Prospect Watch: Justin Reiswerg

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11 years Ago

Photos by Mike Calimbas (Texas Sports Photographer)

With college studies now complete, Justin Reiswerg looks forward to defining his MMA career

HOUSTON, TX, July 25, 2013 – Usually after a few years in the professional ranks most fighters have become what they are going to be within the sport. Like it or not, that’s the truth of it. For a select few fighters, they would have “made it” into the UFC by this point but more often than not, fighters once labeled “can’t miss prospects” either become redefined as journeymen or fizzle out of the sport altogether in search of something else to pursue with their time.

Every once in a while though, there is an exception and somebody that’s been around the game for some time has a chance to redefine who they are with an even greater focus on who they could still be when it comes to their personal pinnacle within the sport of mixed martial arts.

Such is the case with Justin Reiswerg, who returns to action at Legacy Fighting Championship 21 – July 19^th in Houston.

After bursting onto the scene with an upset victory over Rey Trujillo way back at Legacy Fighting Championship 5, it’s hard to imagine that seversl years later we’d still be referring to Justin Reiswerg as a prospect but that’s exactly where we are with him.

Comparing his route to other, Justin has taken somewhat of the road less traveled within MMA, fighting at a measured pace while pursuing his college degree and choosing to balance two worlds whereas many ‘prospects’ marked with his potential often make the choice of eschewing the world of academics to share that UFC dream. Don’t get us wrong, all along Justin has wanted to get there like all the others but he had other goals to accomplish too, including his college diploma.

After achieving that goal this past summer, it’s time to turn his attention back to MMA to see how far he can get in this sport as well.

Looking at his career now at this point, it’s fair to say that after 7 fights Justin Reiswerg is still looking to “break through” that upper echelon and that’s why he’s labeled as a prospect.

The Galveston native debuted with a loss against vet Adam Schindler way back in 2008 but won his next four bouts and five out of six overall since then. His only losses came against Schindler, a Bellator vet, and Pat Audinwood, a UFC vet who Reiswerg may have performed better against had he not hurt his ankle early on in that fight.

Aside from those two, he’s pretty much handled everyone else he’s faced.

So where does he stand now?

The answer to that question lies in how performs come July 19^th at Legacy Fighting Championship 21 when he faces 5-1 Gerardo Abadie, another local MMA enigma who at this point still has a TBD next to his name when it comes to how he’s going to be remembered for the rest of his career. Beat Gerardo and Justin’s record will read 6 wins against 2 losses. With his talent he’ll likely be pegged as a UFC prospect who will need maybe 1 or 2 more wins to get the big show. But lose to Gerardo and Justin may be relegated to journeyman status at 5-3, a fighter who’ll need to climb a long road back up to hill if he’s to get to the UFC someday.

Talk about pressure right? This is definitely a pivotal fight for him. If he wins, with all his talent he could keep on going and shed that prospect label once and for all. And if he losses, at least he still has that college degree.

We’ll see what happens July 19^th in Houston.