Introduction
Friday, November 20th, American flyweight prospect Stephanie Geltmacher will be in action for Invicta FC, where she will be looking to get back into the win column against Trisha Cicero. She will be looking the win, as Geltmacher looks to impress the brass in an attempt to eventually earn a title shot. She represents Solid MMA-Cobra BJJ, a little-known camp in MMA. Let’s take a closer look at this prospect as this week’s “Prospect Spotlight.”
Strengths
Wrestling: Geltmacher’s background is in amateur wrestling, so there’s no surprise when you watch her fight and it’s the best part of her game. She wrestled at Oklahoma City University and also partook in Team USA trials, which shows she grappled at the highest level. Her takedowns are fundamentally sound and powerful. Once she gets an opponent down, she keeps them there, as she’s positionally sound on top. Though she hasn’t shown the most advanced submission arsenal, her ground-and-pound is exceptional. She has very good elbows as well, which she uses to open up her opponent positionally and physically (via cuts). Her finish of Kerri Kenneson is proof of the devastating nature of said ground-and-pound.
Strength/Toughness: In terms of physical stature, Geltmacher is not only tough as nails, but physically imposing. She’s a real spark plug. Though she’s short, she’s extremely strong. Her lower body is very muscular. It allows her to be as explosive as she is, which can be seen when she shoots a takedown. She also has a strong upper body, which helps her control opponents on the mat and generate short range power. In terms of her toughness, she has shown that she has a strong chin and that she can eat big shots. She also has no problem walking through those shots to the head to achieve a takedown or land her own shots.
Needs Improvement
Size: For a flyweight, Geltmacher is small. Sure, she is thick because she is muscular and powerful, but she’s just 5’1″. For a flyweight, that is a small frame. Most flyweights are average a half foot taller, whereas a fighter with Geltmacher’s frame is more suited for strawweight or even atomweight (which is not likely given Geltmacher’s muscular density). Because of this, Geltmacher does need to work to get in on the inside of her opponents more diligently. That said, she does do a good job of that, though she does eat some shots when she does so.
Can Be Too Willing to Brawl: Geltmacher’s biggest strength, as mentioned, is her wrestling/grappling. That said, sometimes, she’s a little to willing to stand and trade when it’s not in her best interest. It worked out okay in her barn burner against Liz Tracy, but she saw her first and only loss when she had a dog fight with Victoria Leonardo. When she sticks to her guns, she earns wins, but when she flies off the handle and engages in reckless brawls, it’s exciting, but gets away from her game plan.
Outlook
UFC Mainstay: As I always say in women’s MMA, having a wrestling background is the biggest advantage a fighter can have. That’s because there aren’t nearly as many women in wrestling, and of those women in wrestling, there aren’t a ton in MMA. The ones that are in MMA tend to move up the ladder more quickly (see Carla Esparza, Tatiana Suarez, etc.). That’s a huge advantage for Geltmacher. The 30-year-old Hawaii native is not only a strong wrestler, but is extremely tough and entertaining. And she’s getting better from fight to fight. Sure, she’s coming off a loss, but if she can best Trisha Cicero here and get one or two more wins, there’s no way the UFC won’t net this fighter.
MMA Intel 