As has become our custom here before each event, The Watch List enters your life to identify the intriguing prospects on the impending fight card and fill you in on some of the fighters flying under the radar you might want to keep an eye on.
Here are the fighters who will step into the cage from outside the spotlight at the Bell Centre in Montreal this weekend at UFC 158.
Fighter: Antonio Carvalho
Record: 15-5
Opponent: Darren Elkins
Carvalho is honestly one of my favourite “feel good stories” from the UFC over the last couple years.
One of the top featherweights in the world long before the UFC decided to add the 145-pound weight class to its ranks, a physically and mentally exhausted Carvalho walked away from the sport back following a loss in June 2008. A little less than two years later, he returned to the cage, won a trio of fights, and got the call from the UFC.
After losing his debut, “Pato” has put together back-to-back wins, and looks to run his winning streak to three when he takes on Elkins this weekend. Carvalho has always been a very strong grappler, and showed in his win over Daniel Pineda that he as the ability to finish a fight on his feet as well.
Elkins is on a nice run of his own, having won four consecutive contests since moving down to featherweight, and will provide a stiff challenge for the Canadian featherweight pioneer. But if he doesn’t press too much, Carvalho is certainly capable of making it three straight wins on Canadian soil in the UFC on Saturday night in Montreal.
Fighter: Mike Ricci
Record: 7-3
Opponent: Colin Fletcher
If the only factor you use to judge a fighter is the “You’re Only as Good as Your Last Fight” Principle, you might question Ricci’s placement here. After all, he was controlled and looked pretty pedestrian when he lost to Colton Smith on The Ultimate Figther 17 Finale back in December.
However, if you’re willing to give him a mulligan on that fight, there is still a lot to like about the Montreal resident.
For starters, Ricci is returning to his natural weight class after having competed on TUF as a welterweight. His size and skill set are a much better fit at lightweight, and he won’t have to worry about pacing himself and trying to conserve energy the way he did fighting bigger opponents on the show.
You also have to like that he spends his days training with one of the most talented and successful teams in the sport at the Tristar Gym. Much like Georges St-Pierre and Rory MacDonald, Ricci is an intensely focused competitor, and has an abundance of talent. Firas Zahabi has always been high on the 27-year-old Ricci, and he should show why this weekend against Fletcher.
Fighter: Jordan Mein
Record: 26-8
Opponent: Dan Miller
The UFC already features a Canadian atop the welterweight division (Georges St-Pierre), another many believe is poised to inherit the throne one day in the future (Rory MacDonald), and a handful of experienced veterans (Chris Clements, Sean Pierson, Claude Patrick).
This weekend, Mein joins those ranks, and he’s as intriguing a prospect as there is in the 170-pound ranks.
The Lethbridge, Alta., native has been competing professionally since he was 17; he lost his debut to a then 2-0 MacDonald in his hometown back in June 2006. Still just 23-years-old, “Young Gun” has racked up a ton of experience — and more than 25 wins — over the last six-plus years, including a pair of victories and a split-decision loss to Tyron Woodley under the Strikeforce banner.
Mein is an aggressive and unorthodox striker, which should endear him to fans quickly. Entering into the fray against a tough competitor like Miller is a great test for the young Canadian, as the New Jersey native has a wealth of “big league” experience, and a slick ground game to challenge the UFC newcomer.
Though he’s less heralded than MacDonald, Mein is still an outstanding prospect, and someone you definitely want to keep tabs on going forward.
Fighter: Daron Cruickshank
Record: 12-2
Opponent: John Makdessi
Cruickshank came off Season 15 of The Ultimate Fighter (a.k.a. The Live Season) without much fanfare. He’d been one of the favourites heading into the show, lost the very first fight of the season, and then won his bout on the finale, but just looked poised to be another lightweight competitor with the “former Ultimate Figther contestant” handle attached to his name.
And then he dominated Henry Martinez last December in Seattle, finishing the durable Team Jackson-Winkeljohn product with a picture-perfect headkick early in the second round.
That performance showcased what Cruickshank does best. While he has good wrestling, the 27-year-old has a strong striking arsenal. Kicks his biggest weapon, as you would expect for someone coming from a taekwondo base, and as we saw late last year against Martinez.
Cruickshank is a charismatic and engaging personality, and if he can continue to perform as he did on the last FOX card of 2012, he has the potential to get a bit of a push in the stacked lightweight division.
Fighter: TJ Dillashaw
Record: 6-1
Opponent: Issei Tamura
Everyone I talk to at Team Alpha Male says that Dillashaw is the most competitive person they know, and the former Ultimate Fighter finalist doesn’t deny it. While that means you may not want to engage him in a game of ping pong or try your hand with him at a game of Risk, it also means the latest standout prospect from the Sacramento, Calif., fight camp is someone to keep an eye on going forward.
I tabbed Dillashaw as my “Best Prospect in the UFC” in my Unconventional UFC Awards for 2012, and I think you’ll see why this weekend.
After being forced out of a very intriguing and impactful fight with Mike Easton on the December FOX card due to a shoulder injury, Dillashaw took this fight with Tamura on short notice as a means to getting back into the cage, getting his name back out there, and continuing the solid run he began last year.
Like most of his teammates at Team Alpha Male, Dillashaw has very strong wrestling, having competed collegiately at Cal State Fullerton, and his striking is developing steadily. Don’t be surprised if this turns into a one-sided, showcase performance for Dillashaw.
