Myktybek Orolbai
Standing at five-foot-ten
Fighting at 170 lbs (welterweight)
25-years-old
Fighting out of Osh, Kyrgyzstan
Training out of Team Alpha Male
A pro record of 11-1
6 KO/TKOs, 4 Submissions

How Orolbai will fare in the UFC:

Orolbai started off fighting in Kyrgyzstan, where he’s originally from, but he has since moved to the US and trains out of Team Alpha Male. Orolbai’s last three fights have been in the LFA cage and he’s gone 3-0. What’s helped his case is he’s coming off a highlight-reel knockout. It’s a good thing he landed that because his prior tape isn’t all too exciting.

I like the signing of Orolbai especially on short notice. Some may say he’s some sort of striker but he’s a serious wrestler. Orolbai is a strong wrestler who could just muscle guys around. I don’t rate his grappling all too high but he’s mauling with ground and pound and is heavy on top. Once he gets on the inside with his hands locked he’s a problem to get away from. It seems like he can fight at a hard wrestling pace for three rounds.

Striking, he’s limited. Orolbai throws a one-two and has a dangerous overhand. He’s not out-striking anyone from a technical standpoint. He will overwhelm guys with his pressure and his power. He can put the lights out with one punch. I’ll say everyone he’s beaten is low-level. The only truly good fighter Orolbai has fought, he lost to. Orolbai is good but there is no proof he’s UFC-level. I can see him as mid-tier right in the division. I don’t think his striking and other fundamentals are good enough to reach a top 15 or anything.

How he matches up with Medic:

I like Medic a lot more than I thought I would when he came to the UFC. Orolbai has the potential to catch Medic but he has to wrestle this fight. Medic isn’t bad on the mat but it’s a grey area as he’s not as confident.

On the feet though Medic is nasty. Orolbai is basic at striking whereas Medic is throwing a ton of output giving a lot of different looks. Medic throws in straights, volume, power, goes to the body, and mixes in a lot of kicks. He should be too much to handle for Orolbai. Orolbai could bring in a heavy wrestling pace but I can’t be sure he does that nor do I believe he can close the distance effectively. I like Medic by TKO.

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The UFC makes its second trip to Brazil in 2023 with UFC Sao Paulo arriving on Saturday. Among a handful of debuting fighters, Kauê Fernandes steps into the octagon for the first time against the formidable Marc Diakiese. He gets to do so at home in front of a crowd in an era where many fellow newcomers get an empty Apex.

Kauê Fernandes
Standing at five-foot-nine
Fighting at 155 lbs (lightweight)
28-years-old
Fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Training out of Nova Uniao
A pro record of 8-1
4 KO/TKOs, 2 Submissions

How Fernandes will fare in the UFC:

Brazil is loaded with talent and as much as I’d like to see more signed for this card Fernandes is a good signing. After a disappointing loss to Luann Sardinha, Fernandes has won his last two. He’s also coming off a highlight-reel head kick knockout that helped his case of getting signed.

Fernandes is an awkward fighter but is super dangerous. On the feet, Fernandes throws wide with his hands to his waist so he’s hard to read. He’s so long he would benefit from throwing more straight punches. Fernandes is sneaky with head kicks that he throws over the shoulder and his bodywork is an asset he often likes to go to. Fernandes is even better on the mat even if he’s on his back. Most of the time it is off his back because his wrestling isn’t all that good. Fernandes has fluid hips and is always working to find submissions or create scrambles.

His fight with Luann Sardinha exposed a lot of Fernandes’ holes. He had a good round one but fell apart after five minutes. The main reason was because of his cardio. It was so poor Fernandes was breathing heavily out of his mouth. His striking defense is a major concern. His hands are low, he throws too wide, and his chin is up in the air. A jab would give him a lot of problems and he’s just asking to get knocked out in an exchange with how his hand placement is and where his chin is. Also, his takedown defense isn’t too good and even though he’s good off his back that’s somewhere you don’t want to fight off of if you can avoid it.

