FloCombat Prospect Rankings - March 2018
FloCombat Prospect Rankings - Bantamweight - March 2018
FloCombat ranks the top 20 North American bantamweight MMA prospects for March 2018.
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.
March Notes:
- Previously No. 1-ranked Manny Bermudez has been removed from the rankings after signing with the UFC.
- Previously No. 3-ranked Gary Mangat is ineligible after turning 31 years old.
- Adrian Yanez enters the rankings in the No. 18 spot.
- Cheyden Leialoha enters the rankings in the No. 19 spot
| RANK | NAME | AGE | RECORD | COUNTRY | NEXT FIGHT | PREVIOUS RANKING |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ricky Simon | 25 | 11-1 | USA | March 23 vs. Vinicius Zani | 2 |
| 2 | Raufeon Stots | 29 | 9-1 | USA | | 4 |
| 3 | John Castañeda | 26 | 16-3 | USA | | 5 |
| 4 | Ryan MacDonald | 24 | 8-0 | USA | | 6 |
| 5 | Maurice Mitchell | 30 | 11-1 | USA | | 7 |
| 6 | Jordan Howard | 27 | 10-4 | USA | | 8 |
| 7 | Josh Rettinghouse | 27 | 16-4 | USA | | 9 |
| 8 | Kyler Phillips | 22 | 5-0 | USA | | 10 |
| 9 | Ricky Bandejas | 26 | 10-1 | USA | | 11 |
| 10 | Brad Katona | 25 | 6-0 | CANADA | | 12 |
| 11 | Ray Rodriguez | 30 | 13-4 | USA | | 13 |
| 12 | Tony Gravely | 26 | 12-4 | USA | | 18 |
| 13 | Joseph Maness | 26 | 8-0 | USA | | 15 |
| 14 | Miles Johns | 23 | 6-0 | USA | March 3 vs. Adrian Yanz | 16 |
| 15 | Dylan Cala | 24 | 5-1 | USA | | 14 |
| 16 | Xavier Alaoui | 26 | 8-3 | Canada | | 17 |
| 17 | Adrian Yanez | 24 | 6-2 | USA | March 3 vs. Miles Johns | NR |
| 18 | Cole Smith | 28 | 4-0 | CANADA | | 19 |
| 19 | Cheyden Leialoha | 23 | 6-1 | USA | | NR |
| 20 | Keith Lee | 21 | 3-1 | USA | | 20 |
#1 — Ricky Simon (11-1)
Simon captured the vacant LFA bantamweight title in December, defeating UFC veteran Chico Camus by unanimous decision at LFA 29. The 25-year-old has won four fights in a row and will make the first defense of his title on March 23 when he faces Vinicius Zani.
#2 — Raufeon Stots (9-1)
Stots is the current Victory FC bantamweight champion and boasts wins over UFC veterans Jeff Curran and Rob Emerson. The 29-year-old is coming off a first-round submission victory over Arnold Berdon at Victory FC 59 on Dec. 16.
#3 — John Castaneda (16-3)
Castaneda nearly won the Copa Combate tournament for Combate Americas back in December before losing in the tournament finals to Levy Saúl Marroquín Salazar. The 26-year-old has a win over UFC veteran Chris Beal and also turned heads when he won a unanimous decision against Cheyden Leialoha at Dana White’s Contender Series 4 last year.
#4 — Ryan MacDonald (8-0)
MacDonald is the only fighter in the top five with an undefeated record and is the current MCF featherweight champion. The 24-year-old is coming off a second-round stoppage victory over Chad Obermiller at MFC 14 back in October.
#5 — Maurice Mitchell (11-1)
Mitchell hasn’t lost a fight since January 2011 and is currently riding a six-fight win streak. His biggest issue has been his activity, having fought just four times since 2013. He competed last month at Alaska FC 137 where he finished Jordan Mackin in the second round to earn his fourth career win by submission.