Introduction
Saturday, January 26th, Brazilian heavyweight prospect Roggers Souza will be in action in Russia, where he will be looking to continue his undefeated streak against an experienced opponent. He will be competing against Kazbek Saidaliev, as Souza looks to potentially cash in on a UFC contract. Souza represents the respected Nova Uniao, a camp in Brazil that has consistently turned out top talent. Let’s take a closer look at this prospect as this week’s “Prospect Spotlight.”
Strengths
Striking: Watch any one of Souza’s fights and you will notice that he loves to stand and bang. He’s a big guy at 6’4″ and throws with big power. He mostly uses his hands, though he will mix in kicks as well. Almost all of his wins come by way of knockout. In fact, seven of his eight wins come by way of knockout. The moral of the story is that if you choose to throw down on the feet with Souza, you risk a fight-ending concussive blow.
Killer Instinct: Souza has never gone to decision. The reason for that is that the Brazilian tends to fight aggressively and look for the kill shot. He doesn’t want to drag you into deep waters; he’s going to try and finish you immediately. It’s that killer instinct which has lent well to his crowd-pleasing style and success. Nobody likes a decision fighter, and believe me, Souza is not one, nor does it appear he will ever be.
Needs Improvement
Competition Level: Recently, Souza has taken on tougher opponents, but he grew his resume smashing cans. To be fair, that’s how most Brazilian regional fighters built themselves up. He recently ventured outside of his home country into the Russian regional scene, where he will take on increasingly tough competition. That will really show how good Souza can be and will be a quicker route to the big leagues.
Outlook
Midcard UFC Heavyweight: Souza has the skills to be on the UFC roster right now. He’s better than half the guys on the roster right now. However, I don’t think he would get past midcard status. If he continues to improve from fight to fight, his percentage of likelihood to be ultra successful goes up. However, he will struggle against top level wrestlers and submission grapplers. That is what will keep him from title contention in the company.
MMA Intel 