10 Europeans to Watch in 2011

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Marcus Vanttinen (18-2)

Despite 20 professional fights under his belt already, Vanttinen is still a project. A strong, strapping athlete, he has good reach and height for his weight class. It’s likely that it was the size and strength of Vanttinen that forced both Krzysztof Kulak and Antoni Chmielewski to cut down to middleweight because of his overwhelming physical presence. Vanttinen needs to round out his striking, developing more techniques beyond just low kicks to keep opponents at bay. The 23-year-old Finn also needs to ensure that he's simply not settling for being a good wrestler by European standards, as stocky UFC vet Rodney Wallace didn't have much problem taking him down repeatedly. However, his size, athleticism and potential are reminiscent of Swede Alexander Gustafsson, who is carving out a niche for himself in the UFC after improving his wrestling stateside. The Finn will face an interesting test of his developing skills at home on Jan. 31 when he meets tough Croat Maro Perak.

Continue Reading » Next Prospect: Vyacheslav “Slava” Vasilevsky