Overall, I think Kauê Fernandes has potential. He has to tighten up his technique. More importantly, his cardio has to be better. His technique looks even worse when he’s as gassed as he was before. Fernandes is a fun fighter but I see him struggling to get wins in the UFC. He could improve but he has to prove that he can adapt in future fights.

How he matches up with Diakiese:

Not sure why Fernandes is getting an established guy like Diakiese in his UFC debut but it would be a big win. Diakiese is a talented fighter but he’s just inconsistent. His fight IQ has continued to be a big problem for him in his career.

Diakiese is an explosive guy on the feet but lately, it’s been his wrestling he’s been using more than anything. I’m sure Diakiese can take Fernandes down but he’s got to be careful of getting caught in a submission. On the feet, Diakiese beats him with speed, explosiveness, and athleticism. Fernandes is fully capable of catching Diakiese anywhere the fight goes. With that said I think it’s a bad match-up for him and Diakiese wins a decision.

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UAE Warriors alum Mohammad Yahya steps into the octagon for the first time at UFC 294 this weekend, where he’s set to take on Trevor Peek. The card is topped by the rematch between Alexander Volkanovski and lightweight champ Islam Makhachev, while Yahya vs. Peek arrives on the prelims.

Mohammad Yahya
Standing at five-foot-nine
Fighting at 155 lbs (lightweight)
29-years-old
Fighting out of United Arab Emirates
Training out of JRCS
A pro record of 12-3
7 KO/TKOs, 2 Submissions

How Yahya will fare in the UFC:

I don’t understand this signing from a talent skill standpoint but I understand it for a few reasons. He is a hometown fighter and is a UAE champion. I don’t like the signing because of all the UAE Warrior’s fighters, Yahya would not come to mind to sign. He’s on a good winning streak but he has not got one good, high-level win. Even his losses are to lower-level guys.

Yahya is just a basic fighter. Nothing he does impresses me. On the feet, I’d say his hands are fine but he has a lot of flaws. Yahya holds his hands low, curls up when taking damage, and he brings his hands back to his face too slow. His striking defense is too much of a liability and his chin is concerning.

At times he will take the fight down and will tend to use the wrestling later the fights goes. I don’t rate either his wrestling and jiu-jitsu too high. He may get takedowns in the UFC but I don’t see him outclassing anywhere on the mat with his ground game. Yahya is nothing special and you can find multiple fighters at his level fighting regionally all over the world. I see him struggling to get a win in the UFC.

How he matches up with Peek:

It’s weird to say but I feel really good about Peek in this fight. Peek has some of the worst techniques you will see. What he does have is constant pressure, heavy hands, a rock-solid chin, and a valuable gas tank.

Yahya, I don’t see having any advantage in this fight. On the feet, Peek hits harder and throws more volume. That mixed in with the striking defense and chin of Yahya is a bad matchup for him. Also as long as the fight goes the pace I believe it will, it will eventually break Yahya. I don’t think we will see much grappling in this fight. I like Peek in this fight by TKO and I feel weirdly confident about it.

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The UFC returns to Abu Dhabi this weekend, with UFC 294 headlined by a short-notice title fight between Islam Makhachev and Alexander Volkanovski — a rematch of their February match-up. Among several newcomers, the highly-touted Sharabutdin Magomedov makes his debut opposite Bruno Silva.

Sharabutdin “Bullet” Magomedov
Standing at six-foot-two
Fighting at 185 lbs (middleweight)
29-years-old
Fighting out of Moscow, Russia
Training out of GOR MMA
A pro record of 11-0
10 KO/TKOs

How Magomedov will fare in the UFC:

Magomedov has been in MMA since 2017 but started off fighting in smaller shows in China. In 2019, he captured a victory over current UFC fighter Blood Diamond in kickboxing. Outside of MMA, he was an Eurasia champion in Burmese boxing, 18-2 in K1, and a Russian muay thai champion.

