Leonardo Santos and Efrain Escudero will attempt to solidify their position in the lightweight division on the main card of UFC Fight Night 51, which takes place this Saturday (Sept. 13, 2014) in Brasilia, Brazil. In this match up of middling lightweights, what can either man do to gain an edge? Read our fight preview to find out!
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) lightweights Leonardo Santos and Efrain Escudero look to climb the ladder at UFC Fight Night 51 this Saturday (Sept. 13, 2014) at the Ginasio Nilson Nelson in Brasilia, Brazil.
Despite his fairly lengthy mixed martial arts (MMA) career, Escudero has yet to establish a home in any organization. The MMA Lab-trained fighter has already been bounced from the UFC twice, had two fights in Bellator separated by two years, and signed with Titan Fighting Championships only to be picked back up by the world's premier organization.
The beginning of a nice win streak on Saturday would certainly help Escudero find a foothold inside UFC.
Though Santos started his career way back in 2002, he only has half the fights of his opponent. Like Escudero, Santos entered UFC by winning The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) and has yet to establish himself in the division. If he wants to enjoy an extended stay in the lightweight division, he cannot afford to lose.
Let's take a look at the keys to victory for each fighter.
Efrain Escudero
Record: 22-8
Key Wins: Cole Miller (UFC 102), Luis Palomino (CFA 12)
Key Losses: Mac Danzig (UFC 145), Jacob Volkmann (UFC 141), Dakota Cochrane (RFA 13)
Keys to Victory: Though he's in the unenviable position as the only man to lose to Mac Danzig in the last four years, Escudero is on a decent run as of late. He's 4-1 in his last five bouts, including a decision victory over the World Series of Fighting's (WSOF) Luis Palomino.
With 12 of his 22 victories coming via submission, it's clear that Escudero is an experienced grappler. Plus, he was a Junior college All-American, which explains his strong top game. But with two of his four UFC losses coming via submission, it might be in Escudero's best interest to sprawl and brawl against Santos.
Although Escudero only has a pair of knockout victories to his name, he's a fairly competent striker. He's not the best when moving backwards, so it's important that Escudero leads the dance. His opponent is not an experienced striker or particularly powerful puncher, so Escudero should be able to safely dictate the exchanges.
The aspect of Santos' striking that is quite effective is his low kicks, which is hardly surprising for a fighting hailing from Nova Uniao. Escudero should look to counter Santos' leg kicks with either strikes or takedowns.
Should Escudero land a takedown off a leg kick or simply shoot because he's uncomfortable trading with Santos, he needs to be very careful from the top. Santos is a talented grappler, so it might be best for Escudero to simply score points with the takedown, control momentarily, then do damage as Santos stands.
It's unlikely that Escudero finishes the Brazilian, so it's vital that he clearly out-points his opponent.
Leonardo Santos
Record: 12-3-1
Key Wins: William Macario (UFC on Fuel 10)
Key Losses: None
Keys to Victory: Though a natural lightweight, Santos' jiu-jitsu skills -- honed by Andre Pederneiras and the rest of the Nova Uniao team -- proved to be potent at welterweight, the division in which Santos won TUF. "Lamparao" is primarily a grappler, as eight of his 12 victories come via submission.
Five of those submissions come from Nova Uniao's signature technique, the arm-triangle choke.
Santos should have a strong grappling advantage in this bout. Although Escudero's offensive wrestling might be a tad superior, the American has experienced issues with being taken down and controlled throughout his career. Should Santos attempt that game plan, he'd likely have a fair bit of success dragging Escudero to the mat.
Regardless of whether Santos winds up on the top or bottom, he should feel comfortable frequently attacking. Escudero was greatly troubled by Charles Oliveira's whirlwind of offense, and Santos has the skill and aggression to replicate that game plan.
Plus, Escudero is historically a pretty tough fighter to finish. So long as Santos is the one pushing forward while standing and attacking on the mat, he should have the advantage if the fight hits the judges scorecards.
While securing that lead, Santos may tire Escudero out. The MMA Lab-trained fighter's conditioning is iffy at times, and this is a short-notice bout. Once Escudero is tired, Santos can let his offense fly en route to a potential finish or decision victory.
Bottom Line: Lightweight is one of the UFC's largest divisions, filled to the brim with talented fighters and potential contenders. In order to earn their place on the roster, it's vital that each man take home a victory.
For Escudero, this has to be his last chance. He's just 3-4 inside the UFC, and it's been many years since his run on TUF, meaning that most of the fan base he earned back then has dissipated. Frankly, there's not much of a reason to keep him around with a loss.
A win, however, would be a good start for Escudero. It wouldn't really prove that he's a UFC-worthy fighter -- Santos has yet to prove that himself -- but it would take his name off the immediate chopping block. After being cut twice, that's pretty much all he can ask for.
Santos' situation is not nearly as urgent. He went to a draw with a fairly talented prospect and finished his first win, which is certainly a solid accomplishment. Plus, his time on TUF was quite recent, and the Brazilian TUF contestants seem to be well-received when fighting in their country.
That said, Santos likely has higher aspirations than his current position on smaller Brazilian shows. If he does want to move up the ranks, he really needs to win and look good doing so. Escudero is not a bad fighter by any means, but he's someone who fighters worth watching usually beat.
At UFC Fight Night 51, grapplers Leonardo Santos and Efrain Escudero look to make a name for themselves inside the lightweight division. Who will come out on top?
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