Contributor: Tim Hickey
(This is the third part of Tim Hickey’s series, Flyweight/Bantamweight can be read here and Featherweight/Lightweight can be read here)
Welcome to Part 3 of Undercards look at some of the best fighters outside of the UFC. Today we move into the land of Welterweights and Middleweight, both divisions that possess a little more depth outside of the lush lands of the UFC than some of the previous divisions we have looked at. So prepare yourselves for lots of unpronounceable names of nigh unkillable Russians and some legitimately tough gents. For the record, I have not included Jon Fitch or Jacob Volkmann on here as they were both relatively recent UFC cuts. So without further ado, lets delve into it.
Ben Askren
Weight Class: Welterweight
Career Record: 11-0
Notable victories: Douglas Lima, Jay Hieron, Lyman Good, Nick Thompson
Championships: Two time NCAA Division I champion, 4 time NCAA All American, Bellator Welterweight Champion
Highlight video:
Love him, or hate him, Ben Askren does deserve your respect (Well, kindda. Inside the cage for sure, outside the cage is debatable). A multi time NCAA Division I finalist (going 2-2 in the finals during his 4 year college career), he is one of the most decorated wrestlers in all of MMA. He has managed to amass an undefeated record based solely on the fact that he has great takedowns and a unbelievable stifling top game. Once Askren gets you down, it is virtually impossible to get back up. Askren’s biggest knock is that he is not a very exciting fighter, he hasn’t shown horrifying ground and pound and has only managed 2 finishes during his entire run in Bellator. That being said, he still has dominated everyone he has faced thusfar in his career, and it doesn’t look like anyone in Bellator will be challenging him anytime soon.
Rashid Magomedov
Weight Class: Welterweight
Career Record: 15-1
Notable Victories: Yasubey Enomoto, Alexander Yakovlelv, Shamil Zavurov, Russian winters.
Championships: Master of Sport in Boxing, M-1 Global Welterweight champion
Highlight video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atYNIMUPcvQ
A heavy-handed Russian with good boxing, Magomedov has looked very sharp during his young MMA career. Recently winning and defending M-1 Global’s welterweight championship, his lone loss in MMA is to current Bellator fighter Frodo Khasbulaev. He has exhibited solid takedown defense, and has shown to have power in his hands by accumulating 7 KOs so far. He also holds a background in both karate and kickboxing, allowing for a diverse striking arsenal in which he blends together very well.
Nathan Coy
Weight Class: Welterweight
Career Record: 12-4
Notable victories: Rick Story, Mike Pierce, Ryan McGillivray, Dhiego Lima
Championships: MFC Welterweight champion, SportFight Welterweight champion
Highlights:
A former Division I All-American wrestler at Oregon State, Coy began his career with a 4 fight win streak, which included wins over current UFC fighters Rick Story and Mike Pierce. He had a 2 fight stint in Strikeforce, and after dropping a close split decision to Tyron Woodley (in which Coy was able to take the decorated wrestler in Woodley down), he moved from Team Quest to ATT. Since that move, he has rang off 4 wins in a row, including capturing MFC’s welterweight strap. Currently a free agent, it is not out of the realm of possibility that we may see him on the big stage someday soon.
Josh Burkman
Weight Class: Welterweight
Career Record: 25-9
Notable Victories: Drew Fickett, Josh Neer, Jaime Yager, Aaron Simpson, Gerald Harris
Championships: None
Highlights: Here is his recent fight with Aaron Simpson
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GtdQbob0kcA
A former contestant on the second season of the Ultimate Fighter (in a class with Marcus Davis, Melvin Gulliard, Jorge Gurgel, Rashad Evans and Keith Jardine) Burkman had an up and down run with the UFC from 2005 to 2008. During that span he complied a 5-5 record with the company. Following his cut from the promotion, Burkman has gone on a nice run, going 7-1 (the only loss being to super prospect Jordan Mein). Set to challenge Jon Fitch for the inaugural World Series of Fighting welterweight championship this summer, Burkman could further improve his stock if he is able to defeat the longtime Number 2 man in the division.
