UFC Las Vegas – New Blood: ‘Icao,’ ‘The Reaper’ and Karl

After an absolute torrent of newcomers in current occasions, Final Preventing Championship (UFC) has restricted itself to simply three newbies for its present this weekend (Sat., March 11, 2023) inside The Theater at Virgin Lodges in Las Vegas, Nevada. On this version of “New Blood,” the sequence that consumes my waking hours like no different, we try a trio of Contender Sequence graduates. As at all times, all episodes of the latest Contender Sequence season could be discovered on ESPN+.

Vitor “Icao” Petrino

Weight Class: Gentle HeavyweightAge: 25Record: 7-0 (6 KO) Notable Victories: Rodolfo Bellato, Gadzhimurad Antigulov

Petrino adopted his 3-1 newbie profession with a 6-0 professional begin, capped off by a knockout of UFC veteran Gadzhimurad Antigulov. His efforts carried him to Contender Sequence, the place he survived an early knockdown to cease former newbie foe Rodolfo Bellato and declare a UFC contract.

The 6’2” Petrino could also be a scholar of grappling ace and UFC veteran Cristiano Marcello, however he’s right here to swang and bang. He loves nothing greater than to sq. his shoulders and wing high-speed bombs with each arms till somebody falls over. When pressured to truly combat correctly, although, he could be remarkably cell and light-weight on his toes as he potshots from numerous angles. A few of his favourite strikes embrace a wide range of uppercuts, together with Anderson Silva-style up-elbows, and the heavy uppercut that floored Antigulov and which he likes following along with his devastating left hook.

Even at his most composed, although, he’s nonetheless loads hittable due to restricted upper-body and head motion, unsafe shot choice like these uppercuts, and an inclination to drop his off-hand when throwing. Whereas his chin is mostly rock-solid, he did get floored by a hand trap-right straight from Bellato, so he’s not invincible.

To his credit score, he confirmed some flashes of technical progress within the second spherical of that combat. Past the aforementioned footwork, I’ve seen him do some very nice work with no-windup lead rights and fast jabs. I’m fairly optimistic that even when his coaches don’t iron him into a correct technician, which might truthfully be to his detriment contemplating his bodily skills, they will in the end construct a cohesive recreation.

Whereas the facility is what catches the attention, I got here away extraordinarily impressed along with his hips. He’s extremely tough to take down, because the wrestle-happy Antigulov shortly realized, and is adept at getting again to his toes if he’s caught unawares. His submission protection seems stout as effectively; he slammed his approach out of a Bellato triangle and prevented an arm triangle after getting dropped.

If he finally ends up on high, he can put spectacular leverage behind his ground-and-pound. His willingness to let Bellato again to his toes means that he’d moderately simply commerce, although.

Even when Petrino’s too wild to be champion materials, there’s quite a bit to love about him. He’s highly effective, aggressive, entertaining, and surprisingly sharp at conserving the combat in his wheelhouse. These hips shall be essential in his debut in opposition to late-notice alternative Anton Turkalj, who’s extraordinarily hittable however can flip a combat right into a slog if given half the possibility.

Karl Williams

Weight Class: HeavyweightAge: 33Record: 7-1 (3 KO)Notable Victories: Jimmy Lawson

Williams stepped up in weight on brief discover to battle Penn State wrestling standout Jimmy Lawson on Contender Sequence. Although he entered as a slight underdog, he wound up out-grappling Lawson for a UFC contract and his fourth consecutive victory.

Williams was apparently a adorned multi-sport athlete in his youth, and seeing him in motion, it’s simple to consider. Whether or not preventing at 205 or as a trim, mid-230s Heavyweight like in opposition to Lawson, he’s clearly a specimen with unbelievable energy and velocity.

That versatility additionally extends to his preventing potential. On the toes, he depends on his lightning-quick arms to ship stabbing jabs, 1-2s, and sharp hooks, although he’ll additionally fireplace teeps and leg kicks as wanted. If he needs to alter gears, he has a strong double-leg that Lawson proved solely unable to cope with. Even when he can’t maintain individuals down, he confirmed in opposition to Kyle Wright three fights again that he’s robust and chronic sufficient to remain connected through physique lock and repeatedly muscle them again to the mat as many occasions as wanted.

Although not essentially the most lively ground-and-pounder, he positively is aware of the way to do injury with elbows.

So far as weaknesses, he doesn’t examine low kicks and might have points making an attempt to take dominant place. He repeatedly didn’t get to Wright’s again or maintain him down for any size of time, and when he tried to leap onto Lawson’s again after extended success in half guard, he received swept. For somebody that had his first newbie combat simply 4 years in the past, although, he’s remarkably seasoned.

The one actual pink flag is that he began late and is already 33, although that admittedly isn’t outdated for a UFC large man. His bodily instruments bounce off the web page and he’s placing collectively some stable technical backing. I can see him doing effectively for himself at both 205 or 265, and I positively favor him over debut opponent Lukasz Brzeski.

Tape:

Sedriques “The Reaper” Dumas

Weight Class: MiddleweightAge: 27Record: 7-0 (4 KO, 2 SUB)Notable Victories: Matej Penaz

“The Reaper” gained 9 of 10 newbie bouts in lower than 28 months earlier than turning professional in 2020. He proceeded to make his identify preventing in Jorge Masvidal’s myriad promotions to arrange a Contender Sequence alternative, which noticed him choke out Matej Penaz in lower than one minute.

As you’d most likely count on from Dumas’ lanky 6’2” construct, kicks comprise the majority of his putting offense. He’s one of many uncommon combined martial artists with a stoppage win every through leg kick, physique kick, and head kick. Whereas he’s usually busiest with the normal low kicks, he can convey his lead leg up remarkably shortly for entrance or roundhouse kicks, just like the shin upside the dome that felled DeWitt Dixon three fights again.

It’s finest to not ignore his arms, although, notably the nasty straight proper he used to knock out Mario Mancillas. He can apply it to the counter as effectively, as seen when he buzzed Aaron Highbaugh in his lone professional journey to the judges. That stated, he did appear to have points when Highbaugh actually put the stress on, electing to commerce moderately than try to regain distance. As potent as the suitable hand is, I’d wish to see him use extra jabs to maintain opponents sincere and higher lateral motion, as I don’t assume his infighting or boxing basically can maintain up in opposition to a UFC-caliber striker on the assault.

What bailed him out in opposition to Highbaugh was a surprisingly robust grappling recreation. Past the clinch takedown that arrange the end in opposition to Penaz, he’s proven off wonderful scrambling expertise, particularly when utilizing his lengthy limbs to unbalance individuals off of his again. He utilized stable management and opportunistic passing to close Highbaugh down on the mat, plus heavy elbows and punches on high and in transition.

If these don’t do the trick, there’s at all times his nasty guillotine.

Dumas’ kicking expertise, stopping energy, and dynamism on the bottom make him a worthy addition to the UFC roster, although he’ll must do a greater job at conserving his most well-liked distance and rounding out his boxing. Worst involves worst, I nonetheless see him doing decently effectively for himself. As for his debut, Josh Fremd is considerably harder than unique foe Abu Azaitar, although Dumas has a superb shot if he could make his wrestling work.

His iKon FC fights are on Combat Go.

Keep in mind that MMAmania.com will ship LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow protection of all the UFC Las Vegas combat card proper right here, beginning with the ESPN+ “Prelims” matches, that are scheduled to start at 3 p.m. ET, then the remaining foremost card steadiness (additionally on ESPN+) at 6 p.m. ET.

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