Contributor: Josh Hall
The UFC’s 135 pound division is another of the smaller ones (literally and in the bad pun sense), but still having almost tripled the number of fighters as the 125 pound class, with 38 fighters currently on the UFC roster. There was a lot more to choose from in this weight class, and the fighters I chose were selected for a number of reasons. Some may be legit contenders for the title, while others may be ready for a climb into the top ten or fifteen.
Yuri Alcantra (27-4, 1 NC, 2-1, 1 NC UFC):Alcantara is one of the many solid Brazilian fighters popping up in the UFC and making an impact. Dropping down from LW in his first UFC fight, Alcantara defeated Felipe Arantes and Michihiro Omigawa, before his momentum was stalled in a unanimous decision loss to Hacran Dias at UFC 147. Alcantara decided to make the mover down to BW after that fight, and made a statement in his first appearance in his new division.After George Roop was forced from the fight with an injury, UFC newcomer Pedro Nobre stepped in to fight Alcantara on short notice. It would prove to be a terrible decision by the smaller Nobre. Alcantara beat Nobre from pillar to post, dominating the fight wherever it went. The ending was marred by controversy however, as referee Dan Miragliotta halted the bout for blows to the back of the head. Upon the replay being shown, it was clear the strikes were actually legal (though Miragliotta did not know this). Nobre was given the chance to recover, but opted for a Razzie level acting performance instead, clutching the back of his head (where he had not been hit), while writhing on the ground, moaning and sobbing.The resulting NC aside, Alcantara is a monster at BW, and has the potential for a fast ascent to the top of the division. His 23 wins in 27 fights is very impressive, especially given that most of his career has taken place two weight classes higher.- Francisco “Cisco” Rivera (8-2, 1 NC, 1-1, 1 NC UFC): In an odd coincidence, my next fighter to watch at BW also had their last fight result in a no contest, but for a totally different reason. Cisco Rivera put on an absolute clinic in his last fight, totally derailing the Roland Delorme hype train with a violent 1st round knockout. Upon post fight drug testing, the result was overturned to a no contest when Rivera tested positive for a banned over the counter stimulant. His suspension was cut in half after appearing in front of the athletic commission, and he will make his return at UFC 156 against Edwin Figueroa.Rivera is no doubt one of the harder hitters in the BW division, having secured 1st round knockouts in 5 of his 8 wins (6 if you include the Delorme fight). He really should be careful, as he is dangerously close to having so much power it could be a curse. At the least, Cisco is a tough test to pass to break through into the division’s elite, but he is only a couple of big wins from cracking the top 10 or 15 himself.
- Chico “The King” Camus (12-3, 1-0 UFC): Roufusport product Chico Camus has displayed a well-rounded game in his 15 fight career, capped off by a gritty decision win over TUF alum Dustin Pague in his UFC debut. Pague had no response for the speed and aggression of Camus on the feet, which proved to be the difference in the fight. Camus showed solid submission defense and transitions, escaping from trouble a number of times in a tough fight against solid competition.Camus fights UFC newcomer and submission specialist Dustin Kimura this weekend at UFC 156. A second straight win in the Octagon could be enough to earn Camus a step up in competition, and a chance to show that he can be a legitimate force at bantamweight.
- Alex “Bruce Leeroy” Caceres (8-5, 3-3 UFC): It honestly shocks me to be including Alex Caceres on this list, but he has shown vast improvement from his days on TUF. The “Bruce Leeroy” gimmick grew tiresome very quickly, and it looked like Caceres wouldn’t last long in the UFC, but the young fighter re-dedicated himself to training, and the results have been quite apparent.Caceres has won three out of his last four fights, his only loss coming to Edwin Figueroa after a controversial 2 point deduction from referee Herb Dean for a second groin strike. Caceres would have still won the decision with only a one point deduction, so it played a major factor in the result.Caceres has gone away from a lot of his flashy and oft ineffective striking in favor of developing a solid ground game with a variety of submissions. It is unlikely that Caceres will be able to rise all the way to the top of the division, but we have not seen his ceiling yet, and I look for him to have a good 2013.
- Erik “Goyito” Perez (13-4, 3-0 UFC): In this writer’s opinion, Erik Perez is the top fighter to watch out for this year at BW. In 3 UFC fights, Perez has notched three first round finishes, including a 17 second annihilation of Ken Stone at UFC 150 from a devastating right hook.Finishers at BW are few and far between, but the UFC has another big reason to give Perez a push in the division. The UFC has made no secret that they want to break into the Mexican boxing audience, and Perez is a top level Mexican fighter that embraces his heritage. He came to cage for his last fight with Byron Bloodworth in a luchador mask, and the Vegas crowd loved it. Exciting, talented, and marketable is a great combination to have in the MMA world, and Perez is only 23, so he has time to grow and improve.
