There are many great amateur fighters in North America, many posses skills that are on par with what is needed to compete at the pro level. This is the second installment of "The Jump" in which we will highlight five fighters that we would love to see make the transition from the amateur to the pro circuit. In the second segment of "The Jump" we feature two female fighters, one from California and one from Atlanta, as well as fighters from Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Canada. If you would like to express your opinion on fighters you feel are ready for "The Jump" feel free to shoot us an e-mail to mailbag@MuayThaiAuthority.com.
Jason Caldwell (6-0)
Caldwell is a heavy hitter who fights out of Las Vegas, NV. Despite having only six sanctioned amateur fight under the tutelage of Mark Beecher, he now feels it is time to take his talents to the pro circuit. Muay Thai is his focus, however, he would like to get more amateur MMA fights in first because once you turn pro in one combat sport your considered a pro in all others here in the United States. In addition Caldwell has a wife and kid and providing for them is his first priority.
Since I have a wife and kid I want to be the best provider and father I can be" said Caldwell. "With the economy so bad, the money is tight. I haven't been as active as I'd like to be. I love the sport though and the competition has been deep in Vegas."
With a coach like Mark Beecher and mentors such as Kevin Ross and Chaz Mulkey, Caldwell feels that he can take on all comers. Most recently under the Lion Fight Promotions banner he defeated USMTA title holder Josh Shepard via knockout and earned a hard-fought split decision over Vadim Goberman to capture the light heavyweight USMTA title. Caldwell considers the bout with Goberman the best fight he has ever had, but despite winning against a solid and experienced fighter such as Goberman, Caldwell feels he can still be much better.
Moe Travis (11-0)
Fighting out of Georgia, Moe Travis is one of the top amateur female fighters in North America. Like Caldwell she has held off on turning pro because she would like to get more amateur MMA experience. Her current plan is to turn pro in 2-3 years, Travis feels she has much more to learn as an amateur. She feels she will be ready after a couple of amateur matches with full rules. She wants to be comfortable with everything and doesn't want to rush. She feels she will know in her heart when the time is right to make the jump.
"Like I said, I have so much more to learn. I am a perfectionist and if I am not comfortable with something, I wont do it" said Travis.
Despite having wins at the 2010 and 2011 World Classic Tournament, as well as being the IKF flyweight amateur world champion, Travis wants to perfect her skill set as much as possible. With there not being many American female fighters, Travis would be an excellent addition to the pro ranks when she feels the time is right. She is not only an exciting fighter that gives the crowd a show, she is definitely very skilled.
Tim Amorim (27-7)
Amorim is already planning on making the jump to the pro ranks either later this year or early next year. Amorim trains out of Sitan gym in Philadelphia under Rami Ibrahim. Amorim puts his trust in Ibrahim's decision as far as when it will be time to turn pro. Ibrahim wants his skills to be as sharp as possible before making the jump. Amorim also works part-time and is a full-time student, which eats in to the time it takes to refine his skills.
"I feel that I'm ready to turn pro because I have fought a lot of good amateurs some of which have already turned pro and its the next logical step for me." said Amorim. With Amorim and Ibrahim both agreeing that the time is approaching when the only logical move will be for him to turn pro, they feel the experience he has gathered in the amateur ranks will help him make a smooth transition to the pro level. Amorim is a WKA world junior welterweight amateur champion and a 2x WKA north American tournament champion at lightweight. As an amateur Amorim holds wins over fighters such as Tony Manoharan, Brandon Mickens (twice) and Ognjen Topic.
Miranda Cayabyab (6-2)
Despite only having eight sanctioned amateur fights, Cayabyab has made a solid impression in her eight amateur fights. Along with her coach Rudi Ott they feel a few more amateur bouts are needed before making the jump to the pro ranks. Cayabyab pushes the pace and if you are stepping in to face her in the ring you are going to have to work hard to beat her. In February she won a USMTA national title when she defeated Genesis Bravo and will now be looking to defend the title in the upcoming months.
"I know I will be ready to turn pro when I am able to defeat the best of the best in my weight class" said Cayabyab. Fighting in general has always been considered a male dominant sport and nowadays I think more woman are becoming much more open to taking their fighting careers to the next level."
Her coach Rudi Ott is also looking to get a re-match with Florina Petcu (another female fighter to keep your eyes open for), the only fighter in her weight class to beat her. Cayabyab's only other loss came outside of her weight class. If they can secure a re-match with Petcu, a jump to the pro ranks will likely follow.
Michael Perez (17-1)
Like the other two male fighters on this edition of "The Jump," Michael Perez plans on making the jump to the pro ranks shortly. Perez plans to head to Thailand in December to make his pro debut. His desire to constantly improve has kept him from making the move. He personally believes that there is always something he can improve on. He feels that after 18 amateur fights, his only loss coming to UFC featherweight contender Mark Hominick in his second amateur bout, that his time has approached. He feels confident in his skill-set and body being on track to turn pro.
"As I continue my journey as a fighter, I notice more and more weaknesses and areas of improvement which may seem satisfactory to an observer" said Perez. "To me there is always work to be done, through cardiovascular training, endurance training, mental training, strategy and tactics, etc."
