FloCombat Prospect Rankings - December 2017
FloCombat Prospect Rankings - Bantamweight - December 2017
FloCombat ranks the top 20 North American bantamweight MMA prospects for December 2017.
Rankings based off the following....
- North American fighters only. For example, Thiago Moises wouldn't qualify for these rankings despite training in the U.S.
- No fighters that have fought for or who are set to fight for the UFC.
- Fighters competing on Dana White's Contender Series included.
- No long-term Bellator fighters or champions. Exceptions for some preliminary fighters.
- All fighters aged 30 and under.
- Rankings based off age, record, and level of competition.
December Notes
- None
| RANK | NAME | AGE | RECORD | COUNTRY | NEXT FIGHT | PREVIOUS RANKING |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mark De La Rosa | 23 | 9-0 | USA | 1 | |
| 2 | Manny Bermudez | 23 | 10-0 | USA | 3 | |
| 3 | Ricky Simon | 24 | 10-1 | USA | Fights Dec. 15 vs. Chico Camus | 4 |
| 4 | Gary Mangat | 30 | 10-2 | CANADA | 2 | |
| 5 | Raufeon Stots | 28 | 8-1 | USA | Fights Dec. 16 vs. Arnold Berdon | 5 |
| 6 | John Castañeda | 25 | 16-3 | USA | 6 | |
| 7 | Ryan MacDonald | 24 | 8-0 | USA | 13 | |
| 8 | Josh Hill | 30 | 16-2 | CANADA | 7 | |
| 9 | Steven Peterson | 27 | 15-6 | USA | Fights Dec. 8 vs. Tristan Grimsley | 8 |
| 10 | Maurice Mitchell | 30 | 10-1 | USA | 9 | |
| 11 | Jordan Howard | 27 | 10-3 | USA | Fights Dec. 1 vs. Brandon Phillips | 10 |
| 12 | Josh Rettinghouse | 27 | 16-4 | USA | 11 | |
| 13 | Kyler Phillips | 22 | 5-0 | USA | 12 | |
| 14 | Ricky Bandejas | 25 | 9-1 | USA | 14 | |
| 15 | Brad Katona | 25 | 6-0 | CANADA | 15 | |
| 16 | Ray Rodriguez | 29 | 12-4 | USA | Fights Dec. 1 vs. Mike Rodriguez | 16 |
| 17 | Dylan Cala | 24 | 5-1 | USA | 17 | |
| 18 | Joseph Maness | 26 | 8-0 | USA | 18 | |
| 19 | Xavier Alaoui | 25 | 8-2 | Canada | 19 | |
| 20 | Miles Johns | 23 | 5-0 | USA | Fights Dec. 8 vs. Caio Machado | 20 |
#1 -- Mark De La Rosa (9-0)
Just 23 years old, De La Rosa boasts a perfect record that includes five wins by submission. In his last outing, the Texas native submitted Mahatma Chit-Bala Garcia Avalos at Combate 15 back in June. Don't be surprised if "The Bumblebee" gets picked up by the UFC in the near future.
#2 -- Manny Bermudez (10-0)
Bermudez is coming off a first-round submission win over Bendy Casimir, which was live on FloCombat on Aug. 12 at Cage Titans 35. At 10-0 with eight finishes, Bermudez doesn't just win -- he wins definitively. Bermudez bounces between featherweight and bantamweight, but his natural weight class is at 135. This is where he'll set his focus for his next bout and beyond
#3 -- Ricky Simon (10-1)
Simon is perhaps best known for defeating UFC veteran Alex Soto at Titan FC 35 in 2015, which earned Simon a title shot with the promotion. Unfortunately, he would lose in that championship match at Titan FC 37, suffering a second-round submission loss to Anderson dos Santos. The 25-year-old Simon has won three straight fights, including a split-decision win over Donavon Frelow (6-3) on Aug. 8. Simon faces UFC veteran Chico Camus for the vacant LFA bantamweight title on Dec. 15.
#4 -- Gary Mangat (10-1)
Mangat is still regarded as one of the top bantamweights in Canada. "Saint Lion" trains at Revolution MMA with UFC standout Jeremy Kennedy and ONE Championship titleholder Bibiano Fernandes. The 30-year-old is coming off the just second loss of his career as he was finished in the first round at Brave CF 9.
#5 -- Raufeon Stots (8-1)
Stots became the Victory FC bantamweight champion in April when he defeated UFC veteran Rob Emerson by unanimous decision at Victory FC 56. The 28-year-old Stots likely would have been on the UFC roster at this point had he defeated Merab Dvalishvili at Ring of Combat 59 in June. Instead, it was Dvalishvili who got the UFC call-up after he knocked out the Roufusport product just 15 seconds into the first round. Stots defends his VFC title on Dec. 16 when he takes on Arnold Berdon.