Prior to each UFC card, Jay Primetown takes a close look at debuting fighters. In the latest installment, we look at welterweight Dominique Steele as he takes on TUF 17 alumnus Zak Cummings at UFC on Fox 16 in Chicago, Illinois. Dominique “Non-Stop Action Packed” Steele Hometown: Cincinnati, Ohio Age: 27 Height: 6’0” Reach: 74” Weight Class: Welterweight Camp: Team Vision Career Record: 13-5 Key Wins: Chuck O’Neil Key Losses: David Branch, Brian Rogers Background The current CES welterweight champion and former Bellator and Strikeforce veteran has only been competing professionally for five years, but has already faced a swath of top tier regional competitors. Strengths
- Physically strong welterweight
- Does his best work when pushing forward turning fight into a brawl
- Has a good shot into a double leg
Weaknesses
- Poor movement
- Easy to hit on the feet
- Lacks technique in his striking
- Poor takedown defense
- Gives up back when mounted opening up opportunities for opponents to attempt to submit him
Matchup with Zak Cummings Steele is the top of fighter who will do best in a prolonged stand up exchange that evolves into a brawl. It’s a case where his technical deficiencies are thrown out the window and he can score with aggression. His matchup with Zak Cummings is a much different type of fight. Cummings is a grappling heavy fighter with a strong submission game. Look for Cummings to use this approach to get Steele to the mat and search for submission to get a stoppage. Steele has yet to be submitted in his MMA career, so it will be interesting to see how much success Cummings has seeking the stoppage. Even if Cummings is unable to secure a stoppage, he should control this fight from start to finish. UFC Ceiling Dominique Steele is a physical fighter, but doesn’t have the skill set to compete in the UFC. His striking lacks the technique to give opponents problems on the feet and he has shown no ability to threaten with submissions. He will need to win fights simply with aggression and grinding out results. It’s hard to do that without anyway to dominate opposition. Could he win a decision against some of the bottom rung fighters in the division? Yes, but I wouldn’t expect to see him do anything beyond that. Fight Film Check out Dominique Steele in some of his most recent fights: Dominique Steele vs. Brian Rogers Dominique Steele vs. Ryan Thomas