Mixed Martial Arts on Merseyside has continued to flourish, and yet another MMA prodigy is set to perform under the lights in his UFC debut next month in Doha, Qatar.
Luke Riley, an unbeaten 24-year-old, will be looking to extend his 11-0-0 record, when he collides with Austrian fighter Bogdan Grad in UFC Fight Night on November 22nd.
With an eye for a finish, Riley has showcased his knockout ability, winning eight of his eleven professional bouts in Cage Warriors, by way of knockout.
Riley has trained alongside lightweight title contender Paddy ‘The Baddy’ Pimblett, and Mersey Sport Live has analysed the data behind why he is so talked-about.
Merseyside MMA
Riley will join fighters like Darren Till, Paddy Pimblett and Molly McCann as Merseyside stars.
And the recent signings of Shem Rock, Nathaniel Fletcher and Riley at Next Generation Gym could maintain this trend.
Only Riley, Till and Tommy Martin have a 100%-win rate before signing for the Ultimate Fighting Championship, with Till the only fighter to win more professional fights (14), than Riley (11).
While Riley does not offer the most significant strikes landed per minute, he shares a similarity with Rock and Till, who share a Muay Thai fighting style.
While Riley does not load up his punches to create pressure, he dispatches his shots with precision and with an intent to separate his opponents from their consciousness.
Behind the Power
Despite recording an impressive four-first round finishes, Riley has failed to record a single submission victory in his career, which does pose questions about his ground game.
The orthodox fighter also lands an underwhelming 0.3 average takedowns per 15 minutes, which is below the average for his Cage Warriors counterparts. This could suggest that Riley is a bit more one-dimensional than the contenders in his division.
But this could also insinuate that Riley has a superior level of control in his fights to mitigate the threat of the fight becoming a grappling contest.
With Riley being a prominent figure on the striking front, his left hook and ground and pound power are listed as two of his strongest weapons, with these attributes proving to be detrimental to his eight stoppages in his career, to date.
Title Prospect
Alexander ‘The Great’ Volkanovski is the current featherweight champion, and whilst he is primarily a striker with a strong wrestling background, data suggests there is a blueprint for Riley to capitalise on in his bid to secure a UFC title.
The data above reveals little difference between the two fighters, even despite fighting against a contrasting standard of competitors.
Riley is leading Volkanovski, in terms of win and finish rate. However, the Australian has shown to be more dominant in the significant strikes, striking accuracy and takedown defence metrics, demonstrating his well-rounded ability, which is something the scouser will have to prove, on the biggest stage.
Overall, the fight ahead for the Liverpudlian will be the main focus. A win against Bogdan Grad would provide the foundations for a strong start to life in the UFC.
Grad will be aiming to play spoiler and, if the stats are any indication, neutralise the Englishman’s power.
But numbers suggest Luke Riley is not just a prospect, he could also be a problem.
