Prior to each UFC card, Jay Primetown takes a close look at debuting fighters. In the latest installment, we look at Mexican bantamweight Jose Quinones as he takes on Alejandro Perez in the TUF Latin America bantamweight final at UFC 180. Jose “Teco” Quinones Hometown: Zacatecas, Mexico Age: 24 Height: 5’8” Weightclass: Bantamweight Camp: Jackson’s MMA Career Record: 10-1 Key Wins: Alejandro Perez Key Losses: None Background The Mexican bantamweight is 10-1 in his career. He appeared on TUF Latin America winning his first fight by knockout and his second bout by decision to make the finals. Quinones has been training at Jackson’s MMA along with other Mexican fighters. Strengths
- Decent foot movement
- Boxing technique is fluid with a nice jab
- Has good pop in his right hand
- Aggressive on the feet and will look for the finish
- Offensive wrestling is an improving strength
- Chin is solid
Weaknesses
- Takedown defense needs work
- Over aggression leads him into positions where he can be taken down
- Transitions are a bit sloppy and can result with him losing position
- Ground game needs work as striking not as effective as it can be
Matchup with Alejandro Perez These two fighters had previously fought with Quinones taking a decision win. Quinones has some clear advantages in this matchup. For one, he’s the bigger, more athletic fighter. Quinones is the type of guy that can use his physical strength to wear down an opponent. He’s sort of like a bully in that regard. Second, he’s the much better striker. Quinones is pretty good with both hands. He has a decent jab which he combines well with an overhand right. In his previous matchup with Perez, Quinones scored multiple knockdowns. While they were only flash knockdowns, they still resulted in opportunities for Teco to get on top and score with some strikes in top control. In each of those situations, Perez didn’t even see the right handing coming. Quinones’ has pretty quick hands and they will give Perez a lot to deal with on Saturday night. If Perez is to win this fight, he needs to rely upon Teco being over aggressive. When Teco pushes forward, there will be opportunities for Perez to duck down and go for takedowns to get top position in the fight. If Perez is forced into an elongated standup exchange, it won’t be a good night for him. Ultimately, expect more of the same that we saw in their first matchup. Teco will win the standing exchanges, while the ground game will be a bit of a wash as both fighters should get top position throughout the fight. Perez isn’t a fighter who will be able to threaten with submissions and would need to score with prolonged top control to win the bout. In the end, the striking advantage will be the major difference to give Quinones the win either via stoppage or decision and to become the TUF Latin America winner. UFC Ceiling Teco Quinones has a pretty good skill set. On the feet he has decent pop in his hands with good technique. Solid footwork combined with a decent chin will make him a tough fighter to finish in stand-up exchanges. Furthermore, he shows a bit of a well-rounded game with underrated offensive wrestling. What he needs to improve upon is simply controlling fights better. He’s too aggressive on the feet which put him in situations where he easily can be taken to the ground. His ground game really needs work as his submission game is still rather rudimentary. His ability to defend submissions is also a total unknown. Training at Jackson’s MMA is a good start, but for him to make any noise in the bantamweight division, he’ll need to work on his ground game. If his progression is stagnant, he’ll be a similar fighter to Edwin Figueroa. Fight Film Check out Jose Quinones in some of his recent fights: Jose Quinones vs. Alejandro Perez
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