In the main event, two of UFC’s middleweight contenders, No. 10 ranked Brendan Allen (22-5) and No. 13 Paul Craig (17-6), are set to collide in a battle that promises to deliver a mix of strategy, skill, and raw power.

Allen, stepping into his first UFC main event, is riding a wave of momentum with five consecutive wins under his belt. Meanwhile, Craig, making his second appearance in the middleweight category, looks to build on the success of his divisional debut victory over André Muniz.

Read on as we dive deep into the latest betting odds, provide a detailed breakdown of the fight, and offer a prediction along with the best bet and pick for this thrilling matchup.

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Allen vs Craig betting odds

Brendan Allen’s a hefty betting favorite but this wasn’t always the case leading up to the UFC Fight Night 232 main event. Initial odds had Allen at closer to -275 with Craig around +200 but they’ve since changed dramatically as it seems money continues to come in on Allen.

• Brendan Allen: -450 (MyBookie)
• Paul Craig: +340 (BetUS)

Allen vs Craig breakdown

I’ve been all-in on Brendan “All In” Allen since his submission win over Kevin Holland, another fighter I’ve backed for years, in his UFC debut. I’ve been Allen in each of his 12 UFC fights and have cashed a lot of tickets thanks to his 10-2 UFC record.

What drew me to Allen is his knowledge of what he does well, his determination to impose his game plan, but also his willingness to make adjustments if an easier path to victory presents itself. All too often, fighters seem to predetermine how they plan to win a fight and continue to force that game plan in the cage even if it’s not working. Allen is not the best striker, grappler, or submission artist in the division. But, he can succeed in all facets of MMA and will often let the fight come to him, using his variety of skills to adjust mid-fight, even mid-round, depending on his opponent.

Allen is an offensively sound striker who uses an intelligent jab and knowledge of angles to cut opponents off and trap them against the cage. From there, Allen’s speciality is finding a safe way into the clinch where his natural strength and fundamental grappling allow him to pin opponents against the cage and land dirty boxing shots in tight. His goal is to drag opponents down from the clinch and either get on top to land heavy elbows or force his opponent to turn over and expose their back. If he gets an opening to get the back, Allen impressively takes the opening, gets his hooks in, and will quickly find the neck. 4 of his last 5 wins have come via rear naked choke following the above game plan. Because Allen’s striking defense is a bit lackluster and his movement is sometimes a touch slow, he tends to struggle against fighters with stout takedown defense and/or pressure-heavy striking. If an opponent can be the one who pushes “All-in” back and force Allen to be the nail in the fight, he struggles to get his game going.

Paul “Bearjew” Craig, on paper, should not be as good as he is. His striking offense is plodding and sloppy. His striking defense is a liability. His wrestling is non-existent. And most of his submission wins have come when he’s on his back and Craig comes from behind for the win. But, eventually, we just have to recognize that this guy, regardless of how he wins, continues to win. Craig is 9-6 in the UFC but is 5-2 since 2020 which includes wins over the ex-champion, Hill, and 2 other ranked or previously ranked fighters. Its ugly, its sloppy, and it often comes as a surprise; but, since 2020, Craig often finds ways to win. His whole game plan centers around baiting his opponent to enter his guard where he then tries to survive long enough for his opponent to make a mistake. His most common submission win is the triangle, which often comes as an opponent postures up in his guard to try and land fight ending ground and pound. Just as an opponent postures up to seemingly end the fight, that’s when Craig secures in his own finish. This survive and thrive style shouldn’t be as successful as it is but Craig has mastered it over the years. He knows his strengths and has found a way to make his weaknesses work for him.

Allen vs Craig prediction

While handicapping a fight comes down to how the skills and styles of the fighters match up, it is also important to consider the lines and the value within those lines. This line is out of hand.

In Allen’s last 3 fights- against lower ranked or unranked opponents- he was a -230, +190, and +100 respectively. Now, against the highest ranked and, arguably, toughest competitor of his career, Allen’s line has ballooned up to a -430. Now, the skill and style matchup in this fight does favor Allen. He is the pointedly better striker, is intelligent and dangerous on the mat, and has shown fight after fight that he continues to grow.

