Six studs shaping the future of mixed martial arts
David Andrest covers all things MMA for fiveouncesofpain.com.
With Cain Velasquez's emergence as a legitimate threat to the UFC heavyweight championship after his one-sided dismantling of MMA legend Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira at UFC 110, it?s the perfect time to take a closer look at many of the names and faces that are currently poised to take the sport by storm in the coming months and years.
Cain Velasquez
This 27-year-old proud Mexican-American was a junior college national champion wrestler out of Iowa Central Community College following a high school career that saw the talented big man grab state championship honors on two separate occasions. Upon transferring to Arizona State, Cain went on to be named an All-American twice before the lack of competition after graduation led Velasquez to MMA.
The results have been impressive for Cain after the standout wrestler hooked up with the American Kickboxing Academy in San Jose, California. Velasquez has put together an unblemished record of 8-0 with seven of his wins coming by either KO or TKO on his way to cementing himself as one of the sport's premier heavyweights.
Jon Jones
Barely 22 years old and widely recognized as one of the most talented light heavyweights in the business, "Bones" Jones has shown the unlimited potential that future champions are made of at this point in his career.
<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/qsy8aT--bGU&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x402061&color2=0x9461ca"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/qsy8aT--bGU&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x402061&color2=0x9461ca" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>
Currently training out of Greg Jackson's MMA in New Mexico alongside notables such as Georges St. Pierre and Rashad Evans, Jones sports a technically blemished record of 9-1, with the sole "defeat" coming in a dominant beating of Matt Hamill that was overturned due to illegal downward elbow strikes.
Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal
During his time in high school, Lawal wound up earning a Texas state wrestling championship that launched him into the decorated Oklahoma State wrestling program. As a freestyle wrestler, Lawal ended up placing first in the 2005 U.S. World Team Trials and was widely regarded as one of the premier freestyle wrestlers in the world.
<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/G3OgCsFKyiY&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x402061&color2=0x9461ca"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/G3OgCsFKyiY&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x402061&color2=0x9461ca" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>
Mo shocked many during his MMA debut when he stopped Travis Wiuff, a veteran of over 60 fights that was riding a nine-fight win streak, in the very first round after training in the sport for just over two months. Lawal has since racked up an undefeated record of 6-0 with a likely Strikeforce light heavyweight title shot on the immediate horizon.
Ben Askren
"Funky" is a two-time NCAA wrestling champion out of Missouri and former Olympian wrestler that used to compete at 174 pounds. Askren has earned himself a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu during the limited time he has spent in MMA, while putting together an unblemished record of 3-0 with all of his victories being finished decisively. Askren is currently poised to wreak havoc on the second Bellator season's welterweight tournament.
Tyron Woodley
A state wrestling champion and three-time All American in high school before going on to become a three-time All American and Big 12 Champion at the University of Missouri, "T-Wood" is one of the most explosive and technical takedown specialists the welterweight division has ever seen.
<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/c2_vJPdDz88&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x402061&color2=0x9461ca"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/c2_vJPdDz88&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x402061&color2=0x9461ca" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>
Currently fighting out of Strikeforce, Woodley doesn't make it a habit to lie on top of his victims for extended periods of time. Only a single victim has managed to make it out of the first round with the 27-year-old American Top Team fighter who has submitted every opponent that has stepped before him in his professional career.
Cole Konrad
This former University of Minnesota stud was a two-time NCAA wrestling champion at 285 pounds, going undefeated his last two years spent as a Golden Gopher with a record of 76-0 before going on to become a 2005 Pan-American gold medal winner.
<object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/lJR3DJqL1SE&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x402061&color2=0x9461ca"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/lJR3DJqL1SE&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x402061&color2=0x9461ca" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object>
Konrad currently trains alongside Brock Lesnar at the UFC heavyweight champion's private training facility in Minnesota and recently made his successful MMA debut, winning by "polar bear choke" in the opening round.
