“Poster Boy” Jimi Manuwa improved his UFC record to 3-0 with yet another TKO win on home soil at UFC Fight Night 30 on Saturday, this time over former Maximum Fighting Championship standout Ryan Jimmo.
Jimmo made honest attempts to drain Manuwa’s energy by posting him up against the cage, but even with his back to the fence, Manuwa attacked with knees to the leg. Despite catching a few shots inside, he dominated the fight with his striking—from leg kicks to calculated punches—and appeared en route to a dominant unanimous-decision win.
Did Jimmo try to make it a one-sided bout by posting Manuwa against the cage from the onset? Yes, he did, but Manuwa still delivered a much higher output on the feet, though both men showed solid takedown defense.
Still, like most Manuwa bouts, this one ended after the effects of his power strikes caused Jimmo to blow out one of his knees. At first glance, it looked like a freak accident, considering that Jimmo did not crumple from Manuwa’s early output, but taking the leg strikes into account, Poster Boy did indeed force Jimmo’s leg to give out.
This now causes the MMA world to ask if anyone can stop the now 14-0 Manuwa’s ascent or at least survive his striking game long enough to expose a flaw in his game. Right now, only a step up in competition will allow us to see where the undefeated Manuwa still needs work, if he does at all.
How big of a step up does he need? It depends on what kind of opponent should face him next.
A variety of styles makes the UFC light heavyweight division one of the sport’s most must-see weight classes. Whether he draws a vaunted striker like Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, a wrestler like Ryan Bader or anyone with the cardio to take him into Round 3, he will get tested as much as Jimmo tried testing him, if not more.
As for the win over Jimmo, it keeps Manuwa’s momentum alive. Whether it puts him in dark-horse territory remains in question, but he will get to that point in time. As long as he continues to improve his skill set, he can expect to go a long way as one of the top light heavyweight prospects in the sport right now.
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