Jhonata Diniz is the UFC Vegas 95 fighter to watch

A week before it lands in Perth for a monstrous middleweight title showdown between current champion Dricus Du Plessis and former champion Israel Adesanya, the UFC revisits the UFC APEX on Saturday for UFC Vegas 95, topped by a rematch between mid-ranked heavyweight contenders Marcin Tybura and Serghei Spivac. The two had first met in 2020, with the former claiming a unanimous decision.

Aside from two matchups between ranked bantamweight women in Yana Santos-Chelsea Chandler and Karol Rosa-Pannie Kianzad, the card is light in divisional implications but teeming in potential star-making performances. And speaking of heavyweights and star-making performances, there is one person who stands to make the biggest impression ... Jhonata Diniz.

Kickboxing fans may somewhat recognize the Brazilian, for he has shared the ring with famous Dutchmen Hesdy Gerges and Rico Verhoeven and fought for multiple titles, most notably in what was then Absolute Championship Berkut over the course of a career that began in 2009 and lasted until 2022.

During the same year he ended his kickboxing career, Diniz first took up MMA and dominated in his first three fights, with none of his opponents reaching the second round, let alone the final bell. He would continue this momentum in the first quarter of 2023, defeating his next two foes within the first round. That landed him a spot on Dan White's Contenders Series against compatriot Eduardo Neves.

And once again, he dominated, needing only his fists to get the job done in three minutes and 15 seconds and secure himself a UFC contract. His Octagon debut would come seven and a half months later against another DWCS alum in Austen Lane, better known for being the fourth professional opponent of disgraced NFL defensive end Greg Hardy.

Jhonata Diniz fights Karl Williams at UFC Vegas 95

For the first time in his career, Diniz experienced adversity, surrendering a takedown and being controlled on the ground, meaning that he went past the first round. However, it did not matter, as he eventually thwarted another takedown attempt and knocked out Lane halfway through the second round.

For his sophomore assignment in the Octagon, he draws another DWCS signee in Karl Williams, who has been largely his opposite when it comes to fighting style.

First making his pro debut in 2021, Williams has been a scorecard machine over his 11 fights so far, with only three of his wins (and his only loss) coming within the distance. First earning his contract against Jimmy Lawson, he made his promotional debut against Lukasz Brzeski and put on a workmanlike performance, claiming a unanimous decision. He has since duplicated the result against veterans Chase Sherman and Justin Tafa.

Heavyweight has historically been one of the shallower divisions in the UFC; and only with the departures of the likes of Andrei Arlovski, Fabricio Werdum, Alistair Overeem, and Junior Dos Santos and the concurrent and subsequent rises of the likes of Alexander Volkov, Sergei Pavlovich, Ciryl Gane, and Tom Aspinall has it seen a relative rejuvenation. But with the likes of Derrick Lewis and Marcin Tybura still gatekeeping against new faces to mixed results, more new faces could be used.

Diniz is most likely the more stylistically pleasing prospect to observe, thanks to his penchant for violent knockouts. However, Williams is out to prove that his methodicalness is a more viable way for winning. Either way, their fight will determine who ascends further in the division.