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Fighters on the Rise | UFC Fight Night: Allen vs Curtis 2
Providing A Closer Look At A Trio Of Competitors Looking To Shine In Their Sophomore Appearances Inside The Octagon This Weekend
Whether you call it a sophomore slump, second year blues, or something else, most everyone is familiar with the idea, which essentially boils down to the struggles of following up a strong first impression in sports, music, or film.
There have been academic case studies done about the theory and most people can point to one athlete, musician, or filmmaker that came out of the gates white hot and then took a dramatic downturn in their second go-round, which is why it’s always interesting to see how competitors that stood out in their first foray into the UFC Octagon manage when they make the walk for the second time.
As we kick off the second quarter of the 2024 fight calendar in the UFC, this week’s entry in the Fighters on the Rise series highlights a triumvirate of talents that stood out as names to track after their initial appearances and are now poised to cross the threshold into the Octagon and compete for a second time.
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Let’s get into it.
Morgan Charriere
“The Last Pirate” looked so impressive in his promotional debut and carries such a strong CV from his time prior to joining the UFC roster that he landed in the annual Fighters on the Rise yearly preview that dropped in January.
Charriere’s debut win over Manolo Zecchini last September in Paris was patient and punishing, as he happily stood with the Italian, trading sporadic shots before landing a series of kicks to the midsection that eventually folded him over. Along with that effort, what makes the 28-year-old stand out as someone to pay close attention to going forward is the wealth of experience against quality competition that he’s accumulated to this point in his career.
All the way back in 2016, Charriere beat current UFC featherweight William Gomis before dropping a decision to current KSW two-division champ Salahdine Parnasse four months later. He debuted in Cage Warriors in an interim featherweight title fight against Soren Bak, won the same belt three-fights later, and then engaged in back-to-back classics with Jordan Vucenic and Paul Hughes.
While he came out on the wrong side of each of those last two efforts, competing against that level of competition and logging as many appearances as he has thus far is an exceptional way to ensure that you hit the ground running in the UFC and Charriere showed that in his debut effort.
WATCH: Morgan Charriere Post-Fight Interview | UFC Fight Night: Gane vs Spivac
This weekend in Las Vegas, he looks to extend his overall winning streak to five when he faces off with Chepe Mariscal, who had a strong rookie year himself in 2023, scoring a short notice win over Trevor Peek before defeating Jack Jenkins at UFC 293 in Sydney to push his winning streak to five. Mariscal faced a strong regional slate before arriving in the UFC as well, and his brand of grit and pressure should be an interesting test for Charriere this weekend.
Featherweight is flush with talent and there are plenty of names currently climbing the ranks, but Charriere has all the skills to string together a few wins and start making a real push towards the Top 15 this year, and if he gets through Mariscal on Saturday, expect to see a few more people getting on the bandwagon… or pirate ship in this case.
Charlie Campbell
Campbell made the absolute most of his short-notice opportunity at Noche UFC in September, replacing Natan Levy opposite the returning Alex Reyes and dispatching the veteran in swift, punishing fashion in the opening round.
A member of the emerging collection of talent coming out of Longo and Weidman MMA that includes Nazim Sadykhov, Dennis Buzukja, and Phumi Nkuta (remember that name), what really stood out about Campbell’s performance against Reyes was the clear improvements and adjustments he’d made since his appearance on Dana White’s Contender Series (DWCS) in August 2022.
WATCH: Charlie Campbell Shows Out In His UFC Debut | Noche UFC
After hurting Chris Duncan early in that fight, Campbell rushed in looking for the finish and ate one, opening the door for the Scotsman to pound out a finish. Against Reyes, Campbell hurt him two minutes in, but remained calm and composed, opting to keep the pressure on and pick his shots rather than ratchet up the output in hopes of putting him away in a flash. The shots kept piling up and, eventually, a right hand hit the mark and put Reyes on the canvas, halting the action.
This week, “The Cannibal” steps in for his first full-camp experience in the UFC opposite DWCS grad Trevor Peek, who deploys a “meet me at the bike racks after school” approach in the Octagon that has produced nine wins in 10 career starts, including eight finishes.
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Campbell has a lot of elements to his game that make him a solid prospect and someone to track in the lightweight division, bringing good size, reach, and natural athleticism, combined with solid boxing, improved poise, and a great team around him. The key with emerging talents is whether they can put everything together consistently and turn all those individual pieces into a well-crafted performance each time they step int the Octagon.
Saturday’s meeting with Peek represents another chance for Campbell to show his growth and abilities, and potentially take another step forward in the ultra-competitive 155-pound weight class.
Melissa Mullins
Unbeaten in six professional appearances, Mullins’ credentials as a person of interest in the bantamweight division got a bump a couple weeks back when Daria Zhelezniakova out-worked Montserrat Rendon to claim a victory in her UFC debut.
Prior to signing with the Las Vegas-based promotion, Mullins tore through the Russian, collecting a first-round stoppage win in their battle at Ares FC 9 that remains the lone blemish on Zhelezniakova’s otherwise sterling resume. Couple that with the strong performance she turned in herself back in October when she out-hustled Irina Alekseeva in a bout that left her bloodied, but far from broken, and you understand why there is a lot of intrigue swirling around the British bantamweight ahead of her sophomore outing this weekend.
The undefeated Mullins has sharp, fundamentally sound boxing, working behind a speedy jab that she used to great effect last time out against Alekseeva, constantly sticking her with clean left hands as she marched forward throwing wide hooks. There is also a grimy intensity to her game — a steely resolve that was on full display after she was dropped midway through the opening round of her debut, as she worked to reclaim momentum before the close of the round and controlled the action the rest of the way.
Saturday evening, she welcomes another sophomore into the Octagon as she squares off with France’s Nora Cornolle, who claimed a unanimous decision win over Jocelyn Edwards in her promotional debut in Paris last September. The 34-year-old Muay Thai stylist is 7-1 for her MMA career but hasn’t faced the same level of competition as Mullins has to this point.
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There is a dearth of fresh, ascending names in the women’s bantamweight division at the moment, which makes this a tremendous opportunity for Mullins to storm the cage, deliver another impressive showing, and continue her push up the rankings. A second consecutive victory to advance to 7-0 overall could potentially land her a date with a ranked opponent next time out.
UFC Fight Night: Allen vs Curtis 2 took place live from UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada on April 6, 2024. See the final Prelim and Main Card Results, Official Scorecards, and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC Fight Pass!
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