UFC 231

cowboyronnie · Post #1 » by **cowboyronnie** » Thu Dec 6, 2018 1:44 pm

Does "the best striker in MMA" last a round w Valentina? Watching her hit pads, there are still crazy errors in JJ's mechanics. Like her elbows flaring out to telegraph every punch.

REDDzone · Post #2 » by **REDDzone** » Thu Dec 6, 2018 2:57 pm

Joanna gets got wherever the fight goes.

Valentina is bigger, more technical on the feet, oh and by the way she'll rip your arm off on the ground too.

Post #3 » by **Headliner** » Thu Dec 6, 2018 4:11 pm

Who do people have between Ortega and Max?

REDDzone · Post #4 » by **REDDzone** » Thu Dec 6, 2018 4:28 pm

Max is one of my favorite fighters, I'm sticking with him. That said, I'm concerned with where he's at mentally and physically. He couldn't make weight for 155 earlier this year, and then he had a stroke or whatever the f*ck happened to him last time he tried to make 145. I hate to say it, but if he doesn't make weight again, the UFC should probably strip him and force him to move up to LW. Make Ortega/Moicano for the title. Hoping he just makes weight and beats Ortega and this isn't an issue.

Steelo Green · Post #5 » by **Steelo Green** » Thu Dec 6, 2018 6:25 pm

REDDzone wrote:Max is one of my favorite fighters, I'm sticking with him. That said, I'm concerned with where he's at mentally and physically. He couldn't make weight for 155 earlier this year, and then he had a stroke or whatever the f*ck happened to him last time he tried to make 145. I hate to say it, but if he doesn't make weight again, the UFC should probably strip him and force him to move up to LW. Make Ortega/Moicano for the title. Hoping he just makes weight and beats Ortega and this isn't an issue.

I love Max but Ortega is another beast. The slightest amount of space given up and it's a submission, but then you give him some distance and he has KO power (first guy to ever finish Frankie).

Obviously Max is coming off beating the GOAT twice, so he has had the tougher fights, but Ortega has no weakness minus wrestling, problem being that he is fine being taken to the ground given how could he is at submitting people.

Should be a great fight and I'm rooting for Max but I see it going T-Cities way.

Steelo Green · Post #6 » by **Steelo Green** » Thu Dec 6, 2018 6:27 pm

REDDzone wrote:Joanna gets got wherever the fight goes.

Valentina is bigger, more technical on the feet, oh and by the way she'll rip your arm off on the ground too.

Yup. I see a TKO early. Joanna is small. She got finished by Rose. Not that Rose is weak, but Val is a monster. She will eat you alive and went toe to toe with Nunes in a close decision.

Joanna needs to channel what she did against Andrade, but Val is just a better fighter.

Post #7 » by **Duke4life831** » Thu Dec 6, 2018 10:57 pm

I just have a feeling that Max isnt going to make weight.

Steelo Green · Post #8 » by **Steelo Green** » Fri Dec 7, 2018 3:03 am

Duke4life831 wrote:I just have a feeling that Max isnt going to make weight.

He only had 6 days notice against Khabib, I don't believe he ever has before. I don't see it. He's a consummate pro.

Post #9 » by **Duke4life831** » Fri Dec 7, 2018 3:04 am

RaptorsFTL wrote:
Duke4life831 wrote:I just have a feeling that Max isnt going to make weight.

He only had 6 days notice against Khabib, I don't believe he ever has before. I don't see it. He's a consummate pro.

Everything Ive been hearing is he has had a rough week so far.

REDDzone · Post #10 » by **REDDzone** » Fri Dec 7, 2018 2:33 pm

RaptorsFTL wrote:
Duke4life831 wrote:I just have a feeling that Max isnt going to make weight.

He only had 6 days notice against Khabib, I don't believe he ever has before. I don't see it. He's a consummate pro.

True, but that was also to cut to 155. And the last time he dropped out of the fight with stroke like symptons...I refuse to believe that wasn't weight cut related. It's not a well-kept secret that both Ortega and Holloway are GIANT 145ers, but especially Holloway.

Steelo Green · Post #11 » by **Steelo Green** » Fri Dec 7, 2018 3:21 pm

REDDzone wrote:
RaptorsFTL wrote:
Duke4life831 wrote:I just have a feeling that Max isnt going to make weight.

He only had 6 days notice against Khabib, I don't believe he ever has before. I don't see it. He's a consummate pro.

True, but that was also to cut to 155. And the last time he dropped out of the fight with stroke like symptons...I refuse to believe that wasn't weight cut related. It's not a well-kept secret that both Ortega and Holloway are GIANT 145ers, but especially Holloway.

He is on a 12 fight streak at FW, he's made it many times.

And he did again make it with half a pound to spare. He had a full camp, I would have been shocked had he missed.

REDDzone · Post #12 » by **REDDzone** » Fri Dec 7, 2018 3:30 pm

It's starting to feel real. I'm pumped for this one.

REDDzone · Post #13 » by **REDDzone** » Fri Dec 7, 2018 3:32 pm

RaptorsFTL wrote:He is on a 12 fight streak at FW, he's made it many times.

