Outside the Octagon – Volume 2
Every week, I will be providing some of the best fights not happening under the UFC, Bellator, or WSOF banner.
2008 Olympic gold medalist, Henry Cejudo, will look to extend his undefeated streak to 6 as he faces fellow prospect Elias Garcia. This should be Cejudo’s stiffest test to date as Garcia has a combined 10-1 record as a pro and amateur. Cejudo’s potential is obvious, but there are still some lingering questions about him taking his MMA career serious enough as he has yet to settle down at one of the elite training camps.
Tim Means’ UFC release came as a shock to many. He started his UFC career off 2-0, including an impressive 1st round TKO of Justin Salas. He stepped up his level of competition as he faced off against Danny Castillo and Jorge Masvidal. Means lost both fights via decision, and despite being competitive in each contest, he was unceremoniously released in 2013. He returned to the independent circuit a few months later where he knocked out UFC veteran Pete Spratt. He now looks to make it 2 in a row as he faces Strikeforce/Bellator Fight Master veteran Artenas Young. It should be mentioned that Means has been fighting at 170 lbs. since his release.
Kleber “Orgulho” Silva was thought to be one of the top Light Heavyweight prospects in 2012, but as moved down to Middleweight, he lost a couple split decisions, having gone just 1-2 in his last 3 fights. His upcoming bout against Wendres Silva will not be any easier as Wendres is considered to be a talented prospect in his own right, having won his last 5 fights. It’s a little surprising that neither of these men got an opportunity on the next season of TUF Brazil, but fighting under the Jungle Fights banner is the next best option.
Ishiwatari is likely still recovering from his loss to newly signed UFC fighter Kyoji Horiguchi. Ishiwatari was one round away from winning a decision over the highly-regarded Horiguchi, but in the 5th round of their championship fight, Horiguchi was able to storm back and win via TKO. Prior to the loss against Horiguchi, Ishiwatari had won 6 straight fights, including victories over UFC veterans Caol Uno and Motonobu Tezuka.
Junior Orgulho has won 6 of his last 7 fights, with his only loss coming to surging UFC Lightweight Elias Silverio. Orgulho trains out of Champion Team, which is spearheaded by Junior dos Santos’ head coach Luiz Dorea.
Dos Santos trains out of Iuri and Ildemar Alcantara’s camp. He’s currently riding an 8-fight win streak, 6 of which came via finish. He’s certainly a fighter to keep an eye on as he has become one of Jungle Fight’s top lightweight fighters.
Souza is 9-2 since 2008, having defeated UFC veteran Amilcar Alves and Bellator veteran Luis Melo. His only losses during that same span are to TUF Brazil 2 participant Neilson Gomes and fellow prospect Cassiano Freitas. His Opponent, Dos Santos, fights out of Cristiano Marcello’s camp and has struggled against stiffer competition. It should be a good test for Souza.
Laiola has been on my radar since defeating Lyoto Machida’s brother, Chinzo, back in 2010. Yet, the real fighter to watch in this bout may be Benicio, who is just 21 years old, and fights out of the famed Nova Uniao. This is a fairly stiff test for Benicio right out of the gates, but I have a feeling Nova Uniao coach Andre Pederneiras knows what he’s doing.
After 3 straight losses in Bellator, Sparks returns to the independent circuit. Sparks showed good promise early on his career, but he’s going to have an uphill battle proving he deserves another shot in a major promotion.
Whitney is still a viable prospect, but he’s fallen short in a couple key bouts on the independent circuit. Whitney did have a stint in Titan FC where he went 2-1, with both wins coming via highlight reel KO’s over Laramie Schaffer and Jose Vega.
Machan is a 29-fight veteran fighting out of Alberta, Canada. Machan has continually struggled with consistency, but he has scored submission wins over current TUF Nations favorite Kajan Johnson and Strikeforce veteran David Hulett. The UFC plans on visiting Canada 4 times in 2014, so if Machan can pick up a couple more regional wins, he may get on their radar.
