There's plenty of talent in the amateur welterweight ranks that transcends the entire region.
"Boogaloo" Bezanson (5-0) stands atop the 170 pound amateur mountain, as the New Hampshire native still has that "o" intact, and looks to transition to the pro ranks in the near future. The Greg Williams (Kaze Dojo) disciple has been tearing up the New England scene, sporting a perfect 5-0 record while fighting under the NEF and Combat Zone banners. Bezanson is a high-paced fighter who has some of the nastiest kicks in the game that can end a fight in a flash. He throws a lot of spinny shit, and it's an incredibly entertaining brand of MMA. We haven't seen much in the way of his ground game and he'll need to evolve his boxing game, but the kids got some serious talent, and has a chance to make some waves in the pro ranks in the very near future. If you want to see one of the better amateur welterweight fights in recent history, check out our article covering the fight between top ranked Mike Bezanson vs. #10 ranked Tayler Mears (3-1).
Team Link fighter Sage Philippe (4-1) lands in the #2 position on our welterweight rankings. He rattled off 4 wins to start his amateur career, but ran into a stud in Isaiah Sackey-El (5-1) at Cage Wars 45 back in January. Cameron "Carnage" Resnisky (4-0) is the current Premier FC amateur welterweight champion and also holds down our 3rd spot in the rankings. Resnisky trains with the boys over at The Cage in Connecticut, and is looking to make the leap to the pro ranks with his undefeated record intact. "Carnage" beat a very tough Chris Nino Almestica (4-4) to capture the Premier FC belt, and he made it look easy. Kids got some talent. Don't blink.
42 year old Dave "The Pitbull" Spero (6-2) has only fought once in the past 6 years, but he still grabbed our 4th spot due to his big win over 5th ranked Duncan Smith (5-3) at Combat Zone 69 to claim the promotions amateur welterweight championship. It's unknown whether Spero will stay active once local fights commence, but even if it's the last time we've seen "The Pitbull" in the cage, he's cemented his position as one of the top amateur welterweights in the region.
The aforementioned Duncan "The Highlander" Smith claims our 5th spot with his 5-3 record. The Evolution Athletix fighter is the current NEF welterweight champion, and also held the Combat Zone belt before relinquishing it to Spero. The well-rounded fighter is 4-1 in his last 5 fights, and has the momentum to capitalize on this success at the pro level once he decides to make the leap.
