Introduction
Tuesday, September 23rd, Brazilian light heavyweight prospect Rafael Tobias will be in action for Dana White’s Contender Series, where he will be looking continue his winning ways against Jair de Oliveira. He will be looking for another win, as Tobias looks to score a UFC contract. He represents Chute Boxe, a highly respected camp in MMA. Let’s take a closer look at this prospect as this week’s “Prospect Spotlight.”
Strengths
Aggressive Striker: On the feet, Tobias is a stalker with big-time power that hunts his opponents from the bell. He has very heavy hands and puts together hand combinations that do damage to his opponents. He mixes in strong leg kicks that do a great amount of damage as well. He likes to corner his opponents with their back to the cage, where he unloads with a fury. It’s a very Chute Boxe style.
Submission Arsenal: In addition to having the Chute Boxe style striking, Tobias also has a very strong submission arsenal which has led to five of his finishes. He’s not the most proficient takedown artist, but when he’s able to get guys down, he has a great offensive repertoire. He’s scored submissions via arm-triangle choke, keylock, rear-naked choke and guillotine choke, showing he’s no one-trick pony.
Needs Improvement
Can Get Caught: Because Tobias is an aggressive striker, he can leave himself out there to be countered and can have his chin checked. We saw this in his only loss to Miguel Porto. Tobias, a big favorite, showed off his fan-friendly striking style and fought aggressively. He started overextending and dropping his hands, which allowed Porto to not only counter Tobias, but hurt him, push forward hunt for the knockout. That he did. Tobias has the classic Chute Boxe style, but he needs to be more careful in his propensity for dog fights.
Outlook
UFC Midcarder: I think Tobias could compete in the UFC light heavyweight division right now given his finishing ability, aggression and skill. He certainly has a style that Dana White likes. If he’s able to get past Jair de Oliveira, who Tobias should beat, he has a good chance of getting signed and taking his talents to the UFC 205-pound division. There, he can definitely rack up some wins, though there’s a likely ceiling given the bangers and wrestlers he will likely struggle with. That said, at 22 years old, he’s yet to hit his prime and could be a guy that sniffs the top-10 of the division at some point in his career.
MMA Intel 