UFC 270 Debutants
A look at the promotional newcomers of UFC 270, and why there are so many on a PPV
The long awaited clash between Francis Ngannou and Cyril Gane, for the undisputed UFC heavyweight strap at UFC 270, has been dubbed one of the biggest pay-per-views of the year (odd considering we’re only in January…); and with the recent price hike for American consumers, it’s certainly the most expensive to date.
The build-up for this fight, which included leaked sparring footage and personal rivalries spilling over into the media has hype at an all-time high, which is great to help sell the fight; though on such a highly anticipated card, why is it that we’re seeing a stunning eight fighters (the majority of whom fans aren’t particularly aware of) making their UFC debut on a card that we’re being asked to pay more for?
This is the largest number of debuts on a pay-per-view (according to the ever-reliable Jed I. Goodman on Twitter) since UFC 180 back in 2014.
As far as I can tell, the answer is simple - the UFC want finishes this weekend.
Out of the eight debutants, five are coming fresh off of Dana White’s Contender Series wins in the last year - a program on which fighters are encouraged to end the bout before the final horn, or at the very least chase a finish, in pursuit of a UFC contract. The name of the game is to be the most exciting, not necessarily the most skilled; and with a finishing rate of 87% between the five DWCS alum, they are just that.
The remaining three debutants that circumnavigated the UFC’s latest feeder program have a very respectable thirty finishes between them, combining to a 76% finishing rate for these three newcomers.
This line of thinking works two ways, however; with exciting fighting styles and a lack of real experience for most of these fresh recruits, comes a higher chance of being on the opposite end of a finish themselves.
This seems like a carefully thought out plan by the UFC brass to make the viewers feel they’re getting their money’s worth, which may just work; though it would be far from surprising to see some of these young fighters taking a safer route to victory, now that they have secured their place on the roster.
JASMINE JASUDAVICIUS - 6-1-0
2 KO/1 SUB/ 3 DEC
Age: 32
Height: 5’7”
Reach: 68”
Flyweight
Fresh off her Dana White’s Contender Series win in September of 2021, the 6-1 Canadian Flyweight, Jasmine Jasudavicius, makes her promotional debut at UFC 270 opposite Kay Hansen to open the preliminary card. After four solid wins as an amateur, and a silver medal in the Canadian National Wrestling tournament, Jasmine made her professional MMA debut in 2019 at the late (in terms of MMA) age of 29, and has seen quite the rise in the space of those short three years; earning her UFC contract with just six pro fights under her belt.
Jasmine sports an aggressive Shootboxing style, using her height and reach advantage over most others in the division to maintain her range on the feet, and utilising her background in wrestling to initiate the clinch, where she likes to throw heavy knees and elbows, as well as secure well-timed take-down’s followed by heavy top pressure and ground and pound.
In her only loss against Elise Reed at CFFC 93 in 2020, it seemed Jasmine lacked fight IQ on the ground, giving up sweeps in the first and second rounds that allowed Elise back to her feet where she was finding success sitting in the pocket and countering - since then, however, Jasmine has won two bouts in a row in dominant fashion, against the most experienced opponents she has faced to date. Jasudivicius believes Hansen is a good stylistic match-up for her UFC debut and expects the fight to be a fan-friendly experience to kick off the highly anticipated card.
Jasmine Jasudavicius takes on Kay Hansen (7-4-0) to open the preliminary card.
GENARO VALDEZ - 10-0-0
7 KO/3 SUB
Age: 30
Height: 5’9”
Reach: 72”
Lightweight
Genaro “El Rayadito” Valdez got the call to compete on Dana White’s Contender Series in late 2021 after four years of tearing up the professional MMA circuit in Mexico, having never gone the fifteen-minute distance in a single fight to date.
That DWCS bout saw Genaro taking on a fellow finisher, the 9-1 Patrik White, in a fight that may have been one of the most exciting contests of the 2021 season. Despite the obvious defensive flaws both men displayed, as well as what seemed like an adrenaline dump in the first four minutes of round one that left both fighters visibly exhausted; Genaro maintained his power and found a home for a right hand that sent his opponent stumbling backwards, finishing him with a barrage of punches on the ground just forty seconds into round two.
Valdez possesses a capable grappling skillset, and big power at 155lbs, but has shown a tendency to throw wild, winging punches that leave him open to counter strikes. This has been taken advantage of in the past to varying degrees of success; however, with a 100% finishing rate, and the privilege to train at Entram Gym alongside the current flyweight champion, Brandon Moreno, look for Genaro to follow a more articulate and patient gameplan when he makes his promotional debut this weekend against Matt Frevola.
