What's new at Ludus Martial Arts

We’re so proud of our team! Find out how they’ve been doing, as well as what else has been going on at our gym lately.

UFC Utica main-event breakdown: Why Marlon Moraes is the pick over Jimmie Rivera – but barely

MMAjunkie Radio co-host and MMAjunkie contributor Dan Tom provides an in-depth breakdown of UFC Fight Night 131’s top bouts. Today, we look at the main event.

UFC Fight Night 131 takes place Friday at Adirondack Bank Center in Utica, N.Y. The card airs on FS1 following early prelims on UFC Fight Pass.

Jimmie Rivera (21-1 MMA, 5-0 UFC)

Staple info:

  • Height: 5’4″ Age: 28 Weight: 135 lbs. Reach: 68″
  • Last fight: Decision win over Thomas Almeida (July 22, 2017)
  • Camp: Team Tiger Schulmann (New York)
  • Stance/striking style: Orthodox/kickboxing
  • Risk management: Good

Supplemental info:
+ Regional MMA Titles
+ Tiger Schulmann black belt (3rd degree)
+ Amateur kickboxing accolades
+ 4 KO victories
+ 2 Submission wins
+ 2 first round finishes
+ KO power
+ Good footwork
^ Manages distance well
+ Consistent pace and pressure
+ Solid combination striker
^ Mixes in kicks and body work
+ Excellent awareness in the pocket
^ Accurate left hook
+ Solid wrestling ability
^ 100 percent takedown defense
+ Intelligent inside the scramble

Marlon Moraes (20-5-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC)

Staple info:

  • Height: 5’6″ Age: 30 Weight: 135 lbs. Reach: 67″
  • Last fight: Knockout win over Aljamain Sterling (Dec. 9, 2017)
  • Camp:Ricardo Almeida Jiu-jitsu (New Jersey)
  • Stance/striking style: Orthodx/muay Thai
  • Risk management: Good

Supplemental info:
+ Regional MMA title
+ Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt
+ Multiple muay Thai accolades
+ 9 KO victories
+ 5 submission wins
+ 11 first-round finishes
+ KO power
+ Consistent pace and pressure
+ Excellent feints and footwork
^ Pivots, lateral movement, distancing
+ Accurate shot selection
^ Coming forward and off of the counter
+ Dynamic and dangerous kicker
+ Underrated wrestling ability
^ Strong hips and positional awareness
+ Good transitional grappler
^ Solid scrambling and submissions

Summary:

The main event on FS1 is a potential barn burner in the bantamweight division between Jimmie Rivera and Marlon Moraes.

Rivera, a fighter who hasn’t lost a fight in nearly 10 years, will be looking to cement his case for a title shot with a big win here. Standing in the way of the American’s plans is Moraes, a Brazilian talent who is also in the hunt for a chance to become a world champion. Regardless of the current numbers next to their names, the winner of this contest should be sitting pretty in regards to the queue of contenders at 135 pounds.

Starting off on the feet, we have a pairing of two skilled strikers who know how to punctuate exchanges.

A dark horse at bantamweight since his arrival to the UFC, Rivera presents a hard problem to solve with the tools he brings to the cage. Despite being stout and well muscled for the division, the 10-year pro moves deceptively well, staying light or sitting down with his weight when appropriate.

A third-degree black belt under Tiger Schulmann, Rivera’s kickboxing and traditional martial arts chops shine through, melding a boxing arsenal disguised behind slick kicks and solid footwork.

Even though Rivera may be a bit aggressive by nature, he does his best work countering inside the pocket and off of the breaks. Throwing strikes in an intercepting effort, Rivera will meet his opposition’s attacks, slightly taking angles and slipping inside to punctuate the exchanges. But as good as Rivera’s awareness might be, he is not beyond getting caught coming in, something he will need to mind against Moraes.

Moraes, a former WSOF champion, has also had high hopes put upon him since his arrival to the big show. A well versed striker who came up training with Edson Barboza from a young age, it’s easy to see why excitement and expectations are so high.

Moraes keeps an excellent balance during his attack and approach. Staying light yet loaded on his feet, Moraes also tends to enjoy a speed advantage that he carries over most of his contemporaries.

