Introduction
Saturday, May 13th, Israeli middleweight prospect Eli Aronov will be in action for Cage Warriors Northwest, where he will be looking continue his undefeated ways against Ryan Loder. He will be looking for another win, as Aronov looks to continue to impress in an attempt to score an eventual UFC contract. He represents Spirit MMA, an unknown camp in MMA. Let’s take a closer look at this prospect as this week’s “Prospect Spotlight.”
Strengths
Ground Game Top Position: Aronov is an aggressive offensive grappler, which is his most obvious best weapon. He gets aggressive on the feet and closes the distance. He then looks for a takedown or a body lock in the clinch to get the fight on the mat. From top position, he is active and looking for the finish. He has nasty, calculated ground-and-pound which he uses for openings or to finish the fight. He also has good positional awareness and submissions on the mat. He has two submission wins as a pro MMA fighter, both of which were by choke.
Grit: Aronov is a tough, gritty fighter that is aggressive and doesn’t give up, and you can’t teach that. He has spent time with the Israeli Defense Force, where I am sure he has some shit. In addition to that, the armed forces in Israel instruct on a good amount of combat related martial arts, including Krav Maga, which is a combatives martial art. Aronov will not give up, he is physically/mentally strong and he will always be looking to put his opponent away.
Needs Improvement
Extended Time on the Feet: Aronov does have power in his hands and the ability to knock people out, but the hunch I am getting watching him fight is that if he’s on his feet for an extended period of time, he could be competed with. Aronov has the basics down, but if he comes up against a striker with good takedown defense and movement, he could run into issues. That said, his power is somewhat of an equalizer, so if he lands somewhat cleanly, he could be in business.
Outlook
UFC Prelim Fighter: Aronov’s toughness, determination and grit are to be highly admired and will get him far. Those are things you just cannot teach. He also has good enough skills to get to the UFC and compete. His physical strength and offensive grappling are just hard to deal with, though when he gets to the UFC he will meet guys with comparable skills. Aronov could spend some time in the UFC, but it will be tough for him to break past a certain level, especially with how stacked the middleweight division is right now.
MMA Intel 