Meanwhile, Craig is an awkward and hittable striker, an excellent submission artist but poor wrestler, and often needs to capitalize on a mistake to win. All skill and style signs point to Allen staying smart and finding Craig’s chin. However, -430 is a steep price to pay.

This comes down to your philosophy as a better. Are you someone who decides who you think will win and then hunts for value through money lines, props, and parlay? Or are you someone who prefers to find value in incorrect or mispriced odds? I’m the former, I prefer to trust my scouting of fighters first and find value second. But, I do not blame anyone whose style is the latter and wants to take the undeniable value in Craig, likely Craig by submission. I, however, will back Allen because I think he’s simply the better fighter with more ways to win.

Next comes finding value. 5 of 6 of Craig’s losses have come via finish and 4 by knockout. But, Allen hasn’t secured a knockout since 2020 and that is his only one in the UFC. Therefore, I handicap Allen getting the finish and the type of finish- knockout or submission- to be near even in terms of probability.

So, my bet will be Allen by submission (+225) rather than Allen by knockout (+125) because the odds are better and I think either outcome is about as likely as the other.

Best Bet: Allen to win by submission (+225)

The post Brendan Allen vs. Paul Craig prediction & odds | UFC Fight Night 232 appeared first on The Body Lock.

Brendan Allen has had a resurgence since his knockout loss against Chris Curtis in 2021, putting together an impressive four-fight win streak, three of which by submission. On the other hand, Silva has established himself as a dangerous dark horse in his division, with a number of brutal knockouts and hard-fought wars against established names; the likes of former champion Alex Pereira, Gerald Meerschart, and his most recent win against Brad Tavares.

Both are dangerous fighters on their feet and on the ground and have sufficient momentum to make this a fascinating fight.

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Betting Odds

With the momentum of an impressive four-fight win streak, Brendan Allen comes into this bout as a near two-to-one favorite.

• Brendan Allen: -190 (BetUS)
• Bruno Silva: +160 (BetUS)

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Fight Breakdown

Brendan Allen has been on a remarkable tear streak since his setback against Chris Curtis, showcasing his versatility and resilience in the process. He has put together an impressive four-fight win streak, with three of those victories coming via submission, making him a sizable submission threat in the middleweight division. When he can find a top position, he’s lethal in his pursuit of submissions, having a vast array of chokes at his disposal to work in with his vicious ground-and-pound. He’s also sharp when it comes to reversing position or creating submission threats from the bottom in his guard, making his opponents more hesitant to shoot takedowns as he’s progressed through the UFC.

He’s no slouch on the feet either, though. Allen’s improvement in his striking has allowed him to create more opportunities to take the fight to the ground, where he truly shines as a submission artist. He’s much more comfortable to exchange in the pocket than he was when he first broke into the UFC. In his most recent bouts, he has displayed fairly technical striking, incorporating more body kicks and slicker footwork. These adjustments have helped him secure his previous three wins in a cleaner fashion.

Bruno Silva has steadily built a reputation as a dangerous contender within the middleweight division. He’s gone toe-to-toe with some of the best, taking Alex Pereira to a decision in a hard-fought war after amassing a four-fight knockout streak, and proving himself to have dangerous hands and a solid ground game throughout the entirety of the fight. He’s an aggressive fighter who likes to sit in the pocket and force exchanges with his opponents, where he wins in most cases. His takedown defense is also impressive, not only in his ability to sprawl and get his back to the cage but also because of his devastating knees that detract his opponents from shooting.

On the ground, he’s adept when he can find top position, utilizing vicious ground-and-pound to wear out opponents, but quickly falls apart on his back if he can’t establish some level of guard. His recent fight against Gerald Meerschart exposed a lot of holes in his ground game, which serves Brendan Allen well going into this fight as a similar stylistic matchup. However, he also displayed remarkable toughness and grit throughout that bout, clipping Meerschart all throughout when they were on the feet with shots that could very well detract Allen from using his forward pressure. He also punishes opponents for shooting lazy shots, making them carry his weight off of their back, which Allen has been guilty of when pushed to fatigue in previous bouts.

