Flyweight, Rio Tirto (8-0) vs. Aaron Tau (9-1)
Rio Tirto
-N/A
-Low volume
-Poor clinch work
-Telegraph his takedowns
-Poor jiu-jitsu
-Slows as the fight goes
-Doesn’t deal well with pressure
When evaluating fighters coming from One Pride MMA, expectations should be tempered—and unfortunately, that applies to Tirto. His record appears padded, and possibly even influenced by questionable judging. In his last fight, I thought he clearly lost, yet the judges gave him the win.
I struggled to find much to like about his skill set. He has an overhand right and some wrestling ability, but both are highly telegraphed. His cage wrestling is particularly weak; he gets backed up easily and can be controlled in the clinch. Even when he secures takedowns, he shows little ability to advance positions. Defensively, he’s vulnerable to sweeps and frequently gives up his back without much resistance.
Aaron Tau
Pro:
-Power hooks
-Good step in knees
-Good pocket striker
-Credible wrestling
-Heavy ground and pound
-Physically strong
Cons:
-Flat-footed
-Hands too low/wide
-Struggles at range
Tau fought on last season’s Contender Series and had an underwhelming performance. I suppose the matchmakers were drawn to his toughness, relentless pressure, and maybe even his face tattoo, giving him another shot. But anyone who has watched his tape can see that he’s not a high-level MMA fighter. He’s the kind of guy you wouldn’t want to run into in a dark alley—but in an MMA cage, the odds aren’t in his favor.
His style, combined with his smaller frame, makes it difficult for him to find success. He moves forward but in straight lines, and his best chance to win is by turning fights into gritty, close-quarters brawls. Unfortunately, his physical and technical limitations hold him back from competing at a higher level.
Prediction: It feels wrong to be confident in Tau, but I am. Tirto simply doesn’t have the tools to exploit Tau’s weaknesses. He’s essentially the same level of opposition Tau has been beating, just with a more polished record. I see Tau walking him down, controlling the fight in the clinch, and breaking him down. My pick is Tau by TKO.