Genaro Valdez takes on Matt Frevola (8-3-1) in the third fight on the preliminary card.
SAIMON OLIVEIRA - 18-3-0
5 KO/11 SUB/2 DEC
Age: 30
Height: 5’6”
Reach: 67”
Bantamweight
Another Dana White’s Contender Series alum, and one of the more experienced fighters to make their promotional debut at UFC 270 is the thirty-year-old Saimon Oliveira, fighting out of Astra Fight Team in Brazil (coincidently where Darren Till trained during his time abroad).
Ranked #9 on the Brazilian regional bantamweight ladder, Saimon has been competing at a professional level since back in 2013, and has amassed eleven submission wins along with five KO/TKO’s in that time; earning him a stunning 88% finishing rate in eighteen wins.
Saimon’s last loss came via a unanimous decision in 2018, courtesy of the seven-time Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu world champion Ary Farias. The bout was contested predominantly on the ground, generally with Ary in control, however Oliveira managed to defend the myriad of submissions thrown at him, and even mount his own offence at times, nearly finishing Farias in the closing seconds of the first round; he’s currently riding a four-fight win streak coming into his debut.
Oliveira has shown to keep a high pace over three rounds (for the most part), preferring muay-thai style striking on the feet with a very high guard - so much so, that he tends to leave his body open for strikes - while mixing in catch wrestling along the fence to take the fight to the ground, where he’s most dangerous. On the feet it’s not uncommon to see Oliveira winging big punches, leaving himself in some defensively irresponsible positions, however, he’s shown the chin and the heart needed to ride out uncomfortable situations.
Saimon Oliveira takes on Tony Gravely (21-7-0) in the fourth fight on the preliminary card.
PETE RODRIGUEZ - 4-0-0
4 KO
Age: 25
Height: 5’9”
Reach: 73”
Welterweight
As a late replacement, and one of the few debutants not coming off of Dana White’s Contender Series, it might be easy to overlook the twenty-five year old Pete Rodriguez as nothing more than a relatively green last-minute replacement on the card - but taking a deeper look into his amateur history tells a different story.
Rodriguez began competing as an amateur in 2016, and over the next four years amassed a 7-2 record, with six of those wins coming via first-round KO, while the seventh ended early in the second. Rodriguez has managed to stay the course after turning pro in 2020, earning himself four devastating first-round finishes in less than a year under Jorge Masvidal’s iKon Fighting Federation banner, before piquing the interest of the UFC brass.
While Pete may be young, his wealth of amateur experience makes him a dangerous opponent, and one not to underestimate; In his most recent performance, Rodriguez handily controlled a submission artist on the ground, landing heavy ground and pound when appropriate, while keeping himself well out of danger - as the fight eventually found its way to the feet, Rodriguez blasted a two punch combination at his opponent, dropping him and ending the fight instantly.
There are still a lot of questions yet to be answered in regards to this young prospect, but his power and precision are not on that list.
Pete Rodriguez takes on Jack Della (10-2-0) Maddalena in the fight fight on the preliminary card.
JACK DELLA MADDALENA - 10-2-0
8 KO/1 SUB/1 DEC
Age: 25
Height: 5’11”
Reach: 73”
Welterweight
Standing opposite Pete Rodriguez this weekend is the highly touted Australian prospect, Jack Della Maddalena. Jack earned his UFC contract with a dominant unanimous decision victory over Ange Loosa on Dana White’s Contender Series in September of 2021; previous to that bout, Della had never seen the judges scorecards.
After a rough start in 2016 as a professional, losing his first two bouts inside the distance, Jack regrouped and went on a tear in the Australian promotion Eternal MMA, finishing all nine of his following opponents before the final horn. This effort earned Jack the #2 ranking on the Australia/New Zealand regional welterweight ladder, as well as the Eternal welterweight championship; defending the belt once before being offered a chance at the big leagues.
During his DWCS bout, Jack showcased his entire skillset in one of the most exciting fights in the history of the program. Outstanding boxing, and heavy pressure on the feet, along with some slick grappling transitions when the fight hit the ground, earned him a nod from all three judges, and a ‘this kid is something special’ from Dana White as he received his contract.
