Author: Around the Felt Sports
The CFFC fighters, much like Fury, seem to have their own fraternity. Whether it’s gentlemen on the same team, card, etc., they can be a close bunch, much like a college football team. This week, we have a fighter I’ve had my eye on for a hot minute, Christian Bobe. Training out of Marquez MMA alongside Jeremiah Delgado, I admire the direction Bobe has gone in his fighting career. The rising featherweight is 27 years of age, old enough to be coming into his physical prime, yet not so young that he may fall victim to taking on too much…
I realize that our job is to promote the best mixed martial arts prospects we currently have, and that it may seem disingenuous to heap on praise as much as we do. Yet, it is impossible not to when we consider what talent Fury FC has been holding recently. Let me introduce Ricky Rojas, undefeated at 6-0 (and 5-0 amateur). His last four bouts and upcoming fifth on August 14th have come under Fury, and he has flourished under their lights. We have another fighter who not only wins but rarely even looks vulnerable. Not to say he can run…
It is said that history often repeats itself, or that great minds think alike. For this week’s piece, I cannot help but think about how much this fighter’s career path has resembled that of Sebastian Oyervidez, whom we covered in the last article. Let me introduce you to one of the brightest Bantamweight stars in Jay “Crack” Alderete. Like Oyervidez, he is a young prospect (aged 19) who has fought exclusively in the Fury FC cage. Also undefeated at 5-0 (and 4-0 amateur), he has amassed four finishes, three of which came in the first round. Jay is not just…
If you are looking for an athlete on a speed run, it is hard to find a fighter who has accomplished so much in as little time as Sebastian Oyervidez. The only feather missing from his cap is that of a regional title, but with such a relatively short time in the game, that can’t be held against him. How overpowered he has been cannot be overstated, but let me attempt to organize it in a way that is not word salad. Oyervidez is in his early twenties and made his amateur debut in October of 2023 and his professional…
Of the many prospects we have been covering over the last several months, few have been as ready as Cameron Sandoval. Recently winning A1 Combat’s Bantamweight strap in March, he’s looked every bit the part of a consummate champion. He has the experience in droves, an undefeated record, and an exciting style as a high-output grappler. While he won his first three professional bouts by submission, the finish has been eluding him since, though he won all subsequent fights in dominant fashion. While the word grappler can have a negative, boring connotation to some, that doesn’t apply here. Sandoval is…
A drill never stops; it only slows down momentarily. Stan “The Drill” Dorsainvil truly embodies his namesake. The 26-year-old lightweight continues to hit his stride at the right time, exponentially improving as he compounds in mental and physical maturity. Making his professional debut in January of 2023, he has had a few years to round into form while still having plenty of road left ahead of him. While he is technically a BJJ specialist, he possesses a 76-inch reach, which has lent itself quite nicely to his striking profile. Riding a nine-fight win streak, including an unblemished 5-0 professional record,…
Prospects, like almost anything else, come in layers and levels. There are those who are greener, more experienced, generally better, etc. Juan “El Carnicero” Gutierrez is probably a mirror image of what I personally envision when I consider what an “MMA prospect” means. Talented, with plenty of upside, yet still some kinks to work through. That is not a knock at all; this is what an athlete’s early career is for: to hone the fundamentals and shape the style they will use for the rest of their careers. It is like Michelangelo in the early stages of the Statue of…
So many flowers, yet not enough time to give them. Here we have Shane Collins, the reigning and defending featherweight champion of Urijah Faber’s A1 Combat, a promotion that we have touched little on. Having defended his title twice now, most recently in early May, the time is ripe for the 26-year-old to take the next step. Fighters and coaches are training more intelligently than ever before, and this is evident in the drastic changes to the UFC landscape over the last several years. Prospects don’t look as unfiltered as they used to, and Collins especially so. Watching him fight…
Color me surprised, but for this week’s article, we have yet another Fury FC and/or Kill Cliff fighter to take a glance at. Fury FC, CFFC, and Kill Cliff cannot be given enough kudos in my opinion. Yet Anthony Wint, who will be covering for this piece, is no ordinary fighter. We have barely scratched the surface of what professional athletes in other sports can accomplish in the cage, perhaps because not many of them make the transition. After all, it might not be worth it to some folks to pursue such a dangerous endeavor when compared to the salary…
Sports, and life in general, can often seem like it’s about chasing the next best thing. To narrow the lens on the comparatively niche MMA prospect scene, this seems ever more true. Much like the NFL, MMA newcomers will have their more professional opportunities based on what they accomplished on the junior scenes. For football players, this means college tape. For fighters, it is what they do on regional circuits like the CFFC. Speaking of which, I am developing quite the soft spot for the CFFC. We have covered a few of their fighters, and they never fail to disappoint.…