Anthony Johnson and the Top 10 UFC Prospects

History will be made on more than one occasion this Saturday night at UFC 104, live from the Staples center in L.A, California. Before two legendary Light-Heavyweight warriors clash for championship gold in the main event, a rising young star will make his Pay-Per-View debut.

25 year old welterweight Anthony “Rumble” Johnson is an explosive prospect if you’ve ever seen one. Known for his powerful wrestling and striking ability, Johnson entered the UFC in late 2007 scoring an impressive 13-second knockout victory over Chad Reiner. From that moment on Johnson has established himself as a fighter to look out for in the 170-pound division.

With an impressive 4-2 record, Johnson will have the opportunity to evolve from a talented blue-chip fighter into a legit top-ten welterweight contender as he takes on world class Judo specialist Yoshiyuki “Zenko” Yoshida to kick off the night’s main card.

Johnson is one of several diamonds in the rough currently competing in the UFC. With that being said let’s take a look at ten other prospects who have yet to compete on a Pay-Per-View main card.

10. Brad Blackburn (UFC record: 3-0)

Despite being one of the premier welterweights for the now defunct IFL organization, Blackburn entered the UFC relatively unknown by both hardcore and casual MMA fans. To a degree, Blackburn’s name is still unfamiliar to fans but that shouldn’t last very long if he continues his winning ways.

A strong boxing background and well rounded MMA skills have led the IFL veteran to UFC victories over James Giboo, Ryo Chonan and Edgar Garcia. An injury will keep him sidelined for the rest of the year but rest assured you’ll be seeing a lot more of Blackburn in 2010.

9. George Sotiropoulos (UFC record: 3-0)

This 32-year-old lightweight has the potential to become the face of MMA in Australia and a legit contender to boot. Sotiropoulos first made waves as part of Team Serra on The Ultimate Fighter season six, making it all the way to the semi-finals of the show before losing to finalist Tommy Speer.

Since the TUF show, Sotiropoulos has displayed ninja-like Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu abilities with three straight submission victories over Billy Miles, Roman Mitichyan, and George Roop. Now that the Aussie is injury-free and training full time with Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas, look for the world class black belt to consistently win fights in 2010 and kimura his way into title contention.

8. Matt Riddle (UFC record: 3-0)

Nicknamed “Chipper” by former Light Heavyweight champion Quinton “Rampage” Jackson on season seven of TUF , Riddle is one of the youngest fighters currently under contract with the UFC. The 23-year-old southpaw has an incredibly powerful wrestling base but also has proven to pack a ton of heat with his striking—as was evident in his devastating knockout over Dan Simmler on TUF .

Riddle didn’t win The Ultimate Fighter due to his inexperience but he has since improved leaps and bounds working with elite training camps such as Arizona Combat Sports and Xtreme Couture. He’s racked up three straight decision victories on UFC prelims and is now set to challenge British striker Nick Osipczak on the undercard of UFC 105 in Manchester, England.

A dominating performance would likely bump Riddle up to main card status in his next bout and regardless of whether or not he wins he will have time on his side to evolve into one of the greatest fighters this sport has ever seen.

7. Evan Dunham (UFC record: 2-0)

Anyone who witnessed Dunham’s first two UFC bouts recognizes his limitless potential. The undefeated striking sensation first made his Octagon debut at UFC 95 in London, England in which he knocked out heavy favorite Per Eklund with a left cross just two minutes into the first round.

His second UFC bout came against an MMA veteran and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu ace, Marcus Aurelio on the UFC 102 undercard. Aurelio was making his return to the Octagon and was supposed to leave the arena with one of Dunham’s limbs in a doggy bag. Instead, the 27-year-old native of Las Vegas, NV steered clear of Aurelio’s submissions and put on a striking clinic which earned him a split decision victory.

However as talented as Dunham may be he is still unknown to most fans and he will need to win a few more fights in order to be featured on the main card.

6. Terry Etim (UFC record: 4-2)

Twenty-four-year-old Etim has been dubbed a British version of UFC Middleweight champ Anderson Silva by many of his fans due to his vicious Muay Thai striking ability and lethal submission skills. While he has yet to live up to that type of hype, he has certainly showed loads of potential every time he steps into the Octagon.

