Sanchez went 5-6 as an amateur but after losing her pro debut, she’s been killing it winning her next/last four fights. We spoke to Sanchez recently in a short interview to get to know the flyweight up-and-comer a little bit more.

Q. How did you get into MMA? What was your first introduction to combat sports?

A. I started training MMA for fun and exercise in my sister’s and brother-in-law’s small garage (aka my coach) when I was 15. My main introduction to combat sports was boxing. I did boxing more than anything at first.

Q. If applicable, list any accomplishments you have in combat sports.

A. I got a few medals from jiujitsu tournaments and competitions, but my biggest accomplishment in my amateur career was becoming champion for the 559 135 women’s division and later on getting into my professional career.

Q. Did you play a lot of sports growing up?

A. I played soccer and rugby throughout my four years in high school, other than that I was just starting my MMA career.

Q. Is MMA your full-time job? If so, what are some jobs you had in the past?

A. MMA is my full-time job. Some jobs I’ve had in the past have been working in different restaurants, bartending, and working as a preschool teacher for a few years.

Q. Do you have anyone you looked up to in sports?

A. When I first got into MMA I remember looking up to Tecia Torres and Ronda Rousey. I was amazed at their ability and work ethic.

Q. I see you train at Team Alpha Male. Explain how that materialized and who are you usually sparing with.

I transitioned to Team Alpha Male after not being able to train with my only coaches due to personal reasons. I still train with them now though. I don’t do my main sparring at Alpha Male, but when I do I spar with the girls (Maycee Barber, Cory McKenna, Tina Machedo) and some guys. I spar with some of my training partners from my other gyms.

Q. Your growth as an amateur to a pro is substantial. What did you take away from your amateur career?

A. My amateur career wasn’t pretty. It took a toll on me especially after losing my very first professional fight. That turned a switch on me that if I was going to do this, I had to do it the right way and give it my all, not that I wasn’t already, but it definitely motivated me to push through and get to where I am today.

Q. After losing your pro debut you haven’t lost since. What changed since then and how are you a better fighter now compared to then?

A. The drive and focus on my training lead me to improve as a person and fighter on a much higher level.

Q. What makes you different from everyone else that steps in the cage?

A. I think everyone is unique in their own ways, but something that makes me different from others is that I am fierce with staying true to myself, being kind to others, and believing in my ability to make it to the top and more.

Q. If you weren’t competing in MMA where do you think you’d be?

A. If I wasn’t in MMA, I think I would be living in SoCal while being a content creator and fitness influencer.

Q. Outside of training on your days off what are some of the things you like to do?

A. Most of the time on my days off, I truly like to do absolutely nothing. Might watch a movie or if I’m feeling active I’ll go on a nice hike.

Q. What are your goals in MMA for this year?

A. My goals for MMA this year are to fight at least four times. I’d like to earn a title shot and become the first Combate Global women’s flyweight champion. After my contract with Combate, I’d like to see where I’ll go after that.

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This time out, we’ll start off with the women’s strawweight division, and move on from there.

Strawweight, Huaxiang Dong (9-2)

Dong was not on my radar before but definitely is now. Dong started off her MMA career 1-3 and hasn’t lost since, winning eight fights in a row. She’s been fighting for WLF MMA for the last four years and is their current strawweight title holder. Dong is following in the footsteps of countrywoman Weili Zhang.

Like a lot of mixed martial artists fighting over in China, Dong is super young with a lot of experience. It’s tough to find all her fights but there is enough to get a good read on Dong. The best way to describe Dong is a wrestler that is more than comfortable striking.

Being as good as a wrestler as she is, Dong isn’t the type to have it be her main purpose. Dong does a great job lulling opponents with her striking until they are comfortable striking and that’s when Dong will shoot. You don’t see a lot of good wrestlers come from China and Dong possesses just that. She times level changes well and once she gets to the inside her physicality shows. Just in the clinch Dong can sling girls around and when she gets in on the hips she will elevate her opponents.

At times when striking Dong can be too willing to engage and her head sits on the centerline. When she’s not overzealous her movement going in and out and her reactive head movement is really good. Her striking is aggressive and although she can be more technical she makes up for it with volume. She comes from both sides of her opponent too so if you let her push you back it’s not going to go well.

I like Dong a lot and the longer she keeps fighting in China, she’s going to get better and better. Dong is still very young so the sky is the limit. Her wrestling alone would give a lot of girls up the rankings trouble.

