When we think of talent-rich regions throughout the world, Central Europe is lucky if it even gets a mention. Among hardcore fans, it gets a little more respect, but it’s difficult to look past problems like public outcry against the sport and a lack of world-class trainers. Surprisingly, despite the hurdles, there are fighters from the region who have defied the odds. Look no further than Germany’s Dennis Siver as the perfect example.
Polish mixed martial artist Michal Materla (16-3) hopes to become another name we mention alongside Siver. The 27-year-old has recorded sixteen wins since debuting in 2003, capping off a four-fight win streak in November against Matt Horwich at KSW 17. His only blemish in five years came against UFC vet Antonio Mendes at KSW 7, narrowly losing via split decision. Unfortunately, losing hasn’t been the worst of it for Materla.
Constant injuries have left Materla with a tattered resume. After the loss to Mendes, Materla was sidelined for nearly two years, returning in February of ’09 to submit Bohumil Lungrik in two minutes and twenty seconds. Two years after the win, Materla entered the ring again, beating Gregory Babene by guillotine choke at KSW 15. Within the span of four years, Materla only had two fights.
When Materla is inside the ring, he can be a dominant force, employing an aggressive wrestling-centric style of fighting that relies on takedowns and control from the top. He’s also competent off his back, executing good defensive tactics to avoid damage and reverse positions. He is particularly adept at securing the guillotine choke in the scramble.
On the feet, Materla isn’t the most polished striker. His aggression tends to create brawling exchanges, and it’s clear that he’d rather bring the fight to the ground than risk being out struck by more technical punchers. He’ll need to fine tune those skills in order to threaten tougher competition in other areas, otherwise he’ll be a sitting duck against better wrestlers who can strike.
Despite those flaws, Materla is a promising prospect from a region that doesn’t produce a lot of top-tier talent in general. Last year’s hot prospect, Jan Blachowicz, was derailed by UFC veteran Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou in March, which undoubtedly hurt his chances of getting a contract with Bellator or the UFC. Can Materla get that opportunity and succeed? We should find out in 2012.
Check out video footage of Michal Materla after the jump…
| Flyweight | Bantamweight | Featherweight | Lightweight |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 – #2 – #3 – #4 – #5 – #6 – #7 – #8 – #9 – #10 – |
#1 – Rony Mariano #2 – Aljamain Sterling #3 – Chris Holdsworth #4 – Josh Hill #5 – Fabiano Fernandes #6 – Claudio Ledesma #7 – Sirwan Kakai #8 – Kyoji Horiguchi #9 – Leandro Hygo #10 – Pedro Munhoz |
#1 – Hacran Dias #2 – Joey Gambino #3 – Brandon Bender #4 – Lance Palmer #5 – Jim Alers #6 – Anthony Gutierrez #7 – Max Holloway #8 – John Teixeira #9 – Cody Bollinger #10 – Bubba Jenkins |
#1 – Fabricio Guerreiro #2 – Alessandro Ferreira #3 – Adriano Martins #4 – Justin Salas #5 – Neilson Gomes #6 – Eduard Folayang #7 – Zorobabel Moreira #8 – Anton Kuivanen #9 – Jordan Rinaldi #10 – J.P. Vainikainen |
| Welterweight | Middleweight | Light Heavyweight | Heavyweight |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 – Andrey Koreshkov #2 – Dhiego Lima #3 – Brandon Thatch #4 – Nordine Taleb #5 – Hernani Perpetuo #6 – Brock Jardine #7 – Alan Jouban #8 – Mohsen Bahari #9 – Andre Santos #10 – Stephen Thompson |
#1 – #2 – #3 – #4 – #5 – #6 – Michal Materla #7 – Elvis Mutapcic #8 – Tor Troeng #9 – Jack Hermansson #10 – Tim Ruberg |
#1 – #2 – #3 – #4 – #5 – #6 – #7 – #8 – #9 – #10 – |
#1 – #2 – #3 – #4 – #5 – #6 – #7 – #8 – #9 – #10 – |
Michal Materla vs. Matt Horwich
Michal Materla vs. James Zikic
Michal Materla vs. Gregory Babene
Michal Materla vs. Bohumil Lungrik
Michal Materla vs. Antonio Mendes
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