OT: WWE/MMA/Boxing Thread
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Deckie007
Well-known member
Hmm. I missed the card - watching the Jays in Seattle, but that seems uhhh like a Johnson win
Leafin'
Well-known member
Its all about the money. Johnson didn't even look rattled. They needed this to keep him relevant in the eyes of casuals. Now it sets up an obvious trilogy fight where Johnson will destroy Cejudo. I thought this fight was close enough that it could get controversial in the judges hands...low and behold. Who would've guessed the UFC is in the market of making money?
Dillashaw is a f*cking animal. Garbrandt made the same mistake of going all in again instead of waiting it out and being patient. Can't put all your momentum into a shot with Dillashaw, you'll just get countered again and again. Does this setup Cruz - Dillashaw? I hope Cruz can get healthy.
Dillashaw is a f*cking animal. Garbrandt made the same mistake of going all in again instead of waiting it out and being patient. Can't put all your momentum into a shot with Dillashaw, you'll just get countered again and again. Does this setup Cruz - Dillashaw? I hope Cruz can get healthy.
fergy57
Well-known member
I think Dillishaw's first fight against Barao was when my eyes really got opened to how talented he is as a striker.
MindzEye
Wayward Ditch Pig
Listening to his breakdown of Cody's flaws as a striker (when he was widely considered as an elite, borderline flawless boxer by MMA standards) and how they trained to exploit them, was pretty impressive. That he was able to beat Cody at his own game, when he's primarily an 8 point striker and not just a pure boxer is crazy.
I don't know if there's anyone at bw who can **** with him. I don't think Cruz can (though a Cruz/Cody rematch seems to make sense), and I think he'll boot **** Cejudo if they do the "super"fight. MM is the only guy at 125 or 135 who can run with TJ imo.
MindzEye
Wayward Ditch Pig
If this is true, UFC is broken.
Again, broken. The UFC has already started to run into a problem imo. They're not drawing the eyes of more casuals, the ratings kind of prove that. They're also starting to alienate legit fight fans with the shitty judging, WWE trash level promotion, declining quality of the match making, uneven management of interim belts (what a ****ing joke...), etc. They may be in the middle of really damaging a good thing here.
Cruz fighting Dillashaw as his first fight off of a long ass lay off is a bad, bad idea imo. Cruz needs at least one fight before a title shot. Though this being the UFC in 2018, and Cruz being a big name means that Dana will go chasing PPV buys and do this. In a perfect world though, you feed Cruz a lower ranked bw who is a nice style match up (comes forward, conventional striker, etc) and let Dom make them look bad. Then give him a Cody rematch (which would be a good fight for Cody after he beats a top ranked bw like Assuncao or Moraes). Then the winner can get another shot at Dilla.
This also makes Cruz prove he can stay healthy, which is a legit concern. If he squeezes out a Cejudo style decision against Dilla but then has to shut it down for 6-8+ months because his injuries are making it hard to get through a fight camp, what the **** good is that?
MindzEye
Wayward Ditch Pig
I'm torn between the opinion that Gaethje is a ****ing savage or James Vick has a glass jaw. I know that Eddie, Johnson and Poirier can all eat shots well, but Vick was moving backwards away from the shot, and Gaethje came over the shoulder of the taller fighter (looping, less direct) and knocked him into the ****ing phantom zone.
I've never seen JG display one punch power like that. Maybe Vick is just too soft for that level of fighter.
Deckie007
Well-known member
Yeah he kinda clipped him with a glancing shot first then followed up over the shoulder. Was pretty surprised Vick went down that easily. Glass jaw is probably more likely. Full credit to Gaethje though. He's entertaining as **** to watch.
GGpX
Well-known member
Enjoy Gaethje while you can, he doesn't have a lot of fights left in him. All of his fights are wars.
UFC 228 this weekend is a decent card. Till-Woodley, assuming they don't fight like their previous bouts with Wonderboy, should be interesting. If Till's weightcut isn't too drastic, I have him winning.
I'm very excited to watch Zabit Magomedsharipov fight. The Rivera-Dodson fight should be good too.
