Hopes were high for Jenkins to show out as the next top Australian
prospect heading into his 2022 fight on Dana White’s Contender
Series, but the performance itself was a mixed bag. Jenkins did
earn a late finish and a UFC contract, but it was a surprisingly
wrestling-heavy showing that was a bit ugly to watch. Jenkins looks
to be a well-rounded fighter with some solid physical strength, but
he does not appear to have a ton of explosiveness to his offense,
which could make for some wars of attrition as he attempts to work
his way up the featherweight ladder. He gets a sneakily tough test
in Don
Shainis, who looks to rebound from an extremely disappointing
UFC debut. The Massachusetts native has put his time in on the
regional scene, working behind an impressively persistent approach
focused on marching forward in search of a takedown. Shainis got a
particularly tough ask in his UFC debut, stepping on late notice
against Sodiq
Yusuff, but the hope was that he could at least impress in a
loss. Instead, Yusuff found a guillotine choke for the win in just
30 seconds. It would be impressive if Jenkins replicated something
like that, but the UFC newcomer should be able to win an ugly
fight. He looks capable of neutralizing Shainis’ wrestling and
should separate himself as the much more consistent striker over
the course of three rounds. The pick is Jenkins via decision.
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