Legacy FC 26 Date: December 6, 2013 Arena: Cowboys Dance Hall City: San Antonio, TX Bantamweight bout: George Pacurariu (+175) vs Thomas de Almeida (-245) Fight Breakdown: The co-main event will likely be one of the more entertaining fights of the weekend. It will be a scrap fans won’t want to miss, as George Pacurariu takes on Thomas de Almeida. Pacurario is currently the underdog in this bout at +175 ($100 to win $175), with de Almeida being the favorite at -245 ($245 to win $100) at Several Bookmakerss. GEORGE PACURARIU (5-2 MMA, 1-1 Legacy FC) is coming off a third round TKO loss to Aaron Cerda at LFC 22 just over three months ago. The fight was even at one round apiece, and Cerda ended up cutting Pacurariu open with a pair of hard elbows to his dome. The blood was too much, and the doctor called the fight, giving Pacurariu the first defeat via finish in his professional mixed martial arts career. The Romanian is a talented orthodox striker who has very good footwork, and uses his distance really well. He has excellent defense on the feet, and possesses power in both hands. He is very quick, and likes to get in and out really fast. He has a solid jab, and works his double-jab really well, often times leading it to set up a driving right hand, which seems to be his favorite strike. He has brutal overhands, especially his overhand right. He put Steven Peterson out cold with it in his promotional debut earlier this year. Pacurariu moves fast; he likes to look for opportunities to explode, and throw heavy leather. When they don’t result in knockouts, they lead to takedowns. He works his double-leg takedown really well, and once he has his opponent down on the mat, he applies top-control well. He likes to work a ground and pound attack, where he implements his vicious elbows. Pacurariu transitions really well, and when on the defensive, he is great with reversals. He is a well-conditioned mixed martial artist who is well-versed in every area of the sport, and is also well-conditioned, so he will be capable of going hard for all fifteen minutes of action, if necessary. THOMAS DE ALMEIDA (14-0 MMA, 0-0 Legacy FC) is an undefeated Brazilian prospect making his promotional debut. He is an exceptional striker who works solid kicks to the legs and body, possessing great Muay Thai skills, as he owns a 29-2 professional record in Muay Thai bouts, with the majority of his wins coming by way of knockout. It has been the case in his professional mixed martial arts career, as well. Since making the transition from Muay Thai to mixed martial arts in 2011, in less than three years, he amassed a 14-0 record with 100% finishes; 10 knockouts, and four submissions. He hunts his opponents and his fighting style seems to be moving forward, looking for the finish. Unsurprisingly, 13 of his 14 finishes have come within the first round of action. His last bout two months ago in which he was victorious via second round TKO was the first time he had seen the second round in his professional mixed martial arts career. He has never been to the third round, so that makes me question his cardio. Should he not be successful in finding a finish, it is a possibility that he may not have much to offer in the third round. His conditioning will definitely be a question mark heading into this bout, and I will go ahead and give him the disadvantage there, as cardio is no issue for his opponent Pacurariu. Fight Prediction: I think this will be a close affair for however long their chins and gas tanks hold up. They are both fast, have phenomenal striking, and incredible chins. I give Pacurariu the edge in cardio, power, and striking, and that may be the difference in this fight. Gabe’s Pick: George Pacurariu by Split-Decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)… which may be silly, since all signs point to this fight ending with a finish. Gabe’s Recommended Play: George Pacurariu (+175) 1u to win 1.75u
