There is a wealth of MMA talent emerging from Brazil each and every year. The South American nation is one of the long-standing hot spots of the sport, thanks to former and current champions like Royce Gracie, Anderson Silva, Jose Aldo, and now Amanda Nunes and Deiveson Figueiredo. Two months into 2021, Brendo Bispo is an underrated prospect who is destined to have his breakout year.
Tale of the Tape
Fighting out of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
Age: 27
Weight class: Lightweight
Height: 5’8”
Training out of Chute Boxe Diego Lima
Record: 17-4
11 KO/TKO’s, 5 Submissions’
Pros
- Heavy ground and pound/Fight-stopping
- Heavy leg kicks
- Solid jab jab
- Good elbows
- Underrated wrestling/grappling
Cons
- Questionable TDD
- Flat-footed
- Lack of head movement
Striking/Kickboxing: A
Bispo is a fearsome striker. He has the speed, technique, and power to be a real problem. The Brazilian is a tight-knit fighter with a high guard always keeping his hands up and staying with a very technical style. Bispo fights behind a textbook jab and throws with distinguished tight straight punches. The leg kicks is a big weapon for Bispo. He puts everything into his hips when he fires them and when they connect you can tell he has a lot of power. At times, Bispo will be a little more hazardous throwing flying knees, spinning attacks, and more but is cunning in his attack. You can really see the Chute Boxe style Bispo possesses.
Movement: C
The movement of Bispo is a little stationery. Being a fighter that plants his feet most of the time to generate as much power as possible, he’s not going to be too light on his feet. So far, it hasn’t been an issue for Bispo.
Clinch: B+
In the clinch, at least in the times Bispo has been there, he has shown to be really strong. He does a good job controlling against the cage. He frames off well and attacks with short punches, knees, and elbows.
Wrestling: B
Billed more of a striker, Bispo has some underrated wrestling. He has opponents worry so much about his abilities on the feet that when he shoots it catches them off guard. Bispo is nearly 100% when committing on takedowns. He cuts the corner well once he gets in on the legs and is able to adjust and get the fight down. I’m not sure what level his wrestling is at exactly, but for a secondary weapon, it’s pretty good.
Grappling: B
Bispo has some underrated grappling but more and more he has shown it in each fight. He holds five submissions on his record capturing four different submission types. He is super smooth in his transitions and finds dominant positions with ease. The ground and pound he puts on display is heavy, it’s active, it’s rapid, and most importantly it’s fight-ending. All-around he’s a dangerous guy on the mat.
Cardio: B
Bispo has a lot of first-round finishes and has only gone the distance once. Of the footage available it doesn’t look like his cardio is an issue.
Defense: C+
As I said above his footwork is stationary and flat-footed most of the time. With that said, his movement has never been an issue resulting in him getting in any trouble. Bispo has been taken down before but his overall takedown defense is still up in the air. The biggest concern I have with Bispo is the lack of head movement. He doesn’t get hit too often but when he’s pressed backward his head sits on the centerline.
Overall: B
I’ve known of Bispo for a long time but once I took the time to watch his footage I was even more impressed. He’s a sharp striker that produces a lot of power and a great deal of explosiveness. If he’s not getting it done with his hands he will with his kicks with thudding power. If the technical prowess of Bispo isn’t enough he has good wrestling and is solid on the mat. He can pound you out to a TKO finish or sub you at any point. Bispo is still young and is someone I really like. He needs to be talked about more because he is one of Brazil’s best prospects which means a lot.