UFC 228 this weekend is a decent card. Till-Woodley, assuming they don't fight like their previous bouts with Wonderboy, should be interesting. If Till's weightcut isn't too drastic, I have him winning.
I'm very excited to watch Zabit Magomedsharipov fight. The Rivera-Dodson fight should be good too.
MindzEye
Wayward Ditch Pig
Till Woodley is an interesting fight for pretty obvious reasons. I'm really curious to see how Till manages Woodley's explosiveness. Woodley showed a level of game planning and patience against Wonderboy that puts him in a good position against Till (who has less weapons than Wonderboy, and a far more orthodox striking style). Usually in a fight where there is a massive size disparity, there is a strength disparity to go with it and this just isn't the case here. Woodley is the stronger and more powerful of the two, with the better rounded game. I think Woodley is going to be able to take Till into deep water and drown him. Which is what Wonderboy tried to do, but was way too passive to accomplish. Wonderboy let Till stalk him for 5 rounds and put very little pressure on Till, instead choosing to snipe off of his back foot all night, which should have earned him the win but UFC judges are ****ing horrific. If Till just keeps coming forward against Woodley, sooner or later Woodley is going to connect and we'll see his jaw tested for the first time in the UFC.
The danger for Woodley imo is that once the distance has closed, Till's elbows are as dangerous as anyone in the division, but the height difference might make them difficult to land flush. Woodley needs to close the distance, fire, and move out. Spacing is going to be a huge and interesting factor in this fight. Another big question for me is whether or not Woodley can hold Till down if he decides to wrestle-**** him to death.
The danger for Woodley imo is that once the distance has closed, Till's elbows are as dangerous as anyone in the division, but the height difference might make them difficult to land flush. Woodley needs to close the distance, fire, and move out. Spacing is going to be a huge and interesting factor in this fight. Another big question for me is whether or not Woodley can hold Till down if he decides to wrestle-**** him to death.
GGpX
Well-known member
I think the Woodley-Till fight will mostly come down to Till's takedown defense. If Woodley has no difficulty taking him down, it's going to be one sided. Till will be too shy to strike with Woodley as a lot of the openings will give Woodley a chance to take him down.
Rory MacDonald already put out the blueprint on how to beat Woodley. Active, stinging jab and making Woodley think. Woodley wasn't able to take MacDonald down and just kept getting pushed back with the jab. I'd argue Till is a better and much more powerful striker than MacDonald is too.
Speaking of MacDonald... Mousasi-MacDonald on Sept 29th can't come soon enough.
Rory MacDonald already put out the blueprint on how to beat Woodley. Active, stinging jab and making Woodley think. Woodley wasn't able to take MacDonald down and just kept getting pushed back with the jab. I'd argue Till is a better and much more powerful striker than MacDonald is too.
Speaking of MacDonald... Mousasi-MacDonald on Sept 29th can't come soon enough.
MindzEye
Wayward Ditch Pig
Woodley is one of the best in the world at examining his mistakes and game planning for future opponents. People thought Wonderboy was going to pick him apart from range as well. Instead Woodley stayed super patient just outside of WB's striking range and waited for the 2-3 opportunities per fight he needed to land damage closing the distance or score takedowns and do G&P damage. Basically, I don't think the book on him from 4 years ago is the book on him now. Another thing to keep in mind is Till being a lefty. MacDonald was able to use that lead left jab to deflect a lot of Woodley's overhand rights when he was trying to close distance. Till won't be able to use his lead right the same way. Rory is also a much better kicker than Till is imo, and that was what Rory used most effectively against Woodley to maintain the distance he wanted to fight at.
Keep in mind that was a 3 round fight as well and not a 5. Fwiw, I take the Red King over Till in a 5 rounder as well. Till has one impressive performance against a non tomato can in the UFC, and Cowboy, as much as most of us love him, is past his prime. I didn't see anything more than a SD win against Wonderboy, that of course Till missed weight significantly for.
Rory-Gegard is going to be a great fight, I'm pumped for it.
Leafin'
Well-known member
Woodley with a beat down of Till showing that there is no one in the division on his level. I think Covington is going to get beat down if the fight happens. Woodley brought it up last night in his presser that Whittaker is a possible opponent. That'd be an awesome fight.
