What UFC fighters have the most potential???

[Lt. Al Giardello 0]

Which up and coming fighters in UFC do you think have the most potential???

 

Melvin Guillard IMO has loads of potential. He's a stronger striker with good wrestling ability. The only problem is his submission defense. In the fight againest Josh Neer, he was winning until he got caught into a submission that seems to be the big problem for Melvin. If his camp can work out on his submission defense he will be a future UFC Champion IMO.

 

Mike Swick is another that comes in mind. Since moving to 185, his last four wins all ended in the 1st round 2 by KO and 2 by submissions. He's is starting to go on a great winning streak, and he looks to be focused. I think 185 is the perfect weight for him, and I see him possibly becoming the UFC Middleweight Champion.

[Lord of The Curry 0]

St. Pierre.

 

What? Just wait until he clears out the MW division.

 

Seriously? Probably Koscheck, oddly enough. I haven't seen the Chalangov fight but hopefully he's moved past lay-and-pray and is actually using his wrestling to win fights.

[Your Paragon of Virtue 0]

Koscheck has finished all but one of his opponents (the cagey Skywalker), has amazing athleticism, toughness and is training with one of the best camps, especially for his style. He'll be a UFC champ within the next three years I think, even in the toughest division in MMA.

 

Mike Swick is another good call, but he seems to leave his head up often in striking exchanges, and I'm not sold on his chin as of now.

 

I think Matt Hamill, even if he's not a UFC fighter technically, has loads of potential.

 

Guillard needs to find a good team, amazing athleticism, but I don't know who he's training with.

 

Even though he's kind of established, Nick Diaz as young as he is has potential. The guy is a great fighter, but if he bulked up some as well as worked on mixing his game together (he seems to have lots of skills, but doesn't seem to work them together well enough) he could be a star as well.

[RavishingRickRudo 0]

I believe Melvin is training with Josh Burkman.

[Your Paragon of Virtue 0]

Yeah that's what I remembered hearing, since he's out in SLC, Utah. He should train with an actual team.

[Lei Tong 0]

I dunno about melvin. He already has tons of fights, so while he's still young, I think it'll be hard for him to progress further than he has. As is, he's an amazing athlete with some good takedowns, but his stand-up is pretty unrefined, and he's succeptable to submissions, even when on top.

[starvenger 0]

Mike Swick is another good call, but he seems to leave his head up often in striking exchanges, and I'm not sold on his chin as of now.

I think I've said this before, and I don't actually mean this in a bad way, but Swick should be their curtain-jerking guy whenever they fight. His style is the perfect way to get the crowd and viewing audience into the show.

 

I think Matt Hamill, even if he's not a UFC fighter technically, has loads of potential.

But if he wins the whole thing, will he quit his dream of going to Beijing in 2008?

 

Koscheck has finished all but one of his opponents (the cagey Skywalker), has amazing athleticism, toughness and is training with one of the best camps, especially for his style. He'll be a UFC champ within the next three years I think, even in the toughest division in MMA.

Koscheck has crazy amounts of potential, and his progress so far has been impressive. I think he'll absorb some more losses here and there as part of the growing process, but he'll be wearing some sort of belt in three years like you said.

[AboveAverage484 0]

I don't know; it's hard for me to say considering that most UFC fighters are pretty much the same and there are very few well rounded fighters.

 

Probably St. Pierre, even though he has shown some of his potential already. Vera has shown me something, but until he beats somebody besides nobodies I won't get behind him.

[Lt. Al Giardello 0]

I don't think St. Pierre should be listed in this thread.

 

This thread is meant more for prospects, and St. Pierre is far from a prospect.

 

I think that Rashad Evans, also has a ton of potential, he has great take down ability, good stand-up, pretty good submission defense, and heart. What he needs to work on is his submissions and finishing ability, then he would be a force to reckon with. Hopefully Greg Jackson will work well with him.

[Lt. Al Giardello 0]

Vera has shown me something, but until he beats somebody besides nobodies I won't get behind him.

 

Assuerio Silva is far from a push over. He gave the current UFC Heavyweight Champion, Tim Sylvia all he can handle.

[Your Paragon of Virtue 0]

I don't know; it's hard for me to say considering that most UFC fighters are pretty much the same and there are very few well rounded fighters.

 

I don't understand both parts of this statement.

[AboveAverage484 0]

Vera has shown me something, but until he beats somebody besides nobodies I won't get behind him.

 

Assuerio Silva is far from a push over. He gave the current UFC Heavyweight Champion, Tim Sylvia all he can handle.

 

Until Assuerio Silva beats someone better than Valentijn Overeem he'll continue to be a push over. As for what was mentioned earlier, it seems like pretty much everyone in the UFC is a prospect what with the recent influx of TUF fighters into the mix. Except for the champions, Babalu, St. Pierre, and a very few select others, the UFC doesn't seem to have very many fighters that are better than average at everything. It seems like everyone else in the UFC is just okay at standup, wrestling, and BJJ and not really world class.

[Lt. Al Giardello 0]

I'm upping this thread...

 

Although he is not a UFC fighter yet, Melvin Manhoef I think is the future of the LHW divison. I just watched him destroy Ian Freeman.

[Lord of The Curry 0]

I can't believe I didn't mention Spencer Fisher when this list was first brought up.

 

Jon Fitch looks to be another guy who's going to get a test fairly soon at WW.

[Your Paragon of Virtue 0]

Luke Cummo if he improves his ground game (which he should with Serra's camp) as well as packs a little more muscle on his frame. Cardio is something he can improve too.

 

 

 

It seems like a lot, but all of this is realistic.

[Guest DRH 502]

Cummo definately needs about 15 pounds of muscle...and he isn't gonna gain it eating kelp either. He will never be a top level fighter for this reason.

 

Koscheck is gonna own the UFC in a few years.

 

Swick is too small to be a top tier middleweight in my opinion...10 more pounds and maybe I could see him with the belt, but as of now he is just an exciting midcarder.

 

Guillard's KO on Davis was soooooo fucking sick. Yeah I agree he is young and the sky is the limit. However, the UFC 155 pound division is gonna be STACKED as it is, and he is too small for welterweight so i don't see him ever being anything more than what he is now...which is not an insult to him at all...

 

EDIT: Yeah Fisher is doing good things as well...there are alot of young guys on the Miletich side that are gonna be doing good things in the near future...

[AboveAverage484 0]

I'm upping this thread...

 

Although he is not a UFC fighter yet, Melvin Manhoef I think is the future of the LHW divison. I just watched him destroy Ian Freeman.

 

Manhoef has excellent standup but his wind sucks and he's never really been tested on the ground by anyone noteworthy. Great fun to watch, though.

[Guest DRH 502]

After watching Mike Hominick vs. Yves Edwards today I came out of it very impressed with him and I think dude has all the potential in the world. He sounded like Matt Hughes on the mic...he really needs to get with a top team like Quest or Miletich...

[Lord of The Curry 0]

I'll steal Lei's heat on this one by saying that Hominick's ground work needs some serious catching up after watching Hioki tool him good. Not arguing with his striking, though. Top five hands in UFC.