UFC Vegas 61 Clash: Trinaldo Vs. Brown!

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Welterweight veterans Francisco Trinaldo and Randy Brown will throw down this weekend (Sat., Oct. 1, 2022) at UFC Vegas 61 inside UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Trinaldo is an MMA iron man. He joined the UFC roster at 34 years of age, but that hasn’t stopped him from sticking around for an entire decade and winning 18 fights! The Brazilian simply refuses to slow down, and it’s still a shame he was never adequately rewarded for his career best seven-fight win streak back in 2016. Conversely, Brown seems to be hitting his prime right now. He’s won three in a row, but more importantly, “Rude Boy” really seems to be putting it all together and making the most of his skill set.

Let’s take a closer look at the keys to victory for each man:

Francisco Trinaldo

Record: 28-8
Key Wins: Paul Felder (UFC Fight Night 95), Bobby Green (UFC Fight Night 164), Jim Miller (UFC Fight Night 119), Evan Dunham (UFC Fight Night 137), Ross Pearson (UFC Fight Night 81)
Key Losses: Muslim Salikhov (UFC Vegas 28), Kevin Lee (UFC Fight Night 106), Michael Chiesa (UFC 173)
Keys to Victory: You don’t last on the UFC roster for as long as Trinaldo has without being well-rounded. “Massaranduba” is a very solid wrestler with a punishing top game, but his best attributes remain his kickboxing skill and the power in his left hand.

Though Trinaldo does an admirable job of maintaining his gas tank at 44 years old, he’s still not likely to match Brown’s volume. Given Brown’s reach advantage, Trinaldo doesn’t want to get stuck at the end of a long jab and find himself on the receiving end of punishing combinations.

Therefore, the Southpaw has to close the distance. Given the opposite stance match up, I’d like to see Trinaldo pawing forward with his lead hand, looking to grab Brown’s wrist and tie up that jab hand. If the two are engaged in that violent game of pattycake, Trinaldo stands a fair shot of lining up his heavy left hand.

Until that left lands, Trinaldo should be work with his left kick. Smashing up Brown’s lead leg or liver will slow him down, leaving him more likely to let Trinaldo get close and unleash powerful swings.

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Randy Brown

Record: 15-4
Key Wins: Alex Oliveira (UFC 261), Khaos Williams (UFC 274), Warlley Alves (UFC Fight Night 164), Bryan Barberena (UFC Fight Night 154)
Key Losses: Vicente Luque (UFC Vegas 5), Niko Price (UFC Fight Night 133), Belal Muhammad (UFC 208)
Keys to Victory: At 32 years of age, Brown really seems to have grown into his body and style. He’s fighting with confidence, sticking opponents with hard straight shots and making them deal with his range. On the canvas, Brown is an underrated submission threat from top and bottom position.

Pace has become a weapon for Brown, and it should be in this match up against an older fighter. However, he has a couple options for how to implement that advantage, striking or wrestling.

Brown should keep his eyes open for easy takedown opportunities. If he feels he can trip up Trinaldo from the clinch or catch one of his kicks, great! If Trinaldo’s historically sturdy takedown defense is holding up, however, it’s not worth extended close distance exchanges — that’s where his foe is most dangerous.

More likely, Brown has to establish the jab and frustrate Trinaldo. It’s harder to jab against a Southpaw, but it’s not impossible, especially with an eight inch reach advantage. Given the snap on Brown’s jab and cross, it should only take a few connections to convince Trinaldo not to advance too aggressively.

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Bottom Line

This is an important bout for Randy Brown.

“Rude Boy” is still trying to break into the Top 15, and he’s close. “Massaranduba” isn’t a ranked fighter, but he’s been up there previously and is a well-known commodity. If Brown extends his win streak to four against a fourth solid opponent, he deserves an opportunity to fight up the ladder. He has clear flashes of elite potential, and perhaps 2022 is the year he lives up to it.

As for Trinaldo, his ceiling at 170 lbs. feels fairly established. Trinaldo’s longevity and recent wins are already incredible, but it just isn’t reasonable to expect any kind of title run in his mid-40s! The man is a fan favorite in Brazil and wins more often than not, so his place on the roster looks fairly secure even as “Contender Series” alum so quickly replace many of the sport’s known names.

At UFC Vegas 61, Francisco Trinaldo and Randy Brown will collide in the co-main event. Which man will earn the victory?

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Remember that MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC Vegas 61 fight card right here, starting with the ESPN/ESPN+ “Prelims” matches, which are scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. ET, then the remaining main card balance (on ESPN+) at 7 p.m. ET.

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