Bantamweight, John Sweeney (13-3):
At one point Sweeney lost two convectively but now he’s won his last seven. Last June he won the LFA bantamweight title. Sweeney is a forward pressure fighter who has good hands and an even better ground game. He’s a mix of trash talk and butt-kicking.
Lightweight, Richie Lewis (5-0):
Lewis is a U23 World champion in freestyle wrestling and a 2-time NCAA qualifier at Rutgers University. Lewis has been dominant in his short MMA career thus far. I believe wrestling is the best base to have in MMA and he’s making that true. The wrestling, control, and relentless ground and pound have been key to his success.
Flyweight, Marcos Degli (10-3):
Degli has been fighting for LFA Brazil and has proven himself over other good opponents. 125 needs new blood and Degli should be at the top of the list for the UFC. He starts off his career losing his first two pro fights. After March 2022 Degli was 2-3 in his career and now he’s won his last eight fights.
Lightweight, George Hardwick (12-2):
Hardwick may be coming off a loss on the contender series but he’s still one to watch for. Hardwick is the current Cage Warriors lightweight champion. Prior to that loss, Hardwick was on a nice eight-fight win streak. Hardwick is surgical on the inside with his hands and elbows in the clinch he will chop the legs at a distance.
Middleweight, Alain Van der Merckt (6-0):
Merckt has fought at both light-heavyweight and middleweight but has looked much better at middleweight. He’s a good athlete that on the feet he’ll throw from both sides with a lot of power. His skillset shines more on the mat where he has four submissions. Merckt has been dominant with top control, ground and pound, and eventual fight-ending submissions. Watch out for Mercky because he can be signed to the UFC at any point.
