Don'Tale Mayes vs. Ricardo Prasel
For the third season in a row, Mayes gets a shot to win a UFC contract on DWCS. In the first season, “Kong” fell to Allen Crowder via third-round TKO. He was victorious over Mitchell Sipe in the second season but was not impressive enough in the back-and-forth blood-filled match to be rewarded with employment in the premier MMA organization. The third time for Mayes is likely his last shot to be brought into the UFC. The Contender Series veteran is a massive heavyweight, standing 6-foot-6 and tipping the scales at 265 pounds. The 27-year-old is a good athlete who uses his pure power to overcome his lack of technique. He does have solid footwork, as he likes to switch stances and pick apart his opponents from distance. The former Hoosier Fight Club heavyweight champion keeps his hands low and fires off strikes from weird angles, though the lack of technique saps some of his power. His uppercut might be his most dangerous strike. His kicking game is also quite strong. He has shown great dexterity in his legs, allowing him to fire off kicks at all levels. Mayes works best when he is coming forward, as he does not like to fight backing up. The Bronx Hill MMA product is a former Indiana and Kentucky state champion in judo but has not displayed much in the takedown department. In fact, his takedown defense remains a significant weakness in his game. He has been taken down in the past while overreaching to land a potential knockout blow. On his back, Mayes likes to use his long legs to toss up triangle attempts. By far the biggest knock on Mayes is his cardio. The talented fighter slows down often in the fight and will need to improve on that area if he wants to excel in the UFC.
It is difficult to give a proper assessment of Prasel because of the limited amount of film available on him. The Brazilian is a former professional soccer player who served as goalkeeper for Chelsea. Since turning to MMA, “Alemao” has compiled a 10-1 professional record, with eight wins by way of submission. His sole loss came via decision to current Professional Fighters League standout Ante Delija under the Rizin Fighting Federation banner in May 2018. The 29-year-old is a gigantic heavyweight at 6-foot-7. Though he has long arms and legs and has some professional kickboxing experience, he has shown practically nothing in the standup department in his MMA bouts. The Brazilian looks to shoot immediately on his opponents’ hips to take them down, at which point he can flash his world-class Brazilian jiu-jitsu. The former soccer player has the ability to catch a submission from every position. Some of his best submissions come when he rolls for a leg and looks to catch a toe hold or heel hook. If he fails to get his opponent down, he will pull guard. While he does have some great submissions and sweeps off his back, Prasel can be a little too comfortable allowing his opponent to rack up points if he cannot find the fight-ending hold.
Mayes has an enormous advantage on the feet and could easily touch Prasel’s chin and leave him unconscious. Prasel is going to need to survive the early part of the fight, but if he can drag it into deeper waters, Mayes should gas again, resulting in his becoming increasingly sloppy in the grappling exchanges. Once Mayes leaves a limb open for an attack, the Brazilian will jump at the opportunity and net a second-round submission. The stoppage will also grant Prasel entrance into the UFC.
Next Fight » Villareal vs. Osbourne