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.
It’s rare that a fighter with nearly 40 professional fights winds up on this segment, but it’s also pretty rare to have someone this late into their career hitting their stride. So check out why I’m liking Juicy J this late into his tenure.
Julian erosa
Nickname – Juicy J
Affiliation – 10th Planet Las Vegas
From – Yakima, Washington
Height – 6’1″
Weight – 155 lbs (Lightweight)
Record – 25-8 (3-4 UFC)
What makes him impressive
The real obvious answer here is his power. It has always been exceptional for someone of his size but sometimes was not apparent due to the fact that he was tentative and feeling out his opponents. In his last two fights, that simply wasn’t the case. The reckless version of Erosa that had given him such amazing highlights on the regional circuit reappeared and it resulted in two absolute highlight level finishes. Those finishes, a D’arce choke and flying knee KO, came at the expense of Sean Woodson and Nate Landwehr respectfully.
Why he has been overlooked
Erosa is an anomaly in many ways. He is one of the few fighters who have ever gotten a third chance in the UFC and done so largely while being just on the prelims. In his first two stays, he went a combined 1-4, winning only his debut. At that time, it looked as if he had reached his ceiling – especially given the number of fights he had already had. However, in his last two fights, the return to that chaos has done wonders for him and he’s now tripled his UFC win total.
What makes this a good match-up
While Seung Woo Choi isn’t afraid to grapple a little bit, the guy likes to swing it as much as possible. His fight with Suman Mohktarian is a perfect example. In the 15 minutes in the cage, he threw 250+ strikes and landed nearly 100 of them. That style should play right into the hands (quite literally) of Erosa. Even if he does not go with that style early, I expect the cardio of Erosa to hold up and get him the win late.
Prelim Breakout Star Record: 218-105-1 (2 NC) (13 DNF)
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