Introduction
Friday, January 24th, American welterweight prospect John Gotti III will be in action for CES, where he will be looking to stay undefeated against Marcos Lloreda. He will be looking to continue his winning ways, as Gotti looks to impress the UFC brass in an attempt to earn an eventual contract. He represents Long Island MMA, a hot camp in MMA. Let’s take a closer look at this prospect as this week’s “Prospect Spotlight.”
Strengths
All-Around Striking: Don’t stand toe-to-toe with Gotti. The man has hands like concrete. On the feet, he has knockout power with both hands and is pretty accurate when he throws. He has good all-around boxing skills. His hooks are absolutely brutal. He leads with a good jab to set up bigger punches. In terms of intangibles, he has very good footwork. Het cuts the cage off well and backs his opponent up to the point of being trapped. When he clips a guy, if they aren’t out cold, he throws violent ground-and-pound. Many times, he catches an opponent and finishes them with that ground-and-pound. He could use a little more variety on the feet in terms of kicks, but his hands are so dangerous it makes up for it.
Physical Specimen: Take a look at Gotti; the man is strong like a bull. There are not man welterweights he will step in the cage with that will be as strong as him physically. He ragdolls opponents when he gets his hands on them. He doesn’t need elite-level wrestling because he’s so physically strong. He can simply just drag them down. When Gotti does get his opponent down, he’s very heavy and hard to get off. He’s positionally sound, looking to get to a spot where he can throw his sledgehammer hands and score the eventual finish.
Needs Improvement
None: Gotti is the son of a mobster…you really think I’m gonna critique him at all?
Lol JK…Inexperience: In all seriousness, folks, Gotti is a very young prospect with just four fights under his belt. His four opponents thus far have a combined record of 3-7, with all but one being winless fighters. Clearly, Gotti is taking a slow build, as he’s young in the sport. But of course, that means he doesn’t have quality experience yet. He’s dipping his toes in the pool instead of jumping right in…and that’s okay. However, until he proves himself against notable talent, he will continue on the regional scene instead of fighting under the bright lights of a top MMA promotion.
Outlook
Showcase Fighter: Gotti is just 27 years old, so he’s not even hit his prime yet. There’s a chance he will be a great fighter, we just haven’t seen it yet. However, I believe that his name will always overshadow his skill, unfortunately. He’s literally named “John Gotti.” Because of that, I believe he will be a showcase fighter. That means he will be a guy toward the top of whatever card he’s on as a featured attraction. And that’s okay because that means he can demand better money for the drawing power he will have. Gotti will make a bit of coin in MMA and earn some wins along the way. Will he be in the UFC? I don’t know. But will he find a bigger promotion where he can expand his star? No doubt.
MMA Intel 