Top 10 MMA Featherweight Prospects of 2013

So, after wrapping up our Top 10 Featherweights, there were some deserving fighters that just missed the cut this year. They will be eligible for next year’s report, and I wouldn’t be surprised if some of these fighters actually started outperforming the guys I listed. MMA is a funny sport, where just one win or loss can change the whole temperament towards a fighter’s prospect status.

Thus, without further ado, here are the guys that received consideration, but just missed the cut:

Featherweight Honorable Mentions

	Deividas Taurosevicius "Taurus" Ht: 5'9 - Age: 35 Team: Taurus MMA	OVR: 17-5 Winning Streak: 5 Finishing Rate: 76%	"Taurus" is hardly a prospect, but he has yet to receive an opportunity to fight in the UFC or a Bellator tournament. That's an absolute shame considering Taurosevicius' skill level. He was previously signed to the WEC, where he went 2-1 overall with his only loss being a controversial decision against L.C. Davis. He is currently riding a 5-fight win streak, including a victory over Marlon Moraes, and is the reigning Ring of Combat Featherweight Champion. Taurosevicius has an excellent ground game and has submitted UFC quality competition (Dan Lauzon, Bart Palaszewski).
	Alexandre Pimentel "Pulga" Ht: 5'9 - Age: 34 Team: Nova Geracao Combate	OVR: 12-1 Winning Streak: 0 Finishing Rate: 67%	"Pulga," which means "flea" in English, was once thought to be Brazil's next big thing. Equipped with a solid BJJ game, Pimentel was able to build a 12-0 record in Brazil as he competed for all of the top regional promotions (Jungle Fights, Bitetti, Shooto Brazil, and WOCS). Pimentel finally received the international contract he was seeking by signing with WSOF. He made his debut against fellow top prospect Rick Glenn, and despite controlling the first 2 rounds with his ground game, he was unable to hold on as Glenn stormed back winning via KO. It's going to be make or break for "Pulga" in his next WSOF fight, otherwise he will likely be forced back to Brazil's independent circuit. Pimentel's overall game has grown throughout the years. Beyond his BJJ, he has solid wrestling and a very sneaky left hand.
	Jared Downing "Demon Eyes" Ht: 5'5 - Age: 23 Team: Hard Drive MMA	OVR: 9-2 Winning Streak: 0 Finishing Rate: 22%	Downing was one of our final cuts for the Top 10. He is coming off a close decision loss to our #1 prospect Lance Palmer. Downing is fairly well-rounded, with good athleticism and takedown defense. He has a host of quality wins over Alessandro Ferreira, Jordan Rinaldi, and Eric Marriott. Downing's only downfalls are his lack of finishing skills and size. He's a very strong Featherweight, but at only 5'6, he should strongly consider a move back down to Bantamweight.
	Marat Gafurov Ht: 5'7 - Age: 28 Team: Legion Fight Team	OVR: 7-0 Winning Streak: 7 Finishing Rate: 71%	Gafurov is the reigning M-1 Featherweight Champion. It's tough to track down information on Marat Gafurov, but I was able to find out he is the Abu-Dhabi Russian Champion for his weight class and is currently a purple belt in BJJ. He also trains out of Legion Fight Team, which is one of the top camps in Russia. Gafurov's ground game is very slick, but his striking is also developing. He has a propensity to get hit, but he seems to have a good chin. His own striking attack consists of front kicks, strong knees from the clinch, and a solid right hand. Gafurov looks to have all the makings of a solid Eastern European fighter, which should make him a target for Bellator in the very near future.
	Jerrod Sanders Ht: 5'5 - Age: 23 Team: American Top Team OKC	OVR: 13-1 Winning Streak: 11 Finishing Rate: 61%	Sanders is an outstanding wrestler, having earned All-American honors at Oklahoma State University. He recently debuted in WSOF, picking up a decision win over Jeff Smith. Sanders is a very strong Featherweight and his wrestling is some of the best in the division. It's his top game and striking that leave a bit to be desired. Sanders has a tendency to drop his hands and it remains to be seen if he can move on to the next level with a fairly one-dimensional wrestling oriented attack.