In addition to being the TBA-SA Open B Featherweight Champion in 2009, the IFMA Gold Medal Champion in 2009 and the Men's Bantamweight Champion in 2011, Perez also holds notable wins over Tony Manoharan, Robert Thomas, Stephen Strotmeyer, Luke Aram and Benson Virtucio.
Caldwell is a heavy hitter who fights out of Las Vegas, NV. Despite having only six sanctioned amateur fight under the tutelage of Mark Beecher, he now feels it is time to take his talents to the pro circuit. Muay Thai is his focus, however, he would like to get more amateur MMA fights in first because once you turn pro in one combat sport your considered a pro in all others here in the United States. In addition Caldwell has a wife and kid and providing for them is his first priority.
Since I have a wife and kid I want to be the best provider and father I can be" said Caldwell. "With the economy so bad, the money is tight. I haven't been as active as I'd like to be. I love the sport though and the competition has been deep in Vegas."
With a coach like Mark Beecher and mentors such as Kevin Ross and Chaz Mulkey, Caldwell feels that he can take on all comers. Most recently under the Lion Fight Promotions banner he defeated USMTA title holder Josh Shepard via knockout and earned a hard-fought split decision over Vadim Goberman to capture the light heavyweight USMTA title. Caldwell considers the bout with Goberman the best fight he has ever had, but despite winning against a solid and experienced fighter such as Goberman, Caldwell feels he can still be much better.
Fighting out of Georgia, Moe Travis is one of the top amateur female fighters in North America. Like Caldwell she has held off on turning pro because she would like to get more amateur MMA experience. Her current plan is to turn pro in 2-3 years, Travis feels she has much more to learn as an amateur. She feels she will be ready after a couple of amateur matches with full rules. She wants to be comfortable with everything and doesn't want to rush. She feels she will know in her heart when the time is right to make the jump.
"Like I said, I have so much more to learn. I am a perfectionist and if I am not comfortable with something, I wont do it" said Travis.
Despite having wins at the 2010 and 2011 World Classic Tournament, as well as being the IKF flyweight amateur world champion, Travis wants to perfect her skill set as much as possible. With there not being many American female fighters, Travis would be an excellent addition to the pro ranks when she feels the time is right. She is not only an exciting fighter that gives the crowd a show, she is definitely very skilled.
Amorim is already planning on making the jump to the pro ranks either later this year or early next year. Amorim trains out of Sitan gym in Philadelphia under Rami Ibrahim. Amorim puts his trust in Ibrahim's decision as far as when it will be time to turn pro. Ibrahim wants his skills to be as sharp as possible before making the jump. Amorim also works part-time and is a full-time student, which eats in to the time it takes to refine his skills.
"I feel that I'm ready to turn pro because I have fought a lot of good amateurs some of which have already turned pro and its the next logical step for me." said Amorim. With Amorim and Ibrahim both agreeing that the time is approaching when the only logical move will be for him to turn pro, they feel the experience he has gathered in the amateur ranks will help him make a smooth transition to the pro level. Amorim is a WKA world junior welterweight amateur champion and a 2x WKA north American tournament champion at lightweight. As an amateur Amorim holds wins over fighters such as Tony Manoharan, Brandon Mickens (twice) and Ognjen Topic.
Despite only having eight sanctioned amateur fights, Cayabyab has made a solid impression in her eight amateur fights. Along with her coach Rudi Ott they feel a few more amateur bouts are needed before making the jump to the pro ranks. Cayabyab pushes the pace and if you are stepping in to face her in the ring you are going to have to work hard to beat her. In February she won a USMTA national title when she defeated Genesis Bravo and will now be looking to defend the title in the upcoming months.
"I know I will be ready to turn pro when I am able to defeat the best of the best in my weight class" said Cayabyab. Fighting in general has always been considered a male dominant sport and nowadays I think more woman are becoming much more open to taking their fighting careers to the next level."
Her coach Rudi Ott is also looking to get a re-match with Florina Petcu (another female fighter to keep your eyes open for), the only fighter in her weight class to beat her. Cayabyab's only other loss came outside of her weight class. If they can secure a re-match with Petcu, a jump to the pro ranks will likely follow.
Like the other two male fighters on this edition of "The Jump," Michael Perez plans on making the jump to the pro ranks shortly. Perez plans to head to Thailand in December to make his pro debut. His desire to constantly improve has kept him from making the move. He personally believes that there is always something he can improve on. He feels that after 18 amateur fights, his only loss coming to UFC featherweight contender Mark Hominick in his second amateur bout, that his time has approached. He feels confident in his skill-set and body being on track to turn pro.
"As I continue my journey as a fighter, I notice more and more weaknesses and areas of improvement which may seem satisfactory to an observer" said Perez. "To me there is always work to be done, through cardiovascular training, endurance training, mental training, strategy and tactics, etc."
In addition to being the TBA-SA Open B Featherweight Champion in 2009, the IFMA Gold Medal Champion in 2009 and the Men's Bantamweight Champion in 2011, Perez also holds notable wins over Tony Manoharan, Robert Thomas, Stephen Strotmeyer, Luke Aram and Benson Virtucio.
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