Prospect of the week: Alfonso Leyva (Patreon)

Alfonso Leyva
From: Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico
Camp: Entram Gym
Weightclass: Welterweight (170lbs)
Age: 29-years-old
Height: Five-foot-eleven
Record: 6-0
Methods: 6 KO/TKOs
Combined opponents' record: 11-4

Pros

• Heavy hands
• Good one-two
• Solid jab
• Dangerous counter striker
• Underrated wrestling
• Solid TDD
• Good movement/light footwork
• Heavy ground and pound
• Power right hand
• Heavy leg kicks
• Uses feints well

Cons

• Will bring his hands back to his face too slow
• Single strikes at times

Leyva started wrestling at the age of thirteen. From there he would become a very successful Greco-Roman wrestler. He was a 12-time national wrestling champion out of Mexico. He was a two-time participant in the Olympic Games. Leyva has won gold, silver, and bronze medals in Pan American and other smaller accomplishments. Leyva has been competing in MMA for two years and already is 6-0. A big part of his success has been his time training at Entram Gym.

When Leyva was competing in the Olympics he was training alongside the boxers after his wrestling sessions. The time training with those boxers evidently would play a major role in his MMA career. An interesting note is he's only spent around maybe four minutes of top control. He's only really shot and completed one takedown and other times he's getting it down off defensive wrestling. The one time he actually used his wrestling it was a beautiful throw. Funny enough, he was in full guard and just stood up wanting the fight back on his feet. Not scared of the ground game but just is so comfortable with his striking. Shying away from the ground game isn't a lack of skill either because in his last fight he had a valuable top position and win via ground and pound.

Leyva when you look up his background you'd be surprised he's knocking guys out instead of wrestling guys. Leyva has some real boxing skills. His jab is a useful weapon and his one-two is a a big weapon in his arsenal. Leyva wouldn't be the dangerous striker he is not just with his power but his use of feints. Leyva uses a lot of feints to create traps and find his spots. He's at times throwing single strikes but is mixing up his attack. If it's not the jab he's digging into the body or chopping away with the leg kicks.

Some small but important qualities Leyva has is good movement and is a good counter striker. Leyva bounces in and out with the jab and short combinations. He'll frustrate his opponents with his movement and teeing off on them they will sell out and rush forward. That allows Leyva to bomb away on guys when they come in blind. The most dangerous thing about Leyva is his ability to knock out whoever he's fighting at any point. Everyone he's fought had wilted once they get hit by him.

Leyva in his last fight made his US debut, LFA debut, and more importantly his welterweight debut. Moving down from middleweight Leyva looked a lot better physically. He's a real threat in shallow division and can really turn some heads (literally) in a big promotion.