Introduction
Saturday, June 20th, English lightweight prospect George Staines will be in action for Cage Warriors, where he will be looking continue his winning ways against Conor McCarthy. He will be looking for another win, as Staines looks to inch closer to a UFC contract. He represents Next Generation MMA, a solid camp in MMA. Let’s take a closer look at this prospect as this week’s “Prospect Spotlight.”
Strengths
Striking: Staines is a kickboxer by trade and it’s aided by the fact he has good size and length for the division. He has very heavy, technical kicking ability and puts together good combos with his hands. He moves well, using footwork and angles to cut off his opponent and land at the end of his strikes. He’s more of a volume striker than a one-shot KO artist, which is okay because he also has a strong gas tank. It’s a real treat to watch Staines work on the feet.
Submissions: Though he only has two submission wins as a pro, Staines was a prolific submission artist as an amateur. He has shown some slick grappling ability, especially when he’s at the advantage and in a position to dominate. He has nasty grip strength and is a guy that will go for the neck and get it efficiently.
Needs Improvement
Counter-Wrestling Questions: There are question marks as to where the wrestling and counter-wrestling of Staines is currently. Most of his pro experience is not against wrestlers, especially the dominating American and Russian wrestlers seen at the highest level of the sport. The English are not really well known for their amateur wrestling prowess.
Outlook
UFC Prelim Fighter: I have really liked what I have seen in the game of Staines, who appears to be one of the better English prospects outside a major organization. What may hold him back is that he has been a very decision-heavy fighter. However, given his strong kickboxing background, which Dana White tends to like in fighters, I think that shouldn’t hold him back. Once we get more of a sample size on his wrestling and counter-wrestling, I think we could have a better inclination of his ceiling.
MMA Intel 