Thiago Alves Ready to Outwork Mike Perry

Thiago Alves vs Mike Perry

UFC Fight Night 116 Co-Main Event – Welterweight Bout

Thiago Alves vs Mike Perry has Fight of the Night written all over it. Both Alves and Perry know how to throw down and entertain the fans and will be looking to put on a show for the audience in Pittsburgh this weekend.

Thiago Alves

Record: 22-11
Height: 5’9″ (175cm)
Reach: 70.0″ (178cm)

Thiago Alves has been competing in the UFC since 2005. Interestingly, he featured on UFC Fight Night 2, way back in the early days of the promotion. After suffering two consecutive losses at the hands of Carlos Condit and Jim Miller recently, Alves bounced back into form with an impressive win over Patrick Cote at UFC 210 in April.

Mike Perry

Record: 10-1
Height: 5’10” (178cm)
Reach: 71.0″ (180cm)

Mike Perry is one of the most entertaining fighters on the roster. He storms forward and heaps the pressure on opponents before trying to find a home for his heavy hands. He was outworked by Alan Jouban in December 2016 but then would return with a win in April this year by defeating Jake Ellenberger with one of the nastiest elbows you will ever see.

Breakdown

Alves opens at 2.45Bet €100 to win €24529/20Bet £100 to win £245+145Bet $100 to win $2451.45Bet HK$100 to win HK$2451.45Bet Rp100 to win Rp245-0.6897Bet RM100 to win RM245 whereas the bookmakers have Perry as the betting favorite at 1.68Bet €100 to win €16817/25Bet £100 to win £168-147Bet $100 to win $1680.68Bet HK$100 to win HK$168-1.47Bet Rp100 to win Rp1680.6800Bet RM100 to win RM168 . This one has all the makings of a short night at the office for either of these fighters. Thiago Alves is going to try and keep his distance and maintain a safe space to operate from. Alves’ kicks are one of the most vital elements of this matchup with Mike Perry as he can use his powerful legs to keep Perry out of range, similar to how Alan Jouban broke down Perry last year.

Mike Perry will be rushing forward and trying to close the distance between himself and Alves. If he can, Perry has the kind of stopping power that can end Alves’ night instantly. The problem with this approach, however, is that Mike Perry lacks fundamental cage-cutting techniques which can be used to trap his opponents against the cage. Without cage-cutting expertise, Perry will struggle to lock down Alves in the pocket and may be forced into a disadvantaged long-distance pick-em-apart kind of game with the experienced Alves.

Chances are that this fight won’t end up on the mat as both fighters are at their best when standing in front of their opponents and throw bombs of nuclear proportion.

Prediction and Betting Strategy

This fight can go either way. Perry opened as a moderate betting favorite but I am reluctant to bet on ‘Platinum’ Mike considering his inability to force his game plan on an opponent. If Alves can maintain distance and work with plenty of space, it will be a rough night for Perry. The best bet in this co-main event is backing Alves to win.

Thiago Alves by Unanimous Decision

Best Bet

Thiago Alves vs Mike Perry
Thiago Alves to Win
Saturday 16th September – 11:30 pm (ET) /  3:30am GMT
Odds: 2.45Bet €100 to win €24529/20Bet £100 to win £245+145Bet $100 to win $2451.45Bet HK$100 to win HK$2451.45Bet Rp100 to win Rp245-0.6897Bet RM100 to win RM245  – Ladbrokes