Introduction
Friday, July 18th, American welterweight prospect Isaac Moreno will be in action for Fury FC, where he will be looking continue his winning ways against Julio Rodrigues. He will be looking for another win, as Moreno looks to inch closer to a potential UFC contract. He represents Gracie Barra, a solid camp in MMA. Let’s take a closer look at this prospect as this week’s “Prospect Spotlight.”
Strengths
Top Grappling: Moreno is a solid grappler that does his best work when he forces the ground exchanges and gets top position. He has very good control and fundamentals from the top, where he dictates the pace and scores points. If a submission presents itself, he fishes for it and is able to get a hold of it. He’s good in transitions as well, which helps him keep dominant position and try to find the finish.
Power Striking: Moreno is a powerful guy, which is definitely seen in his striking. He’s not a technical master, but he does use solid fundamentals to find a way to get in and land big shots. His striking is most effective in the grappling department, where he uses heavy ground-and-pound. He has multiple finishes on the mat using said ground-and-pound, showing him to be an overall threat on the mat.
Needs Improvement
Experience/Strength of Schedule: Moreno is just six fights into his pro career and he is building himself up the way many young prospects do. He has yet to take on a really reputable fighter, despite the fact he’s looked dominant. He is going to continue to collect cage time and hone his craft, which is fine, but until we see him take on a reputable fighter, there are going to be some question marks on Moreno’s ceiling.
Outlook
Regional Main Eventer/UFC Prelim Fighter: Moreno is certainly an interesting prospect given his well-roundedness and the fact he’s only 27 years old. However, we need a bigger sample size to get a better idea of where his skills are at. He has his biggest test to date right now in the form of 24-fight veteran Julio Rodrigues. This will definitely be the best fight to gauge Moreno’s skills. As of now, I believe that he’s a UFC prelim fighter or a staple of the regional main event scene. Luckily, Fury FC is one of the UFC’s biggest feeder organizations, so Moreno could get his shot with the company at some point, provided he keeps winning fights.
MMA Intel 