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.
The flyweight division is becoming more and more loaded by the day, it seems. Fun signings and interesting style clashes (especially at the edge of the top 15) have made it so that now, more than ever, flyweight is the division to watch.
JP Buys
Nickname – Young Savage
Affiliation – Fortis MMA
From – Brakpan, South Africa
Height – 5’6″
Weight – 125 lbs (Flyweight)
Record – 9-2 (0-0 UFC)
What makes him impressive
A quick look at his social media handles is all you need to know how Buys sees himself (@wrestling_JP). Obviously, with that level of self-awareness and the coaching of Sayif Saud, it’s not surprising that Buys not only is a great wrestler, but leans on it heavily in his fights. The part of his game that I find more impressive is his ability to work through less stable positions with patience and then secure a more dominant position. A great example of this was early on in his Contender Series fight with Jacob Silva. He got Silva down, but was low on Silva’s legs as he framed to get Buys off of him. Buys didn’t try any big movement or didn’t try to overwhelm Silva – he stayed calm and slowly got to where he needed to be.
Why he has been overlooked
Back in the first season of Contender Series, when we still didn’t really know what an amazing talent pipeline it would be, Buys appeared opposite of Joby Sanchez. After a strong first round from Buys, Sanchez rallied and picked up a finish in the second and a UFC contract. Although a loss to a guy who had already fought in the UFC at that point is nothing to be ashamed of, it was most people’s first introduction to Buys. As a result, he will need more performances like his second Contender Series bout to wash that away.
What makes this a good match-up
Bruno Silva is 0-2 in the UFC with one NC (which was also originally a loss). A common thread in all of those fights is Silva shoots a lot of takedowns with a decent volume of success. However, he does little with his time on top and doesn’t accumulate much time either. As a result, the failed takedown attempts leave him tired and the lack of control makes it hard for the judges to see anything in his favor. This issue is only going to be exacerbated with a guy like Buys, who is a great wrestler in his own right. I expect that Silva will become more tired as the fight goes on and it will be pretty easy for Buys to impose his will.
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Prelim Breakout Star Record: 215-97-1 (2 NC) (13 DNF)
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