The Severe Spotlight: Jack Shore

The Severe Spotlight takes a look at Jack Shore’s UFC Vegas 36 performance.

UFC Vegas 36 has rumbled through the Vegas desert. A vast array of storylines left in its wake. The Severe Spotlight will look to pick up a fighter, or a performance that is worth putting the spotlight on. This week’s spotlight is blindingly shining on the Welsh standout; Jack “Tank” Shore.

The Welshman improved his record to 15-0, (5-0 UFC) with a win over late notice Ukrainian replacement Liudvik Sholinian (9-1-1). Shore has been quietly building himself into a fantastically well-rounded fighter, and that was on full display on Saturday night.

Shore won the contest 30-27, a clean sweep of dominant rounds. Round 1 Jack displayed his growing arsenal on the feet. He throws most of his strikes from an orthodox stance, however switches to a square stance or a southpaw stance when exiting the pocket or circling off. That’s intelligent as the counters to an orthodox combination are not the same when the fighter changes to southpaw. He caught a Sholinian kick, taking him down with a trip and ending in closed guard. Working his methodical passing game and eventually ended up looking for a head and arm choke that he chose to abandon due to the proximity of the cage, not allowing for the necessary mechanics to finish the choke. Awareness and intelligence.

Round 2 he continued to show off his array of striking, low kicks, well timed body kicks, a strong jab, uppercuts when his opponent ducks into shots, check left hooks. The reserve broomstick takedown at the start of this round was beautiful. Ducking under a left hook, coming out the back door to secure the back bodylock, using his outside leg to force the Ukrainian to the fence, and taking away the base of the standing leg is high level grappling.

Round 3 was more of the same, though in this round the grappling and striking amalgamated very fluidly. Takedowns to setup strikes from the break, strikes to setup re-entrances to takedown attempts. Striking from the break of wrestling clinch situations, on commentary Michael Bisping made a point to note that Jack is extremely good at taking any intelligent chance he gets to land and that was on full display here.

A full display of MMA came from Jack Shore on Saturday. In his post-fight interview, he called for a fight with a top-15 ranked Bantamweight. It is hard to argue against him deserving one.

Who would you like to see him fight in his next outing?