1. Lance Palmer
Palmer was born to compete and has carried the weight of being a champion on his shoulders since he was in high school, a reality that was showcased in a documentary called “Pinned.” He showed he could handle the pressure in Season 1, as he was crowned featherweight champion. The 32-year-old enters the Season 2 competition with a six-fight winning streak and a huge target on his back. The southpaw uses constant movement to throw off his opponent’s timing. He is great at staying outside at range and then suddenly bursting into the pocket, where he blasts his opponent with power shots. The short, compact fighter loves to pepper his opponents’ bodies or kick their legs to set up his best strike: the overhand left. Palmer often sets up his best strike by faking a takedown before firing it. The Xtreme Couture standout makes the mistake of letting his head get out in front of his body when attacking, leaving him open to be tagged when closing the distance. While Palmer’s striking has greatly improved over the years, his wrestling remains his strength. He was a four-time NCAA All-American wrestler at Ohio State University. Palmer has lightning-fast entries on his takedowns and smothers his opponents when he gets them down. The former Ohio State Buckeye is great at clamping on a limb and controlling his foe from getting up. It seems unlikely that Palmer repeats as champion in such a loaded field, but until someone takes him out, he remains the favorite.