[dropcap]W[/dropcap]hen I was a boy I would go to my grandmothers for the weekend whenever my parents had plans. I didn’t mind. My grandmother loved to spoil me. The best part was, she would take me to the video store and allow me to pick whatever video I wanted. Like many young boys, I always picked a WWF tape.
That was until I was about 7 or 8 and I saw a preview for the UFC. The footage looked grainy and raw, but also violent and bloody. I knew I needed to watch the UFC immediately. The WWF would no longer do. 
That feeling of excitement and adrenaline I got from that 1 minute preview is the same feeling I still get today while watching an exciting fight.
My name is Tim Thompson (MMA-self) and I will be your guide to the Top Prospects in each weight class. Over the coming weeks I will be releasing a Top 10 Prospect list for each weight class. Once a weight class is released I will update them weekly.
Qualifications are simple:
- You must be under the age of 30
- You must have less than 3 fights in the UFC (Fights in Organizations such as Bellator, World Series of Fighting, One FC will factor in the decision making as well.)
*As is everything in life there is always exceptions but we can cross that bridge if we come to it.
My goal is to help build a relationship between you and the up and coming fighters that you may not know you love yet. I graduated from the Illinois Center for Broadcasting, interned for 
ESPN1000 in downtown Chicago, and have written for several years about the UFC. I have an MMA DVD collection that would make any wife’s skin crawl and I haven’t missed a fight in over a decade (No, I didn’t watch every one live). Eventually, I hope to host a podcast where we talk about the Pro MMA scene across the country.
MMA finds itself in an awkward place right now. Everything from health concerns to lawsuits about proper pay. Some say that the sport has popped and fizzled. They think the “fad” is over. The truth is that this is a sport in its infancy and we are watching it grow. We are witnessing the Babe Ruth’s, Bart Starr’s, and Wilt Chamberlain’s of our sport and I for one am loving every minute of it.
Thanks Grandma.