The episode starts with a gifting of another Kazakhstan fur coat from Alibi Idiris, this time to the man he fought the day before, Furkatbek Yokubov. While Yokubov is disappointed in his performance, he holds a lot of respect for Idiris and embraces him after accepting the gift.

Diego Bianchini jokes about where the jiu-jitsu coach is, and is instantly mocked by Rodrigo Sezinando, his house rival. The two slowly get more aggressive as Sezinando mocks Bianchini’s only loss, which he feels he was robbed in. Bianchini retaliates by bringing up Sezinando’s only loss and mocking his representation of Brazil while living in Canada. Sezinando makes a note to ask for this fight specifically next, which makes sense considering they’re the only two unmatched welterweights.

Former Women’s Champions Reflect on TUF Lessons

Daniel Cormier introduces two TUF alumni who’ll help coach for the day, Raquel Pennington and Rose Namajunas. After some quick advice, the ladies got to work on helping the prospects.

“The Ultimate Fighter was a great experience for me. Definitely came at the perfect time in my life, a huge opportunity, and I really thrived,” Namajunas fondly recalled from her time on the show.

Former women’s bantamweight champion Pennington piggybacked off this,

“The Ultimate Fighter for me was a pivotal moment in my career. Became one of the first women to sign with the UFC. I wanted to become the world champion; I became the world champion. It totally changed my life and my family’s life. It truly let me spread my wings as an athlete and as a person.”

Firstly, we lock in on Matt Dixon and his past on DWCS, where he suffered his only career loss. Dixon blames his pace for gassing out and losing the fight, recalling the negative effects following the loss.

“It definitely took its toll on my joy for the sport. This is my chance to get redemption in front of him as well too. So this fight right here will be an awesome opportunity.”

Chael Sonnen and his coaches rave about Dixon and his well-rounded ability, looking to see him grab a finish against Alex Sanchez. Dixon himself sees the same,

“I want to mix it up. You’re gonna see kicks from me, you’re gonna see dynamic footwork, dynamic movements. I’m going to put the pressure on him, and I’m going to throw with bad intentions. I want to walk this guy down and knock him out. I believe that it’s going to be an all-out striking war.”

Team Sonnen Learns Old School Dirty Boxing, Ground and Pound

Team Sonnen also gets a guest coach for the episode in UFC veteran and former TUF alumni Ed Herman. Herman shows the team some nasty ground and pound, which Matt Dixon takes note of before his fight.

We then flip to Alex Sanchez, in the middle of a deep conversation with Rodrigo Sezinando. Sanchez says he never struggled growing up, but that he was taught to work in the fields as soon as he could. He used the money he made to start training MMA in Mexico. Sanchez now trains with his girlfriend, former UFC fighter Silvana Gomez Juarez, at the UFC PI in Mexico.

Traveling to Tulsa, Oklahoma, and taking a look back at some footage of a young Matt Dixon boxing. Visiting his home gym, we see TUF veteran Gerald Harris, and a glimpse at Dixon’s motivation.

“Being in the UFC means so much to me, to the point where I would sacrifice being away from my daughter and my wife.”

Additionally, a glimpse of how Alex Sanchez got to TUF is shown, with a seven-fight winning streak leading to the appearance.

“If it wasn’t for the fact that I am very well-rounded, I believe I would be worried. Truth is, wherever the fight goes, I’ll be able to handle it. If he wants to wrestle me, if he wants to strike with me, I’m not worried. I am going to try to look for the finish like in all of my fights, I’m the type of fighter that can deliver great knockouts.”

Cormier seems worried about Sanchez being held against the cage, wanting him to focus on keeping his back off the cage. Instead, putting the pace and pressure on Dixon with his striking seems to be the game plan for Sanchez.

The Ultimate Fighter 33: Matt Dixon vs. Alex Sanchez

Dixon kicks off the fight on the front foot, landing a massive right hand seconds in. Sanchez looks to return fire on the aggressive Dixon, countering with calf kicks and winging hooks. As soon as Dixon finds himself in boxing range, he throws short combinations in bunches. Sanchez continues to get walked down, eating some big body strikes while struggling to land counters. The Tulsa native started using more head movement and showed more confidence, blocking less and less and pushing forward harder as the opening frame wore on. Dixon backed Sanchez to the cage and landed a massive 1-2 into a winging left hook that dropped Sanchez. It took just five ground and pound strikes before the ref stepped in to save the stunned Sanchez.

