Author: Around the Felt Sports
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.…
True dominance in MMA typically occurs later in a fighter’s career, where they have a holistic grasp of their abilities and how to use them. Maturity coupled with momentum equates to this dominance. On the regional scene, everyone goes through growing pains. It is impossible not to, even if they do not result in losses. Many of the rising stars we have examined have losses on their records, which is not to disparage them; it is a natural part of the process. This week’s fighter, however, has reached a level of mastery rarely seen at his stage. Not only does…
As is a common occurrence in the MMA landscape, there are an increasing number of prospects to pay attention to, with so many coming and going. The gentleman who is the subject of this week’s article has been due praise for a long time. At only age 22, King has dismantled every opponent placed in front of him, remaining undefeated with five victories. Making his pro debut a mere year or so ago, to show this much promise so early is worth taking a long look at. King’s last four fights have come under the Fury FC banner, and he…
With the draft approaching in a few days, here is my final 2026 mock draft. This is the third year I have had the opportunity to put out my own mock ahead of the draft and I am hoping to do better than the six correct picks I had in both the 2024 and 2025 drafts. Since Mock 1.0, my New York Giants agreed to a massive trade with the Cincinnati Bengals, sending Dexter Lawrence II to the Bengals for the 10th overall pick, which could have major implications for the top 10. More on this later. Before we get…
As much as fans love to see barn burners, both ends of the bell curve, as far as weight divisions in MMA are concerned, remain similar. Both the lightest and heaviest weight classes are frequently overlooked when discussing top talent. I am not saying I necessarily agree, but I understand where the sentiment comes from. Heavyweights are, after all, best known for “standing and banging”, so much so that we can fail to recognize real potential when we see it. The heaviest weight division in the UFC is also one of the most stagnant. So, I ask, is new blood…
MMA is a ruthless business, yet I am still surprised at how certain names are not yet in the UFC or, at the very least, the Contender Series. Christian Natividad is one such name. “The Hawaiian Punch” (amazing nickname, by the way) has a perfect professional record of nine wins with no losses, going undefeated in amateur as well. Still under thirty years of age, he has time to continue to build his resume and hone his already razor sharp skills. Born in Hawaii and now fighting out of Arizona, Natividad has fought his entire professional career under the LFA,…