’s aggressive, good at kickboxing, good on the ground. He’s only had two fights so far, but in a while you’ll see this kid shining. When I stop fighting, I hope to see someone from my gym following my footsteps.”
José Aldo, former UFC featherweight champion
Angela Lee
Age: 19
Based: Waiphu, Hawai
Division: 115lb
Gym: Evolve MMA
Pro record: 4-0
What they say: “Angela has incredible warrior fighting spirit. She’s the total package. She has trained in all aspects of MMA from the very beginning and doesn’t have habits and tendencies that fighters maintain even after training in MMA. Experience is the greatest teacher, so she’s improving with each fight. We are very fortunate that One Championship kept her busy in 2015 and is willing to keep her busier in 2016. I am confident she can secure a shot at the 115lb title. She has the potential of becoming a multi-division champion.”
Ken Lee, father and coach
Zack Singer
Age: 19
Based: Las Vegas, Nevada
Division: 265lb
Gym: Lundell MMA
Pro record: 0-0
What they say: “Zack cuts down to 265lb – he’s a monster. He’s helped Frank Mir and Travis Browne train for their fights and he’s just so physically powerful it’s hard to explain until you see it. You see some of the things he’s capable of doing. He’s been learning how to box and he loves it. He’s got cardio to boot and you know in the heavyweight division cardio is where it’s at. He can push on and keep developing against full-grown guys who are in the top 10 in the UFC.”
Ricky Lundell, FO’s resident grappling coach
Champions
Amir Aliakbari
Age: 27
Based: Phuket, Thailand
Division: 265lb
Gym: AKA Thailand
Pro record: 2-0
What they say: “This dude is a specimen. The Iranian Greco program had three gold medals at the last Olympics and he was part of it. Iranian wrestlers are well-honed athletes, conditioned, strong and blast through you. They’ll fight you. They’re going to pound on you. They’re really aggressive, combative, move forward and wrestle in a style Americans would like to. He clearly had an advantage over a very deep Greco field in terms of quickness and craft. Particularly in a heavyweight division, he’s got to be considered. He’s quick, strong and extraordinarily skilled.”
Mike Riordan, BloodyElbow.com wrestling analyst
Jose Mariscal
Age: 23
Based: Chicago, Illinois
Division: 155lb
Gym: Combat DO, UFC Gym Oak Lawn
Pro record: 3-0
What they say: “This is one guy who is 100% on Dana White’s radar. The UFC president was in the audience at Ring of Combat 53 in November for his Looking for a Fight show and saw ‘Machine Gun’ take a unanimous decision over highly-touted Ricardo Almeida student and two-time BJJ world champion Max Bohanan. Mariscal turned pro just weeks after winning world amateur gold, but had struggled to find fights. He took this serious test on short notice and showed he can cut it as a pro.”
Nick Peet, Fighters Only editor
Leonardo Leite
Age: 37
Based: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Division: 185lb
Gym: BTT, Blackzilians
Pro record: 7-0
What they say: “He has our titles at 205lb and 185lb and they’re tough weight classes, especially in the UFC. He’s definitely got a shot, even though he’s 37, of going to the UFC or Bellator. He pulled off a dominant performance (in his last fight). There was never a question about who was going to win. He’s undefeated, he has incredible credentials, he was able to impose his will and was dominant in every round.”
Mick Maynard, Legacy FC president
Augusto Mendes
Age: 32
Based: Glendale, Arizona
Division: 135lb
Gym: MMA Lab
Pro record: 5-0
What they say: “If we can get a dynamic jiu-jitsu player who goes for submissions then that’s a huge deal, but obviously this is MMA so you have to be able to throw punches, you have to be able to wrestle and you have to be able to mix it up. A lot of the time, if you go to the ground with these guys, it’s over. Any time you can get a submission grappler who’s that much of a sure thing on the ground it’s exciting.”
