The UFC continues to bolster its flyweight division with top-level talent, as The Ultimate Fighter 18 Finale plays host to two newcomers at 125.
It was announced that Josh Sampo (10-2) and Ryan Benoit (7-2) have signed with the company and will be fighting on the undercard of the upcoming TUF Finale. That card, of course, takes place on November 30 from Las Vegas and will be headlined by a rubber match between Gray Maynard and Nate Diaz.
Both Benoit and Sampo are top-level fighters who will greatly bolster the 125-pound division. Sampo has spent his recent time as champion in the CFA organization in Florida, while Benoit has been a veteran of the Legacy FC promotion in Texas.
Sampo is a collegiate wrestler training out of St. Charles MMA in Missouri with fellow flyweight and prospective UFC fighter Alp Ozkilic. He has burst on the scene as of late, winning the CFA Flyweight Championship in the process.
The ground fighters resume includes wins over Olympic medalist and Bellator vet Alexis Vila, UFC and WEC vet Antonio Banuelos and respected striker Sam Thao. Five of his 10 career wins come by way of tapout.
Benoit is a striker who has added a nice ground game to his arsenal. He has a wrestling background, but as of late has shown off fast, powerful hands that have put down several opponents.
He is a finisher himself, as “Baby Face” has put down all of his opponents. Six of those seven finishes come by way of stoppage due to strikes.
This will be a very interesting fight, as Sampo is a grappler and Benoit is more of a striker. This will be just Benoit’s second outing at 125, as he resided in the bantamweight division previously.
If Sampo gets a takedown, which he will look for early and often, Benoit could be in a world of trouble. Sampo‘s top game is suffocating and his submission game is fierce.
However, Benoit does have solid takedown defense and dangerous hands. He has the ability to put anybody out if he connects, so obviously he wants to keep this bout vertical.
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