Prospect Watch: Hannah Scoggins, Da'Mon Blackshear Stumble At Warfare 16

Prospect Watch: Hannah Scoggins, Da'Mon Blackshear Stumble At Warfare 16

Super prospects Hannah Scoggins and Da'Mon Blackshear both suffered losses at Warfare MMA 16.

Aug 22, 2017 by Duane Finley
Prospect Watch: Hannah Scoggins, Da'Mon Blackshear Stumble At Warfare 16
There is something different to be found when watching touted prospects compete inside the chaos of a mixed martial arts cage. 

There are some who are simply meant for larger achievements, and their performances reflect that motivation. Meanwhile, others who possess developed traits struggle against more experienced competition.The ones who pass the test move on to face tougher obstacles, and those who struggle discover there is much more work to be done.

Let's take a look at some top-ranked prospects who stepped into the cage last weekend.

Hannah Scoggins


Strawweight / 4-1 Amateur / 19 years old

One would be hard-pressed to find an amateur fighter with more buzz already established than Hannah Scoggins. The strawweight striker has been competing for less than a year and has already found success both domestically and on international stages. Scoggins has also built a strong highlight reel during that time frame, as she's notched a few sick submission finishes and one body kick which served as the catalyst for stomach pyrotechnics in a video that hit viral status in only her second showing inside the cage.

Simply put: Scoggins has already worked herself onto several important radars in the fight game, and with husband Justin a staple of the UFC's flyweight roster, it seems "The Rock" will be off the regional circuit and under the brightest lights before we know it. Then again, following the first misstep of her fighting career this past Saturday night at Warfare MMA 16 in Myrtle Beach, SC, Scoggins' path to bigger things will more than likely slow a notch. And that is by no means a negative.

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The Warfare amateur women's 115-pound champion put her title on the line against game challenger Sam Hughes -- an opponent whose larger physical frame had the potential to cause Scoggins some serious trouble. Up until that point, each of Scoggins' four opponents had carried similar builds to what she brought to the cage, but the moment she locked up with Hughes in Myrtle Beach, the difference was jarring.

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Nevertheless, Scoggins brings the scrap each and every time out, and that's what she did. Hughes looked to clinch and push her against the fence throughout, but when Scoggins worked free she unleashed multi-punch combinations that peppered her opponent. She even opted to pull guard early in the fight to put her slick jiu-jitsu skills to work. But after a transition from triangle set up a deep armbar Hughes that escaped from, Scoggins' options started to become limited.

The next four rounds would see Hughes' game plan of bullying Scoggins become increasingly more effective. Hughes wanted no part of the striking game because it made zero sense for her to do so. She was able to pin Scoggins against the cage and batter her with shots constantly to the point where the fight turned into rinse, wash, repeat in a round-by-round sequence.

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And while Scoggins was clearly struggling by the middle of the third round, that's where the tell of grit and character shone through. Most amateur fighters, no matter how talented, are not experienced enough to know things aren't aways going to go their way inside the cage. It's an easy thing to say in theory, but once a fighter who is used to being the hammer becomes the nail, it's interesting to see how he or she reacts. And while Scoggins ultimately took the loss on Saturday night, there's not one ounce of quit in that tiny frame.



Scoggins fought to the final bell, and moments after the bout concluded watched her belt and the first loss of her career get handed out. Furthermore, where plenty of fighters in the amateur ranks wouldn't know how to handle so much chaos and adversity all in one shot, Scoggins further showed her character by sharing a few thoughts with FloCombat in the immediate aftermath of her first setback.

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"I know I didn't get the W tonight but I learned a lot. It might actually be something I needed," Scoggins said. "She had a game plan and she worked it, and I give her props for that. I won't ever give up though. I'll come back stronger than ever.

"She was by far the strongest person I've fought. I'm sure as a pro I'll go 105 (my coaches say that's my true weight class), but for now I just want the experiences and tough fights. This sport isn't meant to be easy, and that's why I'm in it. No champion has ever gone undefeated, and everyone always says they learn more from losses than from wins.

"I told myself first thing after this fight that I don't need to waste my time beating myself up. I gotta learn from it and get back to work. I'm putting my hand wraps from this fight right by my door as a reminder. I'll be back better than ever because I got the best team and friends around me."

FloCombat Grade: B- (The initial grade was a C, but it was upgraded to a B- due to the resolve shown and positive mental attitude.)


Da'Mon Blackshear


Featherweight, Bantamweight / 4-1 Professional / 23 Years Old

The rise of a prospect comes with several crucial and necessary tests before passage is granted from the regional circuit to the biggest stages in MMA. One of those mandatory challenges comes in facing a fighter with much more experience, and that's precisely the obstacle Da'Mon Blackshear squared up to this past Saturday night at Warfare 16.

"The Diamond" brought his four-fight winning streak into his main event tilt with Keith Richardson -- a fighter whose 25 showings inside the cage dwarfed what Blackshear brought to the table. Furthermore, when considering Richardson had previously competed on much larger stages on several turns, it set the table for a bout that would properly gauge just how ready Blackshear would be for bigger things in his career.

And while Blackshear would ultimately be edged out after a hard-fought 25 minutes inside the cage with Richardson, there were plenty of positives to take away from his showing in Myrtle Beach.

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The first thing anyone will notice when watching Blackshear fight is the incredible speed in which he throws punches and kicks. The North Carolina native came out of the gates guns blazing as he peppered Richardson with crisp strikes from distance and controlled the pace and range of the fight. Blackshear set a fast pace and was working efficiently, but throughout it all Richardson continued to work to close the space between and get his hands on the undefeated prospect.



At the start of the third round is when the tide began to turn as Richardson was able to find the mark on a few more strikes than he was able to land in the opening 10 minutes. The same continued in the fourth round, but it was the fifth and final frame where Richardson landed a strong takedown and worked from top control for the majority of the round. While Blackshear showed a fight IQ well beyond his four fights as a professional, he knew the fight was close and needed to put some distance between he and Richardson in the final five minutes.

When the final bell sounded, it was truly anyone's fight and two of the judges sitting cageside awarded the bout to Richardson via split decision. It was a gritty scrap throughout that showed Blackshear is up to snuff when fighting an established veteran. Therefore, while he didn't find victory at Warfare MMA 16, Blackshear certainly showed he's only a few tweaks away from moving off the regional circuit and into much bigger fights.

FloCombat Grade: B-