A ‘Mountain Tiger’ of Macau Prepares to Maul Alonzo Menifield at UFC Fight Night
Welcome to the jungle, where strikes make for great fun and games in Macau, China. This upcoming Saturday will host one game that takes the form of UFC Fight Night. On that day, the title fight of Song Yadong vs. Deiveson Figueiredo will occur, but before that, the Men’s Light Heavyweight Division will have its time to shine. Specifically, the spotlight will shine on two fighters from this division. They are Zhang Mingyang and Alonzo Menifield, who will face each other to claim victory and the recognition to climb the ranks. Also, the two fighters are 27 years old and 38 years old, respectively.
Aside from being the younger of the two fighters, Mingyang also goes by the alternative name of ‘Mountain Tiger’. He has clawed through the ranks to earn this moniker, too. These claws were earned from such feats as throwing 7.71 strikes per min. Furthermore, his Chinese fanbase will eagerly await the accuracy of his strikes, as he is more accurate than his current opponent. The ‘Mountain Tiger’ will have to be on his guard at the same time, as with a great number of strikes comes the responsibility of defending one’s position. A position with which he has consistently gained 19 first-round finishes against a record of 19-7-0.
The record of Menifield is no joke either, as he’s currently sitting at 17-6-1. Coming into this fight, he is the older of the two, but he has shown considerable defence when standing, which has resulted in having fewer strikes absorbed per min. than his opponent. The nickname he goes by is ‘Atomic,’ and it was probably earned through the merit of his dynamic submissions during his fights. Between the two fighters, he is more of a grappler with a higher takedown defense and 0.2 submissions on average. The 38-year-old fighter would benefit from a win in this bout, but it would mean he retains his current position in the division.
However, the fighter predicted to win this fight is not the one who needs to retain their rank. Instead, most statistical models point towards the homegrown 27-year-old as the winner due to his tenacity and propensity to land more significant strikes. If ‘Atomic’ can avoid these strikes and gather momentum to land more while standing, this could be the edge he needs. That would involve more risk, so if he really wants the win, he should try a takedown. By doing so, he will be more open to receiving unwanted strikes.
The ‘Mountain Tiger’ will win this fight from the number of strikes he lands or the KO/TKO that is most likely to occur. It may happen by the first round, but it’s more likely the win will occur in the second round. The 38-year-old fighter may be slower in striking, but he has stood against opponents like the one he faces in this bout. He may even win by a surprise takedown. The best way to see who wins from either a ground or standing position will be to stream the fight on Paramount+ at 7:00 a.m. EDT!