Nobody fights like this guy in the UFC. Some may have a similar style, but nobody perfects it as he does. Magomedov is one of the most intriguing and exciting prospects that’s signed with the UFC in a while.

There is no mystery to the style of Magomedov; he’s not going to be someone to shoot takedowns, but instead will chip away from all angles on the feet. The best thing Magomedov brings to the table is diversity. He literally throws everything in the kitchen at you and throws in different varieties. Magomedov’s hands, knees, legs, elbows; he’s always implementing these into his game. Fluidity is huge for the Russian, as he just blends everything together beautifully. I would say seeing him fight is like using a fighter in the EA games. But nothing or no one does it as smooth as Magomedov, he has excellent dexterity in his legs. He throws a ton of sidekicks, hook kicks, crescent kicks, ax kicks, and wheel kicks. He can throw it all together as well, such as a hook kick to a roundhouse and a sidekick to a hook kick.

Magomedov is never repetitive, never telegraphed, and never hesitant. He’s always mixing it up using a lot of feints, always quick on his release, and staying volume-heavy Magomedov is strong with both legs and will attack from both sides. He can throw the right head kick to a left head kick so effortlessly with no load up or any telegraph at all.

When fighting Magomedov, the goal is indeed to put him on his back. Easier said than done though, as it’s been a very difficult task for past opponents. On the outside, to start off you’re going to have to deal with the kickboxing. When you’re able to get in close quarters, Magomedov can still get off some explosive strikes.

When they do finally tie up with Magomedov, they find it’s not so easy to get him down. He not only fights wrist and under-hooks well, he’s lethal with his muay thai. Framing off and landing elbows, and the knees especially are fight-ending. Magomedov is in his realm when in the clinch, the way he knees the body then the head, along with the shot placement and his hand positioning is extremely high level.

How he matches up with Silva:

This is the perfect fight for the debut of Magomedov. Silva is a veteran that has good experience and also poses a threat. Silva did go three rounds with Alex Pereira. I do believe since that fight he’s become more fragile. If he’s able to set the pace, he’s dangerous but he’s shown that when he’s pressured he’s vulnerable to being finished. I’d imagine Magomedov will set the pace putting out a lot of volume and Silva will decide to trade with him. Silva is 34 and the damage is starting to add up. I predict Magomedov to showcase his skillset and win by TKO.

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Lightweight Brendon Marotte is one of a handful of newcomers at Saturday’s UFC Vegas 81 Fight Night card, headlined by featherweights Sodiq Yusuff and Edson Barboza. Stepping in against the always entertaining Terrance McKinney, Marotte is set for preliminary card action at the Apex in a dangerous match-up.

Brendon Marotte
Standing at five-foot-ten
Fighting at 155 lbs (lightweight)
26-years-old
Fighting out of Hampstead, New Hampshire, US
Training out of New England Cartel
A pro record of 8-1
5 KO/TKOs, 1 Submission

How Marotte will fare in the UFC:

Marotte comes to the UFC as another member of the New England Cartel. He fights in an area that’s known for a lack of competition. Only two guys he beat had a winning record and his only loss was his only real test. He did fight at featherweight in the past but has recently moved up to lightweight and is undefeated in that weight class.

Watching Marotte I didn’t come out impressed. What he does do well is throw a lot of volume and he fights at a high rate. I do like the way he mixes up his output with his hands and kicks. On the inside, he does good work with his Muay Thai knees. Everything about his game is competent. Defensively however he struggles in all areas. His takedown defense isn’t good at all and is poor off his back. He fights with his hands low and isn’t too hard to hit.

Marotte isn’t UFC level right now and I see him struggling to get wins in the octagon. He’s a good regional-level fighter. Not a lot to say about Marrote at his skillset is limited and nothing really stands out with him.

How he matches up with McKinney:

The UFC has been careful at matching up McKinney with favorable fights after losing two in a row. This is a fight he should win with ease. His cardio is always a big concern but I don’t think Marotte is the caliber of fighter to expose that. Everyone that beat McKinney is better than Marotte outside of his first loss. I’d be surprised if McKinney lost this.

