Long Island MMA predictions for UFC FIGHT NIGHT THU. JUL. 7 DOS ANJOS VS. ALVAREZ

     The next major event that the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) will be hosting is set to take place Thursday July 7th; a date which is fast approaching. UFC Fight Night will take place in Las Vegas, Nevada and is littered with several very interesting match ups, some of which us here at Long Island Mixed Martial Arts have already set our picks! The first match up that we have decided on is between John Makdessi and Mehdi Baghdad.

     These two fighters both possess exceptional striking and have the ability to deliver devastating power through their attacks. Makdessi possesses somewhat of a more exotic approach to his striking, incorporating several spinning attacks with both his hands and feet. Such unpredictable attacks make the possibility of catching Baghdad off guard slightly higher. Mehdi, however, is more of a traditional Muay Thai striker and is able to put together precise and disciplined combinations. Thus we may suppose that his striking may be somewhat more consistent than that of Makdessi. Using this reasoning as well as taking into account his significant reach advantage, we believe that Mehdi Baghdad will win this fight.

     The next fight that we have predicted is between Alberto Mina and Mike Pyle. It seems that Mike Pyle possesses significant superiority in both the fields of striking and wrestling. Where it seems that Mina’s striking is readable and inconsistent Pyle is able to put together combinations and create angles of attack. In the wrestling department, the inconsistency of Mina’s wrestling offense displayed against Yoshihiro Akiyama leads us to believe that he will be trapped on the feet with Pyle; a situation that he is ill equipped for. Therefore, we have chosen Mike Pyle to be the winner of this fight.

     Lastly, we have reviewed the match up for the main event which is a title fight in the lightweight division between the champion Rafael Dos Anjos and the challenger Eddie Alvarez! After some deliberation we believe that the champion will retain his title. Although Eddie Alvarez possesses brutal toughness and tenacity that has allowed him to devastate opponents in the past we feel that the composure and precision of Rafael Dos Anjos will carry the day. So there you have it, a few of our picks for the up and coming UFC Fight Night! Do you agree with our choices? If not, sound off in the comments and tell us your reasoning.

Dos Anjos Vs McGregor | Long Island MMA

Will the UFC have their First Simultaneous, Multi-Division Belt Holder?

There is no denying that Connor McGregor has been taking the UFC by storm.  His self-belief is like no other, always seemingly biting off more than he can chew, just to prove to everyone that he was right. From his bold statements to his bold outfits, he has been able to catch the eye of media and fight fans around the globe.  Love him or hate him, he has proven that he can back up all his talk with 18 out of his 19 professional wins being finishes, most of which with strikes.  Now that McGregor defeated Jose Aldo to become the new UFC Featherweight Champion, he is immediately taking shots at champions of other divisions.  McGregor has his next bout with the UFC Lightweight Champion, Rafael dos Anjos, scheduled for March 5th 2016 at UFC 196.  This is going to be a big fight for both of the individuals.  If McGregor wins he will be the first simultaneous, multi-division belt holder the UFC has ever had, and if Rafael dos Anjos can be the one to defeat Connor, his pay, popularity, and reputation should skyrocket. Dos Anjos is a true veteran of the UFC, coming up on his 8th year with the company, his first fight being at UFC 91 in November of 2008.  RDA has more wins under his belt than McGregor has fights.  Looking back on Rafael dos Anjos, you can see how his game evolved into him becoming the strong dominant fighter that he is today.  RDA has wins over many of the greatest in the stacked lightweight division, where everyone on the top 15 list has championship potential.  Rafael finished former lightweight champion Benson Henderson, and also finished Donald Cerrone who was on an 8 fight win streak.  RDA took a unanimous decision over the talented Nate Diaz, and dominated Anthony Pettis for 5 rounds to become the UFC Lightweight Champion.  He is definitely no push over, and has earned his place at the top of his division. Is Connor up for the test?  It seems as if 155 is a more comfortable weight class for the Featherweight champion, but he hasn’t fought at lightweight since 2012, and has never competed at that division in the UFC.  There is no question about Connor’s skills anymore, he talks a big game, and has backed it up, but his fight with Chad Mendez exploited some of McGregor’s weakness.  Can Rafael dos Anjos manhandle McGregor the way Mendez did, without getting knocked out?  We did see what he is capable of against an elite, flashy striker in his fight with Anthony Pettis.  McGregor, or “Mystic Mac” as he refers to himself, boasts of a first round finish over the Lightweight Champion, and has even called out the Welterweight Champion, Robbie Lawler, for his next fight!  Did Mcgregor reach his limit yet?  It’s hard to doubt a man that has not been proven wrong, tune in on March 5th to witness UFC history in the making!