UFC 178: Cerrone vs. Alvarez

Donald Cerrone (24-6) vs. Eddie Alvarez (25-3)

Donald Cerrone and Eddie Alvarez battle in the main card at UFC 178 on Saturday in a match that has the potential to be the fight of the night.

The knock on Cerrone early in his career was that sometimes he was not focused on the fight. However, that has changed as of late, as he has been absolutely dominant during his four-match winning streak. In these four victories, none of the fights have made it to the third round. His last bout on July 16 saw him deliver a vicious head kick and punch combo in a victory against Jim Miller. When he is focused like he is now, Cerrone has the ability to compete with anybody in the lightweight division. Like Cerrone, Alvarez is also on a roll in the sport, winning his past three matches. In his last fight, he defeated Michael Chandley by way of split decision. However, this is his first UFC match, so the pressure will be on to perform immediately. Alvarez is a talented fighter, but right now, CERRONE is at the top of his game, and will come away with an exciting victory.

"Cowboy" Cerrone has 24 victories in his career, with 15 of them coming by submission. He also has five victories by way of decision and four by knockout. Both of these fighters are terrific strikers (3.94 significant strikes landed for Alvarez, 3.83 for Cerrone). However, Cerrone is more accurate when landing his strikes (47%), compared to 42% for Alvarez. Another advantage for the 6-foot-tall Cerrone in this match will be his height, as he stands three inches taller than his opponent. That will be a big advantage for him if this fight turns into a brawl, where he will be able to keep Alvarez at bay.

Alvarez comes into this fight with 25 victories, with 16 of them coming by way of knockout. He also has five victories by submission, and another four by decision. His biggest advantage in this fight will be his grappling, as he has a takedown average of 4.92, compared to just 1.53 for Cerrone. However, these numbers have not been against someone as good as Cerrone. With his shorter height and reach in this fight, Alvarez will need to bring this fight to the ground, and not allow Cerrone to use his length. If he is not able to take this to the mat, Cerrone will just pick him apart for the victory.