Rousimar Palhares Expected to Sign with the UFC

Rousimar "Toquinho" Palhares was the center of attention at the Fury FC show on December 7th of last year. In fact, the stakes were much higher than many casual fans who didn’t watch the event may have known. On the line was the Fury FC Middleweight championship, the potential for a Brazilian Top Team vs. Chute Box showdown in the Final, a bet between Mario Sperry of BTT and Rudimar of Chute Box for a Toyota Land Cruiser SUV, and the pride and respect gained from defeating a rival camp in the heart of Brazil. Most importantly, the event was being streamed live by ProElite and was a chance for “Toquinho” to show fans worldwide of his dominance in the Brazilian MMA scene. He did not disappoint.

Palhares crushed the competition by showcasing a submission grappling game that looked eerily familiar to that of fellow Brazilian Paulo Filho. “Toquinho” looked as if he had broken Fabio Negao's leg or ankle with a brutal ankle or leg lock in his first match of the night.

He backed up that performance by crushing Daniel Acacio of Chute Box with a nearly identical performance. With strong physical attributes and a great jiu-jitsu base, he could prove to be the next Paulo Filho type submission grappler. Submission technique coupled with absolute power can never be counted out of a fight. Ask Chael Sonnen.

The UFC is expected to sign the Middleweight prospect to help bolster a weak talent pool in the division. Palhares could very well be an answer to the question as to who can ascend to the top and actually give the top spots a run for their money. Although he only has 8 fights professionally, “Toquinho” has displayed some awesome power and skill. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Palhares run through some of the striking talent in the division with ease.

Although we haven’t seen him in the cage yet, it should be noted that “Toquinho” will be a force in the division if he comes to the UFC. The Middleweight division in the UFC right now is fairly weak toward the bottom, and Palhares could move quickly through the ranks before running into contender talent like Okami or Franklin. One thing is for certain, I will be watching Palhares closely. He was too impressive in his Fury FC wins to discount his skills.

Source: www.ufcdaily.com