Introduction
Sunday, October 23rd, Brazilian bantamweight prospect Felipe Lima will be in action for Road to UFC, where he will be looking continue his winning ways against Long Xiao. He will be looking for another win, as Lima looks to impress and score a contract with the UFC. He represents Allstars Training Centre, a respected camp in MMA. Let’s take a closer look at this prospect as this week’s “Prospect Spotlight.”
Strengths
Kickboxing: While Lima can get wild at times and leave himself open to counters, Lima is a great striker with scary power and unpredictable technique. He’s very aggressive and pushes forward, landing heavy shots on his opponents that accumulate damage. He’s also got a rich arsenal. He likes throwing knees and lands them well. His last win was a very impressive, scoring a massive flying knee over Evgeny Odnorog. He also has dynamite in his punches and kicks as well, which is why most of his finishes are by (T)KO.
Athleticism: In terms of natural athleticism, Lima is a very good athlete. He’s very quick and explosive. He moves well and covers ground quickly. When he leaves his feet for a jumping knee, he really gets air.
Needs Improvement
Competition Increase: So far in Lima’s career, his level of competition has been mostly subpar. While his last four opponents have combined records of 43-15-1 (most of those fights came from 21-7 Odnorog). Before that, his eight opponents combined records were 9-10, which makes a little more sense considering he was a young fighter at the beginning of his career. It will be interesting to see him against a more reputable opponent here.
Outlook
Sky is the Limit: At just 24 years old, Lima is so far from his prime that it’s going to be crazy to see him competing in 4-5 years. He’s already quite skilled from what we can see He’s tough, exciting and aggressive, which will lend his style well to the UFC bosses and get him fights that will help him climb the ladder. He has a very tough fight here in Long Xiao, who has a ton of experience and has already competed on the Contender Series (albeit, a loss). This is the biggest test to date for Lima, so if he’s able to get past him, he’ll prove he’s ready for the big show.
MMA Intel 