6 Best Second Generation Fighters In MMA Right Now
3. Ray Cooper III (20-7-1)
Ray Cooper III is one of the hottest talents at 170lbs not currently in the UFC or Bellator. The Hawaiian has notched up an impressive 7-2-1 record in the Pro Fight League organisation and recently won their welterweight tournament earning the $1 million prize in the process.
Not bad for less than 25 minutes of cage time...
His father, Ray Cooper Jr., was a pioneer of mixed martial arts in Hawaii, making his MMA debut way back in 2011. The elder Cooper notched up victories over Jutaro Nakao, Hermes Franca, and the father of fellow list member AJ McKee, in an 11-year career across four different weight divisions.
The pair also holds the unusual distinction of both having faced the same opponent twice. The elder Cooper went 1-1 with former Strikeforce champion Jake Shields, in 2002 and 2004 with the latter fight seeing Shields secure a submission victory. Presumably seeking revenge for his father's defeat in circumstances that wouldn't seem out of place in a Hollywood movie, Ray Cooper III faced Shields twice in 2018, winning both fights by TKO.