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A Contender Series fight is one that has stakes like none other, where fighters must showcase their skills to impress the UFC president enough for a contract with the promotional giant.  Holding the Contender Series with a smaller cage inside the UFC Apex venue makes for a tense atmosphere, and with only close friends and family of the competing fighters in attendance as spectators. Emotions always run high, as a limited number of contracts can be given out on any given night, and many fighters can potentially have their dreams snubbed out solely because of bad luck.

In rare cases, however, a fighter gets a second look. This series will examine those.

For this week, the 10th and final week of the Contender Series for 2023, the Redemption Series will be taking a look at Connor Matthews. 

Connor “The Controller” Matthews (6-1 MMA)

Age: 31 years old

Height: 5’8″ / Reach: 71″

Weight Class: Featherweight (145lbs.)

First DW’s Contender Series Fight: 2022 (Week 2)

Old DW’s Contender Series Opponent: Francis Marshall (7-2 MMA)

Second DW’s Contender Series Fight: 2023 (Week 10)

New Opponent: Jair Farias (10-0 MMA)

First Contender Series Fight

Connor Matthews entered his first Contender Series fight in 2022 with a perfect professional record of 5-0. Matthews had finished all five of his opponents in the first round and only had a total fight time of 2 minutes and 49 seconds. All of his wins except his first (a 7 second KO) were via submission.

Matthews trains out of the New England Cartel, home to talented UFC strikers like Calivn Kattar and Rob Font.

Matthews lost a unanimous decision in what was completely uncharted territory as he had never made it past the first round in a pro MMA fight.

Connor displayed solid offensive boxing as you would expect, training with the caliber of guys that he does. Matthews also showed a great ability to keep his opponent on the end of his straight punches, maximizing his reach.

Matthews struggled with defending the takedown against his opponent and was momentarily stunned a few times throughout the fight. While on the ground Connor was able to show that he does have very competent defensive grappling. And even though the fight didn’t come out in Connor’s favor he raised his stock by continually moving forward and throwing strikes despite slowing down a bit throughout the fight.

First Contender Series Opponent

For Connor’s first fight on the Contender Series, he took on a fellow undefeated fighter at 5-0, in Francis Marshall. Of Marshall’s five MMA bouts heading into the Contender Series, he finished four of them via rear naked choke. Marshall obviously has some pretty good offensive wrestling.

Marshall received a UFC contract as a result of his performance against Matthews. Francis has fought three times in the UFC thus far.

Francis took on then, 16-8 fighter, Marcelo Rojo in December of 2022. Francis was able to finish his opponent in the second round via punches.

Earlier this year in April, Francis took on then 11-2 fighter, William Gomis for his second outing. Unfortunately, Marshall would find himself on the wrong side of split decision.

And in Marshall’s most recent fight he took on 5-0 fighter, Isaac Dulgarian back in August. Marshall would be finished with just 12 seconds to go in the first round via ground and pound.

This loss didn’t age badly for Matthews as it’s important to keep in mind that Francis Marshall isn’t even ten fights into his professional career yet, is 24 years old and showed good things in all his fights thus far.

The Road Back 

Since losing on the Contender Series a year and about two months ago, Matthews has fought just one time.

Connor’s bout was earlier this year, in March, when he took on then 8-4, Andrew Cruz, in the main event of Combat Zone 79. Connor finished his opponent in just under four minutes of the first round.

Gameplan/ New Opponent 

For Connor’s shot at redemption, this time, he will be taking on 10-0 undefeated fighter, Jair Farias. Jair is very dangerous as he has finished nine of the ten fighters that he has faced in pro competition.

Farias has been cutting his teeth on the regional Brazilian circuit and the combined record of his opponents at the time of fighting them was: 40-22

Farias is largely untested and has solid leg kicks and a big right hand. Connor will look to capture a contract this time around in the last edition of the 2023 season of the Contender Series.

