The MMA Daily

This fight is flying under the radar, as both men are near the bottom in a rather stacked Bantamweight division. However, styles make fights and I believe we are in for a fun one. Gustavo Lopez is a brawler and bonafide finisher, winning eleven of his twelve professional victories via stoppage. Due to his style however, his striking defense is porous. Of Lopez’s six professional defeats, he has been stopped via strikes three times. The same could be said about Heili Alateng regarding striking defense, as he’s absorbed nearly six strikes per minute. The difference though, is Alateng has shown to have an iron chin. Only once in the last six years has Alateng been stopped.

As for a prediction, I’m siding with Alateng. The ‘Mongolian Knight’ has been exceptional in the last six years, and held his own in his most recent fight against Casey Kenney. It was a clear step up in competition, and Alateng had his moments. With both men having issues with their striking defense, it’s safe to assume they will have to endure the other’s best shot’s. It’s Alateng though that holds a durability edge. In what I expect to be a back-and-forth fight, that edge is going to aid Alateng to victory. So with that, I believe Alateng wins this fight via late TKO.