UFC ‘Jones vs. Matyushenko’ Prelims Preview

Darren Elkins vs. Charles Oliveira

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Anyone keeping up with the Brazilian MMA scene has been hearing the same two things about lightweight prospect Oliveira for some time now: the first is that he’s clearly talented and the second is that he needs to start mixing some live bodies into his fistic diet.

Elkins addresses the latter quite well. He is actually much more of a challenge than many expect since most of the hype on Oliveira is unfounded. Between Oliveira’s sloppy, telegraphed striking and his seeming inability to gauge distance -- an invaluable skill whether you’re pumping a jab or shooting for a leg -- there are clearly craters in his game just waiting to be exploited.

What Oliveira does have is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu style that is beautifully tailored to MMA since he is equally effective off his back or from top control. This is where the problems begin for Elkins, who is your classic Midwest product: a hardnosed, well-rounded fighter who doesn’t have any real specialty. It won’t take a stellar striker to clip Oliveira, but Elkins has neither the chin nor the skill to do anything but, at best, break even in exchanges.

Far more likely, however, is Elkins trying to work his usual top control-centric style against a superior grappler who might as well be Yoda in comparison to the Indiana native. That leaves a predictable script consisting of the two trading takedowns until Oliveira inevitably proves the new reality in MMA: A jack of all trades still needs a trump card.