Introduction
Tuesday, November 2nd, American welterweight prospect Yohan Lainesse will be in action for Dana White’s Contender Series, where he will be looking to stay undefeated against Justin Burlinson. He will be looking for another win, as Lainesse looks to score a contract with the UFC. He represents Brazilian Top Team Canada, a respectable camp in MMA. Let’s take a closer look at this prospect as this week’s “Prospect Spotlight.”
Strengths
Striking: Lainesse has a boxing background, which makes sense if you watch him in the cage (for the most part). He moves very well, he’s very good defensively and his footwork is excellent. However, when I earlier put “for the most part,” by that I meant that he’s actually a very well-rounded striker. He’s also got excellent kicks and knees. He has immense power in everything he throws, which is why he has five knockouts on his professional record. That includes a highlight reel flying knee knockout of Lirim Rufati and a nasty barrage of body shots on longtime veteran Evan Cutts. Lainesse is the real deal on the feet.
Athleticism: In addition to being a great striker, Lainesse is overall very athletically gifted. He is physically strong and possesses great power in his strikes and in the clinch. He is explosive when he launches into everything he does whether it’s strikes or takedown entrances. His lateral movement and in-and-out movement are both top notch. Simply said, he has all the natural gifts that will supplement his excellent skill set.
Needs Improvement
Submission Defense Question Marks: Lainesse is an excellent on-the-feet artist, but we do have some questions about him fighting off his back. We haven’t seen much of it, which is why we are calling it a question mark. That said, in his ammy debut back in 2016, he was defeated by submission. He’s likely improved leaps and bounds since then, especially training with Brazilian Top Team. We will see as time goes on, especially as he takes on increasingly more challenging competition.
Outlook
UFC Main Carder: Lainesse is a fighter I am really looking forward to watching at the next level. Do I think he’ll be a champion or challenge for a title in the UFC? Probably not. But he’s a guy that will spend a good chunk of his career at the next level, likely the UFC. He’s a guy with the style to keep the bosses happy and keep him on main cards from time to time. He does have a tough test on his hands in the form of Justin Burlinson coming up here at the Contender Series. A win, especially impressively, gets him to the UFC roster, where he can begin his ascent up the rankings.
MMA Intel 