Preview: DWCS Season 3, Episode 8

Brok Weaver vs. Devin Smyth

Weaver is a Native American who has appeared in the Titan Fighting Championship and Island Fights organizations. He holds a 13-4 professional MMA record and has competed in both professional boxing and bareknuckle boxing. He was scheduled to fight on the first event of the third season of DWCS, but his opponent Shahbazyan was removed from the contest due to a weight-cutting issue He is surging, having won his last six fights. Weaver has fought at lightweight and welterweight throughout his career but will be battling in the larger weight class in this bout. “Chata Tuska” is a southpaw who is known for his striking. The 27-year-old throws fast punches, which he sets up with feints and by grabbing at his opponent’s hands. He works behind a snapping jab and a right hook. In the past, Weaver has shown too much patience and not thrown enough strikes -- a tendency that has made him less-than-scintillating to watch. He has exhibited a little more urgency with his pressure of late and put on much better performances as a result. Weaver’s good head movement makes him hard to hit, but he does not handle pressure well, often backing straight to the cage. The Alabama native will attempt takedowns and is a serviceable submission threat, but his strength lies on the feet.

Smyth dropped his first professional fight but has recovered well, winning his next nine. In his last match, he moved up to middleweight and captured the Total Warrior Combat title. Now back to his normal weight class at 170 pounds, the 24-year-old is ready to show he has what it takes to shine under the bright lights of the UFC. He is an experienced fighter, as he had his first unsanctioned amateur bout at just 14 years old. Smyth, who is the godson of UFC hall of famer Rashad Evans, is a well-rounded martial artist. The Michigan native likes to use his elusive footwork to constantly keep his opponent guessing about when he will attack. He likes to switch stances but does perform better from the orthodox position. He is a serviceable boxer but makes the mistake of hanging his hands low. His fast kicks are the best part of his striking arsenal. “The Prodigy” will attack all areas of the body with them and loves to throw the spinning wheel kick. He can sometimes be drawn into a brawl, throwing caution to the wind while trying to land massive strikes. Smyth is a good wrestler. He shows his considerable strength by getting on his opponents’ hips, lifting them into the air and slamming them to the canvas. He has shown great athleticism with his ability to defend takedowns. His ground-and-pound is the best aspect of his grappling game, as he packs some serious power in his relentless attacks. Opponents who sleep on his Brazilian jiu-jitsu do so at their own peril, as he has five submission victories on his record. The biggest area of concern for Smyth is his cardio. His lone loss was a byproduct of his emptying his gas tank in the first half of the match.

Weaver is the superior boxer, but he must get past Smyth’s kicks to land his own shots. However, when he moves into that range, it leaves him open for Smyth’s takedowns. The Michigan native has spoken in interviews about the great advantage he has on Weaver on the ground, so expect to see Smyth set up his takedowns with kicks from the outside. He will land at least one takedown in each round on his way to a unanimous decision, but his inability to finish costs him his opportunity at a UFC contract.

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