Mario Sousa vs Mariusz Ksiazkiewicz
- Mario Sousa
- Age: 24
- Pro Record: 11-1
- Key Wins: Submitted a well rounded 6-2 fighter and a well rounded 7-2 fighter.
- Tools: Sousa has striking that’s a little above average (55). He also has fringe average grappling (45).
- Mariusz Ksiazkiewicz
- Age: 31
- Pro Record: 8-0
- Key Wins: Submitted a 7-2 wrestler.
- Tools: Ksiazkiewicz has average striking (50) and grappling that’s a little above average (55).
Sousa’s grappling tool is pretty hard to grade. On the one hand, his resume looks great. All 11 of his wins are finishes. 4 of the 11 came by submission. All 4 submission wins were different types of submissions. So it’s not like he’s got one move and that’s it. And 2 of the 4 submission wins were against well rounded, quality fighters. On the surface, I was ready to give Sousa a 55 grade. But then I watched his second to last fight. He took on a well rounded 7-2 fighter. Someone with probably a 50 or 45 grappling tool. Well in the 1st round, Sousa gets taken down and never gets back up. Matter of fact, Sousa’s opponent got a rear naked choke in at the end of the 1st round and Sousa was litterally saved by the bell. In the 2nd round, the grappling between the two was more even, but Sousa still spent most of the time on his back. And here’s what makes it even more tricky. Sousa threw up a triangle choke, his opponent put his hand on Sousa’s hip, and Sousa told the ref it was a tap. The fight was called. It was controversial, but for the most part, Sousa got out grappled pretty handily. And really examining Sousa’s grappling tool is relevant because I’m convinced Ksiazkiewicz’s grappling tool is way better than that opponent’s. A true 55 tool. Sousa probably has the better striking, but I see Ksiazkiewicz taking Sousa down and Sousa having no answer.
Chris’ Pick: Ksiazkiewicz by 1st round submission.
Shaheen Santana vs Natan Levy
- Shaheen Santana
- Age: 29
- Pro Record: 6-0
- Key Wins: Split decision over a well rounded 6-3 fighter.
- Tools: Santana has fringe average striking paired with below average power (45-35). He also has fringe average grappling (45).
- Natan Levy
- Age: 29
- Pro Record: 5-0
- Key Wins: Majority decision over a 5-3 grappler.
- Tools: Levy has below average striking (40). He also has average wrestling (50) and average grappling (50).
Levy steps in for Landon Quinones to fight on 24 hours notice. However, he was scheduled to fight on November 20, so he has been in camp. Santana probably has the better striking, but watching him in his last fight, he took on a Muay Thai guy that had 45 wrestling. And he got taken down repeatedly. That spells trouble for Santana and Levy’s wrestling is a 50.
Chris’ Pick: Levy by decision.
Joseph Lowry vs Nick Motta
- Joseph Lowry
- Age: 30
- Pro Record: 9-1
- Key Wins: Knocked out a 7-2 grappler. Beat a well rounded 8-2 fighter.
- Tools: Lowry has average striking (50) and average wrestling (50).
- Nick Motta
- Age: 27
- Pro Record: 11-2
- Key Wins: Knocked out Joe Solecki and a 6-1 wrestler. Beat a well rounded 6-1 fighter.
- Tools: Motta has striking that’s a little above average (55). He also has average wrestling (50).
Really good fight here. Lowry’s only career loss was to potential UFC contender Devonte Smith. He takes on Motta who also has a win over a quality UFC fighter in Joe Solecki. Both have solid resumes. But to my eye, Motta looks faster, has better striking technique, and has more power.
Chris’ Pick: Motta by 1st round knockout.
Luana Pinheiro vs Stephanie Frausto
- Luana Pinheiro
- Age: 26
- Pro Record: 7-1
- Key Wins: Submitted a 3-1 striker.
- Tools: Pinheiro has below average striking (40) and grappling that’s a little above average (55).
- Stephanie Frausto
- Age: 30
- Pro Record: 8-6
- Key Losses: Knocked out by a well rounded 3-3 fighter.
- Key Wins: Knocked out a 4-1 grappler.
- Tools: Frausto has fringe average striking (45). She also has fringe average wrestling (45) and below average grappling (40).
This could be closer than the experts thing. I’ve been going back and forth on whether to grade Pinheiro’s grappling a 50 or a 55. She hasn’t fought high level competition. But 5 of her 7 wins have come by submission. The record is impressive. I’ll give her a 55 for now, but I could be too high. I watched Frausto walk in with a 7-6 pro record against a grappling prospect with a 4-1 record. The prospect was supposed to win, but Frausto stuffed the take downs and knocked her out. That very well could happen to Pinheiro. But the likely out come is Pinheiro’s grappling too being good enough here to win.
Chris’ Pick: Pinheiro by 2nd round submission.
Danny Sabatello vs Taylor Moore
- Danny Sabatello
- Age: 27
- Pro Record: 8-1
- Tools: Sabatello has fringe average striking (45). He also has wrestling that’s a little above average (55) and fringe average grappling (45).
- Taylor Moore
- Age: 27
- Pro Record: 8-3
- Key Losses: Lost to a well rounded 11-5 fighter.
- Tools: Moore has fringe average striking (45) and fringe average wrestling (45).
Moore struggled at times in his last fight against a well rounded 12-12 fighter. He cruised by the 1st round with his wrestling but got tired. His opponent then took Moore down. Moore eventually got the triangle submission win in the 3rd, but it was more (no pun intended) back in forth than he probably would’ve liked. Sabatello will have the better wrestling here.
Chris’ Pick: Sabatello by decision.