The post Redemption: Second Chances on Dana White’s Contender Series — Connor Matthews appeared first on Cageside Press.

A Contender Series fight is one that has stakes like none other, where fighters must showcase their skills to impress the UFC president enough for a contract with the promotional giant.  Holding the Contender Series with a smaller cage inside the UFC Apex venue makes for a tense atmosphere, and with only close friends and family of the competing fighters in attendance as spectators. Emotions always run high, as a limited number of contracts can be given out on any given night, and many fighters can potentially have their dreams snubbed out solely because of bad luck.

In rare cases, however, a fighter gets a second look. This series will examine those.

For this week, the 10th and final week of the Contender Series for 2023, the Redemption Series will be taking a look at one half of the main event, Ramon Taveras. 

Ramon “The Savage” Taveras (8-2 MMA)

Age: 29 years old

Height: 5’8″ / Reach: 70″

Weight Class: Bantamweight (135lbs.)

First DW’s Contender Series Fight: 2023 (Week 5)

Old DW’s Contender Series Opponent: Serhiy Sidey (10-1 MMA)

Second DW’s Contender Series Fight: 2023 (Week 10)

New Opponent: Cortavious Romious (7-1 MMA)

First Contender Series Fight

Ramon Taveras is a very special case on the redemption series as he competed a little over a month ago on Week 5 of the 2023 season of the Contender Series. Unlike most redemption fighters that usually made their first appearance on the Contender Series in a different season entirely.

Taveras headed into his first Contender Series fight on a four-fight win streak, including a first-round finish over MMA legend, Charles Bennett, in March earlier this year.

Taveras finished three of these four fights and captured the Combat Night Bantamweight title in his final fight before being on the Contender Series.

Despite competing at 135lbs. on the Contender Series, 29-year-old Taveras, has successfully weighed in as a bantamweight just three times throughout his entire pro MMA career.

Ahead of his first appearance on the Contender Series, Taveras missed weight, weighing in at a 136.3lbs. for his bantamweight bout. In the fight itself, Taveras made a good impression for as long as the fight lasted. Ramon displayed excellent boxing fundamentals, a lighting jab and a great 1-2 combination.

Unfortunately, Taveras was countered by his longer opponent and dropped with his opponent following up with ground and pound. The fight was stopped (prematurely in the eyes of some, including Dana White) at this point leaving Taveras visibly upset. This quick stoppage was likely one of the major contributing factors to Taveras being invited back later on in the same season.

First Contender Series Opponent

Ramon’s first Contender Series opponent was Serhiy Sidey who entered the fight with a 9-1 record.

Sidey, who is also a large bantamweight at 5’11”, competed in five bouts at featherweight to start his pro career beginning in 2018.

The Canadian would go on to win the Battlefield Fight League (BFL) Bantamweight title and successfully defend it multiple times. Sidey also captured the vacant BTC Bantamweight Title earlier this year which captured the attention of UFC brass.

For Sidey’s impressive performance on the Contender Series he earned himself a UFC contract. Since this bout was just a little over a month ago, Sidey has yet to compete in the UFC and at the time of this articles release, doesn’t have his UFC debut booked.

The Road Back 

Ramon Taveras has neither competed in a pro MMA fight nor had a bout scheduled in the month since his last Contender Series appearance.

Gameplan/ New Opponent 

For his shot at redemption, Ramon Taveras will be taking on the 7-1 fighter, Cortavious Romious. Romious is another big bantamweight that has had five of his eight fights at 145lbs. or heavier.

In Cortavious’ most recent fight, he fought at a catchweight of 150lbs., for his LFA bout. Cortavious is on a three fight win streak all first round submission finishes. The combined record of Cortavious’ opponents at the time of fighting them was: 36-29

At 5’4″ with a 67″ reach, and a dangerous submission threat Cortavious will be the grappler in this grappler vs striker match-up for Ramon Taveras’ shot at redemption.

