Joe Merritt
Slash
Joe Merritt: Loses UFC Debut On Satuday
Merritt lost to Alex Oliveira by unanimous decision (27-30, 27-30, 27-30) at UFC Fight Night on Saturday in Hollywood, Florida.
ANALYSIS
Merritt survived 15 minutes in this fight because he's a great athlete. He played college football at Louisiana-Monroe and his elite athleticism was on full display Saturday. He isn't a refined MMA artist (which isn't a surprise since he has just seven professional fights under his belt), but he has the kind of natural ability that you need to be a top fighter in this sport. Merritt also was a little bit gassed by the time the bout was over. Merritt is 31-years-old, so time isn't on his size, but a fighter who has the natural athletic skills of Merritt will always give himself a chance.
Merritt survived 15 minutes in this fight because he's a great athlete. He played college football at Louisiana-Monroe and his elite athleticism was on full display Saturday. He isn't a refined MMA artist (which isn't a surprise since he has just seven professional fights under his belt), but he has the kind of natural ability that you need to be a top fighter in this sport. Merritt also was a little bit gassed by the time the bout was over. Merritt is 31-years-old, so time isn't on his size, but a fighter who has the natural athletic skills of Merritt will always give himself a chance.
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Merritt will fight Alex Oliveira at UFC Fight Night 70 in Hollywood, FL, MMAFighting.com reports.
ANALYSIS
Merritt owns a 6-0 professional record, but Saturday will be his UFC debut, and he doesn't have nearly as impressive of a resume as his opponent. The 31-year-old will likely be a heavy underdog in the bout, despite the fact that Oliveira agreed to the fight on approximately 10 days notice.
Merritt owns a 6-0 professional record, but Saturday will be his UFC debut, and he doesn't have nearly as impressive of a resume as his opponent. The 31-year-old will likely be a heavy underdog in the bout, despite the fact that Oliveira agreed to the fight on approximately 10 days notice.