Prospect in the Spotlight (Apr 3-4): Xavier Franklin

Introduction

Friday, April 3rd, American bantamweight prospect Xavier Franklin will be in action for LFA, where he will be looking continue his winning ways against Micaias Urena. He will be looking for another win, as Franklin looks to inch closer to a UFC contract. He represents George’s MMA, an unknown camp in MMA. Let’s take a closer look at this prospect as this week’s “Prospect Spotlight.”

Strengths

Striking: Franklin is electric on the feet with both his boxing and kickboxing, as he has a strong technical style that he combines with an impressive knockout ability. He mixes up his shots well, targeting the head, body and legs to keep his opponents off balance. He can end the fight with one shot, which shows the type of power he packs at 135 pounds. Of his six pro wins, half have come by knockout, though he had more impressive knockouts as an amateur as well.

Athleticism: Franklin is a very gifted natural athlete. He’s quick and explosive, which aid in both his stopping power and his movement in the cage. He uses good boxing mechanics in unison with that quickness, which make his footwork and ability to take angles tough to deal with.

Needs Improvement

Counter-Grappling: The one thing that we will need to see improvement in is his counter-grappling. In his Contender Series decision loss to David Martinez, Franklin had his moments on the feet, but he was outgrappled by Martinez, which could have tipped the scales in the Mexican fighters favor. While he was outstruck a bit as well, he was far more successful in that realm. He drew against Megarram Gasanzade in his most recent fight, which also saw him struggle a bit more when countering the wrestling of the Azerbaijani.

Outlook

UFC Prelim Fighter: Franklin really showed some potential in his Contender Series in 2024 and with continued growth, I think he’s a solid fighter that could crack the big leagues at some point. He needs some continued experience and cage time, as well as some additional evidence that he can compete against wrestling-heavy opponents, especially in a division like bantamweight that has an abundance of them. If he can do that, I think Franklin can find another opportunity in the UFC and provide for some fun fights.