A drill never stops; it only slows down momentarily. Stan “The Drill” Dorsainvil truly embodies his namesake. The 26-year-old lightweight continues to hit his stride at the right time, exponentially improving as he compounds in mental and physical maturity. Making his professional debut in January of 2023, he has had a few years to round into form while still having plenty of road left ahead of him. While he is technically a BJJ specialist, he possesses a 76-inch reach, which has lent itself quite nicely to his striking profile. Riding a nine-fight win streak, including an unblemished 5-0 professional record, Dorsainvil has fought for the LFA, XFC, AFL, and more. With four of five pro victories coming via finish, and three of those four being round one submissions, there’s plenty to like about Stan the man. After about a year and a half of layoff, Dorsainvil dispatched Dan Holt last month with relative ease and may find himself lined up for an LFA title fight shortly. He has only improved with the time off, and his physical gifts, finishing rate, and grappling pedigree mean he deserves a spot for prospects to watch.
Dorsainvil’s reach and long limbs make him a serpent on the ground, and a spider on the feet. “The Drill” is a perfect nickname for him, as he emphasizes pressure right out of the gate. His jab, oblique kick, and push kick work well to complement that reach, as he can keep the opposition at bay and also halt return fire. Once he has them pressed against the cage, they are effectively funneled into a corner, blasted backwards whenever they try to advance. This situation, where Dorsainvil can reach them without being struck back, plays out in most, if not all, of his fights. Dorsainvil’s persistence is not to be outdone by his intelligence, and in the event that he is close enough to be caught or tagged by a strike, he is almost always able to find a body lock. While he is usually able to use trips to notch the takedown, even the clinch is enough to clear the cobwebs and get Dorsainvil back to doing what he does best.
His third most recent appearance against Cedric Katambwa in 2024 was a perfect blend of all that Dorsainvil is about. Katambwa was undefeated at 4-0 at the time and a dangerous striker, a few years Dorsainvil’s senior. Dorsainvil was hurt and clipped by leg kicks early on, but was able to initiate a body lock and trip his opponent. Dorsainvil’s lengthy frame allowed him to flatten his opponent out and take the back with remarkable speed, not missing a beat. The effectiveness of that body lock can be seen all the way back to his debut against Hernandez Banks. The most surprising facet of this bout was how sophisticated Dorsainvil’s striking turned out to be, winning the fight by beating the stand up artist at his own game.
The takedown threat and pressure, paired with Dorsainvil’s constant stance switches and long-range attacks, gradually broke Katambwa. Stan’s jabs and jab counters, coupled with push and oblique kicks, were too much to handle at once. Right hands over the top were there all night, and Dorsainvil even began to prioritize step-in elbows. Point being, he sticks with his game plan, weathers the storm, and he is eventually able to impose his will. His skill at range dampens potential danger, while his jiu-jitsu remains a security blanket should he need to initiate the clinch. As impressive as this decision win was, the next fight we will discuss needed no scorecards.
Coming off that layoff, it was interesting how Dorsainvil would perform in his most recent outing, mere weeks ago at the time of this publication. Enter Dan Holt, a solid prospect of his own, and also undefeated. Stan’s jab was once again paramount, and its use was mature, not simply flicking it out there for the sake of it. It was used to confuse, to pressure, and he doubled up on it when necessary. While one should use caution when throwing kicks against a grappler, Stan showed why by continuing to catch said kicks and used the subsequent situation to either cause damage or trip Holt down. At one point, Dorsainvil caught a kick and lifted Holt’s leg so high I’m surprised it didn’t split from his body. Dorsainvil again pressured right from the start, controlling the clinch along the cage and jabbing to his heart’s content. Holt’s weapons were dulled due to him being taken down repeatedly off of kicks, elbows, etc, but Dorsainvil also found comfort in the clinch in a different way. Hooks and uppercuts off of collar ties allowed Stan to damage Holt and maintain control of him to land a further onslaught. The final layer of this magnum opus of a showing was feints. When the clinch was broken, Dorsainvil had to punch his way back in, feinting in order to duck a left hand to grab yet another body lock. Ducking is a good thing in this case, as it was this maneuver (paired with catching kicks) that led to the majority of his success on the ground. Fighters simply could not deal with the barrage of pressure, pot shots from the outside, and feints all at the same time. After ducking a final combination, Dorsainvil completed a high crotch to dump him down, take the back, and tally the TKO.
Dorsainvil doesn’t just have a perfect record or phenomenal skill; he downright toys with his opponents at times. While they may stifle him, they can never completely stop him. “The Drill” always finds a way to hit paydirt. Demolishing real competition and other undefeated fighters makes a prospect a cut above the rest. While he may have better credentials as a grappler, he is dangerous anywhere the fight may lead. He’s young, long for the weight class, and boasts a high finish rate. Let’s see the guy legitimately in some trouble before we ever have any doubts. Winning fights and entertaining the masses while doing it. Stan Dorsainvil, where quality meets quantity.