The post Blind Reacting to Five MMA Prospects Vol. 4 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.

The featherweight division produced the biggest star the UFC (and MMA) has ever seen in Conor McGregor. It boasted one of the longest serving champs ever in Jose Aldo. And in Max Holloway, the division had one of the most respectable champs in history.

We’re in a new era now though, with Alexander Volkanovski at the top. Fresh blood is always a plus, so who should join the cast at 145lbs? We’ve got ten prospects singled out to join the UFC in 2020.

Here’s a look at last year’s list, featuring current UFC roster members Charles Jourdain, Mike Grundy, and Sung Bin Jo signing with the UFC in 2019:

Aliyar Sarkerov
Bill Algeo
Charles Jourdain
Igeu Kabesa
Justin Gonzales
Leonardo Limberger
Mike Grundy
Ricky Palacios
Sung Bin Jo
Salahdine Parnasse

You can also check out our other installments in this series:

10 Heavyweight Prospects the UFC Should Sign in 2020
10 Light Heavyweight Prospects the UFC Should Sign in 2020
10 Middleweight Prospects the UFC Should Sign in 2020
10 Welterweight Prospects the UFC Should Sign in 2020
10 Lightweight Prospects the UFC Should Sign in 2020

The post 10 Featherweight Prospects the UFC Should Sign in 2020 appeared first on Cageside Press.

Unless, of course, you’re Justin Gaethje. In any event, the UFC’s lightweight division is one of its deepest, alongside welterweight. Any new recruits aren’t going to be immediately thrust into title contention. But that also allows them plenty of time to develop.

We’ve got ten 155lb’ers we’d like to see the UFC snag this year, including another member of the Nurmagomedov clan.

Before we continue, here’s a look at last year’s list, featuring current UFC roster members Armen Tsaturyan, Rafael Fiziev, Mike Davis, and Austin Hubbard signing with the UFC in 2019:

Anderson Ferreira
Armen Tsaturyan
Austin Hubbard
Cesar Balmaceda
Issac Hardman
Mike Davis
Rafael Fiziev
Soren Bak
Troy Lamson
Yusuf Raisov

You can also check out our other installments in this series:

10 Heavyweight Prospects the UFC Should Sign in 2020
10 Light Heavyweight Prospects the UFC Should Sign in 2020
10 Middleweight Prospects the UFC Should Sign in 2020
10 Welterweight Prospects the UFC Should Sign in 2020
10 Featherweight Prospects the UFC Should Sign in 2020

The post 10 Lightweight Prospects the UFC Should Sign in 2020 appeared first on Cageside Press.

PFL 6 | Thursday | New Jersey

Heavyweight: Denis Goltsov (23-5)

Goltsov has beaten a string of well-known fighters in James McSweeney, Jared Rosholt, Chase Gormley, Peter Graham, Brett Rogers, Konstantin Erokhin, Mike Kyle, and Paul Buentello. He is good everywhere and dominates fights. Goltsov has the laid-back style where he can work a precise and impactful jab for as long as he pleases, but then he can switch it up and launch a head kick out of nowhere. Goltsov is a multiple-time Combat Sambo champion and placed first at this year’s Euros. Goltsov is the finished product and is only getting better and better. He’s arguably the best heavyweight prospect out there. He fights Kelvin Tiller (11-2), who is a good prospect coming off a win.

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

Bantamweight: Umar Nurmagomedov (10-0)

He is a relative of UFC lightweight champ Khabib Nurmagomedov and fights very similarly to him. He has excellent wrestling and great top control with constant ground-and-pound and excellent cardio. He is not as good as Khabib yet but he does have very good kickboxing, something Khabib lacks. He has speed behind his kicks, not exactly power, but it provides a problem for his opponents as he throws a lot as well. Umar is getting better and better in each fight. He fights Sidemar Honorio (13-6).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNPcPChw3e0

Invicta FC 36 | Friday | Kansas

Atomweight: Lindsey VanZandt (6-1)

VanZandt is a solid prospect and one of the best atomweight prospects today. On the feet, VanZandt is always throwing good combinations and throws good leg kicks. She relies on her volume on the feet and excels mixing it up. The 25-year-old is an even better wrestler and on the mat is where she is best. VanZandt has effective ground-and-pound and is really good with transitions and taking the back. She’s really good and someone I would rate high-level. She fights Jéssica Delboni (8-1), who is a good test.

