Introduction
Tuesday, October 3rd, Brazilian flyweight prospect Lucas Rocha will be in action for Dana White’s Contender Series, where he will be looking continue his winning ways against Davi Costa. He will be looking for another win, as Rocha looks to impress the UFC brass and score a UFC contract. He represents Renovacao Team, a solid camp in MMA. Let’s take a closer look at this prospect as this week’s “Prospect Spotlight.”
Strengths
Striking: For a flyweight, especially one so young, Rocha is a very powerful striker. The man has put down nine of his sixteen opponents with knockouts, including several one-punch tickets. He has a good arsenal of techniques, as he’s not just a power puncher. He has solid kicks and knees as well. His 2022 win over Adriano Ramos saw him blister Ramos with a nasty flying knee before finishing him with follow-up punches. When he stays technical and disciplined, he’s very hard to deal with.
Youth-to-Experience Ratio: Rocha is only 23 yet is staring down the barrel of his 18th professional fight. His first fight was in 2016, meaning he was roughly 16 years old when he first took to pro MMA. That is insane. Not only that, but the combined record of his opponents is 84-45-1. That is astounding. He got started in this sport early, has mixed it up with experienced opponents and been successful the whole ride. That is something.
Needs Improvement
Can Get Wild/Striking Defense: As stated earlier, when Rocha stays technical and patient, he’s dangerous. He can be aggressive, but as long as he’s not getting careless. However, he can be goaded into wild dog fights, which can expose his chin. This happened against Alan Gabriel, who got him to get into these exchanges and clipped him to a knockout. It’s Rocha’s lone loss.
Outlook
Top-15 Flyweight: Rocha is just 23 years old right, now which is insane. This man has serious potential and a very high ceiling, seeing that his prime is till probably a half decade or more away. He’s already shown to be a rounded fighter and he’s been busy as a pro. Scoring 16 wins before you are 24 years old is insanely impressive, meaning I think he has a real good chance at success in the UFC. He will, at the very least, earn a top-15 UFC ranking, but I think he could probably be top-10 at some point.
MMA Intel 