On the Doorstep: 5 fighters who could make MMA big leagues with January wins

Every champion in MMA history started out somewhere.

For those who make it to the highest stage, the journey starts long before they strap on UFC or Bellator gloves. Modern-era fighters progress through the regional ranks with hopes of accomplishing the highest accolades. Many will try, but few will succeed.

This November, five fighters on the verge of achieving major-promotion notoriety return to the cage for what could be their stepping stone fights. There are dozens of fighters inches away from making the jump in the coming weeks, but these five are particularly exemplary.

This month:

• One of the top middleweights in Canada tries to catch the attention of major promotion matchmakers once again when he travels across the border to take on a fellow Dana White’s Contender Series alumnus.
• Deemed “The Future” by teammates and coaches, a highly-touted JacksonWink MMA product will take his biggest fight to date in his LFA return.
• Already on the UFC’s radar, a JacksonWink MMA bantamweight makes the shift up to 145 pounds after a failed weight cut on DWCS.
• A Canadian welterweight finisher takes on arguably his toughest test to date with the hope of punching his ticket to the big show.
• A 20-fight veteran who has cleared house on the regional scene hopes an LFA headline victory finally will earn him the call he’s long sought after.

Scroll through the following pages to see the five fighters who this month find themselves on the doorstep:

Aaron Jeffery

Record: 7-2
Age: 27
Weight class: Middleweight
Height: 6’2″
Birthplace: London, Ontario, Canada
Next Fight: Jan. 17 vs. Tim Caron (10-2) at Combat Zone 73 in Manchester, N.H.

Background: Aaron Jeffery is one of Canada’s top pound-for-pound fighters. Fight fans who don’t follow the regional scene closely might recognize Jeffery from the most recent season of Dana White’s Contender Series. Of Jeffery’s seven wins, six have come inside the distance. He holds five TKO victories and one by submission. His only two losses have come to current members of the UFC roster Brendan Allen and Sean Brady – both of whom have promising futures ahead.

The Skinny: Jeffery’s striking is crisp and technical. He’s light on his feet, particularly for a middleweight, and is able to utilize his movement to pressure his opponent. But beyond his physical attributes, Jeffery is a very confident competitor. Instead of becoming complacent upon dominating the Canadian regional scene, he’s frequently traveled south of his border to take on new challenges in the United States.

In his own words: “I’ve had a lot of coaches throughout my career tell me my work ethic is unmatched. Looking at the guys that I train with, I think I train harder than anyone I know … A large part of it is luck, too. I think some guys can train this hard and get away with it. I think there’s some people who are going to train this hard, get injured, and get burned out.

“I’m pretty well-rounded. I never started in one particular martial art. I started training MMA from Day One, so I’m well-rounded. I’m a pressure fighter. A lot of my fights are wearing guys down and getting the finish later in the fight.”

Chris Brown

Record: 5-1
Age: 30
Weight class: Welterweight
Height: 5’11”
Birthplace: United States
Next Fight: Jan. 17 vs. Carrington Banks (8-2) at LFA 80 in Albuquerque, N.M. (UFC Fight Pass)

Background: Chris Brown’s nickname is “Breezy and the Future.” The first half of the moniker is a tip of the cap to the celebrity he shares a name with. The latter segment is what many in the JacksonWink community believe he is. With just six professional fights under his belt, the Texas wrestling standout has flown up the ladder. In his most recent outing, Brown beat down DWCS alumnus Austin Tweedy with a first-round TKO effort. Prior to that, Brown added Yemi Oduwole to his highlight reel with a head kick/punch knockout at LFA 71 in July.

The Skinny: Brown’s wrestling background is always an option, but his striking has really come together lately. Training in both the heavyweight and lightweight classes at JacksonWink, Brown has paired strength with quickness. The UFC and Bellator are always looking for fighters who can promote themselves, and Brown has an interesting back story. A close friend of Jon Jones, Brown has overcome great adversity to even step in the cage. How much adversity, you ask? Brown was shot in the head, so I guess you can say a fair amount.

In his own words: “Skill-wise, nobody is doing the things that I’m doing. Nobody is kicking the way I’m kicking. Nobody in the world does these things. The distance I throw kicks from, where I throw kicks from, and how I strike my kicks. I have a different mentality than most people. I have supreme confidence. A lot of these fighters, they’re just doing it to take pictures. It’s been so hard for me to get a fight, because most dudes aren’t real fighters. They just want to look pretty. I’m a real fighter. I do this and try to fight everybody.”

“I should get in the UFC this year. I didn’t have enough fights to be on the Contender Series (last year) because nobody would fight me. But now I have enough fights, but Contender Series isn’t until next summer. I’ve got to wait for that, so I’m just trying to catch a few more fights and get my record up a little bit more. I don’t want to sit around and wait.”

