Debutant of the week: Makhachev vs Green
My choice for the most viable newcomer to debut at UFC Vegas 49: Makhachev vs Green
Unfortunately, my town has been hit by some pretty devastating floods this week and I’ve been left without power for a few days. As such I’ve not had a chance to profile all fighters making their debut this weekend; instead I’ve chosen to focus what little time I have available on who I believe is the debuting prospect of the week…
VICTOR ‘EL MAGNIFICO’ ALTAMIRANO - 10-1-0
1 KO/4 SUB/5 DEC
TEXAS VIA MEXICO CITY
31
5’8”
70.5
Flyweight
A nine fight win-streak under the LFA banner, beginning in 2017, saw Mexican born Victor Altamirano pique the interest of UFC match makers last year, securing himself a spot on Dana White's Contender Series.
In August of 2021, 'El Magnifico' emerged victorious on the broadcast, and punched his ticket to the big show.
That DWCS bout (opposite Carlos Candilario) was the most hotly contended fight of the night, with the commentary team and the official judges ultimately in disagreement over who won the bout. As a result of the performance both men put on inside the cage, Dana White awarded a UFC contract to each of the fighters that evening.
Altamirano, currently ranked #3 among all professional flyweights on the United States regional ladder, sports a solid amateur record to compliment his pro resume. Beginning in 2015, the accomplished Cello player (I just had to force that in somewhere…) cut his teeth in reputable promotions such as Legacy FC and LFA in a total of seven amateur bouts - four of those going his way, the remaining three being lost all via submission.
Now a BJJ brown belt, Altamirano has turned the tables and managed to secure four submission wins of his own, while succumbing to just one himself as a professional (against the experienced Jarred Brooks (UFC/ONE)).
It seems, nowadays, Altamirano is much more confident in his skills on the ground, rarely attempting to stuff a takedown, more likely to jump guard than he is to sprawl; Though he has shown a penchant for keeping it on the feet more recently.
The Southpaw, Altamirano, comes from a taekwondo background, having earned his second degree black belt in the martial art. This is often displayed inside the cage by the insane variation of strikes at his disposal, from kicks to elbows and everything in-between; in fact he utilises a rushing rear knee to the body in almost every fight - damaging if it lands, but more used to rush his opponents and get him on the inside.
It's common to see Altamirano start the fight explosively, generally favouring a barrage of kicks to the legs and body, setting up the head kick in time.
As each new round begins, the flyweight will come out with explosive force, his gas tank rarely faltering. Throughout his 25 minute LFA flyweight championship bout his pace built as the rounds progressed. His DWCS performance lacked much of what his previous fights had shown in terms of technique and cardio, though that may just be put down to nerves at this point.
Coming up against fellow newcomer and highly touted prospect, Carlos Hernandez, expect Altamirano to be more confident in his UFC debut than his contract winning performance. His skill and ability surpasses his record thus far, and his experience is sure to play a deciding factor this weekend to open the preliminary card…