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This Sunday at UFC on Versus 2, Team Kaobon lightweight Paul “Tellies” Kelly will look to make it four wins out of five when he takes on tough Minnesotan Jacob Volkmann.
Volkmann poses a real threat to Kelly having lost only twice in his entire career, on both occasions at 170 lbs to two of the division’s top contenders in Martin Kampann and Paulo Thiago. Despite Visa issues delaying the Liverpudlian for this match-up’s original slating at UFC 116, Kelly will enter Sunday’s clash riding a full wave of momentum. Bouncing back from his TKO loss to teak-tough German Dennis Siver, Kelly submitted the highly regarded Matt Veach last April at UFC 112 in Abu Dhabi.
Matt Veach went into the bout with Paul Kelly coming off the first loss of his professional career. That defeat was to current champion Frankie “the Answer” Edgar, and it was in fact that loss that handed Edgar his title shot at the legendary “Prodigy” B.J Penn.
A win over Jacob Volkmann this weekend will give Kelly two straight victories over potential contenders, and will likely see him next take on one of the top ranked lightweights in the UFC.
The percentage of UK fighters on the UFC roster continues to grow, and while Michael Bisping re-climbs the middleweight ladder and Dan Hardy aims to start a fresh challenge at 170 lbs., there is the very real possibility that a young, fresh challenger could slip through the middle and claim the much cavorted status of being crowned Britain’s first ever UFC champion.
With that in mind the question is raised: which of our rising stars could be the first to wear the most prestigious belt in all of MMA. The three fighters that instantly stand out as real contenders are: highly regarded lightweight Terry Etim, "The Ultimate Fighter" season 9 winner Ross Pearson and the latest sensation to fight out of the UK, John “the Hitman” Hathaway.
Since making his debut at UFC 70 in April 2007, Terry Etim has gone about his business in a relatively quiet manner. Following four straight victories Etim was then then rewarded with his first ever match-up on a televised PPV show when he was paired with Raphael Dos Anjos at UFC 112. Going into the highest-profile fight of his career, UFC UK President Marshall Zelaznik spoke of Etim and suggested that the Team Kaobon star may be within just three fights of a title shot – should he get past Dos Anjos.
After a fairly positive start to the fight, Etim began to feel the class and experience of Dos Anjos, eventually being submitted by the Brazilian with an arm-bar at the end of the second round. While Etim will have a small amount of re-building to do, a big win over Joe Lauzon at UFC 118 on August 28 will put him right back in the middle of things.
“The Ultimate Fighter” winner Ross “the Real Deal” Pearson has continued to impress since winning the lightweight tournament in June 2009. Defeating Andre Winner at the season finale, Pearson raised the bar for UK fighters and followed up on that particular win with a hugely impressive performance against seasoned veteran Aron Riley at UFC 105.
His next appearance was possibly the most impressive and versatile display of his career so far, as he defeated German Kick-boxer Dennis Siver at UFC Fight Night 21. Pearson will now take on Jui-Jitsu ace Cole Miller on September 15. A victory will likely set Pearson up for an assault of the top ten lightweights in the UFC.
Since making his mark on the domestic scene, John “The Hitman” Hathaway has progressed onto the world stage and continues to both improve and impress in the UFC. Three straight victories saw Hathaway jetted out to Las Vegas to face the original “Ultimate Fighter” Diego Sanchez, in only the fourth appearance of the Brit’s UFC career.
Not only was this fight a significant step up in competition, it was the first time that Hathaway had competed in America, and for that matter the first time he had even fought on a live PPV card.
Hathaway showed no signs of nerves, youth or weakness as he picked Diego Sanchez apart en route to an extremely lop-sided unanimous decision. Hathaway will next face former WEC champion Mike Pyle at UFC 120 at the London O2 Arena, and victory there will catapult the London Shootfighter towards the championship end of the welterweight division.
At only 22 years old, Hathaway may just be well rounded enough to work his way to the very top and one day claim the welterweight title. While the seemingly invincible Georges St. Pierre looks set to stay around for now, much to the frustration of the division’s top contenders, the likelihood is that “Rush” will have moved on to new pastures by the time Hathaway has earned his shot at gold.
With St. Pierre out of the way and Hathaway continuing to evolve, the Brit could stand a real chance of one day claiming the Welterweight Championship and being the first British fighter in history to hold a UFC championship belt.
With great stand up, relentless cardio and superb work ethic, Hathaway has a lot of dangerous weapons in his arsenal. One huge advantage he holds over most UK-based fighters is his high level grappling ability.
Wrestling is traditionally the main area where British fighters fall down, but with his strong Rugby background John Hathaway has transitioned perfectly to this aspect of MMA. This could prove vital in his quest to one day claim the world Welterweight Championship and be regarded as the best.
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Chris Park is the MMATorch UK Specialist and guest columnist at ESPN.co.uk. Please email any comments or questions to Chris at; mmatorchuk@gmail.com or look us up at http://www.facebook.com/mmatorchuk2 our new MMATorch Facebook home for UK Fans!
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