Prediction and Betting Guide

Despite the depth in Allen’s record and his recent resurgence in the division, I’m going with Silva on this one. Although Allen is much stronger on the ground, Silva seems to be more well-rounded and dangerous at any time in his fights. The knockout power he possesses is indisputable and, if it doesn’t knock Allen out, it’s sure to change the pace of the fight. He’s also got a good skill set to counter many of Allen’s weapons, with powerful knees and great spacing to control the fight.

In reality, though, this fight is a pick ’em in my mind, and I’m just glad we get to see these two fight at what’s most likely the best time for each other’s careers.

Pick: Bruno Silva to Win (+160) or Bruno Silva via KO/TKO (+300)

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The post Brendan Allen vs. Bruno Silva Prediction | UFC on ABC 5 appeared first on The Body Lock.

Andre Muniz is currently riding a 9-fight-winning streak panning his days on the Brazilian circuit. Submissions over Jacare Souza among other UFC vets have catapulted him into the spotlight as the next big submission specialist.

Betting Odds

Brendan Allen will come as the +155 underdog. $100 on the American could return a prize of $155 in an upset.

• Allen: +155 (MyBookie)
• Muniz: -200 (MyBookie)

Fight Breakdown

Brenden Allen is a well-rounded fighter, standing in a conventional stance without fear of ending up anywhere. What that means is he is happy to stand or take the fight to the ground and has even admitted to neglecting takedown defense in some camps because he is so comfortable fighting off of his back.

That is not a luxury he can expect from a grappling specialist like Muniz, so Allen will have to make the most of the striking exchanges when he can keep it there. He has a great right body kick, but Muniz also favors his left body kick, and in opposite stances, they will be exchanging these. The biggest difference is once the kicking game is passed and they end up in boxing range, Allen is a bit more diverse with his punches. Normally, he already leads with his right cross and ends with his lead hand, often a shovel hook that leans towards an uppercut. This will be especially effective against a southpaw so as to avoid the lead-hand battle that negates the usual effectiveness of a jab.

Andre Muniz will also first engage with that left rear kick, mostly to the body but also a good mix upstairs and to the legs. It takes some time to get the range down but once he settles in, watch for the straight left as well as the check right hook. In general, though, he will be using his striking to back Allen up to the cage to ultimately shoot for a single. Muniz likes to throw the right hook, and left straight into the single leg, immediately turn the pipe and drop his opponent on their back.

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Branden Allen fought Jacob Malkoun just two fights ago, who although is more a wrestler than BJJ-based like Muniz, does utilize similar tactics. The ease with which Malkoun was able to pick up the single should be a confidence booster for Muniz, although they finish the takedown differently, another similarity is that if Allen defends, both Muniz and Malkoun transition to a back clinch instead. Watch for Muniz to attack the single leg, and turn the corner, but if he missed swivel to the back instead and drag Allen down.

On the mat, Muniz has been a step ahead of everyone, but he is most definitely an “arm hunter” from any position be it guard, top, or on the back. The latter is fairly unique to him, he will intentionally avoid locking in a body triangle, and go high on the back so that he can throw his leg over an isolated arm, and this armbar method is his specialty. He does have to be careful, as this does always run the risk of throwing himself into the bottom position if he misses and Brendan Allen has stellar jiu-jitsu and ground and pound from the top position as well.

Prediction and Betting Guide

Brendan Allen’s best bet is to keep the fight standing, and Muniz to get it to the mat. This is not a clear, striker vs. grappler matchup, so do not underestimate either man in either area, but in general, these are the areas they want to be. Although Allen is a bit more polished standing, the power and aggression that Muniz shows may be enough to get Allen on the back foot, setting up that single leg, and ultimately I do see Muniz securing the takedowns he needs. Compared to past opponents, the risk of ending up on the bottom is high against Allen because he is so good there himself so if Muniz is hunting for the back-to-armbar transition he should be disciplined and attempt it when he feels fully in control. Against Uriah Hall, in his last outing, he showed this kind of patience so if he comes in with the same mentality here he should get the win.

Pick: Muniz to win (-200 odds at MyBookie)

The post Brendan Allen vs. Andre Muniz pick & predicion | UFC Vegas 70 appeared first on The Body Lock.