Shamil Zavurov
Weight Class: Welterweight
Career Record: 21-2-1
Notable Victories: Frodo Khasbulaev, Yasubey Enomot, sad grey Russian skies
Championships: International Master of Sambo, Master of Sport in wrestling, M-1 Global welterweight champion, 3-time Combat Sambo World Champion
Highlights
A decorated Sambo practitioner, Zavurov has quietly put together a nice career since beginning his MMA journey back in 2004. A world class grappler, who has added some strong strikes to his arsenal, Zavurov is as dangerous an opponent as one can find outside of the UFC. At only 28 years of age, he is right in the prime of his fighting career, and has said he models his fight style after George St. Pierre. Currently signed to Bellator as of this writing, he has yet to have a fight scheduled, and one wonders if he will possibly get the Tyson Nam treatment from them.
Paul Daley
Weight Class: Welterweight
Career Record: 32-12-2
Notable Victories: Duane Ludwig, John Alessio, Martin Kampmann, Dustin Hazelett, Jorge Masvidal, Scott Smith.
Championships: Cage Rage Welterweight champion, FX3 Welterweight Champion, King of The Ring Muay Thai champion, Sucker Punch champion.
Highlights:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQM508CZ358
What can be said about Paul Daley that hasn’t been said already. He is obnoxious, disrespectful, talented and sometimes bordering on lunacy. He has a bomb of a left hand and has utilized that, as well as strong Muay Thai to achieve 23 career knockouts. Most fans will always remember him for sucker punching Josh Koscheck (who has a pretty punchable face) and having a 1 round war with Nick Diaz. Daley’s career has been considered by some to be a bit of a disappointment, as lately he misses weight half the time and has never really lived up to the promise he once had shown. Regardless of that, he still has a fight changer of a left hand, and cannot be counted out from any fight because of it.
Douglas Lima
Weight Class: Welterweight
Career Record: 24-5
Notable Victories: Clint Hester, Ryan Ford, Terry Martin, Ben Saunders
Championships: MFC Welterweight Champion, Bellator Season 5 Welterweight tournament winner, REDLINE Middleweight GP Champion
Highlights:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBrbc94Ul5Y
Beginning his career at 18 years old, Lima looks to be one of the better young fighters in the world today. Currently only 25 years old with almost 30 pro fights to his name, he has finished his opponent in 21 of his 24 victories. His only defeat in the last 3 1/2 years has come at the hands of Bellator Welterweight Champ Ben Askren. This season in Bellator he has advanced to the finals to again face former UFC veteran Ben Saunders for a chance to rematch Askren to avenge the loss. A veteran of KOTC, MFC and the AFL, Lima looks like he will have a long and relatively successful career in mixed martial arts.
Ryan Ford
Weight Class: Welterweight
Career Record: 20-4
Notable victories: Pete Spratt, Tommy Speer, Karo Parisyan, Luis Santos
Championships: TFC Welterweight champion
Highlights:
The 31 year old from Edmonton, Alberta has shown a perchance for finishing during his career, finishing 18 of his 20 victories via either TKO or submission. He is a Tri Star trained fighter, and since moving to that camp has run off a 4 fight win streak. Currently signed with Bellator, he put on two solid performances last year in both his Bellator fights. Unfortunately because of a 4 year prison term from 2003 until 2007, he seems to be limited to fighting in Canada at this time, but should he be able to move between the US and Canada freely, expect Ford to make some noise in Bellator’s welterweight division.
Mamed Khalidov
Weight Class: Middleweight
Career Record: 26-4-2
Notable Victories: Kendall Grove, Jorge Santiago, James Irvin, Matt Lindland, Jesse Taylor, Daniel Acacio, Rodney Wallace
Championships: KSW Light Heavyweight champion, FPC Middleweight champion
Highlights:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Rb1hjDLCsg
Khalidov is one of my absolute favorite fighters outside of the Zuffa umbrella. He is a very good grappler, he throws everything with bad intentions, and is a very well rounded fighter who I believe could step into the UFC tomorrow and cause fits for the upper end of the division. He has 25 finishes in 26 victories, and the only loss he has had since 2005 was a razor close split decision with Jorge Santiago back in 2010. His level of opposition has gotten better over the last 3 years, as he seems to be fighting the best middleweights that KSW can find for him and has improved his stock. There were rumbling of a potential signing with the UFC last year, but rumors have it that they low balled Khalidov and he decided to stay with KSW. He is set to fight Melvin Manhoef on June 8th.
Alexander Shlemenko
Weight Class: Middleweight
Career Record: 47-7
Notable victories: Bubba McDaniel, Sean Salmon, Jared Hess, Minowaman, Maiquel Falcao
Championships: Two time Bellator tournament champion, Bellator Middleweight champion.
