Prospect in the Spotlight (Aug 18-19): Eduarda Moura

Introduction

Tuesday, August 15th, Brazilian strawweight prospect Eduarda Moura will be in action for Dana White’s Contender Series, where she will be looking continue his winning ways against Janaina Silva. She will be looking for another win, as Moura looks to impress the UFC brass and score a UFC contract. She represents Galpao da Luta, a lesser-known camp in MMA. Let’s take a closer look at this prospect as this week’s “Prospect Spotlight.”

Strengths

Jiu-Jitsu: Moura is called “Ronda” because of her aggressive grappling on the mat. She is known for her jiu-jitsu game, where she is very good at getting her opponents down and quickly finding submissions. Her transitions are very good and she cuts through her opponent’s defenses quickly. The only MMA opponent she’s faced that has given her a problem on the mat is Beatriz Consuli, a high-level grappler herself. That fight was as an amateur.

First-Round Finisher: Moura does not get paid by the minute, as she has a high finish rate, including in the first round. She has four submissions and three TKOs from ground-and-pound, with all but one of those finishes coming in the first round. Her most trusted submission technique is the rear-naked choke, showing she’s dangerous on her opponents back.

Needs Improvement

Striking Technique: On the feet, Moura could use a little bit of work. Her technical striking and power striking are average, although her ground striking is very solid. She usually uses her striking to set up takedowns so she can win a grappling exchange. If Moura can improve her striking, she will be a major problem to deal with.

Outlook

UFC Midcarder: Already 29 years old, Moura is basically in her prime right now. Based on that, I think she will make the UFC roster at some point, potentially if she beats Silva here. When she gets there, I think she has winnable fights. That said she does have a ceiling, and I don’t think she’s one to contend for the UFC Strawweight Championship. She could surprise me, but with the stylistic matchups she will encounter, I think she struggles with the top 50% of the division.