Flyweight, Rei Tsuruya (10-0):
Tsuruya is the flyweight winner of season two of the Road to UFC. He’s coming off a win over Carlos Hernandez in his UFC debut. Though a few thought Hernandez won, that’s a bit absurd since Teuruya controlled rounds one and two.
What’s so impressive about Tsuruya is he’s only 22. I’ve said before he was a future top-15 flyweight and I still believe it. It’s not all perfect with Tsuruya because his striking is still a gray area. His ground game on the other hand is so good. He’s such a tricky unique grappler who’s tying his opponent in knots. Tsuruya takes a lot of risks because he can fight out of any position. The sky is the limit for Tsuruya.
Bantamweight, Jean Matsumoto (15-0):
Matsumoto is a talented 135er who adds a lot to the division. He was put to test in his UFC debut against Dan Argueta. Matsumoto had to be on his game as Argueta is non-stop pressure. Matsumoto was on point defensively and kept composed. He eventually caught Argueta in a guillotine in round two.
Putting together punches, leg kicks, and body shots is something he does very well. With how good he is on the feet, he’s looked even better on the mat. Matsumoto is only 24 and already so good everywhere.
