Cole Williams steps in at UFC Newark as a short-notice replacement, taking on Claudio Silva on the card this weekend.
The UFC is coming to Newark, New Jersey this weekend, with UFC on ESPN 5 taking place August 3. The UFC Newark card was scheduled to feature a welterweight bout in Claudio Silva vs. Ramazan Emeev, but that fell through. Emeev would have to pull out due to visa issues. Now Silva will welcome promotional newcomer Cole Williams.
6’0″
Middleweight
35-years-old
Dubuque, Iowa
Chosen Few Gym
11-1
4 KO/TKO
3 Submissions (Arm-triangle, Rear-naked Choke, and Flying Armbar)
How will Williams fare in the UFC:
Cole Williams has a solid record of 11-1 and is on a nine-fight win streak heading into UFC Newark. He hasn’t lost a fight in almost ten years. With that said, he hardly ever fights, averaging maybe one fight a year. He’s 35-years-old as well, and this signing maybe this should have happened two years ago. Williams has fought at welterweight, but in his last two fights he’s been punching up at middleweight (and a catchweight). An educated guess, that’s because of his age, and not wanting to deal with a tedious weight cut.
Now Williams is moving back down to welterweight on short notice, so it will be interesting to see how his cardio will look. Williams is a skilled fighter, well-rounded, and overall a smart guy but his age may get the best of him in the UFC. He’s slowed a bit over the years, and while he remains a good striker, his hand speed isn’t stellar. Williams is also slow when bringing his punches back to guard when throwing, which just opens him up to getting countered. He’s tough, but doesn’t deal well with pressure tending to cover up and let opponents tee off without using footwork or head movement. His cardio is a question as well, as he is always throwing but the heat behind what he’s throwing depletes quickly.
- Striking: C
- Kickboxing: D
- Clinch: C+
- Wrestling: C
- Grappling: D+
- Striking Defense: D
- Takedown Defense: B-
- Cardio: D+
- Biggest Strength: Striking
- Biggest Weakness: Cardio
How Williams matches up with Silva:
Silva is actually the older fighter at 36 but he has been competing at a higher level. Silva has beat the likes of Nordine Taleb, Danny Roberts, and one that’s forgotten about, Leon Edwards. Silva is an ace grappler who will no doubt try to take this fight to the mat. Williams may have some good takedown defense but as the fight goes on he will get weaker, while Silva will be at the same pace. Expect Silva to be a huge favorite and rightfully so as he is the smart pick to win this fight.
