Featherweight: Steven Nguyen vs Aalon Cruz
Tale of the Tape
Steven Nguyen
26-years-old
5’11”
Wichita, Kansas
Training out of JMTK
6-0
Aalon Cruz
29-years-old
6’0″
78″ Reach
Tampa, Florida
DEFWAR
7-2
Pros and Cons
Steven Nguyen
Pros
- Good wrestling
- Good in the clinch
- Accurate right hook
- Good cardio
Cons
- Flat-footed
- Takedown defense needs work
- Leaves head on the center line
- Does not offer much off his back
Aalon Cruz
Pros
- Good kicks
- Good use of trips and switches
- Good wrestling
- Does well in scrambles
Cons
- Lacks combinations
- Keeps hands low
Who has the Advantage?
Striking: Nguyen
Speed: Cruz
Knockout Power: Nguyen
Chin: Nguyen
Kickboxing: Cruz
Footwork: Cruz
Wrestling: Nguyen
Grappling: Cruz
Submissions: Nguyen
Cardio: Nguyen
Prediction
This is a tough fight to predict as both match up with each other well. It’s a good thing these two are fighting now instead of going right away to the UFC as both still need a lot of work, and neither being UFC-caliber. Nguyen has the better striking but Cruz has the footwork and defense to avoid too much damage. It’s a close call who has the better grappling but Nguyen lacks takedown defense against terrible competition. The route to victory for Cruz is to get the takedown as Nguyen lacks skills off his back. Cruz should find success in this fight.
Next: Mariya Agapova vs. Tracy Cortez
