Middleweight: Maki Pitolo vs. Justin Sumter
Tale of the Tape
Maki Pitolo
28-years-old
5’10”
73.5″ Reach
Nanakuli, Hawaii
West Oahu MMA
11-4
Justin Sumter
29-years-old
6’2″
78″ reach
Springfield, Massachusetts
Fighting Arts Academy
7-2
Pros and Cons
Maki Pitolo
Pros
- Good ground-and-pound
- Aggressive and a fast starter
- Useful feints
- Effective double-leg takedown technique
- Good output with his hands
- Very tough
- Good wrestling
Cons
- Takes a lot of damage
- Head movement needs a lot of work
- Chin is shaky
- Too willing to brawl
Justin Sumter
Pros
- Explosive
- Good leg kicks
- Solid wrestling
- Good knees
Cons
- Questionable chin
- Leaves head on the center line
- Cardio needs work
Who has the Advantage?
Striking: Pitolo
Speed: Pitolo
Knockout Power: Pitolo
Chin: Pitolo
Kickboxing: Sumter
Footwork: Pitolo
Wrestling: Pitolo
Grappling: Sumter
Submissions: Even
Cardio: Pitolo
Prediction
A hard fight to call as there isn’t much footage on Sumter. Sumter did fight last summer on the Contender Series against a now top middleweight, Ian Heinisch. Sumter did get finished in that fight, but up until that finish, Sumter was winning with his takedowns and back control. It’s an interesting fight as both are good fun fighters who both have some flaws. The lean is toward Pitolo because I think he could use his wrestling and make it a brawl on the feet. Pitolo is a dangerous and accurate striker in the pocket and I expect him to utilize that with his aggression. It may be difficult for Pitolo to get takedowns as Sumter is a bigger guy. As the fight goes on, Pitolo gets better and I see the cardio of Sumter wearing.
Next: Jonathan Pearce vs. Jacob Rosales
