OT: Official MMA discussion thread pt 3 UFC 319: DDP vs Chimaev, Aaron Pico vs Lerone Murphy

[Clyde_Style]

Some great fights, but boy did OMalley come in with zero game plan. He was exposed by a mundane fighter.

[j4remi]

Some great fights, but boy did OMalley come in with zero game plan. He was exposed by a mundane fighter.

It's rare that I give a fighter leeway, but O'Malley refused to make excuses and took the L on the chin. Then he snuck the news out that he went into that fight knowing he had a torn labrum that required hip surgery. I've only seen torn labrums in shoulders, but considering the limiting impact and O'Malley's approach to this fight...I think it's got some legs.

Basically, Suga spent the entire fight looking for one big shot. It looked like his work rate was down, and his footwork was off. Plus, the front kick he had so much success with in the fifth is a common weapon, but he didn't use it until the do-or-die round.

That's not to excuse him. He lost, and I think he'd be best off packing on pounds to move away from the wrestlers of 135. But, this is a rare case where I think Suga's injury at least explains some of his uncharacteristic issues.

[j4remi]

I'm a bit pressed for time, and this week's card is a Fight Pass card...so lots of mid. But the main two events deserve a shout.

Renato Moicano vs Benoit St Denis is a GREAT fight. Both dudes are aggressive and can find finishes. Moicano can be hurt, and Benoit is recklessly aggressive himself. So this should be fireworks! Moicano would be smart to take BSD down, which he's done more of in recent fights.

Nassourdine Imavov just beat Jared Cannonier, and has been building a nice resume. Brendan Allen has won 7 straight, including avenging his last loss. But I'll be honest, Allen never really leaps off the screen for me. He's really good, but I think he's highly beatable at the top levels. I lean Imavov here, but whoever wins should enter the top-five and contender conversation.

Other notables include:
Bryan Battle, a TUF winner who's been hot and cold in the big show.

Matt Frevola, an aging fighter but who rarely has boring fights.

Ion Cutelaba who has KO power but has started to slip up with age.

Oumar Sy, a newcomer but with a 10-0 record that includes multiple KSW appearances (which is a very good league).

And Ludovit Klein, who's been on a nice tear recently...good enough to get my attention, though I need more proof that he's really THAT good.

[Clyde_Style]

Some great fights, but boy did OMalley come in with zero game plan. He was exposed by a mundane fighter.

It's rare that I give a fighter leeway, but O'Malley refused to make excuses and took the L on the chin. Then he snuck the news out that he went into that fight knowing he had a torn labrum that required hip surgery. I've only seen torn labrums in shoulders, but considering the limiting impact and O'Malley's approach to this fight...I think it's got some legs.

Basically, Suga spent the entire fight looking for one big shot. It looked like his work rate was down, and his footwork was off. Plus, the front kick he had so much success with in the fifth is a common weapon, but he didn't use it until the do-or-die round.

That's not to excuse him. He lost, and I think he'd be best off packing on pounds to move away from the wrestlers of 135. But, this is a rare case where I think Suga's injury at least explains some of his uncharacteristic issues.

Because Laura Sanko is hot I'll allow it

[j4remi]

Because Laura Sanko is hot I'll allow it

I met her when she just moved from Invicta to the UFC. She was chill as hell, completely down to Earth. Also, even hotter in person, she has the nicest eyes I've ever seen in person.

[Clyde_Style]

Because Laura Sanko is hot I'll allow it

I met her when she just moved from Invicta to the UFC. She was chill as hell, completely down to Earth. Also, even hotter in person, she has the nicest eyes I've ever seen in person.

You're ruined for life. Nobody else will do

Somehow I hadn't paid close attention until now, but this broadcast I sat up and said, "wait a second, she's gorgeous" and then of course I had to go look at her swimsuit photos on google images

[j4remi]

Probably worth mentioning the Francis Ngannou boxing curse....Anthony Joshua got put to KO'ed this weekend, landing in literally the famous DBZ meme pose.

I'd like to see Daniel Dubois rematch Oleksandr Usyk.

[Clyde_Style]

Watch on YouTube

Well damn

[j4remi]

Watch on YouTube

Well damn

I love watching the old school fights and noting how much worse leg kick defense was back then. It gives me hope that we'll see more solutions and defenses against calf-kicks over the next decade

It's also crazy how Rick Roufos and Ernesto Hoost will show up in basically every fighter's profile from that era. Those two fought EVERYBODY...legends for a reason.

[j4remi]

For MMA History, Napoleon Blownapart is the GOAT content creator. He covers a bunch of the most memorable events in MMA history (good and cringeworthy), with the best sense of humor in the game. Examples:

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This clip comes from his TUF series which is one of my favorite trips down memory lane because it includes so many great stories including some heartwarming stuff and some hilariously embarrassing moments (trailer here):

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[j4remi]

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Takeru doesn't do boring...

