MMA Preview – Thiago Moises vs Joel Alvarez at UFC Fight Night 197
THIAGO MOISES VS JOEL ALVAREZ FACTS
When is UFC Fight Night 197? Saturday 13th November, 2021 -19:00 start (UK)
Where is UFC Fight Night 197? UFC APEX, Enterprise, Nevada (US)
Where can I get tickets for UFC Fight Night 197? Click here for the latest ticket information for UFC events
What channel is UFC Fight Night 197 on? BT Sport 2
Where can I stream UFC Fight Night 197? BT Sport subscribers can stream the fight online via the BT Sport website
For viewers in the United States, the event will be shown live on ESPN+ and you can sign up for access as part of a Disney Bundle here!
THIAGO MOISES VS JOEL ALVAREZ LOWDOWN
Thiago Moises (15-5) strung a third impressive win together back in February earning a unanimous decision over Alexander Hernandez adding to his unanimous decision over Bobby Green and submission over Michael Johnson (2020). Those wins came in response to losing another unanimous decision to Damir Ismagulov (2019) but is coming off a more humbling loss back in July. He met the rampaging Islam Makhachev who ruthlessly submitted the Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt. He now has the chance to bounce back against a different kind of grappler.
Joel Alvarez (18-2) is a submission artist with 16 of his 18 wins coming via submission. His other two wins have come via knockout, the latest of which earnt him his first UFC win. He TKO’d Danilo Belluardo (2019) after losing his debut which was also a unanimous decision loss to Ismagulov. However, he has responded with three straight wins including submissions over Joe Duffy and Alexander Yakovlev (2020).
THIAGO MOISES VS JOEL ALVAREZ PREDICTION
Alvarez is a very talented and exciting fighter, and he has been handed a very tough test here. Moises is experienced, extremely well-rounded and importantly he is also a high-level black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu which will cancel out Alvarez’s main strength.
Alvarez is a big lightweight standing at 6’3” with a 77-inch reach and will be boasting a seven-inch reach four-inch height advantage over Moises. This can also help on the floor, but we cannot see him submitting Moises. He is not going to maul him with his wrestling like Makhachev did and the Brazilian is too savvy to get caught especially in top position.
So, the majority of this could play out on the feet where Alvarez’s reach and power will be dangerous. However, Moises is a better striker and has shared the cage with Johnson and Green who are levels above Alvarez when it comes to striking.
We are leaning towards a Moises decision with his experience making the difference, but Alvarez is worth a small punt as a sizeable underdog.
Prediction: Moises via Decision - CLICK HERE FOR PARIMATCH'S WELCOME OFFER (BET £5, GET £30 IN BONUSES!)
Value Bet: Alvarez to win
