(Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports)
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 the most talented guy on the preliminary card, but rather one that the common fan may have overlooked or underestimated.
In all of the Prelim Breakout Stars we’ve covered, never have we sported a breakout as well traveled as this week's. Bart Palaszewski is a veteran of over 50 fights including stints in the UFC, WEC and the highly underrated, now defunct, IFL.
Bart Palaszewski
Nickname – Bartimus
From – Warsaw, Poland
Height – 5’9”
Weight – 145 lbs (Featherweight)
Record – 36-16 (1-2 UFC)
What makes him impressive
With Palaszewski, you get exactly what you would expect with a 50-plus fight veteran – scrappiness. In all of the fights that he’s been in, it’s hard to recall a fight that he was ever clearly out of. His ability to hang around in a fight makes him dangerous to just about anyone. Don’t believe me? Ask Ivan Menjivar who fell to him or Anthony Pettis who met the same fate.
If only to make that danger level higher, Bartimus has a very underrated boxing skill set. He sports some very heavy hands that can end fights even when he’s a bit gassed. Along with Takanori Gomi, he is one of two to ever knock out the strong-jawed Tyson Griffin.
Why he’s been overlooked
Despite his extensive resume, Palaszewski has always been on the outside looking in. Blame it on bad timing. After rattling off a three fight win streak, he was passed up for a WEC title shot for the man he started the streak against, Anthony Pettis. So, remember The Showtime Kick that ended WEC 53 and closed the promotion with a bang? That was a title shot that really deserved to go to this man. Instead he lost a close split decision to grappler Kamal Shalorus and limped into the UFC.
What makes this a good matchup
Having lost three of his last four, one looks to make sense of why a talented veteran is losing so much. All three of the recent loses – Shalorus, Hatsu Hioki and Diego Nunes – all have one thing in common – very solid takedowns. It seems to be a glaring weakness of Bartimus. However, it should be noted that just about any fighter who didn’t try to take him down were defeated. When he squares off with Cole Miller on Saturday, it seems unlikely that he’ll wind up on his back. If this remains a stand-up battle, it should be Bartimus's to lose.
Daniel Vreeland is a writer (PrelimPicker) and teacher with an avid love for martial arts. He has practiced jiu jitsu and submission grappling under and next to many top names including Royce Gracie, Rousimar Palhares, Murilo Bustamante and Marco Alvan. He has placed in multiple NAGA grappling tournaments and currently trains under black belt Dave Roy in Amherst, MA.
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