Introduction
Thursday, December 10th, British flyweight prospect Jake Hadley will be in action for Cage Warriors, where he will be looking to continue his undefeated streak against fellow top prospect Luke Shanks. He will be looking for another win, as Petrosyan looks to impress the UFC brass in an attempt to earn a contract and the Cage Warriors belt. He represents Fearless MMA, an unknown camp in MMA. Let’s take a closer look at this prospect as this week’s “Prospect Spotlight.”
Strengths
Submissions: Jake Hadley has excellent Brazilian jiu-jitsu and a proven submission track record from the first minute he stepped into an MMA cage. Amazingly, as an amateur, Hadley scored two (you read that right, two) tapouts via gogoplata. He’s an absolute threat on the mat from bell to bell. He is positionally sound and has excellent transitions, cutting through his opponent’s defenses easily. He is especially dangerous from the back mount, where he is extremely effective with the rear-naked choke. His grip strength is nasty; if he synchs in a choke, there is a good chance you are not getting out of it. He is not a power wrestler, but he does time takedowns well. Overall, he’s just very good on the mat.
Improved Striking: From fight to fight, Hadley’s striking has gotten so much better. He has a wide stance that resembles the stance of Conor McGregor. Is he as good a striker at Conor? Not even close. But, he does have skills. His boxing is very good. He has good hand speed and solid power for a 125er. He moves in and out well, landing what he needs to before moving out of range. He also mixes it up to the body as well, which makes him more dangerous. Watch his most recent win over Shaj Haque. It showed a new dimension to his striking and showed how nasty he can be.
Needs Improvement
Counter Wrestling: While dangerous on the mat, Hadley has shown in the past he can be taken down. He happens to be comfortable off his back, but against a top-heavy wrestler with good defensive ability, he will struggle. To date, he has not faced a top-level wrestler like he will face when he enters the UFC in the future. Plus, the fact that is comfortable on the mat could hurt him on the scorecards, as he may be okay being on his back and not getting back to his feet. His improvements are evident here, but he has not been tested by an elite wrestler yet, so we will need to see that.
Outlook
UFC Contender: At just 24-years-old, the sky is the limit for Hadley. He is a combination of skill, excitement, toughness and confidence. That’s what makes him so dangerous. Since his mauling of 0-24 Reece Street, he has not taken an easy fight and has looked damn good in the process. He has proven he is not a can crusher; he is legit. Not only that, but he is brash and has a marketable personality. Some fans will love it, others will detest it. Either way, Hadley is on the way to doing big things in the flyweight division. He has UFC contender written all over him, especially if he keeps improving at the rate he is.
MMA Intel 