UFC Fight Night 26 Preview

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Bantamweights

Urijah Faber (28-6, 4-2 UFC) vs. Iuri Alcantara (28-4, 3-1 UFC)

The Matchup: When he is not facing the very best MMA has to offer, there are very few fighters who can defeat Faber. “The California Kid” is unbeaten in non-title bouts under the Zuffa umbrella, and his UFC tenure includes decisive triumphs against Eddie Wineland, Brian Bowles, Ivan Menjivar and Scott Jorgensen.

At first glance, Alcantara appears to be a curious choice of opponent for Faber, who remains one of the promotion’s most bankable lighter-weight stars. However, the 33-year-old “Marajo” is a proven finisher -- he has stopped 24 of his 28 opponents by knockout or submission -- whose blend of aggressive striking and grappling makes him a worthy if not as well-known opponent for Faber. Additionally, while Faber is accustomed to being stronger than most of his bantamweight foes, Alcantara has competed as high as 155 pounds as recently as 2011, when he earned a first-round stoppage of current featherweight title contender Ricardo Lamas at WEC 53.

A southpaw with a two-inch reach advantage, Alcantara would do well to keep Faber at range by utilizing kicks and good lateral movement. The Brazilian is an accurate striker with a dangerous hook and overhand left, but if Faber can close the distance, all bets are off. The Team Alpha Male product does not throw a high volume of strikes, but he does land with considerable power. Faber overwhelms opponents by setting a relentless pace, using his quickness and athleticism to move into tie-up range with relative ease; in recent years, only Renan Barao, Dominick Cruz and Jose Aldo have prevented the Californian from imposing his will in this manner. The fact that Alcantara was taken down repeatedly by Hacran Dias in his lone Octagon setback does not bode well for his chances.

While Alcantara is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt who has demonstrated some nice transitions, Faber usually gets the best of the scrambles and battles for position on the mat. Once he achieves control, the former World Extreme Cagefighting featherweight champion creates openings for submissions by landing punches and elbows from above.

The Pick: Even if Faber is unable to secure one of his patented chokes, Alcantara will not be able to match his work rate. Faber takes this one by decision.

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