Prior to each UFC card, Jay Primetown takes a close look at debuting fighters. In the latest installment, we look at English middleweight Scott Askham as he debuts against Magnus Cedenblad. Scott Askham Hometown: Hemsworth, England Age: 26 Height: 6’3” Reach: 77” Weightclass: Middleweight Camp: Ludus Magnus Career Record: 12-0 Key Wins: Jack Marshman, Max Nunes Key Losses: None Background The former BAMMA Middleweight Champion is one of the top prospects in English MMA. The undefeated southpaw holds a record of 12-0 with nine of his victories inside the distance. The Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu purple belt has fought solid competition on the English MMA scene including a decision win over Jack Marshman. He’s been quite active having fought six times over the past two years. His last fight was in June 2014 earning a win over fellow prospect Max Nunes. Strengths
- Excellent size for the middleweight division at 6’3”
- Good striking variety; punches, elbows, kicks, and knees
- Uses reach well to maintain distance
- Capable in different standing situations; at distance, moving forward, and in close range
- Good leg kicks; strong to the lower legs mixing in sidekicks and head kicks
- Very good free standing knee strikes
- When senses opponent is hurt; he’s aggressive and pushes for the finish with volume striking
- When in the clinch with opponent against the cage he does well to clasp hands to work for takedowns
- Submission defense in top control is really good; doesn’t put himself in many bad situations
Weaknesses
- Below average power for the weight class
- Gets complacent against the cage; opponent can score points in these situations
- Has lost position ending up on his back when working in judo attempts
- Doesn’t do much to advance positions when he earns top control
- Too comfortable while in top control; to the point where referee will stand up fight
- Submission game from the bottom needs improvement; looks to referee to stand the fight up
- Fights out of a rather unknown fight camp; UFC level preparation is a question mark
Matchup with Magnus Cedenblad The fight with Sweden’s Magnus Cedenblad is one of the more interesting bouts of the weekend. Both fighters are long and lanky for the division. Askham is the more diverse striker, but ultimately both fighters prefer to take the fight to the ground and maintain top control. Cedenblad is certainly the more aggressive grappler and if he’s able to secure top position, he’ll be able to threaten with submissions. I expect the early part of this bout to see this fight against the cage as each guy looks to control position. Cedenblad is the more likely fighter to finish early, but conditioning is a major concern with him. If he’s unable to finish in the first half of the fight, Askham will look to wear out the Swede and potentially earn a come from behind decision win. This likely won’t be a barn burner, but will more likely be about which fighter is able to control positions inside the Octagon. The odds give a small edge to Cedenblad in this bout and rightfully so given he is the more likley fighter to earn a finish. UFC Ceiling Scott Askham is a well-rounded fighter. He’s shown that he’s comfortable on the feet, working on the ground, and in the clinch. Unfortunately, he doesn’t excel in any specific area. At the highest levels of MMA, one needs to be excellent at something in order to be a contender. He’ll be able to grind out decisions against lower and some mid-tier fighters, but ultimately needs to move to a bigger camp to further his skill set. With a switch in camps concentrating on a specific area to excel, I could see him being a fringe top 15 fighter in the middleweight division. Fight Videos Check out Askham in some of his recent fights: Scott Askham vs Max Nunes for the BAMMA Middleweight World Title https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yRs3KslGmA Scott Askham vs Jack Marshman for the BAMMA Middleweight Title https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ok5mUQ9Nxhw Scott Askham vs Mark Jones https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-UWdguWKrcM