Alessio Di Chirico vs. Joaquin Buckley
UFC Middleweight Bout
UFC Fight Island 7 takes place on Saturday, January the 16th, live from Yas Island in Abu Dhabi.
Joaquin Buckley
Age: 26
Nationality: USA
Record: 12-3-0
Height: 5ft 10"
Reach: 76"
Gym: Valkyrie Fitness
Notable Gym Members: N/A
Current Streak: 2 wins
Wins by KO/TKO: 9
Wins by Submission: 0
Decision wins: 3
If ones return to the octagon should be celebrated then Joaquin Buckley deserves the applause this upcoming weekend.
As the owner of the 'knockout of the year' award, Buckley etched his name into the UFC history books with a spectacular spinning kick knockout back in 2020. He then went onto to defeat his next opponent via knockout, putting the middleweight division on notice with the power to end his fights anytime.
Still young in his career, the twenty-six-year-old will continue to evolve, and the level of competition isn't raising too much in his next matchup.
Alessio Di Chirico
Age: 31
Nationality: Italy
Record: 12-5-0
Height: 5ft 9."
Reach: 73"
Gym: Team Oyama
Notable Gym Members: Marlon Vera, Alex Perez & Ricky Simon
Current Streak: 1 loss
Wins by KO/TKO: 11
Wins by Submission: 0
Decision wins: 3
Italian blood in the UFC octagon is a rarity, but Alessio Di Chirico insists on flying the flag for his native country of Italy.
Currently riding an awkward 3-fight losing streak, Di Chirico has lost a particular flare element that he once owned during his earlier UFC bouts.
With that said, the durability of the Italian is undeniable. A solid chin and excellent ground defence haven't helped Di Chirico avoid recent defeat, but they've certainly assisted in his ability to avoid losing by knockout or submission.
Fight Prediction
Ignoring a straight-up prediction, I believe Di Chirico's durability and Buckley's toughness will see the fight surpass the seven and a half minute mark. Buckley's vicious finishes of recent means the oddsmakers offer us an acceptable price on the over/under market.
UFC Fight Island 7 Free Betting Pick: 1.89u on the Over 1.5 rounds at 1.53 [-189] with William Hill (visit our William Hill Review)
Carlos Condit vs. Matt Brown
UFC Welterweight Bout
UFC Fight Island 7 takes place on Saturday, January the 16th, live from Yas Island in Abu Dhabi.
Carlos Condit
Age: 36
Nationality: USA
Record: 31-13-0
Height: 6ft 2"
Reach: 75"
Gym: Jackson-Wink MMA
Notable Gym Members: Jon Jones, Holly Holm & Derek Brunson
Current Streak: 1 win
Wins by KO/TKO: 15
Wins by Submission: 13
Decision wins: 3
It seems that former UFC champion and veteran Carlos Condit has finally accepted his new role in the welterweight division. The years of title-challenging are over, but that doesn't mean 'The Natural Born Killer' doesn't have a few good fights left in him.
Condit returned to the octagon three months ago after a two-year layoff, and for a good reason, he had suffered five losses (three by stoppage) during 2015-2018, so the break was needed. A unanimous victory over Court McGee in October 2020 was Condit's first win since May 2015.
Matt Brown
Age: 40
Nationality: Serbia
Record: 22-17-0
Height: 6ft"
Reach: 75"
Gym: Immortal Martial Arts
Notable Gym Members: N/A
Current Streak: 10 wins
Wins by KO/TKO: 6
Wins by Submission: 3
Decision wins: 1
I guess we can say that 'The Immortal' Matt Brown is living up to the nickname, aged forty! Mr Brown continues to enter the octagon and put it all on the line.
As one of the OG' Ultimate Fighter' Alumni's, Matt Brown has been around the block and back again. Thirty fights inside a UFC octagon and close to forty overall, the word veteran fits this matchup overall.
Fight Prediction
I'm not one for doubting legends, but fight in question provides two old, damaged fighter's who's durability have been tested over the years.
With that said, Condit has a solid chin and has avoided stoppage losses to some of the most dangerous finishers in the division. His opponent, not so much.
It has been five long years since Matt Brown visited the judge's scorecards and I expect this trend to continue when Carlos Condit unleashes a flurry of kickboxing combinations.
UFC Fight Island 7 Free Betting Pick: 1.1u on Fight Does Not Go The Distance at 1.90 [-111] with PaddyPower (visit our PaddyPower Review)
UFC Fight Island 7 Free Betting Pick: 1.6u on Carlos Condit to win at 1.62 [-161] with Bet365 (visit our Bet365 Review)