What to expect from Cage Warriors champion Jai Herbert in the UFC
Cage Warriors lightweight champion Jai Herbert was announced as the UFCβs latest signing on Tuesday morning. The 31-year-old remarkably becomes the 95th fighter to join the sports leading promotion by way of Cage Warriors.
Heβll face Marc Diakiese in an all-English dust up at UFC London on March 16th at the O2 Arena. Stevie Ray was originally slated to fight “Bonecrusher” in an eagerly anticipated fight, however, he was forced off the card due to injury. The disappointment of that fight falling through has been greatly softened by the UFC quickly making a fight which is just as enthralling.
British fight fans will be happy to see Jai Herbert sign with the UFC. However, many fight fans around the world may not know who he is. So here’s what to expect from the 31-year-old during his UFC debut and beyond.
Elite-Level Striking
“The Black Country Banger”β fine tunes his skills at Team Renegade in Birmingham, England. One of the most highly regarded gyms in Europe, it is home to the likes of Tom Breese, Leon Edwards and Fabian Edwards. Whilst he has a great all-round game, thereβs no denying Herbert prefers to stand up and with good reason. The UFC newcomer has serious skills on the feet and an array of weapons to use. Punches, kicks and knees are all a part of his arsenal, making him almost impossible to deal with during his emergence in Cage Warriors.
Finishing Skills
Not only does Herbert possess great striking ability, heβs also got that killer instinct. In 10 professional wins, he has picked up nine of them by way of stoppage. The Birmingham based fighter is currently riding a six-fight winning streak and has finished all but one of those fights inside the scheduled distance. Although he favours the stand-up game, and most of his finishes come that way, he is no slouch on the floor. Herbertβs gym is primarily a jujitsu school and as youβd expect, heβs one of the best students. His lone submission win came back in 2016, but donβt be too surprised to see him get another at UFC London.
All Out Action
There is one thing we can be sure of when Herbert meets Diakiese is an all-out war. The Cage Warriors 155lb champion is known for putting his foot on the gas from the outset. His opponent will have to react and respond to a ton of different stuff. Expect lots of movement, feints, high output with fast counters, and explosive power from Herbert. For as long as it lasts, itβll be a seriously fun fight. As will the UFC career of Herbert, who has the ability to go as far as he wants.
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The Scrap
About Post Author
The Scrap
The Scrap is a combat sports news hub dedicated to bringing you creative MMA, Pro Wrestling, Bare Knuckle, and Boxing content. We choose highlight the indie and regional scenes as passionately as the big leagues. Aside from exclusives on our Patreon account, we also provide video content on our YouTube channel ranging from interviews to highlighting current events.
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