Before getting into the fighter as much, I wanted to write down my displeasure with the UFC this year. There was a time when fight fans got excited about short-notice replacements, but lately, the promotion has done a poor job of bringing in deserving talent. Maybe Schmid wasn’t their first choice, but there’s no way he was the only option. The main reason he’s getting this opportunity is that he’s coming off a 15-second knockout. More than that, though, he’s a City Kickboxing product.
That said, he’s not even the top featherweight prospect from that gym. A 4-2 record is the kind of résumé that often wouldn’t headline a regional card, let alone earn a UFC fight. He’s two losses away from being a .500 fighter, and that’s simply not the standard you’d expect from the sport’s premier organization.
As for Schmid himself, he’s talented and could absolutely develop into something, but this opportunity feels premature. More importantly, it’s an unearned position. The combined record of his four opponents is just 5-15-3. It would be different if he were a heavyweight, but a featherweight should be fighting better opposition. His two losses to Harry Webb and Dimps Gillies are two good losses to have if you’re gonna have any. The problem is how he lost, getting destroyed in the latter part of the fight. He starts fast and is super dangerous early on. So far, he hasn’t been able to fight from behind; once it starts to go downhill, there’s no stopping it.
Schmid is a fast starter and extremely dangerous early. He wants to keep the fight standing, where he’s at his most comfortable and effective. If you allow him to dictate the pace, he’ll make you pay. Sputs together his combinations beautifully, seamlessly mixing punches and kicks while attacking from both stances. He works all levels—head, body, legs—and can strike up the middle or around the guard. He also throws a nasty spinning kick to the body.
The issue is sustainability. If he could maintain that output deep into fights, he’d be a serious problem. Instead, he’s repeatedly shown that consistent pressure causes him to wilt. Once things start going against him, the decline can be rapid. He’ll get his lead leg beat up, get pieced up by straight punches, and just crumble defensively.
It’s obvious that Schmid is being brought in to continue to build Rahiki. I hope after this, he gets a fight more on his level.
