The Beaten Path: 5 Top MMA Prospects to Watch in March

Life is a constant churn. There is a constant need to feed the machine. That's just the way it is, and it explains in large part why a lot of the world and its characteristics, good and bad, can be distilled through MMA. That's the real secret of MMA's coolness.

This is why MMA has such a strong, sustained need to identify new prospects. You need the fresh blood, almost literally. And we here at The Beaten Path admire and salute our combative overlords. Not only do we do that, but we also pay tribute to them, with this, our monthly list of the top five prospects in action for a given calendar page. In this case, the page in question is March.

No UFC. No Bellator. World Series of Fighting only in extenuating circumstances. Included are video clips, information capsules and details about the fights and where you can watch them. Let this grind your gears, and lubricate your fandom. Be a nourishment unto the machine.

5. Jonavin Webb

Division: Welterweight
Age: 25
Record: 7-0
Next fight: March 7, CFFC 47, vs. Elijah Harshbarger
See it on: Stream on GoFightLive

Like many fighters, Jonavin Webb found MMA through wrestling. That's the base he still uses today as the Cage Fury Fighting Championships welterweight champ.

But lately he's had to "wrestle," if you will, with his share of controversy. A November title defense against longtime Bellator vet Lyman Good was going "bad" for Webb when maybe-so-maybe-not eye pokes caused a no-contest ruling.  

Good went on to capture the company's interim belt when Webb was sidelined for a while with an injury. A Webb win over Harshbarger would set up perhaps the most hotly anticipated rematch in CFFC history.

4. Jonas Bilharinho

Division: Bantamweight
Age: 24
Record: 5-0-1
Next fight: March 28, Jungle Fight 76, vs. Fabiano Fernandes
See it on: TBD

I like an accurate nickname, and Jonas Bilharinho's is about as accurate as possible: Speed.

If you can catch Jungle Fight 76, do so, because this guy is some kind of fun to watch. He has excellent quickness in his hands, feet, legs and head. I guess that means everywhere. And he uses that speed to compose his own unusual melody, firing eye-popping combinations and just leveling people with huge knees, kicks and punches with little to no telegraph.

He does it all while dodging opposing attacks with ease. His grappling game remains fairly untested in pro MMA, but for now, that doesn't matter. Tune in and be entertained.

3. Cody East

Division: Heavyweight
Age: 26
Record: 9-1
Next fight: March 20, Legacy Fighting Championship 40, vs. Joe Cason
See it on: AXS TV

The No. 17 prospect on The Beaten Path's 2015 rankings has the advantage of competing in a division that's talent-starved in pretty much every promotion, including the UFC.

Cody East has a wrestling base and obvious striking power (as evidenced by the six knockouts on his record), but he has never been the world's most technical stand-up fighter.

It will be interesting to not whether or too what extent that part of his game has evolved when he faces another prospect—and a fairly polished boxer—in Roufusport's Cason.

2. Brett Johns

Division: Bantamweight
Age: 23
Record: 10-0
Next fight: March 20, Titan Fighting Championship 33, vs. Walel Watson
See it on: CBS Sports Network

Brett Johns might have a few surprises in store for you.

Johns—the No. 8 overall prospect on our top-25 list for 2015—has never fought more than 50 miles away from his home in Swansea, Wales, but he might be the best bantamweight on the planet outside of the bigger promotions. Titan FC marks the stateside debut for the former Cage Warriors champ.

Though Johns is known for a grinding, control-oriented style, he told this reporter that he might have some new tricks in the bag come March 20, when he faces a UFC veteran in Watson.

“I’ve been working a lot on my hands," Johns said. "If I get my way, I’ll knock Watson out.”

We shall see, shalln't we. 

1. Adriano Moraes

Division: Flyweight
Age: 25
Record: 12-1 
Next fight: March 13, One FC 25, vs. Asuka Mikami
See it on: YouTube (pay-per-view)

I've been beating the Adriano "Black Diamond" Moraes drum for some time now, including by making him No. 7 on this year's aforementioned list. And I will continue to do so until I have reason to do otherwise.

The guy is good. One FC just keeps setting them up, and Moraes just keeps knocking them down. 

This will be his first defense of the promotion's flyweight title. If he wins, one has to think a call-up to the UFC is just that much closer for the ultra-dangerous submission artist. The big show can use all the flyweight talent it can get its hands on.

Scott Harris covers MMA prospects for The Beaten Path series, as well as other aspects of MMA for Bleacher Report. For more stuff like this, follow Scott on Twitter.