What to expect from Cage Warriors champion Jai Herbert in the UFC

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Cage Warriors lightweight champion Jai Herbert was announced as the UFC’s latest signing on Tuesday morning. The 31-year-old remarkably becomes the 95th fighter to join the sports leading promotion by way of Cage Warriors.

He’ll face Marc Diakiese in an all-English dust up at UFC London on March 16th at the O2 Arena. Stevie Ray was originally slated to fight “Bonecrusher” in an eagerly anticipated fight, however, he was forced off the card due to injury. The disappointment of that fight falling through has been greatly softened by the UFC quickly making a fight which is just as enthralling.

British fight fans will be happy to see Jai Herbert sign with the UFC. However, many fight fans around the world may not know who he is. So here’s what to expect from the 31-year-old during his UFC debut and beyond.

Elite-Level Striking

“The Black Country Banger”’ fine tunes his skills at Team Renegade in Birmingham, England. One of the most highly regarded gyms in Europe, it is home to the likes of Tom Breese, Leon Edwards and Fabian Edwards. Whilst he has a great all-round game, there’s no denying Herbert prefers to stand up and with good reason. The UFC newcomer has serious skills on the feet and an array of weapons to use. Punches, kicks and knees are all a part of his arsenal, making him almost impossible to deal with during his emergence in Cage Warriors.

Finishing Skills

Not only does Herbert possess great striking ability, he’s also got that killer instinct. In 10 professional wins, he has picked up nine of them by way of stoppage. The Birmingham based fighter is currently riding a six-fight winning streak and has finished all but one of those fights inside the scheduled distance. Although he favours the stand-up game, and most of his finishes come that way, he is no slouch on the floor. Herbert’s gym is primarily a jujitsu school and as you’d expect, he’s one of the best students. His lone submission win came back in 2016, but don’t be too surprised to see him get another at UFC London.

All Out Action

There is one thing we can be sure of when Herbert meets Diakiese is an all-out war. The Cage Warriors 155lb champion is known for putting his foot on the gas from the outset. His opponent will have to react and respond to a ton of different stuff. Expect lots of movement, feints, high output with fast counters, and explosive power from Herbert. For as long as it lasts, it’ll be a seriously fun fight. As will the UFC career of Herbert, who has the ability to go as far as he wants.

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