David Andrest covers all things MMA for fiveouncesofpain.com.
With Cain Velasquez's emergence as a legitimate threat to the UFC heavyweight championship after his one-sided dismantling of MMA legend Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira at UFC 110, it?s the perfect time to take a closer look at many of the names and faces that are currently poised to take the sport by storm in the coming months and years.
Cain Velasquez
This 27-year-old proud Mexican-American was a junior college national champion wrestler out of Iowa Central Community College following a high school career that saw the talented big man grab state championship honors on two separate occasions. Upon transferring to Arizona State, Cain went on to be named an All-American twice before the lack of competition after graduation led Velasquez to MMA.
The results have been impressive for Cain after the standout wrestler hooked up with the American Kickboxing Academy in San Jose, California. Velasquez has put together an unblemished record of 8-0 with seven of his wins coming by either KO or TKO on his way to cementing himself as one of the sport's premier heavyweights.
Jon Jones
Barely 22 years old and widely recognized as one of the most talented light heavyweights in the business, "Bones" Jones has shown the unlimited potential that future champions are made of at this point in his career.
<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/qsy8aT--bGU&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x402061&color2=0x9461ca"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/qsy8aT--bGU&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x402061&color2=0x9461ca" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>
Currently training out of Greg Jackson's MMA in New Mexico alongside notables such as Georges St. Pierre and Rashad Evans, Jones sports a technically blemished record of 9-1, with the sole "defeat" coming in a dominant beating of Matt Hamill that was overturned due to illegal downward elbow strikes.
Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal
During his time in high school, Lawal wound up earning a Texas state wrestling championship that launched him into the decorated Oklahoma State wrestling program. As a freestyle wrestler, Lawal ended up placing first in the 2005 U.S. World Team Trials and was widely regarded as one of the premier freestyle wrestlers in the world.
<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/G3OgCsFKyiY&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x402061&color2=0x9461ca"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/G3OgCsFKyiY&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x402061&color2=0x9461ca" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>
Mo shocked many during his MMA debut when he stopped Travis Wiuff, a veteran of over 60 fights that was riding a nine-fight win streak, in the very first round after training in the sport for just over two months. Lawal has since racked up an undefeated record of 6-0 with a likely Strikeforce light heavyweight title shot on the immediate horizon.
Ben Askren
"Funky" is a two-time NCAA wrestling champion out of Missouri and former Olympian wrestler that used to compete at 174 pounds. Askren has earned himself a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu during the limited time he has spent in MMA, while putting together an unblemished record of 3-0 with all of his victories being finished decisively. Askren is currently poised to wreak havoc on the second Bellator season's welterweight tournament.
Tyron Woodley
A state wrestling champion and three-time All American in high school before going on to become a three-time All American and Big 12 Champion at the University of Missouri, "T-Wood" is one of the most explosive and technical takedown specialists the welterweight division has ever seen.
<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/c2_vJPdDz88&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x402061&color2=0x9461ca"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/c2_vJPdDz88&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x402061&color2=0x9461ca" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>
Currently fighting out of Strikeforce, Woodley doesn't make it a habit to lie on top of his victims for extended periods of time. Only a single victim has managed to make it out of the first round with the 27-year-old American Top Team fighter who has submitted every opponent that has stepped before him in his professional career.
Cole Konrad
This former University of Minnesota stud was a two-time NCAA wrestling champion at 285 pounds, going undefeated his last two years spent as a Golden Gopher with a record of 76-0 before going on to become a 2005 Pan-American gold medal winner.
<object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/lJR3DJqL1SE&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x402061&color2=0x9461ca"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/lJR3DJqL1SE&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x402061&color2=0x9461ca" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object>
Konrad currently trains alongside Brock Lesnar at the UFC heavyweight champion's private training facility in Minnesota and recently made his successful MMA debut, winning by "polar bear choke" in the opening round.
y