Introduction
Tuesday, September 16th, Brazilan light heavyweight prospect Mahamed Aly will be in action for Dana White’s Contender Series, where he will be looking continue his winning ways against Iwo Baraniewski. He will be looking for another win, as Aly looks to score a UFC contract. He represents Team Lloyd Irvin, a solid camp in MMA. Let’s take a closer look at this prospect as this week’s “Prospect Spotlight.”
Strengths
Jiu-Jitsu: Aly is a high-level black belt in jiu-jitsu, so obviously his bread and butter is on the mat. He’s shared the mat with a number of superstars in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, including Mikey Musumeci, Gordon Ryan, Marcus Buchecha and Rafael Lovato Jr. If Aly gets an opponent to the ground, there’s a good chance he’s going to overwhelm them.
Kickboxing: Despite his extensive grappling background, Aly has also shown a capable kickboxer. While he does not have the traditional boxing technique or ability, he has kickboxing bouts and has shown a strong kicking game. He has power in his hands, but it’s his leg and head kicks which are a strong point in his game. In fact, three of his four pro wins are by knockout.
Needs Improvement
MMA Experience: While Aly has plenty of combat experience from grappling, he’s just four fights into his MMA career. While he has looked good, it’s a small sample size. On the plus side, he does own a win over UFC vet Jared Gooden, so Aly clearly has faced at least one quality opponent.
Outlook
LHW Top-20: The light heavyweight division is very light on talent, which is very good for Aly. He’s a well-rounded fighter with top-notch submission ability and can quickly make his way up the UFC ladder. His current opponent Iwo Baraniewski is a solid prospect himself, but I don’t find him to be on the level of Aly. Aly should take this one, enter the UFC and climb the ladder somewhat quickly. There are plenty of winnable fights in the UFC right now for Aly, who should crack the top-20 during his tenure.
MMA Intel 