Welterweight, Christopher Alvidrez (6-1) vs. Eliezer Kubanza (7-0)
Notable Notes
- US debut for Kubanza
- Kubanza has five first-round finishes
- Alvidrez has won by KO/TKO, submission, and decision
- Alvidrez has a win over former UFC fighter Takashi Sato
- Kubanza is 4-0 for Brave CF
- Alvidrez has four wins against losing records
- Alvidrez has won four straight by KO/TKO in round one
Christopher Alvidrez
-Athletic
-Fast release
-Good feints
-Actively switches stances/Different looks
-Good one-two
-Fast starter
-Dynamic
-Throws in volume/Mixes it up
-Questionable cardio
-Advances in recklessly
Alvidrez is an unorthodox fighter who’s tricky to read, constantly mixing in feints and stance switches to keep opponents guessing. He stays active with his output and targets different levels well, but I question how his style holds up against higher competition. His recent win over Takashi Sato doesn’t carry much weight, given Sato was on a five-fight skid at 34 years old, and in his toughest test so far, Alvidrez came up short.
Offensively, he pushes a high pace, but when he blitzes forward, he leaves major openings—leading with his head and an open guard. While his awkward strikes can be hard to anticipate, they’re often ineffective. Defensively, there are concerns: he’s been taken down by lower-level fighters, and while he’s shown some ability to fight off positions with a whizzer, his grappling and jiu-jitsu lag far behind.
Overall, Alvidrez has some unique tools and a busy style, but he’s still raw, one-dimensional, and needs to tighten up his offense before he can succeed at a higher level.
Eliezer Kubanza
-Strong
-Good bodywork
-Super explosive
-Switches stances
-Good ground and pound
-Knockout power
-Heavy kicks
-Good jab
-Excellent feints
-Lacks head movement/Rocked a few times
Kubanza has been on a tear dating back to his amateur days, where he became a two-time IMMAF Africa Open gold medalist. He’s a feared striker with fight-ending power in everything he throws, and he can create openings from either stance. While his hands can occasionally get away from him, his overall striking is clean—built around a sharp jab, hard feints to draw reactions, and constant stance switches to present different looks. When he invests in body shots and leg kicks, they’ve proven highly effective, and that’s an area he could lean on more.
The biggest concern is his defense. Kubanza has been clipped in fights, though he’s shown strong recovery and a knack for punishing opponents who rush in recklessly. Offensively, he checks every box: fast, powerful, explosive, technical, and versatile in his target selection. If he tightens up defensively, he has the tools to be a real factor in the UFC.
On the ground, he’s still developing. His takedown defense holds up well, and there may be upside in his offensive wrestling, but his jiu-jitsu lags behind. He does bring heavy, fight-ending ground-and-pound when he gets position.
All things considered, Kubanza is one of the top prospects to watch this season—and that’s saying a lot given the current crop.
Prediction: This is an excellent matchup between two explosive strikers, and it likely comes down to who lands first. That said, I lean toward Kubanza. He’s the heavier hitter, the cleaner technician, and the more complete striker overall. Alvidrez’s diversity and constant feints can give him different looks, but his tendency to blitz in recklessly could be costly against someone with Kubanza’s power and precision.
I also trust Kubanza’s cardio more over the course of the fight, and he has the ability to slow things down in the clinch if needed. Alvidrez catching him is always a possibility, but I’m not banking on it. Kubanza’s skill and power should be enough to carry him here. I’ve got Kubanza by KO in round one.
