UFC 124 Preview: The Main Card

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Thiago Alves vs. John Howard

As one of the more extreme weight-cutters in a sport dominated by them, Alves vacillates between pushing himself to maximum gain at fight time, and simply reducing too much and losing stamina. The Brazilian walks around well over 190 pounds, and at times the size and strength he brings into bouts can be accompanied by a lethargic performance.

Granted, Alves’ two worst showings -- decision losses to Georges St. Pierre and Jon Fitch -- might have happened to just about anyone, but the 27-year-old is so big for 170 at this point, you wonder how long he can stay effective at the weight. The problem is this: at five-foot-nine, he’d make for an exceptionally short middleweight.

At his best, Alves is an excellent striker, with thumping leg kicks and creative combinations, along with good takedown defense.

Howard’s task here is obvious: He’ll have to get Alves to the floor and make that weight cut work against him. Fitch did it in both of his wins against Alves, holding him down and grinding the gas tank to empty. But Fitch is a master of that style, while Howard will probably have to pay a stiff price to close the gap.

Alves is dangerous from any position on his feet, using tie-ups and exchanges to land big shots, and his upper-body strength is especially imposing in the early going. Howard showed a lot of moxie in his third-round technical knockout loss to tough Jake Ellenberger.

Howard should be able to score some takedowns, but he’ll also be baited into big exchanges. Look for Alves to close the show with a barrage in the third round after a back-and-forth, fan-pleasing match.