Lightweight: Rafael Alves vs. Alejandro Flores
Tale of the Tape
29-years-old
5’7″
Belem, Para, Brazil
MMA Masters
18-9
29-years-old
5’10″
Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico
VFS Academy
17-2
Pros and Cons
Rafael Alves
Pros
- Good leg kicks
- Excellent BJJ
- Fast starter
- Well-rounded
- Excellent trips/judo
- Unpredictable
- Diverse
- Very explosive
Cons
- TDD needs some work
Pros
- Good use of range
- Actively attacking leg kicks
- Good wrestling
- Unpredictable
- Excellent distance control
- Athletic
- Explosive
- Good movement
- Goes body-head well
Cons
- Keeps his hands low
- Comes in sloppy at times being open to getting countered
Who has the advantage?
Striking: Flores
Speed: Alves
Output/Volume: Alves
Knockout Power: Alves
Chin: Alves
Kickboxing: Flores
Footwork: Flores
Wrestling: Alves
Grappling: Alves
Submissions: Alves
Cardio: Flores
Prediction
This is a super fun fight that both are UFC-level right now in my opinion. The outcome of fight is going to be based on whether Flores can keep the bull Alves at the end of his range. Throughout his careeer, Flores has done a fantastic job attacking at his preferred range. Alves is like no other though being so aggressive and such a wild man. My prediction is Alves will crash forward and make it an ugly brawl. If he can get the fight to the mat I would think Alves has a pretty good advantage. This fight could go either way though.
