UFC 252 is right around the corner and is headlined by the rubber match between two of the best Heavyweights in the history of the sport, Daniel Cormier and Stipe Miocic. Due to the magnitude of the main event, the rest of the card seems to be flying a little under the radar despite the fact that it should deliver some high-level grappling action. Luckily, we’re on hand to break down the fights most likely to have BJJ fans on the edge of their seats:
Herbert Burns v Daniel Pineda
The BJJ action should start early with the second fight on the card pitting two solid grapplers against each other. Herbert Burns trains out of Evolve MMA in Singapore and the Brazilian has no shortage of fantastic instructors, with Shinya Aoki and the recently acquired leglock expert Robert Degle both on hand. It’s no surprise then that 7 of his 11 victories have come by way of submission. His opponent has an even more impressive resume however, as BJJ Black belt Daniel Pineda is incredibly experienced and across his 41 professional MMA fights he’s managed to rack up 18 submission victories so far. Pineda might have been cut from the UFC some time ago after a 3-4 run in the promotion, but all three of his previous promotional wins came by three different submissions. Considering that Burns has never been tapped in professional competition and Pineda hasn’t in over a decade, it’ll be interesting to see if either fighter can secure the finish on the night.
Felice Herrig v Virna Jandiroba
The very next fight looks like a showcase matchup for Virna Jandiroba‘s grappling ability as she takes on UFC veteran, Felice Herrig. Herrig is well-known as a kickboxer first and foremost and the BJJ purple belt has often struggled against superior wrestlers or BJJ athletes. While the BJJ Black Belt Jandiroba on the other hand has torn through the regional MMA scene and made a splash in Invicta en route to a perfect 14-0 record with 12 submission wins. She was thrown to the wolves in her UFC debut against Carla Esparza and came up just short but rebounded quickly by beating Mallory Martin by rear naked choke. If Vandiroba can get this fight to the ground, expect to see a potential performance of the night submission victory.
Ashley Yoder v Livia Renata Souza
Similar to the previous women’s matchup, this looks like a fight that should give Livia Renata Souza the opportunity to put on a good display. Yoder is a middling UFC fighter with a 2-4 record and a BJJ brown belt who’s been outworked by a superior grappler before when she came up against Mackenzie Dern. She has a few submission victories and hasn’t been afraid to engage on the ground, although this could prove to be her undoing against the ATOS representative. Souza has been a BJJ Black belt for 7 years now, earning 8 submission victories in her 15-fight career, and she’ll be hungry to right the ship with another finish at UFC 252 after suffering only her second professional loss in her last fight.
Sean O’Malley v Marlon Vera
The Co-main event features a highly-touted prospect who’s beloved by fans for his great personality and exciting striking style but Sean O’Malley proved back at Quintet Ultra that his BJJ purple belt wasn’t just for show. He’s not likely to want to fight on the ground as he’s always professed a love for getting the knockout win, but Marlon Vera may well be able to take the fight there anyway. Vera has had an up-and-down career on the highest stages so far but has finished 4 of his 9 UFC wins by submission, being dangerous both on his opponent’s back and off his own. A BJJ black belt, Vera started to put it all together recently when he went on a 5-fight win streak before being shut down by Song Yadong earlier this year. He would be wise to try and drag Sean O’Malley into deep waters on the ground and it’ll be interesting to see how the next big thing copes on the ground in MMA.
UFC 252 Full Card
Stipe Miocic v Daniel Cormier
(For the UFC Heayweight World Championship)
Sean O’Malley v Marlon Vera
Junior Dos Santos v Jairzinho Rozenstruik
John Dodson v Merab Dvalishvili
Jim Miller v Vinc Pinchel
Ashley Yoder v Livia Renata Souza
Chris Daukaus v Parker Porter
Felice Herrig v Virna Jandiroba
Herbert Burns v Daniel Pineda
T.J. Brown v Daniel Chavez