Poland’s Krzysztof Jotko, 33, has an extensive UFC career dating back to 2013. In his tenure, Jotko has only one finish victory and ten decision wins. He’s lost three times inside the distance and twice by decision. In total, Jotko’s UFC record is 11-5.

Allen vs. Jotko is one of the preliminary fights on this weekend’s UFC Fight Night 211 card. Subscribe to ESPN+ to watch every UFC fight live.

Betting Odds

Both men have had close fights throughout their career, but Vegas gives the slight edge to Jotko in this bout.

• Krzysztof Jotko: -120 (BetUS)
• Brendan Allen: +105 (BetUS)

Fight Breakdown

Allen is a skilled and well-rounded fighter with finishing ability; yet, he is unranked, and when he’s fought ranked or nearly ranked fighters, he’s struggled. This is because of Allen’s fight IQ. Throughout a fight, especially frustrating in fights where he is winning, Allen will put himself in bad positions or leave the path of least resistance and fight his opponent’s preferred fight. Even in his wins, where he doesn’t put his opponent away, Allen has left the door cracked and allowed his beaten opponent to rally. Normally, fighters who give a beaten opponent a chance to win late have cardio issues, but that’s not the case with Allen. While he does not weaponize cardio, he has a gas tank plenty deep for three-round affairs. Instead, Allen has abandoned a successful game plan mid-fight and switched to his opponent’s strength. This has resulted in several unanimous 29-28 decision wins, where Allen wins two rounds clearly but makes the 3rd round dicey.

Speaking specifically about his skills, Allen is an offensively gifted fighter. His striking, while rigid at times, is long, technical, and can deal real damage. He switches combinations often and strikes with variety. Allen’s offensive grappling, though, is where he really makes his hay. Allen prefers to clinch wrestle rather than shoot takedowns from range. He’ll often strike himself into the pocket, back his opponent up to the cage, then go to work. In the clinch, Allen keeps his head below his opponent’s chin, is able to land in-tight strikes, and drop or pivot his hips to a more advantageous position. If he can hold the clinch for a minute or two, Allen will either land heavy shots or make a play to take his opponent’s back. Allen’s grappling, like his striking, is more fundamental than fluid but is ultimately effective. When “All In” is mentally “all in,” Allen is a fighter who can exploit a weakness of his opponent or win a close fight against another well-rounded fighter.

Jotko, to put it bluntly, is not special in any way, but the man knows what he does well, rarely makes mistakes, and consistently wins fights. Jotko is a range kickboxer who uses his movement, cardio, and volume striking to stick’n move his way to decision victories. Typically, Jotko will dance around the cage, moving laterally along the black line of the octagon, and only stopping to throw a combination. His footwork is technical and constant, making him not only a moving target but a moving target that never seems to stop. In the rare times that an opponent has cut off the cage against Jotko, Jotko has shown an inability to move his head or defend successfully with a guard.

His defense, while reliable, is only one note- footwork. Jotko’s striking is primarily a volume counter approach where he baits an opponent to swing, circles out of the way, lands a combination of his own, and gets back on his bike. A key facet of Jotko’s movement counter striking game is his takedown defense. Because Jotko moves laterally with a wide base, he has impressive takedown defense. When an opponent shoots, even if they get low on his hips, Jotko can quickly extend his legs to create a wide base and dig in underhooks. Jotko even goes a step further, having shown an ability to reverse position and separate the clinch to get the fight back at range. He’ll need to be careful of those clinch exchanges against Allen because Allen has the edge in strength and can exploit even a small mistake. But, with Jotko’s experience and cardio, he has proven capable of staying composed through adversity and able to move and land with volume constantly for 15 minutes.

Prediction

Allen’s career is full of fights that end up being much closer than they appear on paper; meanwhile, Jotko is a decision king who has won several splits. This fight has that kind of a setup, where Allen wins early, but Jotko’s cardio gives him the edge late. So, in a narrow fight with narrow odds, I side with who I believe is the better fighter, and that is Allen. He’ll have the edge in power and even if he can’t finish a takedown, have the strength and fundamental edge in the clinch. I’ll take the short dog in this fight.

Pick: Brendan Allen to win (+105 odds at BetUS)

The post Prediction: Brendan Allen vs. Krzysztof Jotko | UFC Fight Night 211 appeared first on The Body Lock.

