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.
There are promising fighters on the prelims and then there are prospects. Our pick for this weekend’s trip across the pond is a certifiable prospect, and for more than one reason.
Jack Shore
Nickname – Tank
Affiliation – Tillery Combat MMA Academy
From – Abertillery, Wales
Height – 5’9″
Weight – 135 lbs (Bantamweight)
Record – 11-0 (0-0 UFC)
What makes him impressive
Jack Shore isn’t what you envision when you think about the typical UK prospect. Sure, his hands are quick and he has serious KO power with them (or his knees), but that isn’t what separates him from other debuting fighters.
“Tank” actually does his best work through his grappling. He’s an expert at drawing out his opponent’s strikes in order to set up takedown attempts. He’s just as comfortable using a single or double leg to finish them and chains them particularly well together, especially for a fighter without much of a wrestling background. Once on the ground, Shore loves to use strikes to open up the back take. As a result, a lot of his stoppages come from rear naked chokes and ground and pound.
Why he has been overlooked
If you haven’t heard of Jack Shore yet, it’s probably due to his youth. He is only 24 and has only been a pro for about three years. However, he does already have plenty of hype surrounding him. 10 of his 11 professional fights have come under the Cage Warriors banner and he’s only been to decision once. He recently vacated their 135 lbs title, which puts him in the company of Conor McGregor, Joanna Jedrzeczyk and Michael Bisping as Cage Warriors champs who moved to the UFC. So in short, if you have overlooked him, you may be the only one.
What makes this a good match-up
In his UFC debut, Nohelin Hernandez had a tough task of fighting Marlon Vera on short notice. In that fight, he seemed dead set on getting the fight to the mat and making it a grappling match. He succeeded with one of his two takedowns, which is a good sign for him. However, when Vera landed one of his own, he softened him up and took the back for a rear naked choke. This will probably be exactly the path Shore is looking to take, and he is probably more than capable of pulling it off.
Prelim Breakout Star Record: 182-77-1 (2 NC) (7 DNF)
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