Bantamweight, Colby Thicknesse (1-0)
Pros
- Submission threat
- Slick jiu-jitsu
- Good movement
- Strong wrestling
- Good ground and pound
Cons
- Deceptive to leg kicks
- Will sit in the pocket too long
Thicknesse is only 22-years-old but has a lot going for him already. As an amateur, he was the IMMAF-WMMAA Oceania Open Champion. He’s a main teammate of UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski. Thicknesse was also a coach on Team Volkanovski as part of TUF 29. He’s only 1-0 as a pro but went 8-1 as an amateur and the fight he lost he arguably won.
Not a lot worries me early on about Thicknesse other than minor things. In his sole loss, he took a lot of damage to his legs. He never really checked any kicks. It was visibly hurting him but he powered through. Thicknesse will let guys come to him in the pocket and will cover up then throw. He’ll sling in the pocket and as his hands are sharp he tends to trade more than he should.
Thicknesse excels on the mat and his wrestling may not match but it’s definitely looked improved. In the clinch, a lot of his takedowns come from the body lock. He’s good at utilizing trips and upper body takedowns. He will shoot from the outside but it’s when he can get in tight where he gets the takedowns. Thicknesse, between his pro and amateur careers, has four submissions and all come by rear-naked choke. His grappling is slick and although he can be too aggressive at times, he can adapt from anywhere.
Thicknesse obviously is still green and being in the bantamweight division it’s sink or swim. With Thinknesse the potential is there but we will need a few more years to see how he develops. The good thing is he’s still very young and has a decent amount of experience. Overall he needs a lot more experience to give a good read on his future.