Matt Dixon was declared the winner by TKO and advances to the Welterweight semi-finals. Afterwards, Daniel Cormier was audibly upset, scolding Sanchez in the back for not listening to instructions and backing up throughout the fight.

Episode 7 will feature the last Flyweight quarterfinals matchup between Tumelo Manyamala and Roybert Echeverria.

That wraps up an exciting episode of The Ultimate Fighter 33. We’ll recap each episode from the season as the show unfolds.

The post The Ultimate Fighter 33 Ep. 6: Tensions Rise in the TUF House appeared first on Cageside Press.

The 170lb weight class has always been deep, but the UFC is constantly in need of fresh bodies. Here’s a look at who will be competing 20 years on from the debut of The Ultimate Fighter.

Jeff Creighton
USA
29-years-old
11-2-1
54% finish rate (1 KO/TKO, 5 Submissions)
A1 Combat welterweight champion
Combined opponents’ record: 68-50

Creighton may not be the most exciting fighter but has been on a roll winning regional titles and beating some good regional guys. He’s winning but I wouldn’t say he’s doing it in a convincing way. He’s been winning off close decision wins by doing more damage. Creighton started off as a finish but has won five straight decisions.

Creighton’s style is anything but refined, yet he’s made it work. What he lacks in technical skill, he compensates for with sheer durability and endurance, often outlasting his opponents. His toughness is essential to his approach—winning fights through relentless pressure rather than precision.

He fights at a low volume, often overextending on his punches, with every movement looking labored. He thrives in close-quarters combat, aiming to turn fights into gritty phone booth brawls. However, even when closing the distance, he leaves himself wide open for counters. His best moments come in the clinch, where he delivers slicing elbows and solid knees, but his lack of control often sees him pressed against the cage. Much of his success comes from landing damage while defending takedowns, but his takedown defense itself remains a glaring weakness—he’s been far too easy to drag to the mat.

Creighton has survived largely because he refuses to break, while many of his opponents have folded under his pressure. Despite his many flaws, he’s a dangerous challenge, particularly for fighters who struggle with their gas tank. However, the TUF format doesn’t suit him. He can’t afford to play possum in a potential two-round fight, and if he pushes the pace, his defensive vulnerabilities could cost him.

“The emotions are grateful. I realize how big of an opportunity this is, this is a life changing opportunity. And I plan on capitalizing on that,” Creighton said during his introduction to the media recently. And while it will hard to be away from his love ones as the show films, “they’re my ‘why.’ And I’m here, and they’re counting on me. So I’m going to win the whole entire thing.”

The post The Ultimate Fighter 33 Cast Breakdown: Welterweight appeared first on Cageside Press.

Kenny Cross finally gets a chance to compete as well, after his fight fell through in week one.

Let’s get right to it and break all five fights down.

Welterweight: Victor Reyna vs. Louis Cosce

Tale of the Tape

Pros and Cons

Who has the advantage?

Striking: Cosce
Speed: Cosce
Output/Volume: Cosce
Knockout Power: Cosce
Chin: Cosce
Kickboxing: Reyna
Footwork: Neither
Wrestling: Reyna
Grappling: Reyna
Submissions: Cosce
Cardio: Reyna

Prediction

Cosce does have a lot of advantages on paper, that’s shown in all his bouts being one-round fights. The longest Cocse has been in the cage is 4:34 and Reyna has gone the distance five times. However Reyna has a big experience advantage and has fought far better competition. Reyna has ten more fights than Cosce and Reyna has fought opponents like Miguel Baeza, Daniel Rodriguez, and Kevin Holland whereas Cosce has only one win over a fighter with a winning record. Cosce is extremely dangerous but with the amount of pressure he puts on early it’s going to be hard for him to keep that pace up for long. Reyna can take a shot for sure, having been dropped a few times by Miguel Baeza and surviving. The pick Reyna because there is still a lot unknown about Cosce.

The post DWCS 2020 Week 3 Breakdown and Predictions appeared first on Cageside Press.

In this feature, we take six journalists including our own Shawn Bitter, plus four hardcore MMA fans/Podcasters to get their take on who the UFC should sign by year’s end. So far this year, the UFC has signed major prospects like Jiri Prochazka, Shavkat Rakhmonov, Roman Bogatov, Umar Nurmagomedov, Jai Herbert, Manel Kape, Modestas Bukauskas, Nate Landwehr and more. Here, each member of our panel will give their picks on who they think the UFC should sign by the end of 2020.

