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, few will succeed.
This October, five fighters on the verge of achieving major-promotion notoriety return to the cage for what could be their stepping stone fight. There are dozens of fighters inches away from making the jump in the coming weeks, but these five are particularly exemplary.
This month:
- A lightweight hardened by a tough upbringing in Flint, Mich., competes in front of Dana White in Hawaii.
- A flyweight finisher from Georgia hopes his second Titan FC title defense will punch his ticket to the big stage.
- A 29-year-old Canadian looks to emerge as the “Demian Maia of the 125-pound division” when he defends his TKO strap.
- In New England, a UFC development deal signee is ready to show what he can do now that he can forget about the financial hardships most regional fighters endure.
- A Team Alpha Male member, whose lone career blip was in the UFC cage, believes his second win outside of the promotion will be all he needs to get back.
Scroll through the following pages to see the five fighters who this month find themselves on the doorstep:
Tyler Diamond
Record: 10-1
Age: 28
Weight class: Featherweight
Height: 5’9″
Birthplace: Oroville, Calif.
Next Fight: Oct. 5 vs. Justin Linn (8-4) at PureCombat in Oroville, Calif.
Background: Tyler Diamond has been there before. The Team Alpha Male fighter competed on “The Ultimate Fighter 27” in 2018 and earned his way to the tournament semifinals. After he suffered an upset loss to Jay Cuccinello, Diamond was signed to a one-fight UFC deal.
In his promotional debut, Diamond lost a razor-thin majority decision to fellow newcomer Bryce Mitchell and was subsequently released. In his lone fight since his UFC departure, Diamond pummeled then-undefeated Jon Neal for three rounds at LFA 66.
The Skinny: In many experts’ eyes, Diamond was the favorite to win it all on “TUF 27.” However, a loss to Mitchell is nothing to be ashamed of, especially considering the closeness of the contest and level of opponent. A member of Team Alpha Male, Diamond’s wrestling is on point. His cardio looked pristine in LFA, and mental improvements were obvious. At 28 years old, the upside is still there, and the UFC, Bellator or PFL would be wise to snatch this man up if he wins.
In his own words: “I’ve gotten a lot smarter (since I was in the UFC). Because of a low IQ, I lost my semifinal fight on ‘The Ultimate Fighter.’ As much as Jay (Cucciniello) fought super, super well and beat me, I beat myself. … Everything overall has gotten better. There’s no way you can train with my team and not get better on a daily basis. …
“I think there’s a lot of guys who don’t deserve chances (in the UFC) that do. I think I’m head and shoulders above a lot of guys who get opportunities. So I hope (my October fight) will be enough to give me my shot.”
Malcolm Gordon
Record: 12-3
Age: 29
Weight class: Flyweight
Height: 5’7″
Birthplace: Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Next Fight: Oct. 9 vs. Takashi Matsuba (11-3-1) at TKO 49 in Quebec, Canada (UFC Fight Pass)
Background: As the end of 2019 approaches, the sea of standouts on the Canadian regional scene might be stronger than ever. Flyweight Malcolm Gordon is leading the pack. A product of the late Shawn Thompkins, Gordon won the inaugural TKO flyweight championship in his promotional debut in March 2018. In April of this year, Gordon solidified his slot as Canada’s No. 1 125 pounder when he submitted Yoni Sherbatov by rear-naked choke in 92 seconds.
The Skinny: Gordon is talented everywhere, but especially on the mat. In his last three fights, Gordon has tapped three opponents with as many submissions. Through his grappling prowess, Gordon is able to open up his striking. He has the power to finish fights with strikes and has four professional TKO’s on his record. A lengthy flyweight, Gordon is able to use his range inside and his long limbs on the ground. He uses distance nicely, as opponents fail to get inside his range. A win for a UFC Fight Pass promotion in October could be the final step to reach a UFC deal.
In his own words: “It’s nothing really that special. It’s hard work and some good jiu-jitsu. That’s basically it. If you’re a jiu-jitsu fanatic, you’re going to really enjoy some of my work. If you’re anybody who likes the technical side of the sport, you’re going to enjoy my fights. I’m exciting, and I generally finish fights. I put my heart on my sleeve, which sometimes plays in my favor; sometimes not.
“I really, really, really work hard to be that standout for flyweight jiu-jitsu. I don’t know if anybody has claimed that Demian Maia crown. I’ve just been working so hard at that.”
Troy Lamson
Record: 13-2
Age: 27
Weight class: Lightweight
Height: 6’1″
Birthplace: Flint, Michigan
Next Fight: Oct. 12 vs. Alexander Munoz (5-0) at Trinity Sports Combat in Honolulu, HI. (UFC Fight Pass)
Background: Hardened by a reserved Flint mentality, as well as health issues as a child, Troy Lamson has always had a tough mentality. A birth defect resulted in Lamson having one third less of a lower intestine, which speeds up his metabolism and allows for him to cut weight more easily.
At 14 years old, Lamson began training MMA year-round. He competed in his first amateur fight before he started his senior year of high school. His success in wrestling translated into a Division I opportunity to compete for Michigan State University. With 10 MMA finishes on his pro record, Lamson has won his last seven fights.
The Skinny: Simply put, Lamson is the full package. He has the abilities, the athleticism, and the length inside the cage. Outside the cage, his image and personality make him an easy sell to fight fans. There aren’t many 6-foot-1 wrestlers with his brand of quickness, so he presents a unique matchup to any fighter he steps in the cage with. When the fight hits the mat, Lamson’s finishing abilities shine through. Submissions and stoppages by ground-and-pound are Lamson’s bread and butter.
