Welterweight bout: Artenas Young (-210) vs Eric Davila (+160) Fight Breakdown: The co-main event for the Legacy FC 22 main card is a welterweight scrap between a pair of fighters who like to trade leather. Two-time Legacy FC veteran Artenas Young steps into the cage against the always tough hometown boy Eric Davila. Young is currently the favorite at -210 (bet $210 to win $100) with the kickback on the underdog Davila being +160 (bet $100 to win $160) at Several Bookmakerss. Artenas Young (9-5 MMA, 1-1 Legacy FC) is a striker from Houston, TX with one thing on his mind: Make it to the UFC. He believes he may only be a win or two away from getting a call. Young used to weigh 260lbs and has been fighting at middleweight until this bout, which is his debut at welterweight. He will step foot on the scale weighing 90lbs less than he weighed not very long ago. He will certainly have the reach and especially size advantage in this bout, as Davila is one of the smaller welterweights on the Legacy FC roster. Artenas Young is a talented striker. He is a bit flashy but does put some good combinations together. He works his hands well, but sometimes has a problem not pulling the trigger. His takedown defense is excellent and that’s a good thing because his ground game is nothing to write home about. Since this is his first cut to 170, his cardio may be questionable, but I think he will be able to go fifteen minutes without gassing. He has also not fought in nine months, since an impressive four-second knockout victory over Brandon Mitchell, so ring rust may also be a concern. Eric Davila (20-12 MMA, 0-1 Legacy FC) is fighting in his hometown of Lubock, TX and will have plenty of hometown support behind him for this bout. This is Davila’s first bout in a year and a half, so he may also have some ring rust. Though he hasn’t had a fight, Davila has been in the gym nearly every day, as he coaches some of the best up and coming talent from Texas in a gym which he owns. Davila will be at a size disadvantage, as he does not cut much weight to make the welterweight limit. He does not enjoy cutting weight, though, so as of now he’s ruling 155 out as an option. Davila is originally a wrestler but he loves to stand and trade. He is a talented grappler and a good brawler. He also has a good Brazilian Jiu Jitsu game along with solid ground and pound. In order to win this fight, Davila has to turn this into a dirty boxing match on the feet and work in takedowns. Dirty boxing and takedowns/ground-and-pound will be his keys to victory. Fight Prediction: Artenas Young is looking past Eric Davila and that may be a mistake. The last time he looked past an opponent was Noel Ligon at Legacy FC 12 over a year ago. That cost him the match, as he was outpointed on the feet and suffered a Unanimous Decision loss. This fight could play out a very similar way, but I’m not counting on it. Young is really motivated and is the superior striker. I think he will keep the fight on the feet and fight smart, scoring points en route to a UD W. Gabe’s Pick: Artenas Young by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) Gabe’s Recommended Play: Artenas Young -210 for 1.5u