Working behind a healthy dose of feints, the 30-year-old Brazilian will prod with his jab to initiate exchanges. Typically looking to land his patented leg kicks, Moraes will also mix in switch-kicks to the body, as well as head kicks to help keep his opposition honest.

What is most impressive about Moraes’ kicking ability is the fact that he maintains his balance and defensive hand position while executing his assaults. These attributes also make it easier for the nine-year pro to counter, a skill I suspect he’ll need to lean heavily on for this fight.

Still, Moraes is not beyond having his kicks caught and countered himself, something that could also rear its head in this matchup.

Considering that rounds are forecasted to be close, I will be interested to see if either fighter attempts to take this bout to the floor. Given past trends, Rivera appears to be the man most likely to assume that role on paper.

With wrestling being apart of his base, Rivera is no stranger when it comes to shooting late-round takedowns to help secure scorecards. But outside of that, the New York-based fighter seems to, for the most part, utilize his wrestling defensively, something his stout frame certainly assists. Should Rivera decide to turn up the heat in the takedown department for this fight, then things will get even more interesting.

Whether it be by destiny or design, Moraes has not had a lot of opponents push a grappling-heavy agenda in recent bouts. Nevertheless, the Brazilian still shows an underrated wrestling game that has only improved since moving shop to the United States.

Following his childhood friend Barboza to train with Mark Henry and company in New Jersey, Moraes appears even more comfortable when having to scramble – an aspect of the game that probably gets stronger after training with fighters like Frankie Edgar. Moraes also has fast feet and hips, which come in handy for shutting down many of the shot attempts thrown his way.

When he is taken down, Moraes – the recently promoted Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt – is quick to threaten with a submission or scramble back to his feet. And considering that Rivera shows solid positional awareness and submission defense, I suspect that ground stanzas will be brief but entertaining affairs between the two.

The oddsmakers and public seem just as torn as I am on this one, listing Rivera -115 and Moraes -105 as of this writing.

No matter how you arrange your argument, it’s hard to state a strong case for either man given their lack of glaring holes and high ceilings. As someone who has never picked against Rivera – a fighter who I’ve consistently proclaimed to be a dark horse in the division – I feel almost criminally hypocritical going against him here.

That said, If I were to pick a favorite in this fight – it would be Rivera. His disciplined approach backed by his durable frame makes him a round-winning machine, for the most part. I could also see Rivera catching Moraes with his patented check-hooks, as well as his uppercuts, a shot that could have some play given Moraes’ shelling guard.

However, I ultimately have a sneaky suspicion that Moraes may be better built for five rounds.

Both men have prior experience in 25-minute fights outside of the UFC, but Moraes – whether it is his fighting style or body type – seems like he can both dictate and maintain a pace more efficiently. If neither man starches the other in the first few frames, then we will likely get the answer to that question. And though the emotional intangibles for each fighter will probably play a role that we’re not fully aware of, I’ll be ever-so-slightly siding with Moraes, who I see having opportunities to build off of his leg and body kicks, finding more success the further this fight goes on.

Official pick: Moraes by decision

For more on UFC Fight Night 131, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.

‘That’s not who I am’: Igor Severino apologizes for bite, hopes one mistake doesn’t define career

Igor Severino’s life isn’t the same as it was one week ago. As of now, the 20-year-old ex-UFC fighter doesn’t know if it’ll ever be even similar after he bit opponent Andre Lima during their March 23 fight at UFC on ESPN 53 in Las Vegas. The highly unusual...

Joaquin Buckley: ‘This Is The Reason I’m Here’

UFC Welterweight Joaquin Buckley Is Stoked To Be In A Marquee Position To Move Up The Rankings And Show He Belongs Fighting The Top 170-Pound Fighters On The Roster Read the Full Article Here

come and try a ludus mma class free!

We want to make sure that Ludus MMA is the right fit for you before asking you to commit to a membership.
That’s why we’d like to offer you a FREE ONE-DAY PASS to our gym.

With your FREE PASS, you can:

  • Try as many classes as you’d like,
  • Explore the facility
  • Talk to our coaches one-on-one about what you can expect as a member

© Copyright 2024 - Ludus Martial Arts - 730 Beach Blvd, Unit 105, Jacksonville Beach, FL 32250.

(904) 374-4186 / ludusmartialarts@gmail.com