By Shawn Smith
Our Canadian correspondent Shawn Smith takes us through which fighters he believes will be the breakout stars of 2014.
Tom Breese
Only 22, Tom Breese is perhaps the prospect on this list with the highest upside. Undefeated in six professional bouts, Breese also has eight amateur bouts which he dominated. Brought in as a sparring partner for Georges St. Pierre, the masterminds in Montreal clearly see a lot of potential in the young man. BAMMA loss is clearly Cage Warriors gain as upon his return from injury later this year they will discover they have found themselves a diamonds in the rough with “Fearless.”
Keoni Koch
Keoni Koch, the brother of current UFC standout Eric Koch, will headline the upcoming RFA 12 event in Los Angeles. With four submission wins in five fights, Koch has become one of the best prospects to come out of Duke Roufus’ camp in a while. Fighting at featherweight, Koch brings a speed and relentlessness few can match.
Tyrone Spong
A kickboxing veteran of many years, I feel sorry for any fighter who has to step into the cage with the ominous and massive Tyrone Spong. Training with the Blackzilians, we have yet to see his grappling game at work. To date he hasn’t needed it as he has blasted out both of his opponents in quick fashion. His World Series of Fighting performances have been violent and we expect him to carry that same aura of invincibility into 2014. Look out, world.
James Mancini
A prolific amateur wrestler in Canada, Mancini recently made the transition to MMA. Training out of Tri-Star in Montreal, he got the attention of many fans with a violent slam knockout in his professional debut. The Quebec native is looking to fight more often in 2014 and slam his way to the top of the sport.
James Pennington
Headlining the next Cage Warriors card, it doesn’t seem fair to call Pennington a prospect at this point. With 10 pro fights, nine of them wins, the “Power Weasel” has made his mark across Europe as a dangerous submission fighter. As he continues to round out his skills, there’s a good chance he will be holding championship gold sooner than later.
Rob Lisita
Touted as the most prominent prospect out of Australia, he legitimized the claims recently with a submission victory over Japanese veteran “Lion” Takeshi Inoue. The win garnered Lisita much acclaim, as well as a contract with Asian promotion ONE FC. Fighting at 145, he will be looking to make a splash in the promotion’s deepest division.
Leandro Higo
Following in the footsteps of so many other young prospects out of Team Nogueira, it’s Leandro Higo who has become the young fighter on everyone’s tongue. Higo has been dominating competition in Brazil with his blazing hand speed and impressive submission skills. It seems only a matter of time before Higo gets signed to a major North American promotion and brings his unique brand of violence to your television set.
Jim Alers
In what could have likely served as his unofficial UFC tryout bout, American Jim Alers put in arguably the most impressive performance of his career against Graham Turner in December. A wrestling game which has proven able to neutralize opponents, Alers also has a plethora of submissions which have forced nine of his 12 victims to tap. Only 27, Alers is just hitting his physical prime and could be a threat in the featherweight division for years to come.
Joanne Calderwood
The fighting pride of Glasgow, Scotland, Joanne Calderwood is a perfect 8-0 inside the cage. Her impressive performances both in Europe and in North America have made her a fan favourite on both sides of the pond. Now the undefeated fighter will take her skills into The Ultimate Fighter house with a chance at UFC gold on the line.
Philip Mulpeter
Another fighter coming off of a loss, Philip Mulpeter showed a lot of guts in his controversial decision with John Maguire. Training with the likes of Conor McGregor on a daily basis, Mulpeter has shown vast improvement in both his striking and grappling skills over his last few bouts. He certainly deserves another opportunity in the Cage Warriors ranks and we`re decided to see him again. Perhaps a well-deserved rematch, Cage Warriors?
Walter Gahadza
Based on physique, Walter Gahadza might be the scariest prospect in this list. Only 26 and with a near perfect balance of submissions and knockouts, Gadahza has been making a splash over the past two years in and around the United Kingdom. The former sprinter is sure to be signed to one of the bigger European promotions by the end of the year and will be looking to upset some apple carts along the way.
Randa Marcos
While only 3-0 as a professional, Ontario’s Randa Markos Thomas has quickly become one of the most prominent female prospects to watch in the sport. Her two submission victories combined with a dominant decision victory in her last outing have shown her superior grappling skills. She’ll be taking her skills to RFA next, which has served as a platform to the UFC in the past.
Michinori Tanaka
A product of the legendary Shooto program, Michinori Tanaka has quickly become one of the prospects to watch out of Japan at bantamweight. As is the case with most Shooto graduates, Tanaka has developed a tricky and intricate submission game. Only 23, the future could be bright if he continues to train with legendary fighters like Shinichi “BJ” Kojima.
Stevie Ray
Despite his last loss, Stevie Ray is making all the right moves to become an elite level lightweight out of Europe. Ray has already put together a solid wrestling base that has seen him be able to work his dominant and dangerous top game against nearly all of his opponents. As he continues to work with Tri-Star and improve his submissions and striking, he will be a name we hear a lot more of in the coming year.
Bonus prospect: Max Nunes
In just over three years as a pro, Max Nunes has been in 13 fights, 12 of them victorious. Keeping a pace perhaps more young fighters should resemble, Nunes has shown a definite maturity and growth as a fighter throughout those years. A BAMMA veteran and only 24 years old, Nunes could be the next great middleweight to emerge from Europe.
