Prior to each UFC card, Jay Primetown takes a close look at debuting fighters. In the latest installment, we look at welterweight Jonavin Webb as he takes on “The Crocodile Hunter” Steve Irwin’s former security guard, Kyle Noke, at UFC Fight Night 65 in Adelaide, Australia. Jonavin “The Spyder” Webb Hometown: Sioux Falls, South Dakota Age: 26 Height: 5’10” Reach: N/A Weight Class: Welterweight Camp: Team Renzo Gracie Philly Career Record: 8-0 (1 NC) Key Wins: Dan Stittgen Key Losses: None Background The former CFFC welterweight champion is undefeated in his MMA career at 8-0. In his short career thus far, Webb has proven to be a solid grappler with good BJJ to supplement his skill set. Half of Webb’s wins are via submission. Webb trains at Team Renzo Gracie Philly alongside UFC lightweight Paul Felder. Strengths
- Good athlete
- Decent leg strikes from distance
- Solid wrestling with good fundamentals
- Scrambles well to advance positions
- Above average BJJ skill set
Weaknesses
- Will struggle in prolonged stand up exchanges
- Doesn’t throw enough strikes to keep opponent off balance
- Can be over aggressive with takedowns which can put him in vulnerable positions
Matchup with Kyle Noke This is a good opportunity for the debuting fighter. Kyle Noke is a decent name in the welterweight division previously holding the position of bodyguard for the legendary Steve Irwin before turning to MMA. Noke was a head coach on TUF Nations and has fought in the UFC for the last five years. Noke is a decent striker with a pretty crafty submission game. In order to be successful with his submissions, he will need to control positioning in this matchup. However, I see Webb as being the more dynamic wrestler with a solid double leg and will continue to press the pace. Patrick Cote had a similar game plan against Noke and was able to put the Australian on his back in all three rounds. In the stand up, both fighters look to land kicks from range. That part of the fight will ultimately be a wash as this matchup should be determined by who controls the ground exchanges. That should be Jonavin Webb. With this fight in Australia, it’s hard to have confidence in a guy making his promotion debut thousands of miles from home. Webb has never lost and Noke has only been finished in 3 of his 28 career fights. Fight goes the distance (-155) is the best option if one is looking to make a bet on this fight, but I would recommend passing altogether. UFC Ceiling Jonavin Webb comes an underrated fight promotion (CFFC) where held a championship and a solid fight camp with Team Renzo Gracie Philly. His grappling skills are pretty advanced for someone of his age and experience. He can work takedowns from multiple angles. He’s solid in top control and maintains positioning on the ground. His striking is improving, but at this point is the weakest area of his game. He needs to work on his boxing in order to give his opponents something to think about in that regard. I think against the better fighters in the division he will struggle offensively if he’s unable to secure takedowns. He certainly has the opportunity to have a fairly lengthy career in the UFC, but will need to develop a couple of advanced skills in order to have success. He currently doesn’t possess a dominant trait that could carry him in his fights. Fight Film Check out Jonavin Webb in some of his recent fights: Jonavin Webb vs. Elijah Harshbargar Jonavin Webb vs. Whitney Jean-Francois Jonavin Webb vs. Mike Winters Highlights (Start at 5:55)