The Cage Warriors alumni will finally make his long-awaited UFC debut. Jake Hadley will take on Allan Nascimento in a flyweight bout. The Brummy fighter was initially scheduled to fight at UFC London in March, but the bout was rescheduled due to an injury. Hoping to prove to fans why he’s worth the wait, Hadley looks to show the world what he’s all about.
Jake “White Kong” Hadley
A regular in the UK regional scene, Hadley started his career fighting with Golden Ticket Fight Promotions. After brief stints in EFC in South Africa and Bellator, Jake found his way to Cage Warriors. Winning both his fights there, he claimed flyweight gold when he defeated Luke Shanks at CW 117.
Now with a lot of hype behind him and riding a 7-0 record, Hadley got a call from the UFC. But before making it into the organisation, “White Kong” needed one more victory at Dana White’s Contender Series. Taking on Mitch Raposo, formerly on TUF. Hadley picked up the win in the second with a super impressive Rear Naked Choke.
Now 8-0, you can see why Dana was so high on signing the 25-year-old. Eight fights and six finishes see Jake produce exciting performances every time he enters the cage. With two KO/TKO’s and four submissions to his name, he mixes it up well and can win in a variety of ways. The Brit is a monster on the ground and has a plethora of submission wins as both an amateur and pro. Looking to take all the hype and excitement and show UFC and fans alike why he was signed, this match-up will be one to watch.
Allan “Puro Osso” Nascimento
His Brazilian counterpart will be 30-year-old Allan Nascimento. Allan also made an appearance on DWCS, but he was unsuccessful. However, just a short while later, he got the call to fight against Tagir Ulanbekov. He lost this fight by a split decision. Despite the loss, Nascimento showed plenty of promise against a top competitor. Looking to bounce back strong, Allan shouldn’t be shot down just because of his debut defeat.
Holding a pro record of 18-6, “Puro Osso” definitely has the edge in experience over Jake Hadley, with 16 more fights than Hadley. Also, as a ground specialist, he has finished 14 of his pro wins by submission. He also holds a sole KO/TKO victory but isn’t known for his striking. Allan has never been finished despite having six losses and has gone to the judges on all six occasions. All three of his last losses have been by split decision showing how close these fights were.
The Fight
With two heavy grapplers, fans can certainly expect at least some submission skills on display. Sometimes two elite ground specialists cancel each other out and can end up in a striking battle. Hadley stands at 5ft 7in with a reach of 68in. His opponent will have a 2in height advantage and a 1.5-inch edge in reach.
Regardless, fans can look forward to a fast-paced Flyweight fight when these two take centre stage. Currently set as the first fight on the main card of Fight Night: Błachowicz vs Rakić, they’ll set the bar high for all those who are following.
Can Hadley get the win in his UFC debut?
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Featured image credits to Embed from Getty Images