And he did again make it with half a pound to spare. He had a full camp, I would have been shocked had he missed.

This is a silly argument to have, but he failed to make weight the last two times he tried, he literally may have had a stroke last time, he has been open about having a bout with depression since his last fight, is huge for the division (is open about moving to LW eventually because he can't make this weight much longer) and hasn't fought in over a year. It wasn't unreasonable to be concerned.

Steelo Green · Post #14 » by **Steelo Green** » Fri Dec 7, 2018 4:14 pm

REDDzone wrote:
RaptorsFTL wrote:He is on a 12 fight streak at FW, he's made it many times.

And he did again make it with half a pound to spare. He had a full camp, I would have been shocked had he missed.

This is a silly argument to have, but he failed to make weight the last two times he tried, he literally may have had a stroke last time, he has been open about having a bout with depression since his last fight, is huge for the division (is open about moving to LW eventually because he can't make this weight much longer) and hasn't fought in over a year. It wasn't unreasonable to be concerned.

One was on 6 days notice which I don't really count.

The other was a health issue unassociated with weight cut.

I understand what you're saying but I don't see it due to inability to cut. We don't know the reason for his depression, could be the fact he was sick and doctors couldn't figure it out for months.

He made it with half a pound to spare and the move to light weight is two fold, he's cleared the division if he beats Ortega, and yeah, it's probably easier to be at LW. Weight cut isn't really an issue for Max, he has so many fights to prove that. A couple of aberrations don't overshadow his entire career.

REDDzone · Post #15 » by **REDDzone** » Fri Dec 7, 2018 4:54 pm

Six days notice to make the weight class above the one he fights in, and doctors pulled the plug due to the extremity of the cut.

Also, Max himself has stated he doesn't know what caused the health issue, but somehow you know it was unassociated with the extreme weight cutting he was doing at the time it occurred? Seems legit.

Also, Max has said he can't make 145 forever and also said if any commissions or UFC ever impose any sort of weight cutting restrictions at all then he will have to move up medically. He said people "can't believe" how much weight he cuts to make 145.

Obviously he made this cut which makes all this moot. I'm just explaining to you why people were anxious about this.

Bernman · Post #16 » by **Bernman** » Fri Dec 7, 2018 7:00 pm

He made the cut, but he looks skinny AF. Nevertheless, I like him in the match-up because of his footwork and ability to fight thru or wiggle out of any adversity that may come his way.

Moicano may pose a bigger challenge to Max if he stays at 145 beyond this fight. Because he's a killer at distance too, and his reflexes may be the best at 145. He also probably has more capability to control position.

Might be the case where Moicano beats him and then Ortega gets another title shot because they'd want Moicano to avenge but T-City takes the title then.

They're all just keeping it warm for the Zabit era. At least that's what we hear. Volkanovski is hanging around. Yair and Bektic improving from raw, young fighters. FW is coming coming into its own.

Even if Max moves immediately. He is talking about fighting hw's eventually. One would be inclined to think he's kidding at first glance, but this is a dude who had a fight won already against a contender and decided to draw a line in the sand to brawl it out the last 10 seconds. He's not cut from the same cloth. Think he fights at least as high as ww. Can't wait for his fight against T-City tomorrow.

REDDzone · Post #17 » by **REDDzone** » Fri Dec 7, 2018 7:14 pm

I was thinking Holloway would be able to use volume, straight punches, and power to keep Ortega at distance. I still think that will be the case but was surprised when I researched it to find that they both have the same reach. I do think Max fights longer though. This is a fight that could get ugly just due to Max's power/volume and Ortega's iron chin.

REDDzone · Post #18 » by **REDDzone** » Fri Dec 7, 2018 7:41 pm

LOL somehow I never saw this:

https://streamable.com/u3ov

REDDzone · Post #19 » by **REDDzone** » Fri Dec 7, 2018 7:46 pm

Wow Moicano missed weight. Guessing he did a weight cut for nothing then, as I doubt the ufc paid him to be a backup for the title fight if he couldn't make championship weight. He will feel ridiculously stupid if one of those guys fall out now and he opted not to cut the extra lb.

Post #20 » by **Duke4life831** » Fri Dec 7, 2018 7:54 pm

REDDzone wrote:Six days notice to make the weight class above the one he fights in, and doctors pulled the plug due to the extremity of the cut.

Also, Max himself has stated he doesn't know what caused the health issue, but somehow you know it was unassociated with the extreme weight cutting he was doing at the time it occurred? Seems legit.

Also, Max has said he can't make 145 forever and also said if any commissions or UFC ever impose any sort of weight cutting restrictions at all then he will have to move up medically. He said people "can't believe" how much weight he cuts to make 145.

Obviously he made this cut which makes all this moot. I'm just explaining to you why people were anxious about this.

My exact thoughts and reasons why I felt a little iffy going into this fight. Plus multiple reports that he gets up to 185 between fights sometimes. Dana White saying win or lose he is going to try and force him up to 155. He made weight but man he looked gutted today.

Im glad the dude made it, I love watching Max fight. But ya I wasnt the only one questioning if he was going to make it this week. But ya again its all moot at this point and Im stoked that this fight is going down. It should be very good.