Sherdog’s Top 10: Stick-and-Ball Crossovers

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5. Ovince St. Preux

The former University of Tennessee football player turned mixed martial artist has steadily ascended the light heavyweight ranks and earned himself a shot against a top 10 opponent in Ryan Bader on Aug. 16. Many will point to St. Preux winning six of his seven showings under the Strikeforce banner, but four straight wins inside the UFC’s Octagon had the 31-year-old on the radar of MMA fans and pundits alike.

The Knoxville, Tenn., export has showcased the innate skill of being able to end fights in a flash with his stout standup game, and he has shored up his submission skills for the occasion on which a fight hits the floor. St. Preux has won 13 of his last 15 fights, and his five most recent victories all ended before reaching the judges.

St. Preux left the gridiron to throw leather inside the cage, and the decision seems to have been a sound one. Though he fell short in losing a five-round decision to Bader, the former Volunteer has put plenty of distance between himself and the football career he left behind.

Number 4 » Brendan Schaub