Despite Jack’s well-roundedness, it’s almost commonplace to see him falter early in the fight, often finding himself in dangerous situations; though he’s continually shown an innate ability to endure in these moments, and soldier on to victory throughout his current ten fight run.
Jack Della takes on Pete Rodriguez (4-0-0) in the fight on the preliminary card.
MICHAEL MORALES - 12-0-0
9 KO/1 SUB/2 DEC
Age: 22
Height: 6’0”
Reach: 79”
Welterweight
One of the youngest fighters on the roster at just twenty-two years old, the debuting Ecuadorian, Michael Morales, rides a perfect 12-0 record into UFC 270 after an exciting decision win on Dana White’s Contender Series late last year.
Morales made his professional debut in 2017, at eighteen years of age on the South American circuit; in the four years since then, Morales has put together a twelve fight winning streak that has seen him being taken to the judge’s scorecards only twice.
As a lifelong martial artist, son of an Olympic judoka, and himself a three-time national wrestling champion in Ecuador, it’s easy to mistake Morales for a veteran; his maturity shown in the cage surpasses his young age.
Michael starts most fights as a patient observer, feinting and gauging his opponent’s reactions looking for any openings and measuring distance; by the end of the first round, Morales is usually pressing forward on the feet, mounting a striking offence, which then continues at a high pace throughout the later rounds, if needed. It’s uncommon to see Morales employ his grappling skill set, as he self admittedly prefers to strike, however it’s not unheard of. In his DWCS win, against an opponent that earned the title of Master of Sports in Combat Sambo, Michael had little problem scoring throws and takedowns, and holding advantageous positions on the ground.
If there is only one concern in regards to Morales at this point of his career, it’s the strength of schedule on his resume; it’s only in the last two or so fights that he has faced opposition with any real level of experience, with nine of his twelve wins coming over fighters with three wins or less.
Michael Morales takes on Trevin Giles (14-3-0) to open the main card.
VICTOR HENRY - 21-5-0
6 KO/8 SUB/7 DEC
Age: 34
Height: 5’7”
Reach: 68”
Bantamweight
Victor “La Mangosta” Henry is a name you’re probably aware of if you pay attention to the Japanese MMA scene in any way, and at 34 years of age, he is the oldest fighter making their UFC debut at UFC 270.
After making his professional debut in 2010 in the US, Victor has been tearing his way through Rizin, Pancrase and a multitude of other Asian promotions since 2014 with decent success. A protege of sorts to UFC veteran Josh Barnett, Victor has amassed a wealth of experience over the last decade, taking on current and past UFC athletes outside of the promotion, with names like Kyler Phillips and Anderson dos Santos sitting high on that list.
Victor employs an aggressive muay-thai based striking style, and though it may not be as pretty, or polished, as some of his contemporaries, what he lacks in technique he makes up for twofold in toughness; having never been finished in his five total losses across twenty-six fights.
On the ground, Victor is another beast altogether, constantly moving, either to initiate a sweep if he’s on bottom, or advance position if he’s on top (where he does some of his best work via ground and pound). It’s not uncommon to see Victor in dangerous positions on the ground, but due to this constant movement and high-level counter-grappling, he’s managed to nullify any and all submission threats thrown his way, thus far; and even snatch a few necks of his own.
Victor Henry takes on Raoni Barcelos (16-2-0) in the final fight on the preliminary card.
Andre Fialho - 14-3-0
11 KO/1 SUB/2 DEC
Age: 27
Height: 6’0”
Reach: 74”
Welterweight
After making his pro debut on the Portugal regional scene in 2014, amassing a six-fight winning streak, Andre Fialho made his way through various US promotions such as Bellator, PFL and LFA with mixed success. Since his last loss in 2020, Fialho has found a four-fight streak under the UAE Warriors banner, ending all bouts with strikes in the early rounds, garnering him the attention of the UFC matchmakers.
Fiahlo has shown to be a patient starter at times. Reading his opponent’s and maintaining his range early, he’ll open up with heavy counter punches when presented the opportunity; applying pressure with the intention of trying to land a big right hand. Andre generally stays defensively responsible, employing measured approach, and has only lost via finish to top talent.
With a notable win over ex-UFC fighter James Vick recently, and valuable rounds with past and present fighters on the UFC roster, experience is one thing this newcomer isn’t short of. Couple that with his fast, powerful hands and the wealth of knowledge surrounding him at Sanford MMA, and you’ve got a fighter primed to make a splash in the UFC’s welterweight division.
