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After browsing through @Paul L's Unsigned Heavyweight Prospects and @DrGlaze's Unsigned Light Heavyweights, I decided to give it a shot myself and make one about the Middleweight division, since although it's arguably the best it has ever been, some of the guys at the top are close to retiring and are just ancient.
The fighters are each going to be ranked based around their skills, meaning that the guy that I feel has the most well rounded game and potential will be at the top (duh).
1. Mamed Khalidov (34-4-2)
Height: 6'0" Weight: 183.9 Age: 36 Reach: N/A
Mamed remains one of the most dangerous and experienced fighters to have never fought in the UFC. A finishing machine, Khalidov is a threat to anyone wherever the fight goes, boasting some notable finishes over fighters such as Michal Materla, Maiquel Falcao, Melvin Manhoef, Kendall Grove, Matt Lindland and Jorge Santiago to name a few.
Next fight: Not booked.
2. Leo Leite (10-0)
Height: 6'1" Weight: 183 Age: 38 Reach: 76.0"
Possibly the best fighter on this list next to Emeev, Leo is also the oldest. A Jiu Jitsu World Champion and Silver Medalist, he is as dangeorous as anyone on the ground. His age might be an issue since he's at the point where he could call it a day at any time, his credentials assure that if he does get a call from the UFC or Bellator, he will probably do big things there.
Next fight: Not booked.
3. Trevin Giles (9-0)
Height: 6'0" Weight: 185 Age: 24 Reach: 76.5"
Trevin Giles is a Jack-of-all-trades with bricks for fists. Despite this, he frequently finds himself chasing after his opponents in a straight line with his chin up while throwing punches, and doing things like that could eventually end up with him eating a big shot that ends his night early. Where he does shine though, is in the grappling department, mixing devastating ground and pound with slick guard passes and debilitating choke holds.
Next fight: Not booked.
4. Vyacheslav Vasilevsky (30-5)
Height: 5'10" Weight: 185 Age: 28 Reach: 74.0"
Possessing accurate boxing and good wrestling, Slava is one of the most complete and tough Middleweight fighters in the world. Having already fallen short to some of the elite in more than one occassion, his future as a top MW is uncertain.
Next fight: Not Booked
5. Robert Wilkinson (11-0)
Height: 6'2" Weight: 185 Age: 23 Reach: 75.5"
A product of the growing Australian MMA scene, Rob is a tall MW that is comfortable wherever the fight goes. While he does tend to favor striking instead of grappling most of the time, he is somewhat slow and predictable with his combinations, he has proven to be tough, and if he ends up in trouble on the feet, he will take the fight to the ground and try to choke his opponent out.
Next fight: Not Booked.
6. Brendan Allen (7-1)
Height: 6'2" Weight: 185 Age: N/A Reach: 77"
A nasty grappler, Allen has quickly become one of the top Middleweight up and comers in the US. Boasting a 100% finishing rate, Brendan has never seen the third round as a Pro. So far, the only blemish on his record is a submission defeat to fellow prospect Trevin Giles, in what was a back-and-forth affair. His penchant for stoppages might get him over with fans, and also a couple of bonuses if he were to get picked up by the UFC.
Next fight: vs. Eryk Anders (7-0) at LFA 14.
7. Bevon Lewis (3-0)
Height: 6'2" Weight: 185.2 Age: 26 Reach: N/A
Explosive but undersized Striker with a glaring weakness in his clinch game and wrestling. His training with top notch wrestlers such as Jon Jones and Devin Clark has seemingly fixed that though, as he beat a very good wrestler in Sonny Yohn with relative ease.
Next fight: Not Booked.
8. Alexey Butorin (12-1)
Height: 6'1" Weight: 185 Age: 30 Reach: N/A
A highly aggressive monster with teeth rattling KO power, Butorin has the kind of pressure that could break any opponent. Coming off of an impressive win over fellow MW prospect Jake Bostwick, his call may come soon. He will need to stay consistent though.
Next fight: Not booked.
9. Oskar Piechota (8-0-1)
Height: 6'0" Weight: 188.9 Age: 27 Reach: N/A
To be profiled shortly.
Next fight: vs. Jason Radcliffe (11-2) at Cage Warriors 85.
10. Tim Williams (15-3)
Height: 6'2" Weight: 185 Age: 30 Reach: N/A
A veteran of TUF, Williams is at his best when he's on top of his opponent working for submissions or just grinding him. While two consecutive defeats to current UFC fighter Anthony Smith set him back, he has been undefeated ever since.
Next fight: Not Booked.
11. Ian Heinisch (8-0)
Height: 5'11" Weight: 185 Age: N/A Reach: 71"
A very physical fighter, Heinisch likes to get a hold of his opponents and drive them to the ground. While his way of fighting won't be very pleasing to many, especially due to the fact that he usually goes the distance, he's been adding a submission game to his already top notch wrestling.