[Guano]

He is never fighting again.

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[j4remi]

:lol:
He is never fighting again.

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If he fights again, it'll be a freak show against Jake Paul or something. Ironically, I like his Belal callout...that's about the only way to sell a Belal fight, and Belal would probably prefer a money fight with Conor in a spiral than Shavkhat on a killstreak.

[j4remi]

We got a PPV this weekend with one of the biggest stars in the UFC right now, Alex Pereira (#2 P4P). I find the lack of hype for this card a little surprising because it's got well-known fighters on one side of each main card fight, but the lack of compelling opponents has made this card slept on. The opponents don't have big names, but a lot of them make for interesting match-ups and entertaining fights. Let's have a closer look:

The Mains:
Alex Pereira vs Khalil Rountree:
There are two ways to look at this fight. On the one hand, it's a mismatch since Rountree has been KO'ed by inferior strikers to Alex and only really has one prominent name in his five-fight win streak (a way past his prime Anthony Smith). On the other hand, this is a matchup of the two hardest-hitting strikers. Out of 24 wins between the two, they have 18 KO's.

It's a recipe for an exciting, albeit probably short, fight. Rountree doesn't wrestle and doesn't run. That's gotten him slept before, but it's also produced some impressive KO's for him. Alex is Alex...no questions left to ask until he fights a pure wrestler. Things can get REALLY interesting if Rountree has an answer for Alex's leg kicks. But it's a much safer bet to count on Alex finishing this fight. A flash KO for Khalil isn't out of the question, but it's unlikely against a striker of Pereira's caliber.

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Raquel Pennington vs Juliana Pena:
A boring striker meets a boring wrestler in the least compelling division in the UFC today. This title fight is why I think this card is being slept on. It has a strong chance to go to decision, which makes for a 25-minute smoke break for many fans who have had enough of Pena being more bark than bite and Pennington being the queen of the safe one-two combination as her only form of offense.

I'm being a bit of a hater, though. This COULD be competitive. Pennington has much better striking and decent takedown defense. Pena is sloppy but determined to push forward. So it could be a fight where Pena eats a lot of jabs to try and get a takedown, and rounds could be decided by how fast Pena can force extended grappling exchanges. I'm just not holding my breath. I lean toward Raquel, but don't put it past Pena to steal a decision with some well-timed takedowns and cage stalls.

The rest of the main card is good, actually:
Jose Aldo vs Mario Bautista:

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Ladies and gentlemen, this is the fight I'm most hyped for. Jose Aldo needs no description or introduction; he's no lower than 6 on my All-time list of MMA fighters. Mario Bautista shouldn't need one for much longer. Bautista is the definition of aggression. He sets a wild pace, is down to trade strikes, and has really slick grappling that mimics his aggressive approach to the stand-up.

That's a perfect style match-up to bring the best out of Aldo. Aldo's a counterstriker with good takedown defense and grappling, but he can be lulled into sitting back. Bautista doesn't have the patience for that. He's going to charge forward, and Aldo will have to WORK. That makes this a test of Aldo's endurance (which has failed him against pressure fighters before) and Bautista's ability to avoid getting KO'ed or submitted. It's exciting, I'm an Aldo stan, so I pick Aldo, but I don't know where my bias stops and objective beliefs begin.

Kevin Holland vs Roman Dolidze:
This one's interesting because Dolidze is an excellent grappler and should have a strength advantage over Kevin Holland, aka Big Mouth. Holland's a good grappler, but that's typically where he loses fights. His striking is fantastic, but his takedown defense is just okay.

So pick Dolidze, right?


Well...no...because Dolidze's a plodding and methodic kind of fighter. Holland's athleticism and striking advantage make him a VERY dangerous opponent for Dolidze, as long as Big Mouth avoids takedowns, especially leg entanglements. I lean toward Holland, and I'll be hoping for a finish.

Kayla Harrison vs Ketlen Vieira:
This one's interesting since Ketlen Vieira has a good submission game and a strong chin. Harrison seems like an overwhelming force in a weak division, but I'd like to see her fight tougher competition for us to be certain. In a lot of ways, these two opponents are doppelgangers. Harrison has ugly striking but with power and a judo game that leads to dominant grappling. Ditto for Vieira, but replace Judo with BJJ.

Smart money probably goes to Harrison, who has looked unstoppable. But I like that Ketlen's only ever lost when she got outstruck, and that she SHOULD be able to force Harrison to work. Kayla's gas-tank isn't great, and as good as she looked against Holm...she lost to Larissa Pacheco and didn't look great against Aspen Ladd. This fight is better than Ketlen's gotten credit for, though she has managed to make me look bad every time I try to gas her up.

A banger on the prelims:
Wonderboy vs Joaquim Buckley:
Wonderboy is one of my favorite strikers of all time, but his career is winding down and he no longer stops takedowns like he used to when he was a true contender. Buckley has one of the greatest KO's of all time, exciting striking, and a new propensity to take fights down when things get dicey.

