A longtime member of the revered Greg Jackson camp in his hometown of Albuquerque, New Mexico, Condit is a well-rounded, excellently conditioned fighter who possesses one of the greatest finishing rates in UFC history. Of his 29 professional MMA victories a staggering 27 have been stopped due to strikes or submissions. Ultra-aggressive and willing to throw a wide array of unique strikes, Condit is also proficient on the ground, a fact that is backed up by the 13 submission wins racked up over the course of his decade-long career. Despite losing by TKO in his last outing against Tyron Woodley, ‘The Natural Born Killer’ has never officially been knocked out.
Hoping to end that is Thiago Alves; one of the UFC’s longest-serving veterans, currently riding a fresh wave of momentum following his amazing comeback victory over Jordan Mein earlier this year. It feels like only yesterday when Alves was widely considered one of the organisation’s most feared competitors after a run of five consecutive knockout victories in 2007/8, a streak highlighted by his violent finish of Octagon legend Matt Hughes. Since his title shot against Georges St. Pierre at UFC 100, his career has taken a significant downturn, but ‘The Pitbull’ is hoping to continue his recent upswing with another victory. Matching up very well against Condit, Alves too is a tenacious striker, who also possess excellent takedown defense and a ground game that shouldn’t be overlooked.
Prediction: While both men prefer to stand and bang, I wouldn’t be surprised if Condit attempts to take the fight to the ground. Alves currently holds the UFC record for the highest number of leg kicks thrown, and freshly returned after his ACL injury, Condit won’t be in a hurry to eat any of these. Condit possesses a better ground game overall, and his cardio should exceed that of his opponent’s. Alves is exceptional when fighting off takedowns, but the longer the fight goes, the less likely it’ll be that he’ll be able to resist Condit’s attempts. Look for ‘The Natural Born Killer’ to ground Alves, and put constant pressure on ‘The Pitbull’ before picking up another submission victory inside of three rounds.
UFC Fight Night 67 Main Card Predictions - Picks in bold:
Welterweight - Wendell Oliveira vs. Darren Till
Lightweight - Norman Parke vs. Francisco Trinaldo
Light Heavyweight - Francimar Barroso vs. Ryan Jimmo
Welterweight - KJ Noons vs. Alex Oliveira
Featherweight - Nik Lentz vs. Charles Oliveira
Welterweight - Carlos Condit vs. Thiago Alves
UFC FIght Picks 2015 Record (29-11)
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