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.
While these regional cards took a lot of flack while being booked, they have delivered with plenty of excitement. This past week, UFC Austin gave us a slew of finishes and the decisions in many cases were even more exciting (except for one). This week is another card to get excited for. The UFC has stacked Orlando with 12 fights, and one reps a very exciting young prospect.
Manny Bermudez
Affiliation – South Shore Sport Fighting
From – Abington, Massachusetts
Height – 5’10”
Weight – 135 lbs (Bantamweight)
Record – 11-0 (0-0 UFC)
What makes him impressive
Bermudez is one of those hot prospects that turned pro before he could drink beer. As a result, he’s far more experienced than his age would suggest (he’s only 23 years old). All of that experience leads him to having some of the best jiu jitsu for MMA instincts that a UFC prospect has had in some time. This shines through best with his distinction of when to go for a submission and when to advance the position. The result of which is that he never tends to waste energy going after something that isn’t there. This helps him get those finishes, but also helps him keep a pace that is damn near impossible for his opponents to maintain.
Why he has been overlooked
The New England regional circuit is one that is slowly getting the recognition that it deserves. Bermudez fights out of Cage Titans and CES MMA, two promotions that aren’t as hyped as say LFA or ACB. However, those promotions are sending guys to the UFC at a high rate as of late. To go along with Bermudez, they’ve produce Calvin Kattar, Matt Bessette and Mike Rodriguez. And those are just within the last year.
What makes this a good match-up
Morales is on a two fight losing streak. His last loss to Benito Lopez is nothing like the fight he’ll see against Bermudez. However, the fight prior to that, against Brett Johns, has a lot of the same feeling. Johns, like Bermudez, is a tricky grappler with above average takedowns. In that fight, Johns was able to rip Morales to the ground three times with relative ease. I fully expect Bermudez to follow that blueprint and pick up the win in Orlando.
Prelim Breakout Star Record: 137-60-1 (2 NC) (6 DNF)
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