Introduction
Saturday, May 11th, South African bantamweight prospect Nkosi Ndebele will be in action for Brave CF, where he will be looking continue his winning ways against Jose Torres. He will be looking for another win, as Ndebele looks to inch closer to a contract with the UFC. He represents Nova MMA Academy, a smaller camp in MMA. Let’s take a closer look at this prospect as this week’s “Prospect Spotlight.”
Strengths
Striking: Ndebele’s best quality is definitely his on-the-feet game, possessing a strong kickboxing arsenal that has carried him through his pro MMA career thus far. Five of his seven wins come by way of knockout. He’s a man who has power but is more known for his “death by a thousand cuts” striking volume. He throws in bunches, especially when he gets his opponent’s back to the cage. That was definitely seen in his second outing with Jose Torres. He racks up damage quickly with that volume, utilizing his hands, kicks, knees and elbows effectively.
Size/Athleticism: Ndebele’s striking is definitely aided by the fact that he has natural gifts and intangibles that aid him. First off, he’s huge for a bantamweight at 5’10” and has a massive reach with both his arms and his legs. He uses that length well, sniping from a distance. In addition to that, he is a great natural athlete that is a combination of explosive, quick and agile, which aids him in his movement on the feet and keeping distance from his opponent’s wrestling shot.
Needs Improvement
Defensive Jiu-Jitsu: Ndebele is good at keeping distance from guys looking to wrestle, but once he gets tied up by a wrestler or ground fighter, that’s where he will struggle. Off his back, Ndebele can get exposed. I was surprised Torres wasn’t able to expose that in the last fight, but the size difference may have affected that. That said, his two losses came by submission and a slight grappling disadvantage in his first outing with Torres.
Outlook
Regional Main Eventer: Ndebele still has some question marks, but his last fight with Torres was his breakout fight. He looked very strong in at fight and was able to show off his talents there, scoring the TKO finish. His size is a problem, but as he moves up in competition level, he will face more skilled wrestlers that will be able to expose his defensive grappling. He has a chance to make the big leagues, but I think he’s a guy who does his best work on the regional scene with a solid promotion like Brave and others.
MMA Intel 