Outside the Octagon – Volume 1
Every week, I will be providing some of the best fights not happening under the UFC, Bellator, or WSOF banner.
The fight I’m most looking forward to this weekend is probably this one. Gillespie has been hyped as a future UFC contender, and for good reason. He wrestled at Edinboro university, where he was the 2007 NCAA Champion at 149 lbs. In 2008 and 2009, he moved up to 157 lbs. and was an All-American both years.
Munhoz was recently featured in my “Prospect of the Week” series. He is set to defend his RFA Bantamweight championship against fellow undefeated prospect Billy Daniels. Munhoz has faced and beaten better competition throughout his career. It’s hard not to go with the champ in this one.
Keoni Koch has the bigger name due to his brother’s accomplishments, but watch out for undefeated Featherweight prospect Brian Ortega. Ortega has a stellar ground game, trains at the famed Black House, and recently submitted TUF 14 participant Jordan Rinaldi.
Former UFC fighter and TUF 5 alumni Corey Hill recently found himself on the front page of MMAjunkie following a similar leg injury suffered by former UFC champion Anderson Silva. Hill continues his comeback hopes as he faces off with 2-1 Eric Calderon.
Arce (4-0) is currently listed as one of my Top 25 prospects in the Bantamweight division. He’s taking on veteran Jason McLean, who has posted wins over Jimmie Rivera, Ken Stone, and Cody Stevens. Arce is the favorite coming in, and will quickly find himself on the UFC’s radar should he win the vacant ROC Bantamweight title.
Frankie Perez (7-0) is starting to gain some hype thanks to his close association with Ricardo Almeida JJ. He has yet to face anyone of note, and unfortunately Santiago won’t help alleviate that concern. Nonetheless, Perez has finished 5 of his 7 opponents and is a fighter to watch for in the future.
Sanders is currently signed to WSOF’s promotion, but it looks as if he’s been given permission to compete outside of their cage. Sanders is 13-1 overall, having won his last 11 fights. Sanders was an All-American wrestler at the storied Oklahoma State University. He’s currently 1-0 under the WSOF banner, but recently had a fight fall out due to his opponent (Chris Gruetzemacher) suffering an injury.
Jenkins was supposed to be one of Ring of Combat’s next stars, but he suffered an upset loss to journeyman Guillermo Serment in 2012. He’s since bounced back and will fight for ROC’s vacant Featherweight title.
Chris Cope is a former UFC fighter and TUF 13 alumni. He’s set to face struggling Welterweight prospect Harshbarger for the vacant ROC Welterweight title. Harshbarger is just 1-3 in his last 4 fights, though that one win came against recent UFC signee George Sullivan.
Former big show veterans Smith and Garcia will do battle in Utah. Smith has always been a tough fighter, but he has continually came up short against stiffer competition. He was recently released by Bellator following a 3-fight losing streak. Meanwhile, Garcia is 12-3 overall, and 5-1 since his release from the UFC following an 0-2 run in the octagon.
Lopez was once considered one of the top prospects in the sport, but following an 0-2 run in the UFC, he’s going to have prove that he has the aggression and skills needed to compete in the big shows. David Castillo is a fighter on the rise, having gone 7-1 in his last 8 fights, highlighted by a submission victory over UFC veteran John Gunderson.
Collard is fresh off a decision win over UFC veteran Justin Buchholz. He’s 7-1 in his last 8 fights, having avenged that loss against Buchholz. Collard is moving down to Featherweight for this fight. It should also be noted that Collard is just 20 years old.
Fortune and Sauer are two undefeated amateur Heavyweight prospects that will face off for a regional title. I usually stay away from noting anything in the amateur ranks, but there is hope that one of these guys may end up being a decent HW prospect. Sherdog Forum member Paul L.’s Heavyweight Prospects thread has listed these guys as fighters to watch.
Osheim (4-0) is a Light Heavyweight prospect that recently popped up on my radar. He will face his first true test against veteran Marcus Sursa. Sursa’s best known for getting into a fight backstage with Donald Cerrone a few years back. The UFC is desperate for LHW talent, so if Osheim wins, he should be a fighter to keep an eye on.
