DWCS 2022 Week 7 Breakdown and Predictions (Patreon)

Light-heavyweight: Rodolfo Bellato Vs. Vitor Petrino

Tale of the tape

Rodolfo Bellato
26-years-old
6'3"
8-1
4 KO/TKOs, 4 Submissions
Combined opponent's record: 23-11

Vitor Petrino
24-years-old
6'2"
6-0
5 KO/TKOs
Combined opponent's record: 26-31

Pros and Cons

Rodolfo Bellato

Pros

• Excellent jiu-jitsu
• Fight-ending ground and pound
• Explosive
• Submission threat
• Dangerous off his back
• Physically strong
• Good jab
• Good output

Cons

• Questionable chin
• Rushes in

Vitor Petrino

Pros

• Athletic
• Good output
• Explosive
• Good knees
• Dangeors counter striker
• Good elbows
• Wrestles well
• Competent grappling

Cons

• TDD needs work

Who has the advantage?

Striking: Petrino
Speed: Petrino
Output/Volume: Bellato
Kickboxing: Petrino
Striking defense: Petrino
Footwork/movement: Petrino
Wrestling: Bellato
Grappling: Bellato
More likely to finish on the mat: Bellato
Gas tank: Petrino

Prediction: This is a rematch from their fight in 2019. Petrino won by knockout in only twenty-five seconds. A great win for Petrino but you can't really determine who the better fighter is in the short amount of fight time. I think it only takes one time for the fight to hit the mat for Bellato to submit Petrino. The longer he stays on the feet he risks getting caught by Petrino. Petrino I think would benefit from starting fast and drawing Bellato into a brawl. I think as long as Bellato is composed he will find a takedown. Petrino could very well catch Bellato but my pick is Bellato by submission. 

Flyweight: Tereza Bleda Vs. Nayara Maia

Tale of the tape

Tereza Bleda
20-years-old
5'9"
5-0
2 KO/TKOs, 2 Submissions
Combined opponent's record: 32-13-1

Nayara Maia
31-years-old
5'5"
6-0-1
2 KO/TKOs, 2 Submissions
Combined opponent's record: 32-13-1

Pros and Cons

Tereza Bleda

Pros

• Excellent wrestling 
• Strong positional grappling
• Good off her back
• Submission threat
• Nasty ground and pound
• Relentless wrestling pace
• Heavy top position

Cons

• Labored striking
• Questionable cardio

Nayara Maia

Pros

• Good jiu-jitsu
• Scrambles well
• Good off her back
• Active ground and pound

Cons

• Plodding footwork
• Rushes in blind
• Poor TDD
• Loose in position
• No head movement
• Naked kicks
• Easily pressed back

Who has the advantage?

Striking: Bleda (?)
Speed: Maia
Output/Volume: Maia
Kickboxing: Bleda
Striking defense: Bleda
Footwork/movement: Bleda
Wrestling: Bleda
Grappling: Bleda
More likely to finish on the mat: Bleda
Gas tank: Bleda

Prediction: Both are similar fighters in the sense that both are grapples. Neither has much on the feet so both are gonna be grapple-heavy. Maia does have good BJJ but not the wrestling to match and Bleda does. If anything Bleda is a better wrestler than a grappler. I expect Bleda to be the one getting takedowns over and over. Maia is good off her back but Bleda is heavy on top. In every aspect on the mat I think Bleda has it covered. I predict a one-sided win for Bleda.

Lightweight: Nariman Abbasov Vs. Ismael Bonfim

Tale of the tape

Nariman Abbasov
28-years-old
5'8"
28-3
11 KO/TKOs, 5 Submissions
Combined opponent's record: 204-68-7

Ismael Bonfim
26-years-old
5'8"
17-3
8 KO/TKOs, 4 Submissions
Combined opponent's record: 102-64-6

Pros and Cons

Nariman Abbasov

Pros

• Good kicks
• Dangerous in exchanges
• Good knees
• Constant forward pressure
• Good in the pocket
• Thrives in brawls

Cons

• Wild striking/Spams overhands
• TDD needs work
• Misses a lot
• Slows as the fight goes/Gets sluggish

Ismael Bonfim

Pros

• Good jab
• Submission threat
• Good body kicks
• Strong BJJ
• Good pull-counter
• Good vision
• Nasty bodywork
• Composed
• Hands up/High guard
• Deep gas tank
• Good check hook
• Slips punches well
• Solid TDD
• Good knees

Cons

• Gives up his back

Who has the advantage?

