Highly touted prospects Walter Harris and Brandon Bender shine at SCC 4 in Las Vegas

Budding Las Vegas promotion Superior Cage Combat returned to the Orleans Arena for their first event of 2012. SCC 4 continued a matchmaking trend with a bevy of high quality prospects booked on the Nevada promotion's undercard. The main event was an upset as veteran Jay Silva (9-5) choked out Ultimate Fighter 3 winner Kendall Grove (14-10).

Two regional heavyweights prospect with big league potential made for a quick fight as Alabama's Walter Harris (7-2) knocked out Washington's Anthony Hamilton (6-1) in round one. Now training out of Jackson's MMA in New Mexico, Hamilton scored with a quick takedown but was unable to keep Harris on his back. Harris planted a hard right hand on the chin of Hamilton and finished the fight with the ensuing punch combination.

Harris was awarded the knockout win versus Hamilton at the 1:15 point of round one.

A former college basketball player Harris is an athletic big man with ever improving hands. The 28 year old Harris should get long looks from the UFC and Bellator with both promotions always in search of depth for their heavyweight divisions. Harris checks in at number 13 in the latest ULTMMA.com heavyweight prospect rankings.

A pair of 25 and under featherweight prospects battled for nearly three rounds as California's Brandon Bender (9-0) pulled off a late submission to halt a fast charging Marlin Weikel (9-3).In a frantic opening 10 minutes both fighters traded chain submission attempts in rounds one and two. With the scorecards up in the air heading into round three, Bender dropped Oregon's Weikel to the floor and moved into side control.

Weikel would reserve position and end up taking Bender's back in a scramble before the fight settled into Californians' guard. Bender with a triangle choke off his back finally threw up a submission that Weikel was unable to break free from. Weikel tapped out at the 2:30 mark of round three.

The loss snapped an impressive three fight run from Weikel. Only 23 years old, all three of Weikel's career losses have come via submission. Despite the loss Weikel is a very good 145 pound prospect who's all action style, one decision in twelve fights, could land him a spot in the UFC if he is able to string together another sustained win streak.

A part of the famed Southern California team Millennia MMA, Bender remains on track for a deal with Bellator of the UFC. After a decision win in his MMA debut Bender has reeled off nine straight submission wins. The 25 year old Bender already has one win on a Bellator undercard and could get a call-up from the promotion depending on the how their spring 2012 145 pound bracket shakes out.

Bender, a four star prospect, is the number 12 ranked featherweight in the latest ULTMMA.com top 20 prospect listing.

Superior Cage Combat 4 Grove vs. Silva results
Las Vegas, NV

Jay Silva def. Kendall Grove by Submission Arm Triangle 1:52 R2
John Gunderson def. Justin Buchholz by Submission Kimura 2:34 R3
Jamie Yager def. Danny Davis Jr. by Decision (Unanimous)
*Paulo Goncalves Silva def. Dominique Robinson by Decision (Unanimous)
*Brandon Bender def. *Marlin Weikel by Submission Triangle Choke 2:30 R3
*Walter Harris def. *Anthony Hamilton by KO (Punches) 1:15 R1
*Jimmy Jones def. Joao Victor by Submission Rear Naked Choke 3:49 R3

* Prospects to watch