Lightweight, Justin Montalvo (5-0)
Pros
- Good jab
- Excellent bodywork
- Scrambles well
Cons
- A bit too slow
- Swings too wide
- Suspect TDD
- Gives up his back too easy
- No head movement
As an amateur Montalvo fought as a welterweight. Since turning pro, he’s moved down to lightweight where he’s performed better and his record proves that. His last two fights have been under the Bellator banner and he looked good in those fights.
His bodywork is as good as it comes and Montalvo actually goes to the body more than the head. Montalvo throws wide looping punches but it’s effective when going to the body as it’s hard to defend. What hurts him is a lack of power but he is relentless to the body. When he’s attacking the body as much as he does the opening to the head is bigger and bigger. In back-to-back fights, he’s shown that if he can’t finish early he will take the wind out of you as the fight goes on.
There are more glaring holes than good qualities, unfortunately. As good as his bodywork is, swinging too wide is just asking to get countered. He’s not the fastest guy nor light on his feet, so he’s not hard to hit. Not to mention that his head movement is stuck in the same spot. The striking defense does lack and his grappling defense isn’t much better. Montalvo defends takedown really well but turns away and gives up his back. He does that quite often and lucky for him he’s not fought a good grappler yet.
Montalvo is still a young guy so he has time to improve in some areas. As of right now with too many deficiencies you can’t be too excited going forward. I mean that in a progression way and not as an entertaining way. If anything Montalvo is always going to be an enjoyable fighter to watch.