Next fight: Not Booked.
12. Eryk Anders (7-0)
Height: 6'1" Weight: 185 Age: 29 Reach: N/A
A former Alabama Linebacker, Anders has made the transition to MMA slowly but surely. He has used explosive takedowns and crushing top control to beat most of his opponents on the mat. His striking, while unpolished, has a lot of power so even on the feet, he's no easy task. Whether he's ready for the big leagues or not remains to be seen, since his one dimensional approach will only carry him so far.
Next fight: vs. Brendan Allen (7-1) at LFA 14.
13. Israel Adesanya (9-0)
Height:6'3" Weight: 185 Age: 27 Reach: N/A
An experienced Kickboxer from New Zealand, Israel has the striking to give anyone trouble on the feet. His lanky build, however, means that bigger and stronger grapplers could give him a run for his money. The fact that he's currently trying to divide his time in Kickboxing and MMA means that we won't be seeing him in the UFC any time soon, but we could maybe see him competing in Bellator.
Next fight: Not Booked.
14. Jake Bostwick (18-9-1)
Height: 5'9" Weight: 185 Age: 26 Reach: N/A
To be profiled shortly.
Next fight: Not Booked.
15.Chase Waldon (11-2)
Height: 6'1" Weight: 185 Age: N/A Reach: 75.0"
To be profiled shortly
Next fight: Not booked.
Honorable mentions:
Alton Cunningham (1-0): Possessing teeth rattling KO power - Really, he doesn't need to do so much as graze you for you to be on roller skates - Cunningham might be one to watch due to his athleticism and young age.
Sonny Yohn (2-2): A 3 time D1 All-American wrestler, Sonny Yohn is one of the brightest prospects coming out of Elevation Fight Team. With powerful takedowns and decent control on the ground, he could give a lot of guys trouble even at this stage of his career. If he can get his striking up to par, he could be one to watch out for.
Daniel Madrid (13-4): An aggressive grappler with decent striking, Madrid is a BJJ black belt that will try to finish the fight at any time. Having gone the distance only once, his cardio might be a bit suspect. He barely missed being on the rankings due to having mostly fought and beaten journeymen, his exciting style might lead him into a contract with a big company sooner or later though.
Adam Mutaliev, Chris Bachmeier, Deyan Topalski, Ken Hasegawa, Steven Cnudde, Lance Wright, Albert Duraev, Anthony Hernandez, Karl Roberson, Kevin Holland, Marcus Sanchez, Vladimir Mineev
The fighters are each going to be ranked based around their skills, meaning that the guy that I feel has the most well rounded game and potential will be at the top (duh).
1. Mamed Khalidov (34-4-2)
Height: 6'0" Weight: 183.9 Age: 36 Reach: N/A
Mamed remains one of the most dangerous and experienced fighters to have never fought in the UFC. A finishing machine, Khalidov is a threat to anyone wherever the fight goes, boasting some notable finishes over fighters such as Michal Materla, Maiquel Falcao, Melvin Manhoef, Kendall Grove, Matt Lindland and Jorge Santiago to name a few.
Next fight: Not booked.
2. Leo Leite (10-0)
Height: 6'1" Weight: 183 Age: 38 Reach: 76.0"
Possibly the best fighter on this list next to Emeev, Leo is also the oldest. A Jiu Jitsu World Champion and Silver Medalist, he is as dangeorous as anyone on the ground. His age might be an issue since he's at the point where he could call it a day at any time, his credentials assure that if he does get a call from the UFC or Bellator, he will probably do big things there.
Next fight: Not booked.
3. Trevin Giles (9-0)
Height: 6'0" Weight: 185 Age: 24 Reach: 76.5"
Trevin Giles is a Jack-of-all-trades with bricks for fists. Despite this, he frequently finds himself chasing after his opponents in a straight line with his chin up while throwing punches, and doing things like that could eventually end up with him eating a big shot that ends his night early. Where he does shine though, is in the grappling department, mixing devastating ground and pound with slick guard passes and debilitating choke holds.
Next fight: Not booked.
4. Vyacheslav Vasilevsky (30-5)
Height: 5'10" Weight: 185 Age: 28 Reach: 74.0"
Possessing accurate boxing and good wrestling, Slava is one of the most complete and tough Middleweight fighters in the world. Having already fallen short to some of the elite in more than one occassion, his future as a top MW is uncertain.
Next fight: Not Booked
5. Robert Wilkinson (11-0)
Height: 6'2" Weight: 185 Age: 23 Reach: 75.5"
A product of the growing Australian MMA scene, Rob is a tall MW that is comfortable wherever the fight goes. While he does tend to favor striking instead of grappling most of the time, he is somewhat slow and predictable with his combinations, he has proven to be tough, and if he ends up in trouble on the feet, he will take the fight to the ground and try to choke his opponent out.
