20 UFC Prospects Destined For Big Things In 2020
12. Rodolfo Vieira
Jiu-jitsu legend Rodolfo Vieira originally made his name on the grappling scene, winning gold medals in some of the most prestigious tournaments in the world. So when the Brazilian turned his attention to MMA, there were more than few eyes on him.
So far, the 29-year old has looked very good in his career. In his UFC debut, against fellow grappler Oskar Piechota, Vieira had an impressive showing. Despite Piechota being a pretty good submission artist himself, Vieira showed that he was on a different level as he took him down and finished him with a very tight arm triangle choke.
Like all specialists in one specific style, Vieira has some catching up to do with his striking. However, he's smart enough to know that getting the fight to the floor is where he's got an advantage over everyone else in his weight class. As long as he can get his punches and kicks to a level that his opponents are worried about them, he can have a successful run at 185lb.