The Journalists

Shawn Bitter

Middleweight, Roberto Soldic (17-3): Soldic has beaten some stiff competition in his career including Lewis Long (16-5), Borys Mańkowski (19-7-1), and Dricus Du Plessis (12-2), winning five titles including the KSW middleweight title. Soldic is easily one of the best welterweights on the global scene and the UFC would be very wise to try and pry him from KSW. Soldic is always coming forward and always looking for the finish in a controlled chaos manner. KSW has had talent that went to the UFC like Jan Błachowicz, Karolina Kowalkiewicz, Aleksei Oleinik, and others.

Featherweight, Igeu Kabesa (12-1): Kabesa’s only loss is to UFC fighter Danny Henry, which was a rematch of their first meeting, which Kabesa won. Of the two, Kabesa has a much higher ceiling. “Smiley” is one of the two best prospects out of South Africa along with Demarte Pena. He is the current EFC Worldwide featherweight champion and on a four-fight win streak. Kabesa is a very decorated wrestler being a 10-time Wrestling Nationals Champion. He is young and solid everywhere. Kabesa has amazing wrestling and grappling, he can move well on the mat and can reach mount fairly easy. His striking is good too, moving in-and-out with explosive punches quickly and his slips and counters are solid.

Featherweight, Joanderson Brito (11-2-1): Brito has been on a roll since his last loss in 2015, going 10-0-1 in his last eleven fights. He’s fought for the likes of Future FC and Thunder Fight which are two top promotions out of Brazil. He’s also the former Fusion FC champ, a promotion based in Peru. In his most recent fight, he made his U.S. debut for LFA and beat a top prospect in Jose Mariscal. Brito is a bull walking his foes down and throwing huge looping hooks with big power. He’s a power striker on the feet but has some good wrestling and better top position to fall back on. He’s arguably the best prospect right now out of Brazil.

Featherweight, Salahdine Parnasse (14-0-1): Parnasse in my opinion is the best prospect worldwide. Parnasse didn’t really become noticeable until he signed with one of the biggest European organizations in KSW in late 2017.  In April of last year, Parnasse beat Roman Szymański to become the interim KSW featherweight champion. Last December he beat the well-known Ivan Buchinger to retain his interim title. Parnasse would prefer to keep the fight on the feet where he can use his effective movement and a good kickboxing base. This would be one of the biggest if not the biggest signing if somehow the UFC could snatch him up.

Strawweight, Melissa Martinez (7-0): Martinez is currently signed with Combate Americas and is their current 115-pound champion. Recently, Combate champion Gustavo Lopez was able to be released from his contract. Rafa Garcia who is also a champion there has vacated his contract to sign to another promotion. So there is hope for the UFC picking up Martinez. “Super Melly” has the ability to break an opponent down with her chopping leg kicks. She also displays a quick release with her dangerous head kick that she has won a couple of times with. She looks really promising at such a young age and so early in her career.

The post Prospects the UFC Should Sign by the End of 2020 appeared first on Cageside Press.

Middleweight, Kyle Daukaus (9-0)

Kyle Daukaus had a big year in 2019. He beat former UFC fighter Jonavin Webb, earned a win on the Contender Series, and defended his Cage Fury FC title twice. On the feet, Daukaus is not great but throws a lot of volume and is very good using his length. He’s much more versed on the mat and his wrestling to get in there is good. Daukaus has a good submission base with seven wins by submission with his D’Arce choke being a prime choice. He’s active with his submission attempts and his ground and pound as well.

Bantamweight, Jose Johnson (11-5)

Despite being only 24, Jose Johnson has an amazing amount of experience. Not only is he 11-5 as a pro but he has an extensive amateur career going 68-12. At a point in his pro career, Jose was 5-4 but since late 2018 he’s looked much improved. In fact Johnson has looked stellar as of late. He is now on a five-fight win streak, all finishes in the first round. He will struggle with takedown defense but is good off his back with solid jiu-jitsu. On the feet is where he excels and is a very dangerous fighter. Johnson is good at range with long strikes and an effective teep kick. He’s lethal in the clinch with excellent Muay Thai bringing in deadly elbows and knees. Such an athletic guy and only 24, you have to like where he is headed.

Light heavyweight, Alex Polizzi (6-0)

Undefeated as a pro and as an amateur going 7-0 combined, Alex Polizzi has the recipe to be a big prospect in the 205lb weight class. Polizzi was a D1 wrestler at Northwestern University from 2010-2015 and was a state champion. In his most recent bout, he beat and finished former UFC fighter Daniel Jolly and Jamal Pogues who is a top prospect. Polizzi needs work on his stand-up but his wrestling and athleticism will take him far. His ground and pound have been his best weapon to date. He’s never been outside the second round but his pressure and relentless style (a.k.a. his cardio) have held up just fine.