Zabit is an animal. They need to give this guy better opponents. Yair pussied out similar to how Montanno pussied out against Shevchenko. I want to see Edgar vs Zabit but i think that might be flying him up too quickly up the ranks.
Zabit is an animal. They need to give this guy better opponents. Yair pussied out similar to how Montanno pussied out against Shevchenko. I want to see Edgar vs Zabit but i think that might be flying him up too quickly up the ranks.
GGpX
Well-known member
I dunno about that. No one on his level? That's his first convincing win since beating Robbie Lawler over two years ago. Since then, two close fights with Stephen Thompson and one terrible fight against Maia. Maia didn't even get a full camp to prepare for the fight.
I think he probably beats Covington, although not without any issue. Not convinced at all that he'd beat Kamaru Usman either. Beat those two and then I'd think the statement would have more substance.
Zero interest in the Robert Whitaker fight. I rather see both stay in their own division and honestly, I don't see how Whitaker would have any difficulty with Woodley after how he fought Romero twice.
Stop. They didn't "pussied out", they were injured and declared unfit medically respectively.
Zabit - Edgar probably won't ever happen as they're team mates. I want to see Zabit fight one of Lamas/Korean Zombie/Swanson.
The fight I most want to see after last night is Rose Namajunas - Jessica Andrade.
MindzEye
Wayward Ditch Pig
Honestly I think Till was rushed to this level. The decision against Wonderboy was questionable as **** and he came in half a mighty mouse overweight. I'm really tired of Dana's bullshit in pushing fighters he thinks there might be money behind and completely forgetting high talented (often black...I'm not saying, I'm just saying) fighters in the division who might have championship chops. I this case, Usman. Neither Till or Colby had to see that monster in their very ****ing meteoric rise to the top of the division.
Dana's childish bullshit regarding Woodley himself was pretty blatant as well, and the look on his face when he put the strap back around Woodley's waist was awesome. Just a pouty bitch.
Agreed. Dude does everything at a high level. He's got a big problem in that he's probably a top 5 guy skill wise in a very tough division, but doesn't bring any money with his name yet. So if you're someone ranked higher like Lamas, why sacrifice yourself to the rankings gods for the sake of pumping Zabit's tires when you're just trying to stay relevant enough to get and or stay on main cards.
Why do so many people do this? Injuries happen. In Nicco's case, she was pulled by UFC doctors because they were concerned of a potential cardiac arrest. That's a hell of an elaborate plan to avoid getting punched in the face.
I have a hard time believing that a professional fighter, once they've signed to take a fight, would fake an injury and "pussy" out. Duck a certain fighter? Yeah sure, but this ongoing thing with MMA fans ripping on fighters who get injured in training or get pulled by doctors during weight cut is ignorant.
MindzEye
Wayward Ditch Pig
The first Wonderboy fight was pretty convincing with Woodley almost finishing WB. The Maia fight was pretty convincing as well with maybe the best example of takedown defence I've seen in the last few years, and that largely after blowing out his shoulder in the 2nd round.
People shit on Woodley for those fights (which ignores that the 1st fight against WB won fight of the night and was pretty exciting) but styles make fights. Run in at WB and he pieces you up. Till fought WB the exact same ****ing way and I oddly didn't see a single complaint online about the fight being boring. Maia is a one trick pony who is pretty boring regardless, unless you like watching someone shooting for doubles over and over in the hopes of slowly gaining position and squeezing the life out of their opponent. It's not exactly highlight reel stuff.
Woodley would eat Covington. Colby has wrestling and forward pressure. Woodley is probably a better wrestler and has launch pad power that has dropped just about everyone who has tried to walk him down. Bad style match up for Colby who has no hands and just pressures forward.
Usman is the one guy I have questions about. I don't think there's anyone else in the division with the combination of tools and game planning to beat him though.
Well, seeing that RW got beat like a rented mule by Romero and all, I don't know if you're giving a TW/RW match up enough credit. I would rather see Tyron shit stomp the mouth piece first though.