Bantamweight: Stephanie Geltmacher (4-0)

“Hold Fast” is a promising prospect out of Oklahoma but born in Hawaii. Geltmacher is a four-time All-American wrestler. She has had trouble getting takedowns in the past but is getting better with each bout. It’s the work she does on top with her relentless ground-and-pound that makes her so good. Geltmacher has lately spent time on the feet and as she’s still green she has good movement moving in and out and is technical. She fights Victoria Leonardo (5-1).

Bantamweight: Victoria Leonardo (5-1)

Leonardo just made her professional MMA debut a little over a year ago and in her debut beat Hailey Cowan who is a top prospect right now. Leonardo is an aggressive fighter who will immediately push her opponent to the cage. She is strong in the clinch and has good dirty boxing, but the plan is to get the fight on the mat. Leonardo is good once on top as she passes guard well and is good at creating opportunities when her opponent moves. Her wrestling could be better, but her pressure breaks wills. She fights Stephanie Geltmacher (4-0).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZjujPdB0oh4

The post Weekly MMA Prospect Report: PFL and Invicta FC Lead a Short Week appeared first on Cageside Press.

• What do you like to do outside of fighting?
  All I enjoy doing is eating, training, and sleeping, I’m a little sad haha.
• Favorite striking and grappling technique?
  That’s a secret.
• Any MMA fighters that inspired you?
  Alistair Overeem and Bas Rutten.
• Favorite current fighter?
  I don’t have a favorite as I like them all.
• Lion King or Toy Story? 
  Both.
• PlayStation or Xbox? 
  Neither.
• Skittles or M&M’s? 
  Neither.
• Favorite TV show? 
  I enjoy Family Guy.
• Favorite Movie?
  Django Unchained.
• Cats or dogs?
  Both.

Paul Elliott started in kickboxing, competing in World Kickboxing Association (WKA) which is one of the oldest and the largest organizations. Born and raised in Middlesbrough, England, Elliott switched over to MMA because he struggled getting fights in kickboxing. Elliott made his amateur debut in 2017 and went 2-0. That same year, six months later, he went pro and now he’s 3-0. In five career fights, Elliott has a perfect finish rate, all by KO/TKO. All those finishes miraculously came in at under a minute.

Follow him on social media:
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Here’s some of Elliott’s handiwork (and dance moves):

The post Fighter Bio: Get to Know Paul Elliott appeared first on Cageside Press.

Biographical Information:

• Nickname: The Bengal
• Age: 27
• Height: 6’4″
• Reach: 81.0″
• Weight Class: Middleweight
• Record: 6-0
• Method: 3 KO/TKO, 2 Submissions
• Training Out Shaved Bears MMA, Frank Lee’s Muay Thai, and Hayabusa TC
• Currently Living in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
• Management: First Round Management

• Favorite striking or grappling technique?
  I don’t have a favorite technique, but I like the idea of using the right technique at the right time. For the sake of style points, I love the axe kick, and from a submission perspective, I love chokes.
• Any MMA fighters who inspired you?
  I grew up in the era of Anderson Silva, and I always loved watching him fight, but my all-time favorite fighters to watch were Mirko Cro Cop and Wanderlei Silva.
• Favorite current fighter?
  My favorite current fighters I like to watch are Jon Jones, Canelo Alvarez, Nieky Holzken, Yodsanklai Fairtex, Max Holloway, I really dig Sean O’ Malley’s style, I like studying Bazooka Joe Valtellini even though he retired, Alistair Overeem, Demian Maia, Lomachenko, TJ Dillashaw, Leandro Lo. The list goes on and on, I could sit and ponder this question all day.
• Lion King or Toy Story?
  That’s tough. I’m going to say Lion King. But both are amazing.
• PlayStation or XBOX?
  Ughhh, I have both and can’t find the time to play either. All I know is after my next fight I’m locking myself away for two weeks and I’ve gotta finish Red Dead Redemption 2. Whether that’s on PS4 or Xbox remains to be seen.
• M&M’s or Skittles?
  I’ll go with M&M’s.
• Favorite song? 
  My brother and I drove to Fort Mac to watch our training partners fight on a Prestige FC event and we played 500 Miles by the Proclaimers for a grand total of 3.5 hours until my brother was rendered clinically insane. So yeah, that’s gotta be my favorite song.
• Favorite TV show? 
  Game Of Thrones, cinematic mastery.
• Favorite Movie?
  Unfortunately, I can’t narrow down my favorite movie.
• Cats or dogs?
  I would normally say dogs, but cats are cool too.

