In addition to losing its original main event, UFC Vegas 64 this weekend (Sat., Nov. 5, 2022) inside UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada, features just one fresh face. On this edition of “New Blood,” the series where I venerate any promotion that puts their content on YouTube, we check out a once-beaten, up-and-comer from Brazil.
Tamires “Tratora” Vidal
Weight Class: Bantamweight
Age: 24
Record: 6-1 (2 SUB)
Notable Victories: Quelia Braga, Ailin Perez
Undefeated since falling to current UFC contender Karol Rosa in her second professional fight, Vidal made her way to the LFA cage in March 2022. There, she finished Queila Braga with a heel hook late in the second round to punch her ticket to the Octagon.
I normally like to breakdown fighters piece-by-piece to give the nuances of their game the attention they deserve, but Vidal’s game is shallow enough that I don’t really need to. Outside of the occasional round kick or rare one-two combination, her stand up comprises walking forward and hurling ugly overhand rights in an effort to tie up. From there, she works for the body lock and subsequently looks for one particular outside trip, which also leaves her highly vulnerable to whizzer kicks. She’ll then try to mount for ground-and-pound, and if she loses position or ends up on her back, she tries leg locks.
That’s literally it. It was enough to let her grind out Martina Jindrova, albeit with multiple referee breaks for stalling, but Ailin Perez was demolishing her in every single area of the game before getting disqualified for repeated fouls. While she’s young enough that she still has time to improve, I’m not sure I’d pick her to beat a single UFC Bantamweight.
Opponent: She faces one of the division’s weaker members in Ramona Pascual. As limited as Pascual is, she at least knows how to brutalize people in the clinch and has some functional wrestling, so she should be able to bust up Vidal something fierce.
Tape: Her LFA bout is on Fight Pass.
Remember that MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC Vegas 64 fight card right here, starting with the ESPN+ “Prelims” matches, which are scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. ET, then the remaining main card balance (also on ESPN+) at 7 p.m. ET.
To check out the latest and greatest UFC Vegas 64: “Rodriguez vs. Lemos” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here.