It will be interesting to see if Stamann can make another charge up
a loaded bantamweight division. His UFC debut was a bit of an
afterthought in 2017, as “The Spartan” did not come in with much
hype attached, but he quickly created his own momentum with
decision wins over uber-prospect Tom
Duquesnoy and ranked veteran Bryan
Caraway. Stamann then ran into Aljamain
Sterling and hit a bit of ceiling. His stocky frame makes him
reliant on his wrestling, and with his lack of finishing ability,
he has found himself neutralized against better athletes that can
stuff his takedowns. After a 2020 loss to Jimmie
Rivera, Stamann was also the victim of some rough matchmaking,
as he drew the short straw to face Merab
Dvalishvili and Said
Nurmagomedov in what turned out to be their breakout wins.
Those are all understandable losses, but a three-fight skid is a
three-fight skid, so Stamann badly needed a victory heading into
his June bout against Eddie
Wineland. It was a result Stamann got and did so by scoring a
knockout in just 59 seconds for the first finish of his UFC career.
Stamann did show some newfound aggression, so while the quick
nature of the fight is likely due to Wineland being at the end of
his career, he can carry some improvements into this fight against
a newcomer in Lacerda. With an occasionally inactive pro career
that dates back to 2012, Brazil’s Lacerda is seasoned enough to hit
the ground running in his UFC career, and a look at his record
tells the story: He is quite reliant on his grappling skill and
finding a path to a fight-ending submission. That is the main
danger for Stamann, who should find some success on the feet
despite a considerable size disadvantage. While Lacerda has a long
reach and some decent ideas, he is still quite stiff and hittable.
That could be enough for Stamann to score an early knockout if his
newfound power is for real, but even beyond that, the bet is that
the American can stay safe against Lacerda’s aggressive grappling
game and score some damage and control. The pick is Stamann via
decision.
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