Image courtesy of Simeon Powell Instagram
Written by Dylan Knostman
On Tuesday, February 14th, the Professional Fighters League announced the official rosters of their brand new European division. With the breaking of this news, it’s perfect timing to give some shine to one of the most exciting young prospects included in this new part of the league. A native of London, England, light heavyweight Simeon “Smooth” Powell owns an impressive 7-0 record, with 4 knockouts, 2 submissions, and 1 decision, and including his amateur career is on a 13-fight winning streak. He trains out of Titan Fighter Gym with the likes of fellow UK prospects Luke Trainer and Louie Sutherland, and also is a member of Great Britain Top Team. He has frequented the UK regionals circuit, but his last fights have come through the Professional Fighters League, where he is now anticipated to stay for the foreseeable future. At only 24 years old, Powell is an elite striker for his age who uses tremendous length (6’5, 85 inch reach), accuracy, and footwork to give his opponents fits. He uses all of his limbs well, and his long jab - cross combo and knees up the middle are his most dangerous weapons, and he even has a TKO by leg kicks. I believe Powell is one of the most electric young prospects in the heavier divisions in the world, and is a name that any MMA fan should become familiar with.
Simeon Powell is a professional MMA fighter who lives in London, England, but was born in the town of Harrow. Growing up relatively poor, he started jiu jitsu as a teenager at premier martial arts, which led him to later pursue kickboxing and MMA. He made his Amatuer debut at 19 years old in 2018, and since suffering a defeat in that first fight he has accrued a combined 13 consecutive amatuer and pro wins since. An elite kickboxer who has well rounded skills, he is incredible dangerous in the light heavyweight division.
Simeon Powell has fought three times for the PFL, with two wins by knockout and one by decision. Due to his success, he was signed as a rostered fighter for the light heavyweight division for the PFL Europe 2023 season, where he will face top talent from around the European continent.
Since losing his amateur debut, Simeon Powell has seen nothing but success inside the cage. Finishing 77% of his fights by knockout or submission, he has proven to be extremely dangerous in all facets of mixed martial arts. He will look to continue his winning ways in 2023.
A very complete fighter for the division and age, Simeon Powell mixes together long straights, knees, and uppercuts from a bladed, karate-esque stance while maintaining a high guard and a cocked right hand at almost all times. Typically a stance of this nature leaves openings for low kicks, but his in-and-out movement and light feet allows him to move out of the way of these attacks. He has a very strong kick game himself, finishing his last opponent, João Paulo Fagundes, by calf kicks, showing once again his versatility and ability to find various ways to finish a fight. Even before he got the stoppage, he managed to land two takedowns, including one sequence where he was stuffed, reshot, and managed to secure the takedown on his second attempt, showing improved chain wrestling. Powell prefers to keep the fight standing, but this development of his wrestling will allow him to dictate where the fight takes place. He is no slouch on the ground though, as he has two professional wins by rear naked choke, and has shown off his grappling on multiple occasions, with his most recent submission coming in 2021 against Mustafa Mohamed. Maybe the most developed and impressive aspect of Powell’s game is his footwork. Usually at light heavyweight, we see strong athletes who look for heavy explosive shots, and it’s rare we get someone who is truly quick and light on their feet at this size. Many fighters tend to move in straight lines, allowing the opposition to walk them down until their back hits the cage, which is when things get dangerous. Powell’s fight versus Tobias Baker on the PFL Challenger Series is a perfect example of distance management, patience, and moving out of harm's way when it comes. Simeon Powell is constantly switching and resetting his stance and moving laterally, never allowing his opponents to quite get inside, therefore giving him the opportunity to use his length and reach to pick fighters apart. Angles are the name of the game when it comes to striking, and he uses them tremendously to overwhelm his adversaries.
Simeon Powell’s development over his last few fights has been significant and at his young age, it’s expected we see even more over the next few years. He has faced diverse competition, both in body types as well as fighting styles. It will be interesting to see how Powell adjusts with higher level competition. When it comes to his striking, I would like to see him work the body more often, and I could see him having a little trouble with some true heavy hitters at light heavyweight, as he can sometimes lean back as opposed to blocking strikes. This is a bad habit, as opponents with longer reaches and more power, that is a dangerous defensive game to play. His potential is sky high, and I have him as a favorite in this upcoming PFL Europe season. He is scheduled to compete in the inaugural 2023 PFL Europe season, in the light heavyweight division where he will battle with 9 of the top European light heavyweights for a playoff spot. His first fight of the year is March 25th, 2023 in his hometown of London, where he will be taking on Mohamed Amine, a striker out of the Netherlands holding a 4-1 record. Keep an eye on Simeon Powell this upcoming year, as he will almost certainly produce some incredible performances and highlights.
High-level comparison: Israel Adesanya
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