Fully into the LFA on the Vice era, we see the middleweight title as the headline. This Friday, we are in Clarksville, Tennessee, for the numbered 226 event. The card sees an important main event headliner and a mix of other prospects from multiple weightclasses.
Middleweight, David Allakhverdiev (7-0) Vs. Joseph Kropschot (7-3)
David Allakhverdiev (7–0) emerged from relative obscurity to establish himself as one of the division’s more intriguing middleweight prospects in a single performance. The Ukrainian made his LFA debut in August when he demolished John Moore to win the middleweight title. Allakhverdiev is a multiple-time national champion in judo and sambo. That said, there’s still a lot we don’t know about him—right now, all we really have is 1:03 of fight footage to go off of.
Joseph Kropschot (7–3) isn’t a prospect I’m high on, but at 185 pounds—and riding a win streak—he’s still worth paying attention to. After dropping three straight a few years back, Kropschot has rebounded and won three in a row. He’s the definition of a seasoned regional veteran at middleweight.
On the feet, his game is fairly basic, but he’s a solid wrestler and a BJJ black belt. It wouldn’t surprise me at all if Kropschot were able to expose Allakhverdiev, whether by dragging the fight into deeper waters or taking things to the mat. While he’s somewhat stiff and slow, he remains effective once the fight hits the ground.
More importantly than anything, we are gonna get some answers on Allakhverdiev’s ceiling after this fight. This read isn’t made to be one where I give a prediction. What I will say is without looking at the lines, I’d line Allakhverdiev as a -125 favorite.
Nikolay Kiosse (10–3–1) is coming off back-to-back upset wins, which have put his name firmly on the radar. He captured the Naiza FC featherweight title by defeating Nurbek Kabdrakhmanov, then followed it up by handing Abdulaziz Datsilaev his first career loss. After digging into the tape, I’m a big fan of Kiosse. He’s comfortable fighting everywhere and can be effective in any phase.
Kiosse fights patiently but is always hunting for the finish. He works body-to-head combinations, mixes in knees and elbows, and is a nasty counter striker with real pop in his hands. While his recent fights might not showcase it, he can wrestle, and on the mat, he’s quick in transition and a serious threat to take the neck home. Some of his past losses are concerning, but he appears to be in his prime and in the best position of his career right now.
Kiosse is set to face Dedrek Sanders, a capable spoiler who has been a solid regional fighter for the past five years, even if he isn’t high-level. If Kiosse extends his finishing streak in this matchup, it would be another strong addition to his résumé.
Mackenzie Stiller (5–1) is one of the top female prospects in the U.S. Stiller is an exciting fighter who appears to be entering her prime. If she can bring her striking up to a serviceable level, she’ll be a legitimate threat. Without me going into much detail, you can get that here as she’s our featured WMMA prospect of the week.
Bryce Woerner (2-0), I’ve already expressed I’m pretty high on. For an in-depth look at his, check out this feature I had written about him here.
Lane Roe (2–0) finds himself on the prelims for the second straight outing, and it could—and probably should—be the last time. He’s that kind of talent. Roe dropped his MMA debut but hasn’t lost since, finishing his amateur run at 7–1 and now riding a nine-fight win streak. He’s well-rounded, with the ability to box, kickbox, wrestle, and grapple. His defensive work isn’t particularly sharp, but he has a solid chin and is effective off his back.
Roe is a combination striker who throws from both stances, frequently working up the middle with uppercuts and mixing leg kicks into his combinations. While his ground game serves more as a secondary weapon, he’s still a threat to snatch the neck or inflict damage once the fight hits the mat.
Travon Eller (3–0) has quietly flown under the radar despite being 3–0 as a professional, 6–0 as an amateur, and competing at middleweight. His tape is tough to track down, but in the footage available, he’s been overwhelming his opposition. From the opening bell, Eller comes out like a man possessed. He’s gone beyond the first round only once, with five of his wins coming in under a minute. That raises legitimate cardio questions, as he clearly doesn’t pace himself.
What he has shown, though, is real knockout power, the ability to physically dominate opponents, and a mauling ground-and-pound game. This matchup represents a clear step up in competition, which should give us a much better idea of just how good Eller really is.