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 fighter on the preliminary card, but rather one that the common fan may have overlooked or underestimated.
Another week, another UFC card. While the top of this PPV card isn’t lighting a fire with too many people, the skill further down the card is still white hot. Be sure to tune in to this one, which should be full of action.
Charles Byrd
Nickname – Kid Dynamite
Affiliation – Fortis MMA
From – Pine Bluff, Arkansas
Height – 5’10”
Weight – 185 lbs (Middleweight)
Record – 10-6 (1-2 UFC)
What makes him impressive
Charles Byrd has a really smartly physical grappling game. While many stockier grapplers tend to overuse that physicality and use it to get brute strength takedowns, Bryd does so only during opportune times and lets his technique do the talking the rest of the time. As a result, he has a strong gas tank and is dangerous from the first to the last bell.
It’s also worth noting that his hands (and elbows) can be dangerous as well. On occasion he’s tagged his opponents and encouraged them to try to grapple with him, which is rarely smart.
Why he has been overlooked
Despite his strong skill set and physicality, he is coming off of two straight losses. The first was to Darren Stewart and came by second round TKO. In that fight, Byrd looked strong and clearly won the first round – only to be caught by the big puncher. The second of these losses came to the wunderkind of the division, Edmen Shahbazyan, which in retrospect may have been some tough matchmaking for Byrd.
What makes this a good match-up
Maki Pitolo has a lot of the same make up as Darren Stewart. He’s a big puncher and likes to let his hands go looking for that big KO. However, the major difference is that Stewart was able to match Byrd’s physicality to some extent. Pitolo meanwhile has often fought at welterweight. If you’re moving up a division for the first time since joining the UFC, the last thing you want to see is a guy as strong as Byrd. I think that size disparity is going to be clear and meaningful here.
Prelim Breakout Star Record: 196-84-1 (2 NC) (8 DNF)
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