Is anyone surprised at how lost Whit looked off his back?

[Fact Checker]

I think people gave him too much credit because of his phenomenal takedown defense but once that line of defense was down, he offered no substance off his back when he was stabilized and forced to grapple.

Dude got steamrolled by DDP on the ground.


It’s like a lot of these guys who solely bank on having good takedown defense to mask their lack of fundamentals off their back.


Did anyone expect this?

 

[Corona]

Shittaker had nothing for that prime African athleticism imo

 

[Arm Barbarian]

A bit, yeah. But Du Plessis seemed to be WAY stronger than him, all around.

 

[fortheo]

DDP has been grappling since he was a kid and he's a brick shit house of a man. Whittakers TDD and wrestling is usually good enough that you never see him on his back, so I'm not surprised that whittaker looked that way once someone actually managed to get past that tdd and put him on his back. He probably doesn't train from his back that often because he's so damn hard to put there.

 

[Noraaq]

Chimaev would have done him dirty

 

[taugrim]

I think people gave him too much credit because of his phenomenal takedown defense but once that line of defense was down, he offered no substance off his back once he was stabilized and forced to grapple.

Dude got steamrolled by DDP on the ground.

I think you're under-estimating how strong DDP is and how good his top control is.

 

[Fact Checker]

I think you're under-estimating how strong DDP is and how good his top control is.

It’s a factor, but Whit looked clueless. He was merely surviving trying to ride the round out… never once even attempted to build his base back up or work his way out, he laid flat and ate shots.

 

[ExitLUPin]

Reminds me of Lyoto another karate fighter who relied on first layers of TDD but he was mid off his back

 

[funkjunky]

I think people gave him too much credit because of his phenomenal takedown defense but once that line of defense was down, he offered no substance off his back when he was stabilized and forced to grapple.

Dude got steamrolled by DDP on the ground.


It’s like a lot of these guys who solely bank on having good takedown defense to mask their lack of fundamentals off their back.


Did anyone expect this?

Hes old and washed up. People on here expect peoples prime to go on forever. When in reality you getva couple of years tops. Maybe a few of the real greats get longer if they have a forgiving style but hes been around too long

 

[Prince Nephilim]

Nope. Whittaker is finished. Too much Elden ring and family life.

 

[Fight Professor]

No. Bobby has holes in his standup as well as his grappling. But it requires fight IQ and skill to take advantage of them which is why Whittaker has been so successful.

 

[TITS]

He looked really small in there with Dricus. I can't believe he was entertaining the thought of going up to LHW.

 

[goOb]

Shittaker had nothing for that prime African athleticism imo

Lmao, bro I am crying over here.

 

[OmegaRugal]

Idk how DDP and Poatan was making MW.

DDP made Whitaker look like WW.

 

[Rektkid]

It’s a factor, but Whit looked clueless. He was merely surviving trying to ride the round out… never once even attempted to build his base back up or work his way out, he laid flat and ate shots.

Think that's when he accepted his demise. He was struggling with the pace and power DDP was putting on him and when he had nothing to offer on the ground he kind of scurried into his shell.

 

[Fact Checker]

No. Bobby has holes in his standup as well as his grappling. But it requires fight IQ and skill to take advantage of them which is why Whittaker has been so successful.

I knew about the holes in the stand up, he has massive holes defensively against guys with decent speed…


Wonderboy, Izzy, Till, Romero, DDP, etc all lit him up and dropped him closing the gap. He doesn’t roll with punches and his head movement is basic. He masks his flaws with good range management, but he eats shots flush when they actually land… doesn’t take any sting off of them.

 

[TITS]

Idk how DDP and Poatan was making MW.

DDP made Whitaker look like WW.

He did. I can't believe Dricus was once a WW too, he must have cut an insane amount of weight.

 

[Fergelmince]

I think people gave him too much credit because of his phenomenal takedown defense but once that line of defense was down, he offered no substance off his back when he was stabilized and forced to grapple.

Dude got steamrolled by DDP on the ground.


It’s like a lot of these guys who solely bank on having good takedown defense to mask their lack of fundamentals off their back.


Did anyone expect this?

Nah, he just had an off night. He still whoops du plessis 9 out of 10X.

 

[Agmkreptile]

He looked really small in there with Dricus. I can't believe he was entertaining the thought of going up to LHW.

He wasn't even a huge WW. Lmao

 

[ElLunico]

DDP was so much stronger than him. DDP manhandled Whittaker