Introduction
Wednesday, May 3rd, American atomweight prospect Natalie Salcedo will be in action for Invicta FC, where she will be looking to keep her undefeated record intact against Dayane Cristine. She will be looking for another win, as Salcedo looks to continue her pro MMA journey with aspirations of the UFC one day. She represents Warrior Fitness Center, a smaller camp in MMA. Let’s take a closer look at this prospect as this week’s “Prospect Spotlight.”
Strengths
Submissions: Salcedo has a solid submission wrestling game, which has aided her during her cage time. Three of her five amateur wins come by way of the tapout. one of which was in the first round and the other two in the second round. She has solid takedowns and is sound positionally from the top. She is patient when she grapples, not rushing and looking to methodically cut through her opponent’s defenses. She used that effectively in her pro debut as well, eventually outpointing Katie Perez.
Muay Thai: Salcedo’s kickboxing ability is sound as well, as I know she has competed in Muay Thai on the side. She had an 18-second knockout as an amateur, showing her power. In her aforementioned about with Perez, she also showed good technical prowess on the feet. She mixes up the shots with her kicks and punches as well. She also knows how to clinch as well, though there is less footage of that in her tape.
Needs Improvement
Inactivity/Injuries: Salcedo is clearly a top prospect at 105, but in recent times, she has been inactive. She has not fought since Invicta 44 in August of 2021, which means she will be almost two years removed from the cage once she steps in to fight at Invicta 53. She has been dealing with some injuries that have kept her away from the cage, otherwise she could have been marching toward the top of the atomweight division. Now that she appears to be back, we will see if she is cage ready and if there is any rust that could hold her back.
Outlook
World Championship Contender…Health Pending: Salcedo is clearly a rounded fighter that should be a title contender now, had she not suffered physical setbacks and inactivity. Salcedo is a good in almost every facet of the fight game, and with how thin the ranks are at 105 pounds, I still think she could be a contender and potential world champion at 105 in the next few years. Since her last fight in 2021, it will be interesting to see where she’s at. Has time away from the cage hurt or help her? We will find out at Invicta 53 when she battles Dayane Cristine.
MMA Intel 