The term “prospect” is thrown around far too often in professional sports. Whenever a young athlete shows flashes of greatness, “experts” are quick to tag that individual as the next big thing, who is headed for the top. Yet at UFC 139 we as fight fans and commentators alike may have witnessed a “coming out” party for a genuine prospect: Chris Weidman, who put on a clinic during his Facebook fight.
While not carrying the most decorated win-loss record in mixed martial arts, Tom “The Filthy Mauler” Lawlor is a respected individual within the sport. Injuries have kept him from competing at his highest levels over the last few years, but he is still considered a tough draw. Even still, Weidman was able to put away Lawlor in under a round during their contest at UFC 139. The moment the fight became a grappling contest, Weidman was able to outclass his opponent and put him to sleep with a tight Brabo choke.
In doing so, Weidman notched the seventh win in his two year professional career. Starting off in the Ring of Combat organization in the Northeast, the Serra-Longo Fight Team product was able to amass four victories, three of which were stoppages by either technical knockout or submission. As a last-minute call up against Alessio Sakara at UFC Live on Versus 3, Weidman stepped in to face a very experienced and dangerous striker. He was still able to beat Sakara in every department, using his wrestling and grappling to control the fight. Three months later, Jesse Bongfeldt was the first in the UFC to fall to Weidman by submission when he tapped to a guillotine choke in the first round.
With Weidman three fights into a career in the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization, it will be interesting to see how he is matched up next. The middleweight division is in desperate need of new contenders for current champion Anderson Silva, or even number one contender Chael Sonnen if he is able to defeat Silva next year. With two to three more solid wins on his resume, Weidman could be considered a viable threat in the weight class.
It’s apparent that the UFC is taking it’s time to develop talent in various weight classes. For example, look at how they groomed fighters such as Jon Jones and Ryan Bader. While one had to go through the other to rise to prominence, it’s easy to see that the organization was successful with Jones. The same could be said for welterweight prospect Rory MacDonald, who has been compared to top pound-for-pound fighter Georges St. Pierre, but is being brought along slowly.
The operative word at the moment should be “patience” with fighters like Weidman. It’s no mystery that he has the talent to be a star within the sport of MMA. However, the UFC should cultivate and develop that talent, to make sure Weidman reaches the fullest point of development before he is thrown in the deep end of the divisional waters. That way, he can have all the tools that he needs to either sink or swim.
