The final act of a Friday night of MMA sees the sport head to The Golden State of California where Urijah Faber‘s A1 Combat heads to Tachi Palace in Lemoore for A1 Combat 23 and the A1 Combat 23 main event. Friday’s card (main card 10 pm ET/ 7 pm PT on UFC Fight Pass after prelims at 8 pm ET/ 5 pm PT on YouTube) is the last show from the promotion for over a month.
After Friday’s main event concludes, A1 Combat takes the entire month of August off before returning on Sept. 6, the weekend after Labor Day, for A1 Combat 24. More on that card when the time comes. Turning our attention back to this week’s card, not all of the attention will be focused on the competitors trying to notch another victory in the win column.
Three fighters tied to the UFC will be enshrined as members of the 2024 Tachi Palace Hall of Fame during the event. Alex Perez, Joe Soto, and Michael McDonald are all set to be inducted to the hall over the weekend.
Lightweight Championship Up for Grabs in A1 Combat 23 Main Event
Highlighting the event is a championship doubleheader. Immediately following the co-main event, the A1 Combat 23 main event sees the A1 Combat Lightweight Championship at stake.
Incumbent A1 Combat Lightweight Champion Christian Avalos (5-1 MMA, 4-0 A1 Combat), an alumnus of the LFA, takes on challenger Samuel Alvarez (10-6 MMA, 1-0 A1 Combat) for the belt. As with all A1 Combat title fights, the A! Combat 23 main event is an advertised maximum of three rounds at five minutes per round to close the show.
According to California State Athletic Commission policy enacted at the start of this year, all MMA fights on regionally-based cards are three rounds in length. No exceptions were made in cases of championship contests.
A1 Combat 23 Main Event Fighter Comparison
Heading into the A1 Combat 23 main event on Friday night, challenger Samuel Alvarez stands as the taller man at 5-foot-11, compared to champion Christian Avalos at 5-foot-10. No reach advantage information was accessible online at press time.
In addition, the oddsmakers have yet to release money lines for Friday night’s card as of Wednesday afternoon. If you plan on betting on this or any other fight happening this weekend in MMA, please wager responsibly.
Avalos Seeks Fifth Win in A Row in A1 Combat 23 Main Event Friday
Christian Avalos enters Friday night’s main event having posted a 4-1 record in his last five fights. Currently, he’s on a four-fight winning streak.
Back on May 25 during A1 Combat 21, he scored a third-round knockout victory against Justin Cornell (5-3 MMA, 2-2 A1 Combat) during the co-main event of the evening. After the fight, Avalos spoke to Michael Hernandez about getting back in the cage.
“Man, it felt great to put on a show for all my fans out here,” Avalos began. “It’s been a while since they’ve watched me bang. I was happy to knock him out in the third round. I’ve got a lot of experience in there, so I’m happy to just put on a show.”
A win in the A1 Combat 23 main event on Friday night would make it five in succession for Christian Avalos. Although UFC CEO Dana White is going to be in the United Kingdom over the weekend for UFC 304, a five-fight winning streak could look good enough on Avalos’ resume to receive a phone call from White once he gets back to Las Vegas.
Samuel Alvarez Hungry for the Belt
In the other corner, Samuel Alvarez has posted a mark of 4-1 himself over the last five fights. At the moment, he’s won three contests in a row.
Back on May 17, he bested Amartuvshin Khuukhenkuu (12-6 MMA, 0-1 A1 Combat) in A1 Combat 21 by second-round knockout. The aforementioned Michael Hernandez interviewed Alvarez following his win and he took time out to discuss his mobility.
“My whole gameplan is stick and move,” Alvarez began. “I feel like I’m one of the best boxers, because all I do is box. You see jiu-jitsu all in my gear, but I’m a boxer. I know what I’m capable of when it comes to [fighting] on the feet and just everywhere. I know I’m capable of performing when I’m firing on all cylinders.”
During that same interview, Alvarez mentioned the possibility of a championship fight in the future. For him, the future is now.
Analysis, Film Study, and Prediction
Even though the Fourth of July happened three weeks ago, expect some fireworks in the A1 Combat 23 main event on Friday night.
Christian Avalos Can Make Quick Work of Anybody
Champion Christian Avalos is a submission specialist. 80 percent of his professional victories have been recorded by this method, including his undercard fight last year vs. Eddie Davila.
During the opening round, Avalos landed a crisp right-handed punch to knock Davila down and landed some ground and pound shots to soften his opponent up for a submission. While Davila fought off Avalos’ first attempt at a sub, the latter returned to mount and locked up an armbar.
If Christian Avalos knocks Samuel Alvarez down, the momentum of the fight in the A1 Combat 23 main event will be on his side of the ledger in a hurry.
Alvarez Capable of Punching His Way to Victory
In the other corner, look for Samuel Alvarez to use his boxing to his advantage in the A1 Combat 23 main event. You just need to watch the tape of his fight against Amartuvshin Khuukhenkuu for proof.
During the second round, Alvarez repeatedly scored with heavy shots on Khuukhenkuu, beginning with a straight left to knock him down. A barrage of ground and pound strikes followed.
With Khuukhenkuu clearly outclassed, the referee wisely stepped in and ended the bout as a contest in just under two minutes.
Final Thoughts
While UFC 304 has two title fights of its own this week, don’t sleep on the title fights in A1 Combat on Friday night. Expect high energy in the main event.