Jacob “Mamba” Malkoun, a primary training partner of Robert Whittaker, is 2-1 in the UFC with back-to-back decision wins.

Allen and Malkoun will face each other at this Saturday night’s UFC 275 fight card in Singapore. UFC 275 is a PPV event featuring two title fights and a highly-anticipated strawweight rematch between Zhang Weili and Joanna Jedrzejczyk. The full fight card will air exclusively on ESPN+ in the United States. Order the UFC 275 PPV here.

Betting Odds

While writing this article, Allen is a sizeable favorite at BetUS. But, I anticipate his line growing wider as we near Saturday night.

• Brendan Allen: -270 (BetUS)
• Jacob Malkoun: +210 (BetUS)

A winning $100 bet on Allen would pay out $137 on Saturday night. Malkoun, as the underdog, would return a total of $310 for a $100 bet that is placed.

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Breakdown

Allen has all the tools to be a ranked fighter in the 185-pound division. His offensive striking is basic but effective. He uses his length well, fights behind his jab, and mixes in a variety of combinations. Recently, Allen’s left hook has progressed to be a dangerous punch, especially when he is moving backwards. Defensively, though, Allen’s striking is porous. When entering the pocket, Allen often eats a clean combination for his efforts. He has minimal head movement and can get caught with his hands low when looking to wrestle. Fortunately for Allen, despite 2 knockout losses, he has a reliable chin. Allen’s best attribute is his grappling and he relies on his chin to enter the pocket to initiate it. “All In’s” wrestling, like his striking, is basic but effective. He typically pushes his opponent against the cage and uses his natural size to drag his opponent down or transition to the back. Regardless if the fight hits the mat or the grappling is done standing, Allen is aggressive and looks to create an opening to take the back. Once he transitions to the back, Allen continues his aggressive approach to work and find the neck. Overall, Allen is inconsistent because of his lackluster striking defense; but, with his size, aggression, improving striking offense, and dedication to his impressive grappling, Allen has all the tools to climb into the rankings.

Malkoun has an uninspiring and controversial fight style. His typical approach is to slowly walk forward, eat shots and return with rudimentary boxing, and force his opponent back to the cage. Once he gets his opponent against the cage, Malkoun holds the position for as long as the referee allows. He keeps the clinch through head position but does not look to advance position, implement effective grappling, and the strikes he lands are minimal, designed so the ref cannot breakup the clinch. He’ll hold this clinch position for rounds at a time en route to an uneventful win. This style is controversial because it places pressure on the referee and judges. Different referees involve themselves differently in stagnant clinch fights. Some will verbally encourage Malkoun to “work!” In which case, he’ll land a few short punches that constitute as work and continue holding position. Other referees will break the clinch up and force the fight back in the center. After the fight ends, judges have the challenging task of deciding whether Malkoun’s stand and grind style is worthy of a win. Malkoun is a physically limited boxer with a predictable and frustrating, albeit successful, path to victory- clinch and hold.

Prediction

Said simply, Allen is better everywhere this fight goes. On the feet, Allen will be much faster, land with more power, and have a more varied arsenal of attacks. Then, in the clinch, Allen will be the stronger grappler. Even if Malkoun has position against the cage, Allen is adept at finding a guillotine or reversing position and taking the back. Malkoun’s win streak will end Saturday; I prefer Allen in parlays because a finish or decision are similarly likely, but, as an individual play, I like Allen to find Malkoun’s neck at some point in a clinch exchange.

Prediction: Allen to win by submission (+200 at BetUS)

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The post UFC 275 Picks: Brendan Allen vs. Jacob Malkoun appeared first on The Body Lock.

For him to do so, he needs to manifest the fighter he is in the gym when he steps under the lights and cameras inside the UFC Apex facility.

Allen has had a successful MMA career up to this point. The middleweight prospect compiled an 11-3 professional record and is the current holder of the Legacy Fighting Alliance’s middleweight belt — a title that has often worked as a stepping stone to the UFC.

Despite his impressive run, Allen won’t be satisfied until he reaches the heights he knows he can get to. Speaking with John Hyon Ko of The Body Lock, Allen said that the real him — the one who shines within the yellow and black walls of Roufusport MMA Academy — has yet to be fully unleashed in the cage.