Welterweight, Matt Dixon (9-0)

Matt Dixon is a good boxer who displays a solid jab and a check left hook. He does a good job going to the body-head with his hands ripping with good placement. His striking wouldn’t be as good without his excellent kickboxing and vice-versa. On the feet, his kickboxing is arguably his best aspect. The wrestling from Dixon is his best attribute. Dixon has an excellent double leg takedown that he times very well. He will wait until his opponent comes in before he changes levels using their momentum against them to get the easy dump takedown. For more on Dixon check out our Prospect of the Month piece from February.

Lightweight, Max Rohskopf (5-0)

Max Rohskopf grew up wrestling and would become quite good at it, winning the 2016 ACC Championship at NC State. There isn’t much MMA footage on him, but he has shown some good power in his hands and obviously good wrestling. Outside of that, he has a textbook jab and heavy leg kicks and even more excellent grappling. Two fights ago he took out DWCS veteran Zach Zane so he’s already proven he can fight at the next level up. We spoke to Max back in February ahead of his Titan FC debut.

The post Scouting the Globe: The Five Best Prospects From The United States appeared first on Cageside Press.

Which means, as always, there’s a good batch of MMA prospects to check out. So let’s get on with the show, starting with Kazakhstan, where the UFC will debut later this year.

ACA 104 | Friday | Kazakhstan

Light-heavyweight, Muslim Magomedov (6-0)

Muslim Magomedov had a successful amateur career winning the WMMAA 2018 European Championship. In only his fifth pro bout, he dominated former UFC fighter Chris Camozzi. Despite not offering much on the feet, Magomed is an excellent wrestler. His timing on his shots is fine and the way he shoots so low makes his execution near-perfect. The work he does on top is his best aspect. He has good top position and his ground and pound is strong, active, and he lands hard.

OFS 14 | Friday | Russia

Featherweight: Aliyar Sarkerov (36-3)

Aliyar Sarkerov is good everywhere. On the feet, he is very flashy with kicks and body attacks. His takedown ability is perfect, he sets up his entrances well, and he can use a variety of takedowns including trips, single legs, hip throws, and double legs. In general, his takedown ability is where it needs to be. On the mat is where he is spectacular. He is a great danger when it comes to grabbing the neck and putting the fight away. He fights Lucas Oliveira (20-6).

Invicta FC | Friday | US

Bantamweight: Lisa Verzosa (5-0)

Lisa Spangler Verzosa has toughness, heart, and tenacity and you can’t teach that to a fighter. She is exceptionally smart in the clinch attacking the body-head. She has strong wrestling she will use at times. Verzosa is just a really gritty fighter. She fights Julija Stoliarenko (8-3-1) who is 4-0 since her TUF run. This is for the Invicta FC bantamweight title (vacant).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhUQJVeFjiM

LFA 83 | Friday | US

Welterweight: Matt Dixon (8-0)

Matt Dixon is a good boxer who displays a solid jab and a check left hook. He does a good job going to the body-head with his hands ripping with good placement. His striking wouldn’t be as good without his excellent kickboxing and vice-versa. On the feet, his kickboxing is arguably his best aspect. The wrestling from Dixon is his best attribute. Dixon has an excellent double leg takedown that he times so well. He will wait till his opponent comes in before he changes levels using their momentum against them to get the easy dump takedown. For more on Dixon check out my prospect of the month piece I did on him in February. He fights Justin Patterson (11-5).

Flyweight: Hailey Cowan (4-1)

Hailey Cowan has an extensive background in gymnastics and was very accomplished at Baylor University. She won a few tumbling national titles and is a two-time All-American. After coming up short in her pro-MMA debut, she then went on to win her next four fights looking impressive in the process. She’s a big and strong 125er who is well-rounded, holding a rear-naked choke and a highlight-reel head kick knockout. She fights Brittney Cloudy (2-1).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVIM4kb2CnM

Eternal MMA 52 | Saturday | Australia

Flyweight: Chelsea Hackett (2-0-1)

Chelsea Hackett comes from a Muay Thai background as she’s a two-time world Muay Thai champion. In her MMA career, the girls so far have tried mainly to put her on her back. However Hackett has shown good takedown defense and is the one getting takedowns herself. She is much better on the feet, notably in the clinch, with good kickboxing, and combos from the outside. She fights Rhiannon Thompson (5-3).