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With last year seeing 43 UFC contracts dished out, and six fights on the final week of the show (including Lucas Rocha vs. Davi Bittencourt, now at bantamweight), there was a good chance last year’s haul would be surpassed. Making DWCS 2023 the most successful season ever, at least for fighters earning a shot in the big show.

We’ve got one last preview of the Contender Series this season, so let’s get to it!

Bantamweight: Ramon Taveras Vs. Cortavious Romious

Tale of the Tape

Pros and Cons

Who has the advantage?

Striking: Taveras
Speed: Romious
Output/Volume: Romious
Kickboxing: Romious
Striking defense: Even
Footwork/movement: Taveras
Wrestling: Romious
Grappling: Magomedaliev
Gas tank: Taveras

Prediction: Taveras is getting another rightful opportunity and Romious is also deserving of this opportunity.

After Romious lost his lone time as a pro he took an extensive layoff. Since he’s come back he’s run through his opponents. His only loss was to Bellator’s Jornel Lugo. The thing is, Lugo and Taveras are in a way similar fighters. Romious is a smaller bantamweight and he does struggle on the outside. He struggled with Lugo and I can see the same thing happening here. Taveras is four inches taller and has a three inch reach advantage.

Tavares being a good technical striker with a clean boxing attack; I can see him frustrating Romious from his preferred range. My prediction is Tavares because of the size and the big striking advantage.

The post DWCS 2023: Episode 10 Breakdown and Predictions appeared first on Cageside Press.

A Contender Series fight is one that has stakes like none other, where fighters must showcase their skills to impress the UFC president enough for a contract with the promotional giant.  Holding the Contender Series with a smaller cage inside the UFC Apex venue makes for a tense atmosphere, and with only close friends and family of the competing fighters in attendance as spectators. Emotions always run high, as a limited number of contracts can be given out on any given night, and many fighters can potentially have their dreams snubbed out solely because of bad luck.

In rare cases, however, a fighter gets a second look. This series will examine those.

For this week, the 9th week of the Contender Series for 2023, the Redemption Series will be taking a look at one half of the main event, Rodolfo Bellato. 

Rodolfo “Trator” Bellato (10-2 MMA)

Age: 27 years old

Height: 6’3″ / Reach: 75.5″

Weight Class: Light Heavyweight (205lbs.)

First DW’s Contender Series Fight: 2022 (Week 7)

Old DW’s Contender Series Opponent: Vitor Petrino (9-0 MMA)

Second DW’s Contender Series Fight: 2023 (Week 9)

New Opponent: Murtaza Talha (6-0)

First Contender Series Fight

Rodolfo Bellato fought on the Contender Series for the first time in September of 2022.

Rodolfo has an impressive jiu-jitsu pedigree and actively competes, as well as having been a long-time training partner of the famous Nogueira brothers.

Heading into the contest, Rodolfo had never heard the final bell, having finished all eight of his previous opponents with only one opponent managing to survive the opening round. Bellato KO/TKO’d four of his opponents and submitted the other 4 via armbar, kneebar, rear naked choke and triangle choke.

Bellato was bullied most of the first round as his opponent was much more explosive, landing good powerful shots and showing off a speed advantage. However, once Bellato’s opponent began to tire a bit, dropping his hands, Bellato was able to land with a long straight right to drop his opponent.

Rodolfo was able to get the back and sink hooks in, but eventually his opponent escaped landing more damage from on top.

The second round again saw Bellato’s opponent looking slightly lighter on the feet throwing quick strikes. Rodolfo was able to return meaningful shots of his own albeit a little more labored.  Bellato showed excellent head movement to slip and lighten the blow of shots but ultimately was caught and finished in a devastating fashion, midway thru the round, thanks to a very poorly timed spinning elbow.

First Contender Series Opponent

Bellato’s appearance on the Contender Series was actually a rematch against Vitor Petrino. Rodolfo was finished in just under 30 seconds in the pair’s first meeting, back in May of 2019, when he was clipped with a punch in the middle of throwing a naked leg kick.