Mick Maynard, Legacy FC president
Andre Harrison
Age: 28
Based: Long Island, New York
Division: 145lb
Gym: Bellmore Kickboxing
Pro record: 11-0
What they say: “Harrison has built a significant record against some decent fighters and captured the Titan FC title against UFC veteran Kurt Holobaugh. He showed maturity to survive through some major adversity in those later rounds, and also in his dominant first title defense later in 2015 against Bombsquad’s former Bellator fighter Desmond Green. A few more wins under the Fight Pass lights could see him step up in competition again very soon.”
Michael Owens, Fighters Only magazine
Submission stars
Victor Henry
Age: 28
Based: Los Angeles, California
Division: 135lb
Gym: CSW
Pro record: 11-1
What they say: “People like Victor really put that time in, go out there and make the changes into their game. He’s on a roll because he puts the time in the gym. I could put him in (UFC or Bellator) right now with anybody. But its about building someone’s career and experience. Eventually he wants to get to the top of the food chain, and whatever route he has to take, he’ll be there. Right now, we’re putting him out there, fighting him all over the world and growing him as a fighter and a person.”
Josh Barnett, UFC heavyweight
Alex Enlund
Age: 28
Based: England, UK
Division: 145lb
Gym: Sixth Sense MMA, NEVT
Pro record: 13-2
What he says: “MMA is one of the hardest sports to call a career, so I wouldn’t do it if I didn’t think I can be the best. I know I’m head and shoulders above guys that are already fighting in the UFC. I want to continue to improve in 2016 and I believe that within 18 months I’ll be in the top 10 in the world.”
Alex Enlund, Cage Warriors 145lb champion
Bruno Azevedo
Age: 34
Based: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Division: 125lb
Gym: Nova Uniao
Pro record: 13-2
What they say: “The UFC’s flyweight division is in permanent need of new bodies to add life to its ranks, and thought he may not have the mettle to challenge champion Demetrious Johnson, Azevedo certainly has the offensive ability to cause a stir when the Octagon travels to Brazil. The current XFC flyweight champ fights out of one of Brazil’s premier gyms and is 10-1 in his last 11 contests, with nine of those victories by stoppage. Even if he can’t win ‘em all, he could certainly give fans a thrill or two on the biggest stage.”
Brad Ward, Fighters Only assistant editor
Landon Vannata
Age: 23
Based: Toms River, New Jersey
Division: 170lb
Gym: Jackson-Wink
Pro record: 7-0
What they say: “He was kind of a word-of-mouth guy. Through dealing with other fighter at his camp, I just started to hear about this kid, so I watched some footage and really liked what I saw. He had a 2015 just plagued with injuries, so he’s a guy we’ve talked to for the better part of a year, and when he finally got in, in November, he didn’t disappoint. He was just as athletic as John Dodson. He’s a dynamic fighter and very hard to deal with. I think we’ve got something special with him.”
Mark Bieri, RFA matchmaker
Adam Antolin
Age: 33
Based: San Jose, California
Division: 125lb
Gym: AKA
Pro record: 11-3
What they say: “I had a couple of losses and I had to re-dedicate myself. I took time to develop my skills so I have a well-rounded game. I’m good everywhere. There’s not a position where I can’t handle myself. I don’t have any weaknesses any more. We’re going to take a little time and keep improving. Every fight is a big fight at this point going forward and I just want to make sure I’m ready when it happens. The UFC is on my radar and that’s what we’re searching for. I could make a run at the title. I’m ready to go.”
Adam Antolin, Tachi Palace Fights 125lb champion
Pace pushers
Khalil Rountree
Age: 25
Based: Los Angeles, California
Division: 185lb
Gym: Black House
Pro record: 4-0
What they say: “We gave him a really tough guy for his pro debut and he performed great. Then he started coming on leaps and bounds. Everyone that works with him said he’s a sponge. He’s always sharpening his tools, even when we don’t have a fight for him. Then it comes down to performances. His last fight he took some shots and got cut but found his groove. It just fueled his fire and he got that guy out of there for a pretty impressive performance. Not only the KO, but coming back showed he’s for real.”
