Introduction
Friday, February 11th, American flyweight prospect Clayton Carpenter will be in action for LFA, where he will be looking continue his winning ways against Windson Ramos. He will be looking for another win, as Carpenter looks to earn his way into the UFC. He represents MMA Lab, a respectable camp in MMA. Let’s take a closer look at this prospect as this week’s “Prospect Spotlight.”
Strengths
Striking: Carpenter has already amassed a solid highlight reel just from his striking. Carpenter has landed two massive head kick knockouts including a 13-second blasting of Rodney Kealohi in his most recent offering. He has solid mechanics and technique, and obviously he has big power for a 125er. He moves well, which is important for guys as quick as flyweights. Overall, he’s fun to watch.
Submission Grappling: In addition to his solid striking ability, Carpenter is also a solid submission grappler. In addition to a couple of armbars as an amateur, Carpenter also has two submissions as a pro. He used a rear-naked choke in his pro debut, as well as a beautiful kneebar against Nick Clem. He has solid takedowns to compliment the ground grappling, which just shows how well-rounded he is.
Needs Improvement
Inexperience/Better Opposition Needed: Carpenter had an extensive amateur career, but he’s just five fights into his pro career, so obviously experience is something that he’ll need to continue amassing. Also, his opponent’s combined experience is 10-8, so obviously he could pick up the competition level going forward. Either way, experience and better opponents are two things he can easily pick up as he takes more fights.
Outlook
UFC Midcarder: Carpenter is just 25 years old, so this guy has plenty of time on the way to the prime of his career. He’s this young and already this good. Given that the flyweight division is pretty thin on talent, I think that he could be on the UFC roster by the end of the year. He’s a guy that doesn’t need to be rushed, though. He has plenty of talent, is well-rounded and gets better every time he steps in the cage. He has an impressive highlight reel already, so he also has the excitement factor the UFC brass wants.
MMA Intel 