Legacy FC will be putting on events in back-to-back weekends — a rarity for a regional MMA promotion — but neither card suffers because of their higher volume. The first of the two events takes place this Friday and airs on AXS TV starting at 10pm ET. The main event of Legacy FC 31 is a middleweight title bout between reigning champion Bubba Bush (7-2) and undefeated prospect Alfonso Gonzales (5-0). This is clear grappler versus striker matchup, where Bush must be wary of Gonzales’ hands, while Gonzales needs to watch out for the takedowns of Bush. Another win for Bush could be what he needs to get a call from Joe Silva, so there’s a lot on the line for him here. The co-main event features a very familiar name to UFC and WEC fans, Damacio Page (17-9). After an eight-fight stint with Zuffa, Page has won his past two bouts with the Legacy organization and made his way down to 125lbs. He was originally scheduled to fight Henry Cejudo for the Legacy flyweight title, but Cejudo’s mercurial nature scratched that bout. In his place steps Elias Garcia (4-1) who faced Cejudo in his last bout, dropping a decision. Both of these men bring an aggressive style to the cage, so this looks to be a fast-paced, entertaining bout. The final bout with odds is in the welterweight division, as Alex Morono (6-2) steps into the Legacy FC cage for the sixth time — his previous record is 4-1 — to take on Diego da Silva (5-2). Both of these fighters are difficult to finish, both have seen the majority of their wins come via submission within the cage, with most of those having been armbars, and yet neither looks for takedowns all that frequently. It will be interesting to see if either fighter tries to pursue their grappling in this bout rather than testing each other on the feet. MMA oddsmaker Nick Kalikas opened the betting lines for Legacy FC 31 at Several Bookmakers today. Take a look: ——————– MAIN CARD (AXS TV, 10pm ET) Legacy FC Middleweight Title Bubba Bush -505 Alfonso Gonzales +335 Damacio Page -265 Elias Garcia +185 Alex Morono -185 Diego da Silva +145 ——————– Brad’s Analysis: I expect that Alfonso Gonzales won’t be able to deal with the wrestling of Bubba Bush. He has been taken down in previous fights, and Bush is both the best wrestler and best overall fighter that Gonzales has faced. Once there, Gonzales hasn’t shown much in terms of a dangerous guard, or great scrambling ability. Bush should have his way for as long as it takes to wear Gonzales down with ground and pound or find his back and sink in a choke. While a 2-1 record since leaving the UFC doesn’t seem all that impressive for Damacio Page, his one loss was a very close decision against Marcelo Costa (who is a massive bantamweight and recently submitted Ronnie Mann). Page has looked fairly good of late. His power is still present, and he seems to be fighting with a bit more control. That should serve him well against Elias Garcia, who can be a bit wild at times and open himself up to being hit. The fight should be fairly competitive, but I do expect Page to land one of his massive right hands at some point that will change things drastically and earn him the nod. Most people seem to be picking Alex Morono because he’s the more known quantity in this bout, but it’s a difficult style for him. Morono rarely pursues takedowns of his own, but he’s extremely sloppy on the feet at the best of times, normally using his aggression to force his opponents to take him down where he can work from his guard. Diego da Silva won’t follow that script, as he’s a better and longer striker than Morono, and his equal on the ground. Depending on where this line moves, I may take a shot on the Brazilian as I think he can win by KO or decision (it’s unlikely either of these fighters submits the other).