Lightweight: Josh Togo (8-3)

A few years ago, Josh Togo was on a three-fight skid. Now he’s won his last four fights (also a NC) and is the current Eternal MMA lightweight champ. Togo doesn’t have a lot of power but has the technical ability on the outside to work opponents. He will pick his foes apart with lead leg kicks, lead uppercuts, and jabs mixing it up. He fights former UFC fighter Ben Wall (10-7-1).

Thunderstrike Fight League 20 | Saturday | Poland

Middleweight: Cezary Kesik (11-0)

Cezary Kesik is very underrated and is one of the best, if not the best, Polish prospects out there. Kesik is exciting, bringing an aggressive kickboxing style with a lot of power in his hands with seven finishes by way of KO/TKO. If needed, Kesik will take the fight down where he is really talented with position control and transitions. He fights Georgi Lobzhanidze (10-4) who is a good test of Kesik’s abilities.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MXMT0UJRXo&t=493s

Cage Warriors 112 |  Saturday | UK

Bantamweight: Jack Cartwright (7-0)

Jack Cartwright had a huge 2019 getting four wins, signing with Cage Warriors, and winning the Cage Warriors title. Cartwright has been wrestling since the age of five and has a background as a former ABA boxer. Cartwright just recently began showing his striking; with his power and timing he’s just as good as he is as a grappler. The Brit is a good wrestler and more of an exceptional grappler. He’s got a very dangerous guillotine and d’arce he’s finished with a few times. He fights Manuel Bilić (15-6).

Welterweight: Madars Fleminas (7-0)

Madars Fleminas on the feet is really good, especially in the clinch with his knees. Still, you might expect him to be better since he has a long-range at 6’2″ — but he is getting better. He’s superb on the mat in top position with active ground and pound. Fleminas has solid cardio as well and shows improvement in each fight. He could have a bright future if he learns how to put it all together. He fights Adam Proctor (11-1).

Welterweight: Adam Proctor (11-1)

Adam Proctor is still an unknown prospect and part of that is because he still hasn’t had that one big statement win. He’s beat good fighters but I think his lack of killer instinct has canceled that out a bit. Proctor is well-rounded being able to strike and wrestle. He’s a better wrestler who times takedowns well. He could be more aggressive on top though. Proctor has good distance management with a laser right hands and good kicks. He has the skills to go a long way but needs some sharpening around the edges. He fights Madars Fleminas (7-0).

Lightweight: Paul Hughes (4-0)

Paul Hughes has looked stellar in his pro career and although he only has four fights he has the skills of a established fighter. Hughes has two TKO’s and two submissions as he’s very well-rounded. On the feet, Hughes has good boxing. The accuracy and shot selection is there and so is some big power. He’s an even better wrestler and has exceptional grappling. Hughes looks like the real deal. He fights Youri Panada (4-1).

GMC 24 | Saturday | Germany

Featherweight: Saba Bolaghi (10-1-1)

Saba Bolaghi is a decorated wrestler listing achievements such as the youth German Freestyle Wrestling Championship, Junior World Championships, and the Bronze medal at the Adults European Championships. He is very physically strong and executes his level-changes well. When he gets the fight to the mat, he is dangerous with his chokes having won four that way. His striking isn’t much but he makes up with for it with speed and once he is in the distance, the takedowns come naturally. He fights Felipe Maia (9-3).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfQx2Bioo4k&t=2s

Summit FC 34 | Saturday | US

Welterweight: Jaleel Willis (11-2)

Jaleel Willis is quite athletic and a top-notch wrestler. On top, he has the control, the transitions, and the ground-and-pound to excel. Willis is everything you want in a fighter, especially in terms of wrestling. On the feet, he does hold a lot of power in his hands. Willis still has some things to learn but is a bright prospect. He fights  James Horne (4-3)

The post Weekly MMA Prospect Report: Top Prospects From Around The World appeared first on Cageside Press.

Nickname: Magic
Age: 24-years-old
From: Tulsa, Oklahoma, US
Height: 5’10″
Reach: 74″
Weight class: Welterweight
Record: 8-0
Ranked #1 in active Oklahoma Pro Welterweights according to Tapology
Ranked #4 in active US Southwest Pro Welterweights according to Tapology

Who is Matt Dixon?