Vitor would obviously receive a UFC contract for his performance along with brothers Ismael and Gabriel Bonfim as well as Karl Williams.

To say Vitor has impressed since coming into the UFC would be an understatement. Vitor would get his UFC debut in March of this year, after suffering a fight cancellation because his opponent withdrew, in December of 2022.

Vitor beat his then 8-1 opponent, Anton Turkalj via unanimous decision.

In his next fight Vitor stepped up and fought then 16-6, seven-fight UFC veteran, Marcin Prachnio at UFC 290 in July. Petrino was able to finish Marcin in the third round of their bout via arm triangle choke showing off his versatility on the ground and capturing the first submission victory of his pro MMA career.

Vitor is now slated to take on 15-5, Modestas Bukauskas in November. Vitor has proved a solid and active addition to the UFC’s shallow light heavyweight roster, and with a few more wins he is a fighter that could make his way into the top 10-15 of the division very soon.

For this reason, Bellato’s two losses against Vitor have aged gracefully.

The Road Back 

Since losing to Vitor Petrino last September, Rodolfo Bellato has fought twice and had one bout fall thru. Both of these bouts were under the LFA banner.

Bellato took on then 12-11, Mateus Messaros in March of this year and finished him in just over 90 seconds via knee to grounded punches.

And in his most recent bout back in May, Bellato fought to the very first decision of his career. Rodolfo fought then 15-5, Acacio dos Santos for the vacant LFA Interim Light Heavyweight Championship, winning via unanimous decision in a long, grueling, 25-minute fight.

Gameplan/ New Opponent 

For Rodolfo Bellato’s shot at redemption on the Contender Series he will be taking on 6-0 Murtaza Talha.

Talha’s pro MMA record on paper at 6-0 is initially deceiving as he has faced solid competition mostly under the Brave CF promotional banner, out of the Middle East.

The combined record of the opponents that Talha has faced is: 29-6

But Murtaza’s really interesting fight experience comes from his amateur MMA career where he had a flawless 12-0 record. Murtaza competed in all 12 of his amateur MMA fights for the International Mixed Martial Arts Federation (IMMAF), a very solid organization that focuses arranging fights for the next generation of the best and brightest MMA fighters.

Murtaza won the IMMAF World Championship at 205lbs in 2017 and 2018. Talha also won the IMMAF Oceania Open Championship in 2020 to complete his decorated amateur MMA career.

Murtaza is a very well-rounded fighter with great wrestling and is a solid striker. It will be interesting to see if Bellato can successfully capture his shot at redemption as it will be important for him to stay technically sound and look for his opportunity to end the fight.

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Would more zaniness ensue on Week 9? Read on for how we see the second-to-last episode of the season playing out!

Light heavyweight: Murtaza Talha Vs Rodolfo Bellato

Tale of the Tape

Pros and Cons

Who has the advantage?

Striking: Bellato
Speed: Bellato
Output/Volume: Talha
Kickboxing: Bellato
Striking defense: Talha
Footwork/movement: Even
Wrestling: Talha
Grappling: Talha
Gas tank: Even

Prediction: Talha came into his pro career as one of the best amateur prospects at the time. He went 12-0 never losing in three years in IMMAF winning gold which is an incredible feat. Talha has been a terror in his pro career over in Brave CF dominating everyone.

Bellato is getting his second chance on the Contender Series after losing last season to the only person that beat him, Vitor Petrino. Since that loss, he’s won his next two. Last May he won the LFA light-heavyweight title.

I like Bellato and I think he’s UFC level but he’s getting a rough match-up. Talha is one of the best light heavyweight prospects worldwide. Bellato is a BJJ guy but the wrestling of Talha should be able to cancel that out. Bellato is dangerous off his back but I would bet Talha isn’t getting caught while on top. There is a chance Bellato can win on the feet. Talha has a smothering pace and I believe will just relentlessly put Bellato on his but. My prediction is Talkha by ground and pound later in the fight.

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