	Mirsad Bektic Ht: 5'7 - Age: 22 Team: American Top Team	OVR: 6-0 Winning Streak: 6 Finishing Rate: 83%	Originally hailing from Bosnia, Bektic was forced stateside due to his region's civil war. After training in boxing and karate in his youth, Bektic eventually made the transition to MMA where he now trains at American Top Team. After a supposed 9-0 amateur career, Bektic made his pro debut in 2011. Bektic ran through his early competition, slowly improving his competition level as he now stands at 6-0. Bektic is currently fighting for Resurrection Fight Alliance (RFA), which is home to many of the top prospects in the sport. Bektic is still 22 years old, but there is a reason that his name is starting to get some buzz. The hype seems for real as Bektic looks to have all the makings of a future UFC contender.
	Raoni Barcelos Ht: 5'6 - Age: 28 Team: Ruas Vale Tudo	OVR: 6-0 Winning Streak: 6 Finishing Rate: 83%	Barcelos was voted by the Brazilian MMA media as the 2012 Rookie of the Year. Barcelos' dad was a high level black belt in BJJ and immediately got his son started in the grappling arts of BJJ and Judo. Barcelos also began competing for the Brazilian National Wrestling Team and aligned himself with the premier camp in Brazil, Nova Uniao. Barcelos made his MMA debut in 2012, and just 6 months into his career he was able to defeat respected 35-fight veteran Jorge Rodrigues, winning the Shooto Featherweight Championship in the process. Big things are expected from Barcelos in the future as he's already being touted by some within his camp as the future successor to teammate Jose Aldo.
	Freddy Assuncao Ht: 5'7 - Age: 28 Team: Ascension MMA	OVR: 7-1 Winning Streak: 5 Finishing Rate: 43%	Freddy Assuncao has yet to follow in the footsteps of his brothers Junior and Raphael by signing with the UFC. A few years ago, it seemed to be a lock that Freddy would be the best of the trio, but injuries have wreaked havoc on his once promising career. Freddy started out his career with a bang, defeating current UFC Featherweight Felipe Arantes. Though he would lose his next fight to Top 10 Prospect Jim Alers, Assuncao has since bounced back with 6 straight wins. Freddy has not fought since June of 2012 due to tearing his ACL. Assuncao has a capoeira background and is a purple belt in BJJ. If he can get healthy there's no reason that he should not be able to replicate the success of his brothers.
	Mark Striegl "Mugen" Ht: 5'8 - Age: 25 Team: Team Buffet	OVR: 12-0 Winning Streak: 12 Finishing Rate: 83%	Striegl is an impressive 12-0 overall and is one of the Philippines' top prospects. Striegl's recent competition level has been lackluster to say the least, with only 1 of his last 5 opponents having a winning record. Striegl's only fights against stiffer competition were early in his career as he won close decisions over Yusuke Kawanago and Bae Young Kwon, so there's still a bit of question as to Striegl's ability to contend with higher level opposition. The positives are that Striegl is a solid athlete with a smothering ground game. He's fresh off a 1st round submission against well-traveled veteran Harris Sarmiento that may be a sign of things to come from this rising star.
	Douglas D'Silva Ht: 5'5 - Age: 27 Team: Team NFT	OVR: 20-0 Winning Streak: 20 Finishing Rate: 85%	How does a guy 20-0 with 16 of those wins coming via TKO/KO not make the Top 10? In D'Silva's case, it's the level of opposition that is a glaring fault within his stellar fighting record. Only 4 of his career opponents have a winning record. D'Silva is also only 5'5, which makes him extremely small for the Featherweight Division when comparing him against current UFC fighters. The positive about D'Silva's size is that he is one of the fastest fighters in the division. He uses a good Muay Thai game and has a solid right hand. The jury is still out whether D'Silva is the real deal due to his competition level.

Others to watch:

Daniel Romero (8-4)
Hiroyuki Takaya (17-11-1)
Kazuyuki Miyata (13-9)
Graham Spencer (10-1)
Jordan Rinaldi (6-1)
Kazunori Yokota (18-5-3)
Kevin Aguilar (8-0)
Darrion Caldwell (2-0)
Scott Cleve (13-3)
Julio Cesar Neves (25-0)
Calvin Kattar (13-2)
Renato Carneiro (6-0-1)
Bae Young Kwon (8-3)
Honorio Banario (8-2)
Eric Kelly (9-1)
Artur Rofi (6-0)
Sean Soriano (8-0)
Anthony Avila (11-2)
Scott Heckman (14-3)
Alessandro Ferreira (10-2)
Art Arciniega (13-4)
Ramiro Hernandez (12-4)
Edimilson Souza (13-3)
Guan Wang (11-0-1)
Will Martinez (6-2-1)
Robert Whiteford (9-1)
Mark Cherico (5-0)