Introduction
Tuesday, September 14th, Brazilian strawweight prospect Julia Polastri will be in action for Dana White’s Contender Series, where she will be looking to continue her winning ways against Jasmine Jasudavicius. She will be looking for another win, as Polastri looks to score a contract with the UFC. She represents CWB Fighter Muay Thai College, a smaller camp in MMA. Let’s take a closer look at this prospect as this week’s “Prospect Spotlight.”
Strengths
Kickboxing: Polastri has a background in muay Thai, so obviously, her biggest strength is her striking. She is is heavy with her punches and kicks, as she throws with volume and lands well. While she can throw her technical striking out of the way for exciting brawls, she has power to do damage and has the killer instinct to end fights. Three of her wins come by way of knockout, including an impressive striking finish of current Invicta title challenger Jessica Delboni. That was the biggest win of her career. That said, Polastri can be over-aggressive and get into dog fights, which can leave her open to counter strikes. Either way, she’s fun to watch on the feet.
Power/Athleticism: In addition to her strong striking ability, Polastri has good natural gifts and intangibles that add to her game. As mentioned, she does have power. In addition to that power being in her hands, she’s also physically strong. This can be seen in the brief time she’s been in the clinch, where you can tell she’s got a powerful core and lower body. Not only that, she’s also a good natural athlete. She’s quick and moves well, which adds to her on-the-feet prowess.
Needs Improvement
Counter-Grappling Question Marks: We have not seen a ton of footage on Polastri’s grappling, especially her defensive grappling. That leaves her defensive grappling as a question mark that we will need to see going forward. What will happen when Polastri is put on her back, especially when she moves up in competition and has to fight opponents with wrestling backgrounds.
Outlook
UFC Prelim Fighter/Bonus Contender: Polastri has a very tough fight on her plate here in her opponent Jasudavicius, but she has a chance to earn a contract with a win here (which she may get because this has potential to be Fight of the Night). If she does (or conversely loses but later signs with the UFC), she has a chance to be one of the UFC strawweight division’s most exciting fighters. That means she will win some and lose some, but either way, she’ll always be in contention for a fight night bonus for Fight of the Night or Performance of the Night. That there is a quality fighter.
MMA Intel 