Bhullar got into MMA when he was 14-years-old. He started in taekwondo just to feel a sense of empowerment because of the bullying he was dealing with in school. Initially, it started out as being introduced to the concept of MMA, then his TKD coach began playing with introducing the combination of grappling and striking as one. When the coach took his first MMA fight in the MFC, Bhullar acted as a training partner to help him get ready. With only one fight as an amateur, Bhullar made his pro debut in February of 2012. In July of 2013, Bhullar moved to 4-0, but the next time he stepped in the cage wouldn’t be until December of 2018.

In January of 2014, the little brother of KB took on his first amateur fight where he suffered a horrific injury. KB sat in a hospital lobby in Calgary as his little brother awaited emergency plastic surgery after both sides of his jaw were completely split in half. His mandible had been crushed on the left side of his face right through his teeth, and the right side had fractured directly below the ear. As Bhullar said in his own words: “As I held my blood-soaked hoodie in my arms with tears streaming down my face that I would never fight again.” As his little brother was set for a long road of recovery one day in India he told KB something he would never forget. He said “You let my loss become yours, I’m okay! I got better! You just f***in’ gave up on your dreams”. Bhullar built up the courage to pursue his dream in MMA and made the return in December of 2018.

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The post Fighter Bio: Get to Know KB Bhullar appeared first on Cageside Press.

• What do you like to do outside of fighting?
  Outside of training, I enjoy spending time with my family, which is very important to me.
• Favorite striking and grappling technique?
  Spinning elbow and double legs.
• Any MMA fighters that inspired you?
  GSP is my inspiration. Who doesn’t like a humble, smart and hardworking fighter?
• Favorite current fighter?
  Daniel Cormier is the real champ-champ.
• Lion King or Toy Story? 
  Lion King. A story about a hungry lion getting ready to take over the animal kingdom.
• PlayStation or Xbox? 
  PlayStation is my go to when I have time.
• Skittles or M&M’s? 
  M&M’s are my favorite.
• Favorite song? 
  Jump Around by House of Pain
• Favorite TV show? 
  Family Guy
• Favorite Movie?
  Rocky Series
• Cats or dogs?
  I have two dogs but cats are cool too.

Born and raised in Welland, a city in Ontario, Canada, Romero is still living there today. Romero has been involved in martial arts since he was five-years-old starting with taekwondo. After a local gym opened up around Romero and he joined and later on joined Brock University to improve his wrestling and boxing. He always wanted to be a professional athlete and seeing so many succeed in MMA, he decided to go that rout. In May of 2015, Romer made his MMA debut as an amateur. He went 9-1 as an amateur winning three separate titles for different promotions. Romero made his pro debut in November of 2017 for KOTC, a well-known regional promotion. He is now under an exclusive contract for KOTC with one fight left on his contract. Pro and amateur combined, Romero is on a 13-fight win streak.

Check out his interview with James Lynch and his highlights.

Follow Romero on social media:
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The post Fighter Bio: Get to Know KOTC Lightweight Anthony Romero appeared first on Cageside Press.

• What do you like to do outside of fighting?
  Play Xbox and spend time with my wife and daughter.
• Favorite striking and grappling technique?
  Striking is any form of uppercut, hook, or straight. Grappling is the triangle choke.
• Any MMA fighters that inspired you?
  My first were Jason Mayhem Miller and Dustin Poirier.
• Favorite current fighter?
  Dustin Poirier.
• Lion King or Toy Story? 
  Toy Story.
• PlayStation or Xbox? 
  I have both but play Xbox more.
• Skittles or M&M’s? 
  M&M’s.
• Favorite song? 
  Right now it’s Middle Child by J Cole.
• Favorite TV show? 
  Chappelle’s Show.
• Favorite Movie?
  American Gangster.
• Cats or dogs?
  Dogs all day.

When James Wallace was 14-years-old, a family friend in Steven Gaines got him into MMA and he’s trained in MMA and jiu-jitsu ever since. He played a various amount of sports growing up, but when he found MMA in the offseason he fell in love and focused solely on that. Wallace had a lengthy career as an amateur winning multiple titles, going 16-4 before switching to pro in 2015. Wallace has fought for regional promotions to big promotions like V3 Fights, LFA, and Bellator MMA.

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