UFC Vegas 48 had the octagon back in the Apex this Saturday for a 12-fight card. The main event sees Johnny Walker versus Jamahal Hill in a pivotal light heavyweight clash. The card took a lot of hits, with a total of six fights lost. Bantamweight Mario Bautista was supposed to fight Khalid Taha, but Taha withdrew. Now, Contender Series 2019 veteran Jay Perrin has signed with the UFC and takes this fight on short notice.
Jay “Savage” Perrin
Standing at 5’7″
Fighting at 135 lbs (bantamweight)
28-years-old
Hudson, New Hampshire, US
Training out of Sityodtong Boston
A pro record of 10-4
4 Submission, 2 KO/TKOs
What to expect from Perrin in the UFC:
Perrin is actually slightly underrated. Even though his fight on the Contender Series in 2019 wasn’t that great, he usually performs much better. And all that said he arguably won that fight. Since that loss he’s won his next two fights and won the CES bantamweight title. Perrin started off his pro career at 3-3 and now he’s 7-1 in his last eight.
Perrin is more of a wrestler and grappler but can hold his own striking. He’s not someone to stop someone by strikes but is efficient with his hands. Perrin has a good jab and throws to the body and goes up high always changing it up. His striking sets up his takedowns and that’s why always before shooting, you can expect to see some punches. Perrin does a fine job disguising his takedowns behind subtle combinations instead of blitzing in.
In terms of wrestling, in getting the fight to the mat Perrin does well. The guys he’s taking down aren’t exactly top tier but from the set-ups and cutting corners he does a lot more than most. Perrin has four submissions and all four came by rear-naked choke. He very easily takes the back in scrambles. About every time Perrin gets the fight down he’s working to take the back.
I can’t say his wrestling is high-level because nothing would suggest that. But he is someone that can take down a lot of guys in the UFC. Perrin himself isn’t the easiest guy to take down, but he has never fought a solid wrestler. On the feet, he lacks bantamweight speed and a lot of these UFC bantamweights are going to get off on him before he gets anything going. Perrin has decent striking defense but checking leg kicks he has issues with. A good kickboxer will definitely make it tough for Perrin.
Overall, most might not expect much of Perrin but he is at least fringe UFC level. I don’t think he will ever be close to a ranked bantamweight but can be in a lot of these fights. He’s someone that, if you bet on him, he will fight for your money. Perrin is a grinder with a solid gas tank and that will win him fights.
How he matches up with Bautista:
The two losses Bautista has in the UFC are to top contender Cory Sandhagen and Trevin Jones, who he was beating up until the finish. Bautista is going to take it to Perrin on the feet and probably won’t shy away from grappling exchanges. Both are kind of similar in the grappling department. Although I see Perrin having an advantage wrestling, Bautista isn’t someone he’s going to consistently take down. Where Bautista is going to win this fight is on the feet with forward pressure and more output. This fight could very well be a scrap and I just think Bautista is slightly better everywhere.
