Prior to each UFC card, Jay Primetown takes a close look at debuting fighters. In the latest installment, we look at American Jeremy Kimball as he makes his UFC debut against Brazilian Marcos Rogerio de Lima at UFC on Fox 23 in Denver, Colorado. Jeremy Kimball Hometown: Colorado Springs, Colorado Age: 25 Height: 6’0” Reach: 72” Weight Class: Light Heavyweight Camp: Shingitai Jiujitsu Career Record: 14-5 Key Wins: Matt Van Buren Key Losses: Chris Camozzi Background The 25 year old light heavyweight has been on the best run of his MMA career. He’s won four bouts in a row with three of them coming by knockout. He looks to extend his streak overall to five with a win on Saturday in his UFC debut. Strengths
- Quick overhand right
- Very good chin. Never been knocked out
- Decent cardio for someone of his size
- Good takedown defense
- Times takedown attempts well and accelerates into attempts to complete
Weaknesses
- Once he lands a clean shot, tends to rush in without much technique
- Can over extend on leg kicks putting him in bad positions
- Can be pushed against the cage
Matchup against Marcos Rogerio de Lima American Jeremy Kimball makes his UFC debut against Brazilian Marcos Rogerio de Lima at UFC on Fox 23 in Denver, Colorado. This is an interesting matchup as it pits two very different fighters. Lima is a big, light heavyweight with real knockout power. Kimball is a much more nimble fighter with a more varied attack. For the Brazilian to win, he will need to land a heavy bomb early or end up in top control where he can layer on ground and pound. The problem de Lima is that Kimball has a very good chin and has never been knocked out in his career. I believe that Kimball can handle de Lima’s early power heavy attack and once the Brazilian slows down, Kimball will take over in the fight. This fight being at altitude and Kimball’s long time training in Colorado Springs also give him a major advantage at the fight wears on. Look for Kimball to pile it on in the second round and score a stoppage win over his opponent. Kimball (+155) and Kimball Inside the Distance (+256) are both worthy of consideration. UFC Ceiling Jeremy Kimball may not be the most physically imposing fighter in the light heavyweight division, but he’s fairly athletic and his well-rounded game will make him a tough opponent for the bottom rung of the division. The biggest deterrent to Kimball succeeding in the UFC is lack of big time punching power. He’s going to struggle to land fight altering strikes on the feet and will have to outwork opponents to get results. That can work against lower level opposition, but will be a major problem against more talented strikers in the weightclass. Fight Film Check out Jeremy Kimball in some of his most recent fights: Jeremy Kimball vs. Keith Berry Jeremy Kimball vs. Cody Mumma