Mark Bieri, RFA matchmaker
Hakeem Dawodu
Age: 24
Based: Calgary, Canada
Division: 145lb
Gym: Champions Creed MMA
Pro record: 5-0-1
What they say: “On a tear and already with his sights on a World Series of Fighting title shot in 2016, this is one young man who is a frightening proposition on the feet. Slick striking combinations have punctuated each of the experienced kickboxer’s wins so far, as well as some wince-inducing knees and elbows from the clinch. His killer instinct is plain to see from finishes in his first five fights. Though we’ve not seen his grappling tested too much, the glimpses we’ve had are promising. He’s not easy to take down thanks to a quick sprawl, as well as superb distance management and movement. His own trips from the clinch and double-legs aren’t to be sniffed at either.”
Nick Peet, Fighters Only editor
Randy Brown
Age: 25
Based: Queens, New York
Division: 170lb
Gym: Budokan Martial Arts Academy
Pro record: 6-0
What they say: “Six fights, six wins, six finishes. This young man could be the next breakout talent from Ring of Combat. Brown has matured from promising amateur into true prospect and looks set to follow Chris Weidman, Frankie Edgar and Eddie Alvarez – who all cut their teeth in Lou Neglia’s New Jersey promotion – into the big leagues. After stepping up to four fights in 2015, another couple of finishes in 2016 could see ‘Rude Boy’ receive the call-up many are expecting.”
Brad Ward, Fighters Only assistant editor
Matthew Lopez
Age: 28
Based: Fullerton, California
Division: 135lb
Gym: Reign MMA
Pro record: 7-0
What they say: “Lopez had a standout year in 2015. He went 3-0 and stopped all of his opponents via submission, including an absolutely vicious face crank Justin Linn at RFA 31 in October. He has a background as a Division I wrestler but all he does is box guys up or choke them out. That’s not to say he doesn’t still use his base to great effect though. His overall ground game is ridiculous, relentless and straight-up nasty. He’s a pure finisher and one of the more exciting guys on the regional scene. He’s graduated from undercards to being a must-see attraction on TV, and would be a dynamic addition to the UFC’s sparse bantamweight division.”
Michael Owens, Fighters Only magazine
Andrew Sanchez
Age: 27
Based: Fairfield, New Jersey
Division: 185lb
Gym: K Dojo Warrior Tribe
Pro record: 7-2
What they say: “He’s right on that edge. We plan to have him back in action soon and if he continues to perform you’ve got to imagine he’s on the shortlist for UFC middleweights. Everyone knew his wrestling credentials (NAIA national champion) and then he started to show really good jiu-jitsu by submitting guys. In his last fight (John Poppie) couldn’t take him down and he put on a striking clinic. He’s a mixed martial artist, not just a tough wrestler, and a lot of people have taken notice.
Mark Bieri, RFA matchmaker
Class of 2015
Where are they now?
Kamaru Usman
Just months after featuring in 2015’s prospects list; the Blackzilians product became the star of TUF 21 by winning both of his fights on the show and the decisive match-up against Hayder Hassan at the season finale. His star is set to rise further in 2016.
Class of 2015
Where are they now?
Ryan Hall
Touted by super-coach Firas Zahabi as the man with the best BJJ for MMA he’d ever seen, Hall proved his quality with a thrilling grappling clinic to win TUF 22 in December.
Class of 2014
Where are they now?
Holly Holm
What more do we need to say about the new UFC queen? By dethroning Ronda Rousey to rule the bantamweight division, she’s been FO’s most successful graduate to date.
Class of 2014
Where are they now?
Aljamain Sterling
Still undefeated and now 12-0, the ‘Funk Master’ is the consensus fifth-ranked UFC bantamweight contender and will definitely have his sights set on a shot a title shot inside the coming 12 months.
Class of 2013
Where are they now?
Thomas Almeida
Flying high at 10-0 when he made the FO list, now 20-0, 4-0 in the UFC and a top-10 bantamweight with his eyes on a title fight. He’s also $200,000 better off after earning a performance bonus for each of his Octagon outings.
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