Saturday night’s pay-per-view opening bout was yet another tightly contested UFC 147 fight. Hacran Dias came away with the unanimous decision victory after repeated takedowns and ground-and-pound on Yuri Alcantara.
Here is what we learned about the two featherweight warriors after their bout in Brazil:
What we’ll remember about this fight
Dias’ improved wrestling and active top game controlled the up-and-coming featherweight en route to the decision victory. Dias enters the fray at 145 pounds.
Alcantara entered 147 with a lot of hype after putting together a 13-fight win streak. However, famed MMA academy Nova União seems to have produced yet another featherweight prospect for the UFC.
What we learned about fighter Yuri Alcantara
Alcantara turned up the heat too late against Dias. But more importantly, he showed he still needs to develop a better takedown defense.
Dias has improved his wrestling, but Alcantara gave up too many takedowns to have a chance of pulling out the victory. With many good wrestlers in the featherweight division, he will need to address this hole in his game before he makes a run
What we learned about fighter Hacran Dias
Enter another contender from Nova União. Dias wins his ninth in the row by defeating Alcantara.
A debut win over Alcantara is perfect for Dias. He effectively stole all of his thunder and takes his place as the prospect to watch in the division. And with an improved wrestling attack to go along with his excellent submission game.
Nova União continues to produce elite level talent.
What’s next for fighter Yuri Alcantara
Alcantara needs a rebound fight. As long as his next opponent is not a top featherweight coming off of a loss, it makes sense.
What’s next for fighter Hacran Dias
A fight against Jason Young would make sense for Dias. After a stellar performance against Alcantara he needs another fight or two before taking on a contender in the division.
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