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Even with Wonderboy slowing down, I think he's the better striker here. But Buckley could be good enough to hang around until a level change is available. So, this fight has two fun strikers with a nice a twist in the fact that the young gun could change strategies and win with grappling. I lean Wonderboy, but his decline has been steady enough that I'm concerned.

Austin Hubbard vs Alex Hernandez:
I bring this one up for the wrestling fans because both these guys have a habit of getting into prolonged wrestling exchanges and scrambles. There will be takedown attempts, and potentially some fun scrambles.

Ryan Spann vs Ovince Saint Preux:
Two guys who had hype but are on the verge of being done in the UFC. OSP is 4-6 in his last 10 fights, and he's fallen WAY off. Ryan Spann has lost 3 in a row and has never really hit the level his potential suggested he could reach. But two desperate fighters for wins can make for exciting fights. I'm rooting for OSP to win by one last Von Flue choke and retire into the sunset. But Spann is younger and should have a decided speed advantage on the feet.

Carla Esparza vs Tecia Pennington:
Two of the women from TUF's inaugural female fighting season. Also, two women whose best days are behind them. Win or lose, Tecia hasn't looked great for years. Esparza has found ways to win disappointing decisions up through the belt, winning the worst title fight in history over Rose Namajunas (their second fight).

But I mention this because Tecia is undersized and Carla's a great wrestler...so I'm confused as to why Esparza a fairly significant underdog. I've got a little money sitting on Esparza and I'm hoping to spin the winnings into a couple of high-risk, high-reward bets after.

[HarthorneWingo]

I might be done watching MMA after the Pereira v Roundtree fight. Fcking Herzog let that beating go on too long. Roundtree’s right eye was almost hanging out of its socket. There was no reason to let him take that kind of beating. I hope Khalil is okay

[Ghetto Gospel]

julianna pena might be the worst 2 time champion of all time. she calls out amanda nunes even after knowing she lost that fight????

[The KnicksFix]

I might be done watching MMA after the Pereira v Roundtree fight. Fcking Herzog let that beating go on too long. Roundtree’s right eye was almost hanging out of its socket. There was no reason to let him take that kind of beating. I hope Khalil is okay

Same, it lasted way too long, and is there no grapplers in that division? Everyone just Stands up and strikes?

[j4remi]

I might be done watching MMA after the Pereira v Roundtree fight. Fcking Herzog let that beating go on too long. Roundtree’s right eye was almost hanging out of its socket. There was no reason to let him take that kind of beating. I hope Khalil is okay

Same, it lasted way too long, and is there no grapplers in that division? Everyone just Stands up and strikes?

I don't blame the refs for Rountree's eye. I blame Khalil's coaches. Khalil was intelligently defending himself (guard up, throwing punches back), so the ref is technically powerless. But the coaches can throw in the towel if they see their guy getting beat up like that, but even that's not what I'm talking about.

Khalil won the first two rounds, but it was obvious that Alex had figured Khalil out. This is a championship fight against the #2 P4P fighter, there's life-changing money if Rountree wins one more round and survives until the bell. All he had to do was score one takedown, and keep the fight on the ground for a round. With the way the judges were last night, Rountree could have shot a takedown and stalled against the cage to steal a round.

The coaches let Khalil go out there with zero intention of wrestling. That's malpractice when you're sending your fighter to go up against one of the greatest living strikers on the planet. Just horrendous.

julianna pena might be the worst 2 time champion of all time. she calls out amanda nunes even after knowing she lost that fight????

What makes it even worse is that Kayla Harrison is right there. If Pena wanted to hype up a title-fight, she could have called out the woman she beefed with at the press conferences and whom EVERYONE is watching out for. Instead, she called out retired Amanda Nunes who has said she's only interested in coming out of retirement for Kayla Harrison.

That PPV really got hurt by poor judging and reffing. Refs let too much stalling happen, and judges rewarded it. There are no rules scoring octagon control as a decisive way to win fights. But I think all of Carla Esparza, Marina Rodriguez, Jose Aldo, and Raquel Pennington did more damage while losing decisions due to octagon control.

[Guano]

LFG!

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[j4remi]

LFG!

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Whole card is stacked. Shavkhat finally gets his title-shot. Kai Asakura debuts with a title-shot against Pantoja (guaranteed fireworks). Then Gane and Volkov get to showcase that HW striking can actually be good.

This weekend has a pretty good UFC card too...but it's PFL's weekend. Francis Ngannou makes his PFL debut and Cris Cyborg fights the woman who beat Kayla Harrison's ass (Larissa Pacheco). They also put Fabian Edwards vs undefeated Johnny Eblen and AJ Mckee vs Paul Hughes on this card. It's as good as PFL can put on, though I don't think they've done great promoting it.