Highlights:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86BKV8hpRdo
Shlemenko is a vicious kickboxer who throws everything with the intent of knocking his opponent out. He would be Nick Diaz’ least favorite person to be in the cage with, as he loves to throw spinnin shit whenever he has a chance. His aggression, knock out power and willingness to stand and fight with any opponent has made him a fan favorite in Bellator. With the departure of Hector Lombard, Shelmenko has ascended to the top of the Bellator middleweight division, where he looks like he could reign for a long time.
Vyacheslav Vasilevsky
Weight Class: Middleweight
Career Record: 20-2
Notable victories: Xavier Foupa-Pokam, the alphabet
Championships: M-1 Global Light Heavyweight champion, multiple time World Sambo champion.
Highlights: Here is a recent fight with Svetoslav Savov
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H48f-d0N4Tg
Vasilevsky is only 24 years old, and is already a decorated Sambo champion in his homeland of Russia. Although his level of competition hasn’t necessarily been considered world class, he has shown solid striking and high level grappling in his fights thus far. He had a brief run in Bellator, amassing a 1-1 record prior to returning to M-1. He can be considered one of the best prospects in the Middleweight division, and hopefully he can be seen stateside soon. Cause lets face it, we could all use some more hard to kill Russians in our combat sporting lives.
Michal Materla
Weight Class: Middleweight
Career record: 18-3
Notable victories: Rodney Wallace, Jay Silva, Matt Horwich
Championships: KSW Middleweight champion
Highlights:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvgF3sM4tfA
An excellent grappler who holds 12 submission victories in his career, as well as a developing striking game, Materla has shown himself to be an extremely dangerous opponent in KSW. He has started to face some stiffer competition over his last few fights, and has shown himself to be more than competent. If he continues on this path, one would think it is only a matter of time before he ends up stateside.
Melvin Manhoef
Weight Class: Middleweight
Career record: 27-10-1-1
Notable victories: Dennis Kang, Kazuo Misaki, Mark Hunt, Ian Freeman, Cyborg Santos
Championships: Its SHOWTIME Max 85 kg champion (kickboxing), Cage Rage Light Heavyweight champion.
Highlights:
An absolutely devastating striker, Manhoef has been a longtime kickboxing and MMA veteran. His biggest drawback is his lack of submission defense, as 6 of his 10 defeats have come via submission. But if Manhoef can keep the fight on the feet, he is an absolute killer. He has 25 career knockouts in MMA, as well as another 27 KOs in kickboxing. He and Junior Dos Santos are the only men to ever KO Mark Hunt. If he were to ever focus solely on MMA and his abilities on the ground, he would be an absolute nightmare for anyone at 185 pounds.
Brock Larsen
Weightclass: Middleweight
Career record: 37-7
Notable victories: Melvin Manhoef, Mike Pyle, Carlo Prater, Shannon Ritch, DaMarques Johnson
Championships: None
Highlights:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jY1kTdpKHHM
An 11 year veteran of the sport, Larsen has fought virtually everywhere. He is a veteran of IFC, WEC, Shark Fights, KOTC, One FC, the UFC. Literally Larsen has fought all over the world. In his brief UFC run he went 2-3, and was released after a TKO loss in 2009. Since his release from the UFC, he has compiled a 8-3 record, with 5 finishes. Although he is 35 years of age, and may never make it back to the green pastures of the UFC, he is still a tough, cagey veteran who is always up for a fight.
Jesse Taylor
Weightclass: Middleweight
Career record: 26-9
Notable victories: Kendall Grove, Dennis Kang, Tom Watson, Murilo Bustamante, Jason Day, Chris Camozzi, Drew Fickett
Championships: Douchebag Champion of TUF Season 7, CWFC Middleweight champion, K-Oz Middleweight champion
Highlights:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wz13nQjUQUM
Whelp, you known when your highlight reel is basically you pissing your pants, and acting like an asshole, that some things may not have gone right for you. Taylor is best remembered as the idiot who got kicked off of the TUF Finale for kicking out a limo window and being a crazy drunk just after the end of the show. Dana gave him a fight after the show against CB Dolloway, which he lost and was cut. Since that incident, Taylor has been a journeyman, fighting in a number of organizations, and has put up some solid wins. I personally don’t see anyway Dana would bring him back, but lets be honest, if Dana would bring Tito back, why not Piss Pants Taylor.
Anyhow kids, that is all for this time around. The next installment will be the final installment in the series, which will include Light Heavyweights and Heavyweights.
-Tim can be reached @timhickey80
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