Yuri Alcantra (27-4, 1 NC, 2-1, 1 NC UFC):Alcantara is one of the many solid Brazilian fighters popping up in the UFC and making an impact. Dropping down from LW in his first UFC fight, Alcantara defeated Felipe Arantes and Michihiro Omigawa, before his momentum was stalled in a unanimous decision loss to Hacran Dias at UFC 147. Alcantara decided to make the mover down to BW after that fight, and made a statement in his first appearance in his new division.After George Roop was forced from the fight with an injury, UFC newcomer Pedro Nobre stepped in to fight Alcantara on short notice. It would prove to be a terrible decision by the smaller Nobre. Alcantara beat Nobre from pillar to post, dominating the fight wherever it went. The ending was marred by controversy however, as referee Dan Miragliotta halted the bout for blows to the back of the head. Upon the replay being shown, it was clear the strikes were actually legal (though Miragliotta did not know this). Nobre was given the chance to recover, but opted for a Razzie level acting performance instead, clutching the back of his head (where he had not been hit), while writhing on the ground, moaning and sobbing.The resulting NC aside, Alcantara is a monster at BW, and has the potential for a fast ascent to the top of the division. His 23 wins in 27 fights is very impressive, especially given that most of his career has taken place two weight classes higher.
Francisco “Cisco” Rivera (8-2, 1 NC, 1-1, 1 NC UFC): In an odd coincidence, my next fighter to watch at BW also had their last fight result in a no contest, but for a totally different reason. Cisco Rivera put on an absolute clinic in his last fight, totally derailing the Roland Delorme hype train with a violent 1st round knockout. Upon post fight drug testing, the result was overturned to a no contest when Rivera tested positive for a banned over the counter stimulant. His suspension was cut in half after appearing in front of the athletic commission, and he will make his return at UFC 156 against Edwin Figueroa.Rivera is no doubt one of the harder hitters in the BW division, having secured 1st round knockouts in 5 of his 8 wins (6 if you include the Delorme fight). He really should be careful, as he is dangerously close to having so much power it could be a curse. At the least, Cisco is a tough test to pass to break through into the division’s elite, but he is only a couple of big wins from cracking the top 10 or 15 himself.
Chico “The King” Camus (12-3, 1-0 UFC): Roufusport product Chico Camus has displayed a well-rounded game in his 15 fight career, capped off by a gritty decision win over TUF alum Dustin Pague in his UFC debut. Pague had no response for the speed and aggression of Camus on the feet, which proved to be the difference in the fight. Camus showed solid submission defense and transitions, escaping from trouble a number of times in a tough fight against solid competition.Camus fights UFC newcomer and submission specialist Dustin Kimura this weekend at UFC 156. A second straight win in the Octagon could be enough to earn Camus a step up in competition, and a chance to show that he can be a legitimate force at bantamweight.
Alex “Bruce Leeroy” Caceres (8-5, 3-3 UFC): It honestly shocks me to be including Alex Caceres on this list, but he has shown vast improvement from his days on TUF. The “Bruce Leeroy” gimmick grew tiresome very quickly, and it looked like Caceres wouldn’t last long in the UFC, but the young fighter re-dedicated himself to training, and the results have been quite apparent.Caceres has won three out of his last four fights, his only loss coming to Edwin Figueroa after a controversial 2 point deduction from referee Herb Dean for a second groin strike. Caceres would have still won the decision with only a one point deduction, so it played a major factor in the result.Caceres has gone away from a lot of his flashy and oft ineffective striking in favor of developing a solid ground game with a variety of submissions. It is unlikely that Caceres will be able to rise all the way to the top of the division, but we have not seen his ceiling yet, and I look for him to have a good 2013.
Erik “Goyito” Perez (13-4, 3-0 UFC): In this writer’s opinion, Erik Perez is the top fighter to watch out for this year at BW. In 3 UFC fights, Perez has notched three first round finishes, including a 17 second annihilation of Ken Stone at UFC 150 from a devastating right hook.Finishers at BW are few and far between, but the UFC has another big reason to give Perez a push in the division. The UFC has made no secret that they want to break into the Mexican boxing audience, and Perez is a top level Mexican fighter that embraces his heritage. He came to cage for his last fight with Byron Bloodworth in a luchador mask, and the Vegas crowd loved it. Exciting, talented, and marketable is a great combination to have in the MMA world, and Perez is only 23, so he has time to grow and improve.-Josh Hall can be reached at @jhall282
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