Prior to each UFC card, Jay Primetown takes a close look at debuting fighters. In the latest installment, we look at Millennia MMA’s Joe Merritt as he takes on rising Brazilian Alex Oliveira at UFC Fight Night 70 in Hollywood, Florida. Joe “Slash” Merritt Hometown: Oakdale, Louisiana Age: 31 Height: 6’1” Reach: N/A Weight Class: Welterweight Camp: Millennia MMA Career Record: 6-0 Key Wins: None Key Losses: None Background The undefeated American is still quite new to MMA having only debuted professionally in June 2012. The former collegiate football player at Lousiana-Monroe holds a record of 6-0 with all of his wins come via KO / TKO. Strengths
- Good athlete with experience in Division I college football
- In addition to fighting professionally, he is also a fitness model
- Shown he can strike in different situations
- Moves well with decent footwork
- Uses elbows well on the mat to cut open opponents
Weaknesses
- Lacks volume necessary to really trouble a talented striker
- Good right hand
- Wrestling is limited
- Poor level of competition
Matchup with Alex Oliveira This potentially could be a very interesting matchup. Merritt is a very good athlete for MMA standards. He’s got a good right hand and solid movement. The rest of his game is a big unknown due to the poor level of competition he has faced. It’s difficult how he will deal with adversity in the cage since he hasn’t had to deal with any thus far in his professional career. Alex Oliveira is a talented fighter in his own right with more tricks in his repertoire. The big difference, however, is in the ground game, where Oliveira is significantly better. Look for Oliveira to take advantage of Merritt there and score a submission win. Don’t be scared off by the short notice nature of this bout. Oliveira did very well earlier this year against Gilbert Burns in a similar short notice situation. UFC Ceiling While Merritt is already 31 years old, he’s still very young in his fighting career. His raw athleticism alone makes him an intriguing prospect for MMA. Combine that with a good right hand and the talent ceiling is pretty good for Merritt. It’s clear he’s molded his look and fight game after training partner Lorenz Larkin. I don’t think Merritt has the size to get to the level Larkin is at, but I do think he can win some fights in the UFC as he rounds out his skill set. Fight Film Check out Joe Merritt in some of his most recent fights: Joe Merritt vs. Steven Ciaccio (Highlights) Joe Merritt vs. Roger Kelly