Welcome to the UFC: Jack Shore

Jack Shore
Jack Shore Credit: Cage Warriors

Jack Shore will make his UFC debut as the odds-on favorite against Nohelin Hernandez at UFC Copenhagen this weekend.

The UFC is coming to Copenhagen, Denmark on September 28 at the Royal Arena. The card is now finalized with surging middleweight contenders doing battle in Jack Hermansson vs. Jared Cannonier in the headliner. Thirteen bouts are confirmed, with one of those being the debut of Welshman Jack Shore. Shore will be taking on America’s Nohelin Hernandez (10-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC).

5’9″
Bantamweight
24-years-old
Abertillery, Blaenau Gwent, UK
Tillery Combat MMA Academy
11-0
5 KO/TKO
6 Submissions (5 Rear-naked Choke, 1 Armbar)

How will Shore fare in the UFC:

The UK scene is loaded with talent and Jack Shore is one of a few fighters that really stand out. Shore has made a name for himself beating solid competition the later half of his career and winning the Cage Warriors title in the process. Shore is a primary grappler who is very tactical once he gets the fight on the mat. He’s really dominant once on top as his ability to get dominant positions is effortless. The positional grappling is excellent where he will use wrist control to move into better positions and stay heavy on top.

Some of Shore’s best work is his ground and pound, where he will mix in some elbows. He will use that GNP to set up his submissions. On the feet, he is still progressing but of what he’s shown he’s pretty solid. He throws good combinations leading with his hands and then going to the body. He does do a good job throwing to the body often mixing it up well. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly how good he is on the feet because he gets it to the mat so quick. His wrestling is solid and most of his takedowns are from the clinch, frequently trip takedowns. He has been taken down himself a few times but has used wrist control and the butterfly guard to reverse back to his feet. Future prediction: Top 15

How Shore matches up with Hernandez:

Hernandez is a good fighter that deserves to fight in the UFC but fighting Marlon Vera in his debut and now Shore is a tough test. This is a striker vs. grappler match-up; if the grappler in Shore gets the fight to the mat he likely finds the finish. The path to victory for Hernandez is to keep the fight standing. Hernandez is very technical always throwing in combinations of up to three or more strikes. He has a solid jab and does a good job at slipping punches and landing counters. It feels like Hernandez has an advantage on the feet but Shore can at least compete with him based on the glimpses he’s shown. On the other hand, Hernandez has lost twice by rear-naked choke and that is exactly what Shore is good at. The pick is Shore but the odds are close enough the Hernandez would not be a huge upset.