MMA Prospects Report 2013

I had a few people tell me to post a thread here on Tapology about the MMA Prospects Report that I am currently running on my own site. I've tried to follow in the footsteps of Leland Roling and Smoogy from BE, who ran their Scouting Report in 2011 and 2012. They decided to not do a 2013 edition, so I took a stab at it.

Anyways, you can read more about it in the link, but I profile 10 fighters from each major weight class, 80 fighters in all. Thus far, I have completed Flyweight and Bantamweight, and am at the midway point of Featherweight. 

I realize my site is small beans, but I am hoping my Prospects Report gets its fair share of readers. If you end up liking the coverage and report, please pass on the word.

Here is the link to the Report:
http://rankingmma.com/mma-prospects-report-2013/


So, far the fighters featured were:
Flyweight
1. Darrell Montague
2. Sergio Pettis
3. Josh Sampo
4. Sean Santella
5. Danny Martinez
6. Mamoru Yamaguchi
7. Dileno Lopes
8. Ali Bagautinov (recently signed w/UFC)
9. Rafael de Freitas
10. Jose Maria Tome

Bantamweight
1. Henry Cejudo
2. Bibiano Fernandes
3. Aljamain Sterling
4. Marlon Moraes
5. Sheymon Moraes
6. Josh Hill
7. Chris Holdsworth
8. Brandon Bender
9. Kyoji Horiguchi
10. Sirwan Kakai

Featherweight
6. Andre Fili
7. Gleristone Santos
8. Tom Niinimaki
9. Goiti Yamauchi
10. Chris Gruetzemacher

@Ranking: I think that's the right way to go about it. 

As for Lance Palmer being the No. 1 prospect, I wouldn't argue strongly with it, but I personally scored his last fight for Demon Eyes Downing.

Lets get some facts straight about Birchak.  The fight with clay he took on two weeks notice.  At 145lbs He is currently undeafeated at 135 lbs 10-0 at bantam.  he is def not a 145lb fighter.  he had only been training 2 years at the time of the fight and Clay regardless of age has the 3rd longest mma carreer at the time being 19yrs let there be no mistake here if birchak would fight clay now he would wax him.  you clearly are not rating this on true potential of the fighter.  I find these rankings super questionable.

I'm guessing you must have some close association with Birchak and Saenz since you are all from Arizona. I got your message on my own site as well. I take it you don't like Cejudo much, since you seem so angry that he was ranked #1.

There isn't any hate being directed at Birchak. He's a great talent, and I'm sure he's going to make it to the UFC or Bellator one day.

I stated that Birchak's loss to Clay hurt him while I was compiling my Prospects Report. He probably shouldn't have accepted the fight against Clay in the first place, since it was at 145 lbs., required him to travel last minute to Brazil, and he had to face someone so experienced. Hopefully his management will do a better job booking him fights that will lead him to the UFC or Bellator.

DJ.taiki and Daniel Swain are honorable mentions for your bantamweight list and Yuki Motoya is a honorable mentioned for your flyweight list.

* Edited at 07.15.2013, 3:17 AM ET *

Still plugging away with the Report.

We are on Lightweights right now:
Carlos Diego Ferreira
Ivan Jorge
Yui Chul Nam
Nick Newell


Also, Ali Bagautinov was our first featured prospect to be signed by the UFC or Bellator, but now it sounds as if Jose Maria Tome is about to join him there as well.

Hopefully, there are still some people following along to my Prospects Report.

As of today, 6 prospects featured have signed with the UFC, 5 additional have made The Ultimate Fighter 18, and 2 have signed on with Bellator.

I am almost halfway through the LHW division, and then will conclude with HW.

Light Heavyweight
Max Nunes (* Most recent article)
Francimar Barroso (Signed w/UFC)
Jake Butler

Middleweight
Mamed Khalidov
Elvis Mutapcic
Michal Materla
Ramazan Emeev
Joseph Henle
Ricardo Abreu
Bubba Bush
Jeremy Kimball
Tim Williams
Sean Strickland

Welterweight
Alex Garcia
Dhiego Lima
Yan Cabral (Signed w/UFC)
Cathal Pendred
Rashid Magomedov
Assan Njie
Myung Ho Bae
Mike Rhodes
Hernani Perpetuo
Chidi Njokuani

Lightweight
Bubba Jenkins (Signed w/Bellator)
Justin Gaethje
Gilbert Burns
Tony Martin
Katsunori Kikuno
Joe Ellenberger
Carlos Diego Ferreira
Ivan Jorge (Signed w/UFC)
Yui Chul Nam
Nick Newell

Featherweight
Lance Palmer
Doo Ho Choi
Chas Skelly
Rick Glenn
Jim Alers
Andre Fili
Gleristone Santos
Tom Niinimaki
Goiti Yamauchi (Signed w/Bellator)
Chris Gruetzemacher

Bantamweight
Henry Cejudo
Bibiano Fernandes
Aljamain Sterling
Marlon Moraes
Sheymon Moraes
Josh Hill (Cast Member on TUF 18)
Chris Holdsworth (Cast Member on TUF 18)
Brandon Bender
Kyoji Horiguchi
Sirwan Kakai (Cast Member on TUF 18)

Flyweight
Darrell Montague (Signed w/UFC)
Sergio Pettis
Josh Sampo
Sean Santella
Danny Martinez (Cast Member on TUF 18)
Mamoru Yamaguchi
Dileno Lopes
Ali Bagautinov (Signed w/UFC)
Rafael de Freitas (Cast Member on TUF 18)
Jose Maria Tome (Signed w/UFC)