The 23-year-old fighter sees progress in each of his recent fights, but there’s still room to grow. And while not utilizing all of one’s tools in a fight could be seen as a detriment, Allen views it as an advantage.

“You don’t really get the real me off of tape, so it’s hard to prepare for me,” Allen said. “Every fight I open up more and more and try to be a little bit more exciting every time.”

Growing from losses

“All In” is currently riding a three-fight winning streak, and though his resume reads like a fighter deserving of a crack at the big time, the three losses on his record are enough to keep Allen up at night.

“I never got to really take too much away from those losses just because that wasn’t the guy that trains [at Roufusport],” Allen said. “I don’t do those things in the gym, so I didn’t understand why I was doing them in the fight.”

The blemishes on his record all came from quality fighters. Allen suffered his first defeat in his third pro fight against Trevin Giles, a fighter who has since signed and had success with the UFC.

Allen then strung together five-straight wins to earn a shot at the vacant LFA middleweight title, where he once again faced off against a familiar face for UFC fans. Allen dropped a unanimous decision loss to Eryk Anders in his first shot at the belt.

Bouncing back with a triangle choke victory, Allen kept his spot at the top of the division. In his next fight, he received a second title shot against yet another future UFC fighter, Anthony Hernandez.

Out of all three defeats, Allen’s unanimous decision loss to Hernandez is the one that bothers him the most. He feels that “a mental lapse” caused his downfall in a bout he believed he had the physical advantage in.

“I don’t want to lose that way again because I feel I lost to myself, not to another man,” Allen said. “It’s easier for me if I lose straight up. I lose to a better man that’s a better fighter, I gave it my all, I did what I could do, I just come up short. I can accept that and I can live with that. But it’s hard for me to live with and move on and to forget that [mental mistakes are] how I lost, and it always weighs on me.”

Brendan Allen vs. Aaron Jeffery

The losses hurt, but they have motivated Allen to mature as a fighter in his young career. Against Aaron Jeffery on Contender Series, in Allen’s first fight since February, he has the opportunity to showcase what he’s learned.

Jeffery is a 26-year-old Canadian middleweight with a 6-1 professional record. Allen feels that his opponent is “a tough kid,” but once the two are locked in the Octagon, “All In” will surprise him.

“He hasn’t fought anybody like me,” Allen said. “It’s definitely going to be weird for him.”

Allen’s pro experience heavily favors him in the fight, which leads him to believe that Jeffery’s lack of fight time could weigh on his mental fortitude.

“I’ve been there before. I know there can be some doubt playing in the back of your head,” Allen said. “He seems like he’s got a pressure on him.”

For this fight, Allen is solely focused on controlling what he can control to avoid that feeling of doubt creeping in.

“I’m relaxed. I feel very comfortable. I feel very confident in myself and my abilities and what we’ve been working on, and that’s what I’m going to stick to,” Allen said. “There’s no pressure on myself, at least that I’m putting on myself.”

Brendan Allen fights for his family

With his fight taking place on the fourth week of Contender Series, Allen has had plenty of time to mentally prepare himself for the moment he takes the stage. He watched the previous episodes and took in the views of the UFC’s new venue. Now that he’s seen it and some of the novelty has worn off, he wants to be there himself.

“I’ll fight whenever. It’s just a fight to me,” Allen said. “I feel like I should be in the UFC already, so I’m not going to be like all these guys going out there that’s like, ‘Oh it’s the Contender Series,’ you know, ‘I’ve got to do this, I’ve got to do that.’ All I have to do is win.”

One of the ways he keeps his thoughts in check is by reminding himself who he competes for. When training for a fight at Roufusport, Allen is forced to break away from his family in Louisiana. Being away from his pregnant wife, his niece, his brother and his parents makes fight preparation difficult, but it also puts things into perspective for the young middleweight.

“It does give me focus. It does make me push harder with them not being here,” Allen said. “There’s no excuse for me to not go out and do something, get extra work in.”

Contender Series highlights prospects of all backgrounds. Some fight because that’s all they know. Others do it for the thrill of competition or for the money. For Allen, it’s all about the people back at home.

“I’m just trying to provide a better life for my family with something that I enjoy.”

