Break It Down: Danny Roberts vs. Dominique Steele

UFC fans got their first taste of “Hot Chocolate” back in December of last year when they were treated to a chance to see Danny “Hot Chocolate” Roberts face an MMA veteran, and wrestling specialist in Nathan Coy. Danny pulled off an impressive triangle choke victory from his back, in a show of intelligence and guile that allowed him to showcase his ability to use his diverse skill set to find a way to win.

Danny’s opponent for UFC 197 will be against yet another American wrestler in Dominique Steele (14-6-0), who first came to the organisation in July of last year following a successful career in a host of different regional US promotions. Although Steele lost to Zak Cummings in his first UFC appearance, he returned with such terrible vengeance against Dong Hyun Kim that he can be considered totally redeemed for his first showing. He stunned Kim with a huge slam onto the canvas, and then immediately rendered him unconscious with a series of devastating elbows on the ground. Also at 28-years-old, Steele is primed to make his mark on the 170lb division.

Danny Robert’s most obvious talents lie in his boxing. He throws combinations with real sharpness, speed and power, and strikes a great balance between keeping his opponents at range while also maintaining a high level of offence. As a long, athletic southpaw, he is also capable of breaking up his opponent’s rhythm by permeating his own boxing combinations with powerful inside leg kicks. His style was almost tailor made for his move to the Blackzillians last year, spending long periods of time training with the likes of Michael Johnson, Anthony Johnson, Rashad Evans, and one of the best kick boxers on the planet in Tyrone Spong. All of these guys are known for their explosiveness and athleticism combined with a technical approach to kickboxing, which truly plays to the strengths of Roberts.

In addition to his formidable capabilities on the feet, Danny Roberts has also found a great way to round out his game. While his takedown defence has certainly been an area of focus, he has neglected to put all of his eggs in this basket and instead committed himself to sharpening his submission game from his back to a razor’s edge – as evidenced in the Nathan Coy fight. This isn’t a revolutionary strategy, but a combination of lethal stand up and a ninja-like guard game is hard to develop and few fighters are able to reach proficiency in both.

Getting bogged down in the battle to stay on their feet consumes many great strikers, and the offensive mentality can often disappear. Yet when a fighter has options from their back, they can always have the finish in mind.

Steele presents one main problem – his wrestling. He fits the classic mould of a powerful American wrestler with knockout power, but constantly defers to his wrestling when his cardio begins to fail. He is undoubtedly a special athlete and a problem for anybody that he faces, but the argument could definitely be made that his skill set lacks some diversity. This is not to say that Steele doesn’t have the tools to win, he could most certainly smother Danny if he commits to a game plan and keeps his wits about him in order to avoid submissions. Steele has been around and has undoubtedly faced submission threats in the past. However, as a dangerous striker, much of Danny’s training since the beginning of his introduction to MMA has been dedicated to avoiding such a situation. Steele is dangerous on the feet due to his powerful hands, but he is often reluctant to commit to a striking game plan and will shoot for takedowns when it’s not necessarily appropriate. It remains doubtful whether Steele’s skillset will be enough to stop a special talent like Danny Roberts.

Danny Roberts and Dominique Steele will face off this weekend on the prelims of one of the biggest pay-per-views of the year – UFC 197. This will be a great opportunity for both guys to show what they can do on the big stage, and achieve the breakout performance that they’ve been looking for since the start of their respective UFC careers.

Check out our main card preview HERE.