In his own words: “First off, I’m a good looking man. Second off, I have the best tattoos in mixed martial arts. Thirdly, I bring the swagger to the cage that introduces itself into the fight. If you see somebody you can tell if they’re fake and the game’s not right.
“… I bring excitement. I’m a smart fighter, and I’m a tall fighter. Tell me this. When is the last time the tallest person in this division had Division I wrestling experience? So how do you beat a 6-1 wrestler? You either try to wrestle and get taken down, or stay on the outside and try to strike with the tallest guy in your division.”
Juan Puerta
Record: 17-6
Age: 31
Weight class: Flyweight
Height: 5’6″
Birthplace: Lilburn, Ga.
Next Fight: Oct. 19 vs. Reynaldo Adolfo de los Santos (6-1) at Titan FC 57 in Dominican Republic (UFC Fight Pass)
Background: It hasn’t been a perfect ride to the top of the regional mountain, but Juan Puerta is better off because of his struggles. “Leadfeather” started off his career with an 11-6 record. Since 2017, Puerta has defeated every opponent put in front of him. His flying-knee knockout of hyped prospect Gustavo Balart put Puerta on the map in February 2018. The American Top Team product’s gutsy D’arce choke submission of Kazbek Ashimov in December 2018 proved he can take it as well as he can dish it.
The Skinny: Puerta is another lengthy flyweight with a 71.5-inch reach. He uses his range well and presents a versatile attack. For his stature, he has unusual knockout power – especially considering he’s a flyweight. Between winning singular comeback performances, to having turned his career around as a whole, Puerta has exemplified a high fight IQ. With the UFC seemingly having flipped its anti-flyweight division attitude, don’t be surprised if Puerta is added to the roster after an October win.
In his own words: “I bring a totally different level of intensity. I come out fired up, and I start fired up. I don’t stop until the fight’s over. I do a lot of ground stuff, because I’m also a grappler, but I’m relentless with everything I do. I’ll be in every position, and I’ll be fighting until the death.
“You won’t ever see me break. My mentality is probably the toughest mentality coming into the cage. That’s the biggest thing people should take a look at. I want to break everyone I’m in the cage with, and I’ll never be broken mentally.”
William Knight
Record: 5-0
Age: 31
Weight class: Light heavyweight
Height: 5’10”
Birthplace: Connecticut
Next Fight: Oct. 25 vs. Mavin Skipper (4-2) at CES 59 in Lincoln, R.I. (UFC Fight Pass)
Background: William Knight burst onto the national spotlight with a big win over fellow undefeated light heavyweight Herdem Alacabek at Dana White’s Contender Series in August. While the victory wasn’t enough to earn him a promotional contract, it did impress UFC president Dana White enough to award him the lone development deal of the season. In five professional fights, Knight hasn’t needed the judges as he’s finished all of his opponents by stoppage due to strikes.
The Skinny: He’s 31 years old, but Knight is still quite young in fight years – both in the damage and experience departments. It’s nearly unheard of that the Connecticut native could go from an amateur fighter to the UFC’s doorstep in 16 months. His rate of improvement is well above average, and with a UFC developmental deal in hand he no longer has to worry about external stress. It might take one fight… or two fights … or even three, but it’s almost a foregone conclusion we’ll see Knight in the UFC sooner rather than later.
In his own words: “It might not make sense to a lot of people, but I don’t go into the cage to win. I go into the cage to beat the last performance I had. I could put on a (expletive) bomb-ass performance and win fight of the night and lose, but if it’s better than my last performance, then I’m winning.
“… Because I’m on a development deal doesn’t mean they can’t take me for a (UFC) card. It can happen today. It can happen tomorrow, but right now I’m going to ride this wave. Like Dana White said, ‘Go rack up some wins and let’s do this.'”
Here are some fighters worth watching who didn’t crack the list, yet are on the verge of something big:
- Yuma Horiuchi (7-1, flyweight) – Oct. 4 vs. Sergio Perez at Celtic Gladiator 25
- Kitt Campbell (10-3, middleweight) – Oct. 4 vs. Isi Fitikefu at Eternal MMA 48
- Mitch Martin (7-0, bantamweight) – Oct. 4 vs. Ben Watson at Eternal MMA 48
- Andrzej Grzebyk (15-3, welterweight) – Oct. 12 vs. Robert Fonseca at Fight Exclusive Night 26
- Mason Jones (7-0, lightweight) – Oct. 12 vs. Aleksi Mantykivi at Cage Warriors 108
- Mauro Mastromarini (8-0, bantamweight) – Oct. 19 vs. Matias Figueredo at Supreme Warrior 2
- David Robins (5-0, lightweight) – Oct. 19 vs. Charlie Alexander at Valor Fighting Challenge 65
- Lucas Rocha (11-0, strawweight) – Oct. 19 vs. Antonio Rodrigues
- Kamal Magomedov (7-0, welterweight) – Oct. 19 vs. Mike Graves at Titan FC 57
- Josh Rettinghouse (16-4, bantamweight) – Oct. 19 vs. Sergey Morozov at M-1 Challenge 105
- Serey Morozov (15-3, bantamweight) – Oct. 19 vs. Josh Rettinghouse at M-1 Challenge 105
- John Gotti III (4-0, welterweight) – Oct. 25 vs. Marcos Lloreda
- Daniel Rutkowski (8-2, featherweight) – Oct. 26 vs. Adrian Zielinski
