Prior to each UFC card, Jay Primetown takes a close look at debuting fighters. In the latest installment, we look at undefeated debutant Thibault Gouti as he takes on Finland’s Teemu Packalen at Fight Night 84 in London, England. Thibault Gouti Hometown: Toulouse, France Age: 28 Height: 5’10” Reach: Weight Class: Lightweight Camp: BIG Team Career Record: 11-0 Key Wins: Anton Kuivanen Key Losses: None Background Fighting professionally since 2011, Gouti appeared on the Conor McGregor hosted season of TUF losing in the initial round prior to entering the house. He’s fought his entire career exclusively in Europe. Strengths
- Decent footwork
- Really nice overhand right
- One punch knockout power in his right hand
- Creative with submissions
Weaknesses
- Poor head movement
- Tends to cover up instead of moving when opponent lands heavy strikes
- Offensive wrestling non existent
- Overaggressive in the grappling and can lose position
Match-up against Teemu Packalen A matchup of two relative novices in MMA as France’s Thibault Gouti takes on Finland’s Teemu Packalen. On the feet, I see a big advantage for Gouti who possesses one punch knockout power in his right hand. His boxing is pretty fluid and will cause Packalen fits. The Finnish fighter is long for the division, but his striking lacks the potency to cause fear for Gouti. What I do expect is for Packalen to try to take this fight to the ground. Both fighters have crafty submission games. They’ve both shown to be pretty good in scrambles, so it will be interesting to see who can control position on the ground. Gouti’s boxing is the key difference in this fight and I expect him to batter his opponent on the feet for a finish or a decision. The more time they spend on the ground, the more likely this is a very close fight heading to the scorecards. UFC Ceiling Thibault Gouti is another in a recent wave of French fighters to hit the UFC. He’s at his best when he can show off his right hand in the standup and can work for submissions from top control on the ground. He holds a solid win over Anton Kuivanen where he showed off his hands. If he continues to work on his wrestling and transition game, he has potential to do things in the UFC. Like most of the French fighters, there is some potential for growth. Fight Film Check out Thibault Gouti in some of his most recent fights: Thibault Gouti vs. Anton Kuivanen Thibault Gouti vs. Cedric Severec Thibault Gouti vs. David Teymur (TUF Exhibition)