CW73 Bruno Machado 18-9 BRA in UAE vs Brentin Mumford 11-9 AUS
One of the promotional greats, Machado reads his opponents very well and adjusts his in-fight strategy with a developed risk/reward judgment ability. But we never get a chance to see his outstanding Jiu-Jitsu because he often gets it done with his striking, in fact, his last submission finish was five years ago with the title-winning anaconda that finished Mike Santiago. His last three fights with us were all finishes with the fists and it is ominous for his future opponents that he continues to look sharper as the years advance, looking particularly on another level against Garagorri last October where he admitted that he may have retired a tad too early when he was the champion in ‘23. His comeback has been spectacular and it is perhaps the lack of a golden burden that has freed-up his mental approach to the fight game which has been to the benefit of fight fans everywhere and perhaps to the detriment of an Aussie newcomer.
Brentin Mumford comes from the cyclone, bushfire and flood-hit town of Lismore in rural New South Wales. A standup style where he is happy to stand and trade disguises a good ground game, though admittedly his defence on the canvas has been getting leakier. With plenty of first-round knockouts on his record courtesy of his Muay Thai experience and training camps in Phuket, he does his Jiu-Jitsu on the Gold Coast where he is mostly based with black belt Miles Muecke. A true veteran of Australian MMA he has already intimated he is heading toward the tailend of his career at 38 years of age but remains highly dangerous and motivated with the experience of a seasoned campaigner and a deep gas tank.
Machado is hitting a golden streak of performances and continues to wear his heart on his sleeve every time, but Mumford is heading into enemy territory to cap a legacy with one last hurrah and nothing to lose. The Aussie has the durability to survive Caviera’s early onslaught and the power to cause a massive upset but may struggle technically with the Brazilians speed and movement as have many in the past. And with Amru Magomedov now moving to PFL and a vacant lightweight title suddenly up in the air, the divisional implications have just changed completely!
