Prospect in the Spotlight (Nov 24-25): Gabriel Braga

Introduction

Friday, November 24th, Brazilian featherweight prospect Gabriel Braga will be in action for PFL, where he will be looking continue his winning ways against Jesus Pinedo. He will be looking for another win, as Braga looks to score a $1 million payday in the season finale. He represents Tropa Thai, a lesser-known camp in MMA. Let’s take a closer look at this prospect as this week’s “Prospect Spotlight.”

Strengths

Kickboxing: Braga has really exciting, skillful striking that carries him when he’s in the cage. He has good intangibles, such as footwork, lateral movement and power. He has good variety in his strikes as well, using the eight points of Muay Thai effectively. He has one-strike knockout power, though his volume and combinations are even more impressive. He doesn’t mind getting in dog fights either, making him even more dangerous.

Toughness: Braga is a tough dude that can take a licking and keep on ticking. He has fought strong opposition to this point including guys like Pinedo (his current opponent), Chris Wade and Marlon Moraes. He has gone to decisions with those guys, showing he can be successful in a 15-minute bout (more on that later). His cardio and endurance are strong as well.

Needs Improvement

Potential 2023 Wear-and-Tear: It’s hard to pinpoint a weakness on Braga, as he’s been quite good and rounded thus far. That said, he’s heading into his fifth fight of 2023, and has gone to three tough decisions thus far. That’s a lot of rounds. The activity could be keeping him warm, but it could be causing some wear-and-tear, as this is a brutal sport. We’ll see if he’s running on fumes going into the finals or if the 25-year-old Brazilian continues his flow.

Outlook

PFL Champion/Future Top FW: There is no doubt that the best featherweights in the world fight for the UFC. For now, Braga looks poised to be a PFL Champion when he fights Pinedo, a fighter he holds a previous split decision victory over. That victory came on short notice, as Braga was not even scheduled to be in the 2023 season initially. In a few years, I think Braga could eventually be a world-ranked featherweight. I would love to see him in the UFC featherweight division, but the idea of a $1 million payday with PFL will likely keep him there for a while.