The Sports Daily | UFC Sao Paulo Prelim Breakout Star: Jared Gordon

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The Prelim Breakout Star is a once per event article that helps fans get to know those who will be entertaining them from the undercard. The intention of the article is not to bring attention to the most talented guy on the preliminary card, but rather one that the common fan may have overlooked or underestimated.

After another successful event, Prelim Breakout Star takes it again around the regional circuit. Next week we’ll return to the big time PPV-scene, but in the meantime, enjoy this prediction.

Jared Gordon
Nickname – Flash
Affiliation – Renzo Gracie Jiu Jitsu
From – Queens, New York
Height – 5’9″
Weight – 145 lbs (Featherweight)
Record – 13-1 (1-0 UFC)

 

What makes him impressive

Starting at a young age, Gordon developed his wrestling and boxing. Even in high school, Gordon was thinking about how to turn these two pursuits into an MMA career. In fact, he took his first amateur fight while still in high school. Due to this he is much more of a seasoned veteran than his 14-fight record or 29 years of age would suggest. Plus, to put a nice bow on all of his skills, he holds a brown belt from John Danaher.

 

Why he has been overlooked 

Gordon fought for one of the more prestigious east coast regional promotions, CFFC. He left them after securing their featherweight title. As a result, he had a fair amount of hype coming to the UFC. However, in his debut he missed weight. While the performance holds up, there was a twinge of disappointment in that fact.

 

What makes this a good match-up

All of Hacran Dias’s success seems to come against fairly one dimensional fighters. Levan Makashvili was a grapple first opponent – even Iuri Alcantara is mostly focused on submissions. His trouble seems to come with fighters who are experts at mixing it up (Andre Fili and Cub Swanson). Given Gordon’s diverse background of striking and grappling and his ability to blend them, he should have no problem making Dias uncomfortable.