The post Brendan Allen hopes to showcase full potential on Dana White’s Contender Series appeared first on The Body Lock.

LFA 61 Results

• Brendan Allen def. Moses Murrietta by unanimous decision for the LFA Middleweight Championship
• Brandon Jenkins vs. Mike Plazola canceled on fight night
• Nate Jennerman def. Ken Beverly by majority decision
• Sid Bice def. Lloyd McKinney by unanimous decision
• Jake Childers def. Josh Marsh by unanimous decision
• Nick Ammerman def Dionisio Ramirez by unanimous decision

Brendan Allen dec. Moses Murrietta

LFA Middleweight Championship

After ten finishes in his first ten pro wins, LFA middleweight champ Brendan Allen (11-3, #158 World) proved his ability to go 25 minutes in a a brutally one-sided 25 minute beatdown of California kickboxer Moses Murrietta (8-2, #171 World) in the LFA 61 main event. Allen stunned his flatfooted challenger in the opening seconds before slamming the California kickboxer to the ground. That’s where Allen set to work with smothering grappling, advancing to side control before finishing round 1 holding onto a guillotine try. Allen maintained the intensity with a rush of punches followed by a takedown 20 seconds into round 2. The kickboxer Murrietta showed no hip movement as Allen advanced to mount with over four minutes to work. He did do a good job of holding Allen close and avoiding fight-ending damage despite being on the bottom for the entire frame.

After ten minutes on his back, Murrietta bounced off his stool ready to throw hands to start round 3 but ate an uppercut from Allen. With the action back against the cage, Allen resumed grappling dominance by squishing Murrietta against the mat. Rounds 4 and 5 were rinse-and-repeat, as Allen painted the canvas red with Murreitta’s blood but never came particularly close to using his position to get a finish.

Finish or no, this was pure dominance from LFA champ Brendan Allen against a challenger who simply couldn’t cope with his wrestling; the 50-43, 50-43, 50-42 scorecards reflect exactly how close this fight was. Could a Contender Series or UFC opportunity be on the horizon for the 23-year-old Roufusport standout?

https://twitter.com/AXSTVFights/status/1099187389690302469

#LFA61 #ANDSTILL pic.twitter.com/m3r4wIkpeO

— Jonnyboy (@JBNeverDies) February 23, 2019

Brandon Jenkins vs. Mike Plazola cancelled

Welterweight

Mystic Lake Casino security guard Brandon Jenkins (12-6, #330 World) missed out on a hometown co-main event spot after Mike Plazola (16-10) was pulled from the fight after the event started. According to the AXS Fights crew, Plazola experienced dizziness backstage and was unable to compete. Jenkins was disappointed yet all class as he acknowledged that fighter safety is #1 and wished Plazola a speedy recovery.

Nate Jennerman dec. Ken Beverly

Featherweight

In his first major opportunity, Kentucky regional champ Ken Beverly (8-4, #369 World) was game to trade as he cracked Roufusport’s Nate Jennerman (13-4, #100 World) with a handful of shots in the opening minute. Beverly’s attention to offense came at the expense of defense, and Jennerman made him pay with a crushing right hook about a minute in. With his foe staggered, Jennerman toward an arm-in guillotine that Beverly fought admirably. When that didn’t work, Jennerman stayed persistent but couldn’t finish a D’Arce choke! From there Jennerman transitioned to a leglock but ended up pinned below Beverly in half-guard. The underdog lost control after 30 seconds but re-established position with a nice mat return. Beverly ended this action-jammed first round in back control against the overwhelming betting favorite Jennerman.

The chaos continued in round 2, with Jennerman scoring a quick takedown but ending up on bottom when he tried to rush to back mount. Back in the clinch, Beverly received a one point deduction for smashing Jennerman with a clearly-illegal elbow to the back of the head two minutes in. When action resumed, the Kentuckian responded to the relatively harsh penalty by swinging for the fences. That gave Jennerman a chance to reinitiate the grappling and hook for an armbar. In the end that proved to be another opportunity for Beverly to show off his stellar sub defense and resume top control. Unfortunately Beverly landed another punch directly to the back of the head, earning a crippling additional two point deduction.