Etim has improved leaps and bounds since first appearing in the UFC in April of 2007 and has developed into one of the fastest rising stars in the lightweight division. Currently the Englishman is riding a three fight win streak defeating Sam Stout, Brian Cobb and Justin Buchholz. Etim will have the honor of fighting in his homeland against Shannon Gugerty at UFC 105 in Manchester, England.

5. Aaron Simpson (UFC record: 2-0)

Unbeaten wrestling machine Simpson may just be the greatest fighter that you have never heard of. Before entering the sport of MMA, Simpson was an accomplished college wrestling champion and served as a coach for the Arizona State Sun Devils.

The hard-nosed athlete made a smooth transition into MMA boasting a 6-0 overall record with all six wins coming by way of a TKO. Nicknamed “A-Train”, Simpson made his UFC debut at UFC Fight Night 18 making quick work of Tim McKenzie.

Simpson followed that victory up with a dominating performance over Ultimate Fighter veteran Ed Herman at UFC 102 and will now look to keep the momentum flowing against another TUF alumni in Tom Lawlor at UFC Fight Night 20.

4. Todd Duffee (UFC record: 1-0)

Comparable to an MMA version of Ivan Drago, heavyweight wrecking machine Duffee made a huge impact in his UFC debut against well-rounded Canadian fighter Tim Hague on the UFC 102 undercard. The 23 year old didn’t give fans much time to evaluate his abilities as he knocked Hague out in just seven seconds.

The American Top Team fighter now holds the record for the fastest knockout in the history of the organization and now has his sights set on fighting the elite of the division. He must first get through re-debuting Paul “The Head-Hunter” Buentello at UFC 107 in order to clash with the top heavyweight titans.

3. Efrain Escudero (UFC record: 2-0)

Winning season eight of The Ultimate Fighter was not enough to satisfy Escudero as the Mexican fighter now has his sights set on dominating the 155-pound division. After defeating fellow Team Nogueira teammate Phillipe Nover at the TUF finale, Escudero was placed on the sidelines for six months due to an injury.

He was set to make his return at UFC 103 against a fellow TUF veteran Cole Miller in a bout that would be presented live and free on Spike TV before the PPV. Prior to the bout everyone knew of Escudero’s powerful wrestling base but very little believed he has any stand-up skills at all.

Proving his constant evolution of a fighter, Escudero shocked fans everywhere with a first round knockout over Miller. His next fight has yet to be announced but one can almost guarantee the TUF winner will fight on the PPV portion of the card this time.

2. Carlos Condit (UFC record: 1-1)

Condit was the last reigning champion of the WEC’s Welterweight division before the entire weight class merged into the UFC. “The Natural Born Killer” is a ferocious fighter with lightning fast striking combinations and a very deadly Jiu-Jitsu game.

In his first UFC bout he headlined UFC Fight Night 18 losing a closely contested bout against top contender Martin Kampmann. Despite a solid effort the loss set Condit back from potential contender to up and coming prospect but a recent decision victory over Jake Ellenburger at UFC Fight Night 19 has rekindled some of that momentum.

Just like “Rumble” Johnson, Condit has been presented with an opportunity to establish his name as a top contender when he challenges British kickboxing powerhouse Paul “Semtex” Daley on the main card of UFC 108.

1. Ryan Bader (UFC record: 2-0)

Those that win The Ultimate Fighter usually move on to accomplish great things. For “Darth” Bader, winning season eight has turned the All-American wrestler into a rock star. Bader has yet to appear on a PPV main card but based off his recent rise in popularity you’d never even know it.

After displaying well-rounded skills and an outgoing personality on the reality show, knocking out Vinny Magalhaes in the light-heavyweight finals was just the icing on the cake for Bader. He kicked off his post-TUF career with an overwhelming decision victory over Carmelo Marrero at UFC Fight Night 18 and will now look to go 3-0 in the Octagon this Saturday night against Eric “Red” Schafer.

Although the fight is taking place on the preliminary portion of the card it will be featured live and free on Spike TV before the main card begins. The Sith lord has all the potential in the world to follow the lead of fellow TUF winners Rashad Evans and Forrest Griffin in claiming UFC gold.