FloCombat Prospect Rankings - Bantamweight: Young Stud Tops List
FloCombat Prospect Rankings - Bantamweight: Young Stud Tops List
FloCombat ranks the top 20 bantamweight MMA prospects in North America for August 2017.
Rankings based off the following....
Just 22 years old, De La Rosa boasts a perfect record that includes five wins by submission. In his last outing, the Texas native submitted Mahatma Chit-Bala Garcia Avalos at Combate 15 back in June. Don't be surprised if "The Bumblebee" gets picked by the UFC in the near future.
Mangat has been on the cusp of a UFC contract for quite some time and remains one of the top bantamweights in Canada. "Saint Lion" trains at Revolution MMA with UFC standout Jeremy Kennedy and ONE Championship title holder Bibiano Fernandes. The 30-year-old is coming off a unanimous decision victory over Abdul Muneer at Brave CF 5 in India, where he competed in a weight class above. Mangat is currently riding a six-fight winning streak.
Stots became the Victory FC bantamweight champion in April when he defeated UFC veteran Rob Emerson by unanimous decision at Victory FC 56. The 28-year-old likely would been on the UFC roster at this point had he defeated Merab Dvalishvili at Ring of Combat 59. Instead, it was Dvalishvili who got the UFC call-up after he knocked out the Roufusport product just 15 seconds into the first round. Stots made his professional debut in May 2015 and boasts wins over Emerson and UFC veteran Jeff Curran.
Simon is perhaps best known for defeating UFC veteran Alex Soto at Titan FC 35 which earned him a title shot with the promotion. Unfortunately, he would lose in that championship match at Titan FC 37, suffering a second-round submission loss to Anderson dos Santos. The 24-year-old has won three-straight fights, including a split decision win over Donavon Frelow (6-3) on Aug. 8.
#5 -- Manny Bermudez (9-0)
The top-ranked bantamweight in New England, Manny Bermudez looks primed for big things as he strolls into his Aug. 12 showdown against Bendy Casimir on FloCombat. At 9-0 with seven finishes, Bermudez doesn't just win--he wins definitively. Bermudez bounces between featherweight and bantamweight, but his natural weight class is at 135, and this is where he'll set his focus for his next bout and beyond.
Heavyweight
Light Heavyweight
Middleweight
Welterweight
Lightweight
Featherweight
- North American fighters only. For example Thiago Moises wouldn't qualify for these rankings despite training in the U.S.
- No fighters that have fought for or are set to fight for the UFC.
- Fighters competing on Dana White's Contender Series included
- No long-term Bellator fighters or champions. Exceptions for some preliminary fighters
- All fighters aged 30 and under
- Rankings based off age, record and level of competition
| RANK | NAME | AGE | RECORD | COUNTRY | NEXT FIGHT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mark De La Rosa | 22 | 9-0 | USA | |
| 2 | Gary Mangat | 30 | 10-1 | CANADA | |
| 3 | Raufeon Stots | 28 | 8-1 | USA | |
| 4 | Ricky Simon | 24 | 10-1 | USA | |
| 5 | Manny Bermudez | 23 | 9-0 | USA | Fights Aug. 12 vs. Bendy Casimir on FloCombat |
| 6 | Steven Peterson | 27 | 15-5 | USA | Fights Aug. 22 vs. Benito Lopez |
| 7 | John Castaneda | 25 | 14-2 | USA | |
| 8 | Josh Hill | 30 | 15-2 | CANADA | |
| 9 | Maurice Mitchell | 30 | 10-1 | USA | |
| 10 | Jordan Howard | 27 | 10-3 | USA | |
| 11 | Benito Lopez | 23 | 7-0 | USA | |
| 12 | Kyler Phillips | 22 | 5-0 | USA | |
| 13 | Rico DiSciullo | 30 | 7-1 NC | USA | |
| 14 | Ricky Bandejas | 25 | 9-1 | USA | |
| 15 | Ray Rodriguez | 29 | 12-4 | USA | |
| 16 | Brad Katona | 25 | 5-0 | CANADA | |
| 17 | Dylan Cala | 24 | 5-1 | USA | |
| 18 | Xavier Alaoui | 25 | 8-1 | CANADA | |
| 19 | Brandon Lewis | 20 | 4-0 | USA | |
| 20 | Austin Ryan | 26 | 6-1 | CANADA |
#1 -- Mark De La Rosa (9-0)
Just 22 years old, De La Rosa boasts a perfect record that includes five wins by submission. In his last outing, the Texas native submitted Mahatma Chit-Bala Garcia Avalos at Combate 15 back in June. Don't be surprised if "The Bumblebee" gets picked by the UFC in the near future.
#2 -- Gary Mangat (10-1)
Mangat has been on the cusp of a UFC contract for quite some time and remains one of the top bantamweights in Canada. "Saint Lion" trains at Revolution MMA with UFC standout Jeremy Kennedy and ONE Championship title holder Bibiano Fernandes. The 30-year-old is coming off a unanimous decision victory over Abdul Muneer at Brave CF 5 in India, where he competed in a weight class above. Mangat is currently riding a six-fight winning streak.
#3 -- Raufeon Stots (8-1)
Stots became the Victory FC bantamweight champion in April when he defeated UFC veteran Rob Emerson by unanimous decision at Victory FC 56. The 28-year-old likely would been on the UFC roster at this point had he defeated Merab Dvalishvili at Ring of Combat 59. Instead, it was Dvalishvili who got the UFC call-up after he knocked out the Roufusport product just 15 seconds into the first round. Stots made his professional debut in May 2015 and boasts wins over Emerson and UFC veteran Jeff Curran.
#4 -- Ricky Simon (10-1)
Simon is perhaps best known for defeating UFC veteran Alex Soto at Titan FC 35 which earned him a title shot with the promotion. Unfortunately, he would lose in that championship match at Titan FC 37, suffering a second-round submission loss to Anderson dos Santos. The 24-year-old has won three-straight fights, including a split decision win over Donavon Frelow (6-3) on Aug. 8.
#5 -- Manny Bermudez (9-0)
The top-ranked bantamweight in New England, Manny Bermudez looks primed for big things as he strolls into his Aug. 12 showdown against Bendy Casimir on FloCombat. At 9-0 with seven finishes, Bermudez doesn't just win--he wins definitively. Bermudez bounces between featherweight and bantamweight, but his natural weight class is at 135, and this is where he'll set his focus for his next bout and beyond.
For more FloCombat Prospect Rankings, view the following links:
Heavyweight
Light Heavyweight
Middleweight
Welterweight
Lightweight
Featherweight