Matheus Lima, 27, Brazil, 8-1-0
Since Matheus Lima was handed his first loss to Contender Series alum, Kurtis Campbell, a different switch has flipped for the Brazilian. Normally, a patient, methodical Muay Thai point striker, Lima has been bringing the fights to his opponent as of late. Three finishes in a row, two of which came in the first round from Lima. While Lima looks much more comfortable when he takes the center, his best and most accurate strikes are when he’s on the backfoot, countering the opposition.
When watching Lima, it’s hard not to be reminded of the lengthy strikers currently on the roster at 170 like Michael Page and Michael Morales. Similarly, Lima has a difficult stance to shoot on, with a wide base, long legs, and low hands with a gushing confidence. Lima isn’t somebody who’s going to blast out the gate and rush the finish. He uses his defensive wrestling to turn to offense, with tight chokes and brutal knees in the clinch. If Lima continues to build his resume, he could be an interesting player at 170 for the UFC.