Fight footage courtesy of UFC Fight Pass, the UFC’s official digital subscription service, which is currently offering a seven-day free trial. UFC Fight Pass gives fans access to exclusive live UFC events and fights, exclusive live MMA and combat sports events from around the world, exclusive original and behind the scenes content and unprecedented 24-7 access to the world’s biggest fight library.

Steve Garcia Jr.

Record: 10-3
Age: 27
Weight class: Featherweight
Height: 6’0″
Birthplace: Albuquerque, N.M.
Next Fight: Jan. 17 vs. Jose Mariscal (10-4) at LFA 80 in Albuquerque, N.M. (UFC Fight Pass)

Background: Steve Garcia Jr. turned professional at age 20. Just a few fights into his MMA career, Garcia was inked to Bellator, where he went 5-2 for the promotion. Back-to-back victories at JacksonWink Fight Night led him to the UFC’s doorstep in mid-2019. Garcia’s appearance on this past season of Dana White’s Contender Series was nearly perfect. He picked up a dominant first-round TKO victory over opponent Desmond Torres. However, one blip deterred UFC president Dana White from giving him a UFC deal. Garcia missed weight.

The Skinny: Garcia has the experience of a veteran packed into the record of a fresh prospect. His only losses have come to Joe Warren, Ricky Turcios, and Aalon Cruz. Garcia’s dynamic, yet awkward style works in his favor. Even at featherweight, he’ll likely still be the longer fighter in each matchup. Having offered him a short-notice fight at featherweight against Billy Quarantillo at UFC on ESPN 7, the UFC is still interested. A main training partner for John Dodson, Aaron Pico, Patchy Mix and Holly Holm, Garcia is getting the reps in the gym.

In his own words: “I’ve always wanted to be different. I’ve always wanted to stand out differently. I’ve always stood out because I’m a big guy in a smaller weight class as far as my height, my size, and my length. But for me, I’ve always been one for an action-packed fight. The only way it was an action-packed fight was due to my own (doing). … I have really good footwork. I used to train with everybody. We didn’t have weight classes. I was a little guy sparring with 265-pounders.

“I think this next fight will propel me to the UFC. I actually think I’m already there. … I loved the Billy Quarantillo matchup. If I get that matchup, there’s a UFC Rio Rancho card coming here. I would have loved that matchup here. … We can stay relevant with this LFA fight, (though). That’s what we’re doing.”

Fight footage courtesy of UFC Fight Pass, the UFC’s official digital subscription service, which is currently offering a seven-day free trial. UFC Fight Pass gives fans access to exclusive live UFC events and fights, exclusive live MMA and combat sports events from around the world, exclusive original and behind the scenes content and unprecedented 24-7 access to the world’s biggest fight library.

Christien Savoie

Photo via Elite 1 MMA

Record: 7-0
Age: 27
Weight class: Welterweight
Height: 5’11”
Birthplace: Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada
Next Fight: Jan. 18 vs. Pat Carroll (4-1) at Elite 1 MMA in Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada

Background: Few welterweights in Canada, if any, possess the same abilities as Christien Savoie. Undefeated through his first seven professional outings, Savoie is a force to be reckoned with. Savoie has only gone the distance twice, with his other five victories coming inside the distance by TKO. Savoie hasn’t competed since January 2019, but offers have come his way in the meantime. The UFC offered him a shot on Dana White’s Contender Series, but Savoie turned it down due to it being at middleweight rather than welterweight.

The Skinny: Savoie’s maturity in doing things the right way versus the quickest way is refreshing. He’s taken time in between fights, improved in the gym, and returned in no rush. Additionally, his decision to defer a DWCS offer in order to do things right is unusual – but in a good way. He’s taking the long-term into consideration. Inside the cage, Savoie’s tae kwon do background, power, and brute strength makes him an unusual matchup at 170. Beware of the ground-and-pound. You don’t want this dude on top of you.

In his own words: “I have a unique style and I’m a unique person. I think that culmination is deadly. And I think I’m a guy to prepare for because you’ve never actually trained for me before. Coming from that traditional (tae kwon do) background, it really throws guys off. I’m a really good athlete. I’m a really physically strong guy. Those are a lot of my advantages going into fights.

“I can’t really say there’s anybody in Canada right now making waves. I think I’ll make that case to get that shot (after Jan. 18). I’m a guy who’s easy to advertise. I’m Canadian. I’ve got a unique style, and I think I’m a guy who the UFC would want. So I definitely think I’ll earn my shot with this win. That being said, I’m just focused on this fight and not stressing about the future. But I think that I’ll get my shot after this win.”