Next fight: Not Booked.
6. Brendan Allen (7-1)
Height: 6'2" Weight: 185 Age: N/A Reach: 77"
A nasty grappler, Allen has quickly become one of the top Middleweight up and comers in the US. Boasting a 100% finishing rate, Brendan has never seen the third round as a Pro. So far, the only blemish on his record is a submission defeat to fellow prospect Trevin Giles, in what was a back-and-forth affair. His penchant for stoppages might get him over with fans, and also a couple of bonuses if he were to get picked up by the UFC.
Next fight: vs. Eryk Anders (7-0) at LFA 14.
7. Bevon Lewis (3-0)
Height: 6'2" Weight: 185.2 Age: 26 Reach: N/A
Explosive but undersized Striker with a glaring weakness in his clinch game and wrestling. His training with top notch wrestlers such as Jon Jones and Devin Clark has seemingly fixed that though, as he beat a very good wrestler in Sonny Yohn with relative ease.
Next fight: Not Booked.
8. Alexey Butorin (12-1)
Height: 6'1" Weight: 185 Age: 30 Reach: N/A
A highly aggressive monster with teeth rattling KO power, Butorin has the kind of pressure that could break any opponent. Coming off of an impressive win over fellow MW prospect Jake Bostwick, his call may come soon. He will need to stay consistent though.
Next fight: Not booked.
9. Oskar Piechota (8-0-1)
Height: 6'0" Weight: 188.9 Age: 27 Reach: N/A
To be profiled shortly.
Next fight: vs. Jason Radcliffe (11-2) at Cage Warriors 85.
10. Tim Williams (15-3)
Height: 6'2" Weight: 185 Age: 30 Reach: N/A
A veteran of TUF, Williams is at his best when he's on top of his opponent working for submissions or just grinding him. While two consecutive defeats to current UFC fighter Anthony Smith set him back, he has been undefeated ever since.
Next fight: Not Booked.
11. Ian Heinisch (8-0)
Height: 5'11" Weight: 185 Age: N/A Reach: 71"
A very physical fighter, Heinisch likes to get a hold of his opponents and drive them to the ground. While his way of fighting won't be very pleasing to many, especially due to the fact that he usually goes the distance, he's been adding a submission game to his already top notch wrestling.
Next fight: Not Booked.
12. Eryk Anders (7-0)
Height: 6'1" Weight: 185 Age: 29 Reach: N/A
A former Alabama Linebacker, Anders has made the transition to MMA slowly but surely. He has used explosive takedowns and crushing top control to beat most of his opponents on the mat. His striking, while unpolished, has a lot of power so even on the feet, he's no easy task. Whether he's ready for the big leagues or not remains to be seen, since his one dimensional approach will only carry him so far.
Next fight: vs. Brendan Allen (7-1) at LFA 14.
13. Israel Adesanya (9-0)
Height:6'3" Weight: 185 Age: 27 Reach: N/A
An experienced Kickboxer from New Zealand, Israel has the striking to give anyone trouble on the feet. His lanky build, however, means that bigger and stronger grapplers could give him a run for his money. The fact that he's currently trying to divide his time in Kickboxing and MMA means that we won't be seeing him in the UFC any time soon, but we could maybe see him competing in Bellator.
Next fight: Not Booked.
14. Jake Bostwick (18-9-1)
Height: 5'9" Weight: 185 Age: 26 Reach: N/A
To be profiled shortly.
Next fight: Not Booked.
15.Chase Waldon (11-2)
Height: 6'1" Weight: 185 Age: N/A Reach: 75.0"
To be profiled shortly
Next fight: Not booked.
Honorable mentions:
Alton Cunningham (1-0): Possessing teeth rattling KO power - Really, he doesn't need to do so much as graze you for you to be on roller skates - Cunningham might be one to watch due to his athleticism and young age.
Sonny Yohn (2-2): A 3 time D1 All-American wrestler, Sonny Yohn is one of the brightest prospects coming out of Elevation Fight Team. With powerful takedowns and decent control on the ground, he could give a lot of guys trouble even at this stage of his career. If he can get his striking up to par, he could be one to watch out for.
Daniel Madrid (13-4): An aggressive grappler with decent striking, Madrid is a BJJ black belt that will try to finish the fight at any time. Having gone the distance only once, his cardio might be a bit suspect. He barely missed being on the rankings due to having mostly fought and beaten journeymen, his exciting style might lead him into a contract with a big company sooner or later though.
Adam Mutaliev, Chris Bachmeier, Deyan Topalski, Ken Hasegawa, Steven Cnudde, Lance Wright, Albert Duraev, Anthony Hernandez, Karl Roberson, Kevin Holland, Marcus Sanchez, Vladimir Mineev
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