The Prelim Breakout Star is a once per event article that helps fans get to know those who will be entertaining them from the undercard. The intention of the article is not to bring attention to the most talented fighter on the preliminary card, but rather one that the common fan may have overlooked or underestimated.
There’s been a fair number of trends in the 230+ editions of this segment that we’ve run. We seem to love big athletic heavy guys. We definitely love guys who come from the Contender Series. There are a few gyms that we typically enjoy more than others (MMA Lab, Fortis MMA, Serra-Longo).
This segment combines all of those.
Alonzo Menifield
Affiliation – Fortis MMA
From – Dallas, Texas
Height – 6’1″
Weight – 205 lbs (Light Heavyweight)
Record – 7-0 (0-0 UFC)
What makes him impressive
The first thing you’ll notice when watching a Menifield fight is that he throws each punch with bad intentions. This is especially true when he had opponents backing up, which he regularly makes happen. The small setback to this fact is that this can sometimes tire fighters out. We don’t particularly know much about Menifield’s gas tank seeing as he’s never made it to the third round.
While the hands are the first thing most notice, his wrestling is pretty impressive – in fact probably more impressive – as well. If you watch his fights from LFA, he has a handful of high angle slams that, even if they don’t stun his opponent, at least put them in a bad place.
Why he has been overlooked
Menifield was the main event of Contender Series on the night Greg Hardy made his infamous debut. So, the attention was not entirely focused on him that night. However, he did win his bout in just eight seconds that night – far quicker than Hardy. In addition, he also looked more well-rounded and like he had sharper striking. Still, he’s the one on the prelims in Brooklyn.
What makes this a good match-up
Menifield will be squaring off with Vinicius Alves, who is one of the better prospects when it comes to jiu jitsu in the light heavyweight division. The old adage states that every fight starts on the feet and, in this case, it seems like it’s going to be pretty hard for him to get Menifield there. His takedowns largely come from trips against the cage, which means he’ll have to hold Menifield there to get one. Plus, with the difference in striking, it wouldn’t seem like he’s going to have all that long to accomplish that.
Prelim Breakout Star Record: 162-68-1 (2 NC) (6 DNF)
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