Jamall Emmers

Record: 16-4
Age: 30
Weight class: Featherweight
Height: 5’10”
Birthplace: Miami, Fla.
Next Fight: Jan. 31 vs. Rafael Barbosa (12-2) at LFA 81 in Costa Mesa, Calif. (UFC Fight Pass)

Background: Jamall Emmers is an unusual beast. With 20 pro MMA fights under his belt, he’s competed for a plethora of regional promotions including LFA, RFA, Final Fight Championship, M-1 USA, Tachi Palace Fights and more. Additionally, he’s competed in front of Dana White twice – once on Dana White’s Contender Series and once on “Dana White: Lookin’ for a Fight.” He holds wins over UFC notables Cory Sandhagen, Alexander Hernandez, Jay Cucciniello and Chris Avila.

The Skinny: Emmers is as UFC-ready as they come for a perennial regional scene headliner. The only thing that’s really prevented him from getting there is bad luck. The first time he fought in front of the UFC brass, he impressed but lost. The second time, he was knocked out by an unlikely underdog. Outside of that, Emmers has looked ready. He possesses slick, technical knockout power, veteran savvy, and excellent cardio. A win at LFA 81 would be No. 10 in 12 fights. If that happens, he should carve out his spot on any major promotion’s roster.

In his own words: “There’s a lot of different areas I have a physical edge over guys. Mentally, I know I’m stronger than a lot of fighters. But physically, God gave me a lot of certain abilities that I have that I see other fighters don’t have. I know in certain fights I’ll try to use my athleticism, (but) I know I’m more technical than I am athletic. There are better athletes out there, but I’m more technical. Just having that in my back pocket sets me apart from other guys. I have the technique, my mental game and being a natural athlete.

“All I have to do is win (to get to the big show). If I beat the other guys, what else do I have to do? I understand how the business side of it is. So all I have to do is win. If it happens, it happens. If it doesn’t, it doesn’t. … I thought my last fight would have got me there. All you can do is keep fighting.”

Here are some fighters worth watching who didn’t crack the list, yet are on the verge of something big:

• Mark Martin (3-1) – Jan. 11 vs. Aaron Highbaugh (8-3) at Iron Tiger FC 91 in Columbus, Ohio (FloCombat)
• Abdulmutalip Gayirbegov (12-2-1) – Jan. 11 vs. Italo Ribeiro (8-3-1) at Rebel FC 10 in Moscow
• Italo Ribeiro (8-3-1) – Jan. 11 vs. Abdulmutalip Gayirbegov (12-2-1) at Rebel FC 10 in Moscow
• Kamil Magomedov (12-2) – Jan. 11 vs. Asikerbai Jinensibieke (19-8) at Rebel FC 10 in Moscow
• Jose Marsical (10-4) – Jan. 17 vs. Steve Garcia Jr. (10-3) at LFA 80 in Albuquerque, N.M. (UFC Fight Pass)
• Edwin Cooper Jr. (2-0) – Jan. 17 vs. Sean William Cerveny (4-0) at LFA 80 in Albuquerque, N.M. (UFC Fight Pass)
• Magomed Magomedov (12-1) – Jan. 18 vs. Mateusz Rebecki (10-1) at Fight Exclusive Night 27 in Szczecin, Poland
• Mateusz Rebecki (10-1) – Jan. 18 vs. Magomed Magomedov (12-1) at Fight Exclusive Night 27 in Szczecin, Poland
• John Gotti III (4-0) – Jan. 24 vs. Marcos Lloreda (7-5) at CES MMA 60 in Lincoln, R.I. (UFC Fight Pass)
• Mitch Raposo (3-0) – Jan. 25 vs. Aleczander Castilhos (3-2) at Cage Titans 47 in Plymouth, Mass. (FloCombat)
• Levi Mowles (12-4) – Jan. 25 vs. Carlos Vera (8-2) at Atlas Fights 38 in Marksville, La.
• Rene Pessoa (21-5) – Jan. 25 vs. Adriano Balby (16-3) at SFT 20 in Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
• Josh Parisian (11-3) – Jan. 29 vs. Marcus Maulding (8-10 at WXC 86 (UFC Fight Pass)
• Rafael Barbosa (12-2) – Jan. 31 vs. Jamall Emmers (16-4) at LFA 81 in Costa Mesa, Calif. (UFC Fight Pass)

The following fighters were ineligible for this month’s list because they have already been featured as an “MMA Junkie: On the Doorstep” prospect to watch.

• William Knight (6-1) – Jan. 24 vs. Rocky Edwards (12-9-1) at CES MMA 60 in Lincoln, R.I.