Introduction
Tuesday, August 19th, American middleweight prospect Jon Kunneman was supposed to be in action for Dana White’s Contender Series against Cam Rowston, but had to drop out due to injury. It’s a down weekend for MMA, so let’s re-explore Kunneman as a prospect. He represents Jackson-Winklejohn MMA, a top camp in MMA. Let’s take a closer look at this prospect as this week’s “Prospect Spotlight.”
Strengths
Wrestling: Kunneman is a collegiate wrestling alum of University of Nebraska, a solid Division 1 school where he excelled. That background has transitioned him to the cage nicely, where he has used his wrestling to absolutely dominate the opposition. He is very efficient at getting the takedown and keeping the fight on the ground, where he’s very skilled with ground-and-pound and submissions. All ten of his wins as a pro come via finish, with three knockouts and seven submissions. The arm-triangle choke is his favorite finishing tool, though he has wins with rear-naked choke, Americana and D’arce choke. Overall, Kunneman is overwhelming on the mat.
Endurance/Activity: Kunneman’s pro career has been a whirlwind of activity. He fought seven-yes you read that right-seven times in 2024. Some fighters are lucky to get seven fights in two to three years. He has slowly been taking on better opposition as well, including his most recent fight where he won the Anthony Pettis FC Championship by submission over prospect Matt Friesen.
Needs Improvement
Extended Striking Exchanges: Kunneman has looked solid, but he’ll eventually get tested on the feet for longer periods of time as he steps up in competition. While his current opponent Cam Rowston is a guy Kunneman is likely going to take to the mat, guys in the UFC are solid wrestlers themselves and may be able to defend his shots, leaving him to fight on the feet. He’s still developing there, so he should continue to focus on this with Greg Jackson and Mike Winklejohn.
Outlook
UFC Upper Midcarder: Kunneman has the right coaches and camp in his corner. Jackson-Winklejohn MMA has been known to take collegiate wrestlers and turn them into MMA stars with complete games. I foresee them being able to do this with Kunneman, who has already looked quite sharp. He will make the UFC roster at some point in the future.
MMA Intel 