Two years ago, we took a look at the top five prospects in MMA, nation by nation. This year, we’re back with another look at some of the best up-and-coming talents in the business.
For this instalment, we cross the pond to the U.K. The United Kingdom has one UFC champ to date in Michael Bisping, though Leon Edwards will look to change that next month.
Our original Scouting the Globe series singled out the following five U.K. talents:
- Jack Cartwright who is fighting this season on the Contender Series.
- Rhys McKee who did sign with the UFC but is now a Cage Warriors champ.
- Shoaib Yousaf who is 2-2 in his last four fights.
- Jake Hadley who is signed with the UFC and 0-1 for the promotion.
- Mason Jones who is 1-1-1 inside the UFC octagon.
Bantamweight, Jack Cartwright (10-0)
To me, at the top of the heap in terms of UK talent is Jack Cartwright. The only problem is that he hasn’t fought in a little over a year. What also doesn’t help him is his last fight wasn’t a great performance, and his opponent basically ruined it himself.
That said, Cartwright won the Cage Warriors bantamweight title in a one-night four-man tournament back in 2019. He defended his title three times before taking this hiatus. The Brit is a good wrestler and even more so an exceptional grappler. His striking with the power and timing he possesses stands out, but he’s just as good of a grappler. He fights this season on the Contender Series in a chance to prove himself.
