Introduction
Saturday, July 11th, German-English welterweight prospect Felix Klinkhammer will be in action for Oktagon, where he will be looking continue his winning ways against Jessin Ayari. He will be looking for another win, as Klinkhammer looks to inch closer to a UFC contract. He represents London Shootfighters, a solid camp in MMA. Let’s take a closer look at this prospect as this week’s “Prospect Spotlight.”
Strengths
Submission Wrestling: Klinkhammer is a guy that does not want to let you breathe. His mission in the cage is simple. Use his striking to gauge the distance and get to a spot where he can grab a single or double leg. From there, he explodes and usually gets that takedown fairly easily. Once on top, he’s a nightmare, as he’s very good at advancing position and getting to a spot where he can finish the fight. He has a vast arsenal of submission techniques, which is why he’s finished eight of his eleven opponents via tapout using techniques such as the kneebar, heel hook, arm-triangle choke and rear-naked choke.
Grit and Grind: To go along with his wrestling are the natural factors Klinkhammer possesses. He’s a physically and mentally tough animal that wishes to break you down no matter the physical cost to himself. He constantly comes forward and in doing so, gets to a spot where he can grind you down and tire you out. He hopes to make you quit, which several of opponents have in falling to him. That’s a tough customer to deal with.
Needs Improvement
Extended Striking Exchange Question Marks: The one thing we need a bigger sample size for is Klinkhammer’s striking. While we see it’s a means to get the takedown for him, we don’t have a lot of evidence of how he handles himself on the feet if the wrestling isn’t going his way or he’s striking for a majority of the round. There are plenty of guys at the highest level of the sport that can match or exceed his wrestling, so he may have to fall back on that at some point.
Outlook
UFC Midcarder: Klinkhammer has been on scout’s radars for a few years now, as he was slated to compete on the Contender Series in 2022 but fell through. Since then, he’s fought just once a year, which has not really aided him in his quest to make the major leagues. It’s a shame, as he should be getting in the cage more often and showing crowds he’s ready for the UFC. He has a chance to remind everyone of that this weekend when he takes on UFC veteran Jessin Ayari. Klinkhammer is certainly a physical dominator with a tough skill set to deal with that could do some damage on the UFC roster, should he make it there.
MMA Intel 