Matt Dixon first got into MMA through his father at the age of 5 years old. At the time he dabbled with some boxing, Muay Thai, submission wrestling, and other disciplines including BJJ as well. It wasn’t until Dixon was 12 years old that he started to watch MMA himself, which is when he discovered his passion for the sport.

There weren’t really any legit MMA trainers around Dixon at the time, so he watched fights and would shadowbox his ass off every day, he told us. The young Dixon remembers wanting a heavy bag to train with, but his mom couldn’t get him one right away. Dixon didn’t want to wait so he found an old tire in the woods that he took home and hanged in his backyard. That became his heavy bag. He beat on the bag every day when he got home until you could barely see the tire anymore.

Outside of MMA, Dixon has fought in boxing and kickboxing. He went 9-0 in kickboxing and 1-0 in boxing, as he did compete as a pro in boxing as well. Along with that, he competed in some grappling tournaments. Dixon currently trains out of WCF based out of Tulsa, Oklahoma with head coach Craig Blacklock. He found coach Blacklock when he was only 14, and it was his first real coach in MMA. His mother, a mom of three children with a lot on her plate, was just able to afford Dixon’s training with WCF, allowing him to follow his dream. Dixon wanted to, at the very least, have seven fights as an amateur but by the time he was 5-0 he reached his peak as an amateur in Oklahoma. Besides which, it became too hard for him to find fights. “Magic” Dixon has excelled as his profession currently with an 8-0 record as a pro, with six finishes. He’s the current Xtreme Fight Night welterweight champion winning that in only his third pro fight with multiple title defenses.

Striking

Dixon is a good boxer who displays a solid jab and a check left hook. He does a good job going to the body-head with his hands ripping with good placement. His striking wouldn’t be as good without his excellent kickboxing and vice-versa. He throws a crisp jab into a leg kick and a nice left uppercut into a leg kick. He’s usually throwing combinations and the best thing is he always throws something different, mixing it up.

Kickboxing

On the feet, his kickboxing is arguably his best aspect. Dixon fights behind his kicks at times and sometimes ends combinations with a kick. He does a great job kicking the lead leg of his opponents right behind the knee and lower calf. Dixon also throws a good side kick to the mid-section. He can be a little flashy as well throwing some spinning kicks. He much better staying conventional attacking that lead leg where he attacks not only heavy but very frequently.

Clinch

Nothing really significant that stands out in the clinch but Dixon does do well. He is always working landing knees, fighting underhooks, and dropping levels. He’s intelligent knowing his positions and placement on his knees. He will get controlled at times against the fence but has never been gotten the best of.

Movement

Dixon isn’t flashy with his footwork but does switch stances often making it hard for his foes to read him. Dixon is never overly aggressive as he comes in with combinations and steps out of the pocket avoiding any damage.

Wrestling

The wrestling from Dixon is his best attribute. Dixon has an excellent double leg takedown that he times so well. He will wait till his opponent comes in before he changes levels using their momentum against them to get the easy dump takedown. Dixon will utilize a lot of feints to set up his takedowns. He will throw strikes to wrestle as he’s become very reliable capitalizing on it. Dixon doesn’t need the cage nor does he need to chain wrestle, as he easily can get the fight down at center.

Ground game

Dixon has some excellent grappling. He’s knowledgeable in transitions knowing what to do. He’s smooth in his transitions and well-executed in moving into the mount and taking the back. Dixon only has one submission win but is more of a threat with his ground and pound. He’s a more dangerous striker but his jiu-jitsu, control, scrambles, and ground and pound sets him apart.

Cardio

“Magic” Dixon has gone the distance twice and has gone past the third round twice. His hands do slowly drop as the fight goes but his cardio doesn’t look to be a problem. Dixon fights at the same pace all fight and for what he does that’s pretty darn good.

Defense

On the feet, I mentioned earlier his hand drop and I noticed as he circles away from the clinch he drops his hands to his waist. With that said he’s never really been dropped since his footwork is good as is his head movement. It’s just little things that can be adjusted but with such a young fighter that’s expected.

Final thoughts: Dixon is in my eyes one of the better unknown prospects right now. It will be noted that his level of competition hasn’t been the best fighting just mainly decent regional talent. His record still is in no way padded as he’s never fought anyone with a losing record and the opponents he’s beat, he’s done so in dominant fashion. He has the skills and tools to go far in the sport. Signing with LFA should set him up to excel at the next level. The UFC is already interested as they offered him a fight in the past so I’d expect him at the very least to turn up on the Contender Series this next Summer.

The post MMA Prospect of the Month: Matt Dixon appeared first on Cageside Press.