Clearly needing a finish to win, Beverly came out blazing in the third round with a takedown followed by a flurry of uppercuts while pinning Jennerman to the cage. Jennerman’s effort at reversal left him pinned under North-South position. Beverly worked to rear wrestling ride, side control, and mount but never managed to seriously crack Jennerman’s defenses despite several minutes of positional dominance.

In the end the point deductions turned a would-be 30-27, 29-28, 29-28 unanimous decision for Beverly into a 28-26, 28-26, 27-27 majority decision for Jennerman. Let’s call it a win-win: Jennerman has to be happy to go to 5-2 in LFA despite absorbing blatantly illegal strikes that left a knot on the back of his head, while the 21-year-old Beverly looked like an unpolished diamond in his first opportunity under the bright lights of broadcast TV.

https://twitter.com/AXSTVFights/status/1099175238015672320

Sid Bice dec. Lloyd McKinney

Flyweight

This fascinating styles clash at flyweight saw lightning-quick Factory X rep Sid Bice (9-2, #115 World) use footwork and angles to dart inside the range of lanky adversary Lloyd McKinney (13-6, #125 World). Colorado’s Bice was successful with his early in-and-out offense, bloodying McKinney in round 1. To the Texan’s credit he got Bice’s timing down and scored some good straight shots of his own in the second half of the round. After showing off his striking skills, “Sid Vicious” switched gears and rode out the end of round 1 on top following a polished double-leg.

Bice worked back to top position after cracking McKinney with a left early in round 2 – “like a hummingbird with a sledgehammer,” per Pat Miletich. The accomplished wrestler showed his pedigree by pinning McKinney until a referee standup with 1 minute to go. Bice immediately rendered that official’s decision moot by landing a salvo of fists before lifting and slamming McKinney to the mat for the rest of the round.

Down 20-18, former Wisconsin-Lacrosse wrestler McKinney amped up his intensity and scored a takedown of his own after Bice rolled his ankle early in the third. McKinney, who owns 5 of 8 wins by submission, maneuvered to back control and threatened with an RNC as Bice tried to wiggle free. It wasn’t enough to obtain the submission or the decision, as McKinney saw his four fight winning streak vanish despite the strong push. Meanwhile Sid Bice toughed out the injury to advance to 3-1 in LFA and cement his place as one of the top US flyweights on the cusp of a big league promotion.

https://twitter.com/AXSTVFights/status/1099165059878608896

Jake Childers dec. Josh Marsh

Featherweight

Billed as “The Working Man”, Illinois’ Jake Childers (6-0) used a suitably workmanlike performance to neutralize superior athlete Josh Marsh (5-2, #310 World) in this 15 minute featherweight grinder. Childers scored occasional takedowns but spent much of his time pinning Roufusport’s Marsh against the cage. When he could get distance, Marsh issued periodic offense via knees and elbows but couldn’t get enough going to sway the judges in his favor. Good enough work for Childers to score a unanimous decision win in his LFA debut, though UFC Hall of Famer Pat Miletich believed that Marsh did enough to earn the nod based on damage incurred. Hopefully Marsh uses this defeat as a learning opportunity and comes out more aggressive in future contests.

https://twitter.com/AXSTVFights/status/1099154762509897728

Nick Ammerman dec. Dionisio Ramirez

Welterweight

Coming off a five year layoff, Dionisio Ramirez (7-5) showed signs of ring rust as Nick Ammerman (5-1) caught him with a pair of clean shots in the opening two minutes. Once Ramirez landed his first good punch, the fight really got going with both men slinging leather in the second half of round 1. By the end of the frame Ramirez was clicking on all cylinders, cracking Ammerman with snappy crosses to usher in the round 1 bell.

Former collegiate wrestler Ammerman switched gears in round 2 and put his man on the mat for a brief period. When Ramirez proved tough to control, Ammerman let him up and returned to kickboxing. The exchanges proved well-matched, neither man showing signs of serious damage heading to the second round break. The close kickboxing contest continued throughout round 3, with the 37-year-old Ammerman making progress with leg kicks and occasional solid punches. This one was open to judging interpretation, though the Minnesota officials scored it a blowout in favor of Nick Ammerman by straight 30-27 cards.

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