Amateur Watch: Three Prospects To Watch For

Jake Ferri
Flyweight
4-0
USA
25-years-old

Like many MMA fighters, Ferri comes from a strong wrestling background. A Division I wrestler, he was a four-time league all-star in high school, a two-time Division I state champion, and a two-time New England champion. His high school record—203 wins and 24 losses—is impressive. He continued his wrestling career at Kent State University, where he was a four-year starter, winning the 125-pound title at the Cleveland State Open and placing seventh at the Mid-American Conference (MAC) Championships.

One of the biggest challenges Ferri will face in MMA is his height. At just 5’2”, he’s small for the flyweight division, even at 125 pounds. The shortest male fighter in UFC history, Hector Sandoval, competed for a year and went 2-2 in the promotion. Being undersized in MMA is often a bigger disadvantage than in wrestling—fighters must find ways to close the distance, absorb or evade damage, and effectively cage wrestle.

So far, Ferri has relied more on his striking, which is both promising and concerning. The issue isn’t that he throws strikes—it’s how he throws them. His striking relies more on volume and power than on refined technique and movement. Eventually, he’s going to face an opponent who can effectively jab or counter as he comes in. That said, having some striking ability is crucial, as he needs to keep opponents guessing before shooting for takedowns.

His wrestling has been solid in open space, but I question his ability to chain wrestle. His grappling, particularly his jiu-jitsu, also appears underdeveloped. Initially, I thought he was better in that area, but after a closer look at his tape, I have my doubts. Ferri has potential, but he has a tough road ahead.

Johnny Gonzalez
Featherweight
7-0
USA
?-years-old

Gonzalez is based in Austin, Texas, where he coaches at Black Widow MMA. He has solid experience in MMA and a background in Muay Thai. Fighting out of a loose karate stance, he relies on light, agile footwork—constantly bouncing on his toes, switching stances, and angling off. His jab is sharp and snappy, often thrown while moving laterally, and his kicking game is his most dangerous weapon. He targets the legs, body, and head with a diverse arsenal, including oblique kicks, teeps, and roundhouse kicks.

Gonzalez maintains a high pace, throwing significant volume and feints while staying mobile. Through extensive scouting, I’ve noticed that many karate-based fighters surprisingly lean on their ground game. While Gonzalez is primarily a striker, he isn’t afraid to mix it up, boasting strong wrestling skills and the ability to chain wrestle—an invaluable asset.

However, his biggest flaw is that he tends to toy with his opponents too much. While gaining cage time is beneficial, dragging out fights against lesser competition doesn’t reflect well on him. I'm not completely sold just yet, but he’s definitely on my radar for the foreseeable future.

Desmond Alvarado
Bantamweight
8-0
USA
27-years-old

Alvarado is a rising prospect from the U.S. with a strong track record in amateur MMA. In 2023, he captured the UNF Flyweight title, and the following year, he represented Team USA, securing gold in the Senior Men's Bantamweight division at the 2024 IMMAF Pan American Championships.

While his striking is limited, Alvarado is effective in close quarters, utilizing dirty boxing to set up his primary objective—takedowns. He excels at using trips along the cage but is also capable of securing double-leg takedowns in open space. His foundation is rooted in jiu-jitsu, where he applies heavy head pressure to control grappling exchanges and advance positions. He actively hunts for submissions, attacking both limbs and the neck, and is particularly dangerous in transitions, showing a knack for methodically taking the back.

As a grappler, Alvarado is both strong and technically slick. However, his striking remains a major area for improvement. To succeed at the professional level, he will need to develop his stand-up game to complement his dominant ground skills.