Striking: Bonfim
Speed: Bonfim
Output/Volume: Abbasov
Kickboxing: Abbasov
Striking defense: Bonfim
Footwork/movement: Bonfim
Wrestling: Even
Grappling: Bonfim
More likely to finish on the mat: Bonfim
Gas tank: Bonfim

Prediction: I thought this fight would be close before rewatching the tape. With that said I think this could very well be one-sided towards Bonfim. On the feet, Bonfim has a massive advantage. He has some of the sharpest boxing you see and Abbasov is the total opposite. Abbasov is far from technical and just swings overhands and hooks. What beats overhands and wide hooks? Quicks straight punches and that's what Bonfim has. Abbasov has to take this fight down but I can't see it happening. He fails to use angles and the technique to get Bonfim down. Even if he was to get Bonfim down Bonfim has far better jiu-jitsu. To make matters worse for Abbasov he slows as the fight goes and Bonfim fights at the same pace. I'm picking Bonfim and I think he finishes late in the fight.

Heavyweight: Kevin Szaflarski Vs. Jimmy Lawson

Tale of the tape

Karl Williams
32-years-old
6'3"
6-1
3 KO/TKOs
Combined opponent's record: 22-12

Jimmy Lawson
30-years-old
6'0"
4-0
4 KO/TKOs
Combined opponent's record: 15-11-1

Pros and Cons

Karl Williams

Pros

• Strong wrestling
• Physically strong
• Active ground and pound
• Solid cardio
• Good right cross
• Relentless pressure
• Useful jab

Cons

• Labored punches at times
• Questionable head movement 

Jimmy Lawson

Pros

• Hits hard
• Good leg kicks
• Fast starter
• Good straight right
• Good wrestling

Cons

• Reaches with his strikes
• Slows as the fight goes
• Suspect TDD
• Stuck off his back

Who has the advantage?

Striking: Lawson
Speed: Lawson
Output/Volume: Williams
Kickboxing: Lawson
Striking defense: Even
Footwork/movement: Even
Wrestling: Williams
Grappling: Williams
More likely to finish on the mat: Even
Gas tank: Williams

Prediction: Lawson is a D1 wrestler out of Penn State. With that said, Williams has been the far more impressive wrestling in MMA at least. Williams has the ability to just toss guys around and at a solid pace for three rounds. Williams may not have the creditionald wrestling as Lawson but Lawson has only landed one takedown in his MMA career. Lawson has been taken down himself and had looked lost off his back to way lesser guys than Williams. It will be interesting to see if Williams will come out with his usual wrestle-heavy attack. I would imagine trying to ragdoll a stout high-level wrestler like Lawson is a tough task. It's a tough one to predict. It's either a quick Lawson knockout or he tires after round one and Williams takes over. The pick is Lawson because Williams is the one taking this on short notice. Lawson is the more dangerous striker and his takedown defense should be strong enough to find the early finish.

Welterweight, Gabriel Bonfim Vs. Trey Waters

Tale of the tape

Gabriel Bonfim
24-years-old
6'1"
12-0
3 KO/TKOs, 9 Submissions
Combined opponent's record: 46-28-2

Trey Waters
27-years-old
6'4"
6-0
2 KO/TKOs, 3 Submissions
Combined opponent's record: 13-19-1

Pros and Cons

Gabriel Bonfim

Pros

• Submission threat  
• Excellent jab 
• Solid bodywork 
• Strong TDD 
• Fast hands 
• Combination striker 
• Good right hand 
• Good vision  
• Well-conditioned 
• Good defensive wrestling

Cons

• Lacks head movement

Trey Waters

Pros

• Uses length very well
• Long right hand
• Dangerous muay thai plum
• Good kicks
• Snapping jab
• Good use of feints
• Good leg kicks
• Submission threat/neck snatcher

Cons

• Susceptible to leg kicks
• Hands held low
• Poor cardio
• Struggles against the cage

Prediction: Waters is taking this fight on short notice and what a tough task it will be against Bonfim. Waters is coming off a good win against Ben Bennett buw was losing that fight until he got the hail mary knockout in the last round. Bonfim is a huge step up in competition for Waters. Although most of Bonfim's wins come by submission he's a national boxing champion. If Bennett could have success on the feet against Waters then Bonfim is gonna eat him alive. Grappling I think it's also a wash for Bonfim but I see this fight staying upright. Bonfim is better in every aspect and as much as Waters is talented this is way too much too soon.