Couple Potential UFC call up on Display at LFC 26
Another solid showing by the young and talented LFC crew, as their top dogs went to war and came back largely victorious at last night’s LFC 26. There was plenty of action and a few potential UFC fighters down the road, so let’s check out what went down in Texas.
Billy Buch vs Ryan Hollis: A great bout between tough up-and-coming fighters, this one was interesting due to the build and skills of both men. Generally, being a lanky fighter is viewed as a positive in the world of BJJ due to the leg length, allowing you to more easily hook a triangle, lock on body triangles or set up inventive sweeps or transitions. On the flip side, the legs can actually be too long to allow tight holds if an opponent is of a slight build, and two men with this long frame end up being in some truly bizarre positional grappling bouts.
Thats how Buch vs Hollis played out, with both men floating for leglocks, armlocks and triangles, but the other being too slight of shoulder or long of leg to allow the hold to take. To their credit, both fighters reacted well and made for an exciting back and forth fight, with Hollis hitting more takedowns but Buch threatening more on the mat and being more concious of positioning. A great scrap and worth checking out from a technical grappling standpoint to see how each man’s frame played into the action.
Patrick Ybarra: The master of the armbar found himself being threatened with the move more than apply it himself as he met a surprisingly game opponent in Johnny Ray Rodriguez. I like Ybarra and was hoping we’d see a new man after his disastrous outing against Damacio Page, but we only saw more holes in his methodology. What strikes me about Ybarra is that he is incredibly uncomfortable when not maintaining contact with an opponent, like he has some kind of hyper tactile sensitivity, and doesn’t relate to fighting unless he has the feedback. Once he has it, his movements are outrageously smooth, reminding me of George Sotiropolous with his top game, but being seemingly lost in the striking game. If Ybarra is going to have any long term success, he’ll need to learn to throttle back a bit on the feet and learn to be comfortable and set up his offense, with the same applying to his wreckless work inside JRR’s guard.
Thomas De Almeida: A fighter that’s rumored to be on his way to the UFC, even before this fight, Thomas De Almeida made short work out of George Pacurariu with his smooth tactical muay thai. A master of fighting from any range, De Almeida’s best tricks involve learning the pattern of his opponent’s head movement and lining up sweeping punches and elbows to intercept it. Nothing causes more KOs than someone snapping their own head into an oncoming strike, and the frequency that Almedia pulls this off is borderline terrifying. The bantamweight division is on notice in the UFC and with good reason.
Leonard Garcia: Love him or hate him, Garcia put together an impressive KO win tonight, finding a home for a short hook that put Aguilar out cold. While Garcia hasn’t made any improvements in his overall game, his power is still more than most jaw’s can handle, and we could well see him get a fight or two in the UFC again.
Category: Featured, Legacy Fighting Championship, MMA
About the Author (Author Profile)
I'm a 20+ year veteran of martial arts and a fan of MMA since UFC 1, when my world was thrown on its head by the budding sport. I'm obsessive in the pursuit of martial abilities and have competed across the country in everything from Vale Tudo to archery to Scottish broadsword. Once my body broke down, I picked up a pen and went in the direction of writing. I specialize in betting advice, predictions, and I'm a walking encyclopedia of MMA trivia. I own a cafe in Exeter, NH called Hammersmith Sandwich Company and write out of my office between customers.Subscribe
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