Best Heavyweights Prospects outside the UFC

Many fans feel as if the UFC and matchmaker Joe Silva have dropped the ball when it comes to replenishing the ranks of the heavier weight divisions. There are a host of reasons for why that may be true.

Some claim that athletes over 6’0 tall and 200 lbs. are likely competing in other sports. Other common reasons I have seen thrown around are as follows: it is more difficult for heavyweight fighters to find fights on the regional circuit, finding suitable training partners, and a much higher rate in fights ending in KO (shorter careers/more risk).

Here is just a small sample size of current heavyweights that have thus far not signed with the UFC, Bellator, or WSOF.

Tybura won’t wow you with his athleticism or his physique. Yet, he is a gritty competitor with an excellent grappling game. He still needs to work on his striking, but has proven that he can take a punch. Tybura truly jumped on the map when he submitted Damian Grabowski to win the M-1 Heavyweight title. Grabowski had previously never been finished, and his only career loss was to Cole Konrad in Bellator. Tybura’s beaten a host of other top European heavyweights, but did recently suffer his first career loss to Stephan Puetz. It should hopefully be just the fuel Tybura needs to dedicate himself to improving his striking.

Tybura Highlights:

Still just 28 years old, Satoshi Ishii has yet to hit his full stride in the sport. He’s gone 10-2 since his loss to Fedor Emlianenko in 2011. His only two losses during that juncture came to Mirko Cro Cop. Ishii’s limitations still revolve around his striking and overall fighting instincts. He continues to close the distance recklessly, and will likely be caught by any decent striker in the UFC. Ishii hasn’t flashed the potential that some felt he would possess following his Olympic Judo background. Nonetheless, few heavyweight prospects hold wins over Tim Sylvia, Jeff Monson, and Philip De Fries. Ishii has thus far stayed overseas because he is likely earning more there than he would in the UFC or Bellator. Ishii has time on his side to develop and hopefully become Japan’s next great fighter. He has the physical tools and simply needs to improve his finishing skills and get more fluid as an overall fighter.

Ishii Highlights:

Erokhin has stood toe to toe with Mike Kyle, Tim Hague, and Brett Rogers in recent months, and has finished all of them via strikes. He has excellent quickness with his hands and uses a frequent left jab seems to keep his opponents off balance. He has also shown off excellent toughness and a durable chin. Erokhin would likely struggle against opponents that bring forth strong wrestling or a submissions. He’s a bit undersized and could potentially cut down to 205, but he seems to like using his speed at heavyweight towards his advantage.

Erokhin vs. Mike Kyle (12/20/2014):

Goltsov is another European heavyweight making waves overseas. He’s fairly well-rounded, though he’s going to struggle against any opponent with halfway decent takedowns. Goltsov has fought as low as 213 lbs., so his future may be at light heavyweight should he ever make his way stateside. Despite some early career losses, he’s truly turned a corner winning his last 10 fights. On his resume are wins over James McSweeney, Brett Rogers, Peter Graham, and Roy Boughton. Goltsov has some power in his hands and is very light on his feet for a heavyweight.

Goltsov vs. James McSweeney (07/24/2015):

Puetz is a physical specimen. He is also the reigning M-1 Heavyweight and Light Heavyweight champion. Puetz stands 6’6 tall and is a very strong, and well-conditioned fighter. It will be interesting to see if he pursues a career at Heavyweight full time because if he does add some additional size to his frame, he could be a very scary fighter to face down the line. It should be noted that Puetz still has some holes in his game. He stands very upright when on his feet and has given up some takedowns. At times, he can fight to the level of the competition rather than his potential. It seems like has turned a corner every since signing with M-1 in 2014. He’s 4-0 in the promotion with some significant wins over veteran competition. Puetz is still under the age of 30, and as we have learned with heavyweights, he still has a few years to truly come into his own.

Puetz Highlights:

Others in the Mix:
Fernando Rodrigues (9-1)
Karol Bedorf (12-2)
Denis Smoldarev (10-1)
Cody East (10-1)
Yosef Mohammad (5-2)
Dmitry Sosnosvkiy (9-0)
Ante Delija (14-2)
Jarjis Danho (6-0)
Arsen Abdulkerimov (8-2)
Michal Wlodarek (7-0)

Photo credit: www.sherdog.com/Taro Irei