After a very successful run in BJJ, “The Young Lion” Davi Cabral has transitioned over to MMA smoothly. Cabral competed earlier this year in a bout that lasted just 53 seconds. Now, he’s back in the cage this Saturday at Peak Fighting 53 to take on Perry Stargel.
Outside of MMA, Cabral has been competing at the highest level. While he has far more accomplishments than I’m about to list, just to give you an understanding of his level, Cabral was the 2021 IBJJF South American NOGI champion. In addition, he was the 2022 IBJJF Pan NOGI champion at black belt.
He had a short stint at the MMA amateur level, winning his only fight via round one TKO in October of 2023. The very next year, Cabral kicked off his pro career and has been running through opponents. In his six fights over two years as a pro, only one opponent has lasted to the second round. Cabral has racked up four KO/TKOs, as well as two submissions.
With the resume he holds in BJJ, it may be a surprise to see all of the KO/TKO finishes on his record. However, he is no easy task to deal with on the feet. No doubt, Cabral is one of the better strikers you will see transitioning over from competing in BJJ. He picked up Muay Thai at a young age. During one of his fights, a commentator said he had even fought in tournaments.
The Muay Thai influence in how he strikes is very easy to see. For example, one of his best weapons in MMA has been his leg kick. Typically, he likes to walk guys down with a nice jab and those leg kicks. With the threat of his grappling, Cabral feints the takedown often to get opponents guessing. When he has them backed up, he likes to fire a one-two down the pipe. Besides the one-two, he throws a good right hook and an overhand.
Cabral might not be the most diverse striker, but he has heavy hands and knows what he’s good at. His biggest hole would have to be that he is a bit hittable. Even so, with the grappling to fall back on and the threat of his grappling alone, it’s something he can continue to improve.
Obviously, the grappling pedigree speaks for itself, but it will be interesting to see how he gets fights to the ground against higher-level competition if needed. Cabral had a nice trip to get a takedown in one of his earlier fights. However, for the most part, if it ends up on the ground, it’s due to leg kicks or his punching power. He hasn’t faced anybody remotely near his level in grappling yet. But against the lower-level guys, it’s good to see him not force anything.
Of course, he is slick on the ground, so he maintains and flows through positions well. Additionally, I love how he just waits for opportunities to open up. Cabral has great ground and pound with some nasty elbows. If a submission doesn’t open up, he will just keep landing big shots.
At just 27 years old and being so well-rounded, Davi Cabral is a very exciting prospect for the middleweight division. After his last fight, he called for a short-notice UFC opportunity, so with another finish, I would love to see him get that chance or a shot on Contender Series.
