Actual question looking for insight: why is Ank -mostly- favored in the rematch? Thks in advance

[PrideNverDies]

I don't know why Aleks lost, but I do know he was being fed inferior strikers after winning the belt in a questionable decision while Ankalaev was kept from the belt in a questionable decision by the UFC. Part of this just feels like the meritocracy of the sport asserting itself.

You're definitely a shit poster. Alex won the belt by finishing Izzy at MW and beating former champs Jan, Jiri, and Hill at LHW. They were the top guys at the top of the division who he faced immediately. MMA fans are just embarrassed that a pure kickboxer came over and sped run the UFC and showed it's bush league compared to elite kickboxing

 

[Tweak896]

Fact is Ank took the calf kicks the whole fight and didn't seem like it affected him, stood with Alex the majority of it, landed more strikes and the more impactful strikes. Then he wall and stalled as a backup plan and it still worked. Ank looked quicker.

Alex's only weapon he didn't use was his hands, but Ank's speed and defense seemed to not give him an openings to get caught. Now whether you believe his hands were broken and he fought anyways is up to you. Maybe it was the injury, but if the fight is a repeat, it's going to show that's an excuse.

TLDR; Ank beat Alex at his own game, and then beat him with his B side game. He's got 2 ways to win, but Alex just has 1.

 

[DecisionSplit]

have you seen pereira vs jan?
the first time someone tried to wrestle him

Yeah but the judges hilariously gave Pereira the decision in that fight. He won a round where he was out struck, taken down, and ended the round exhausted on his back. I doubt that Ankalaev is going wrestle very much again in the rematch (if it ever happens).

 

[don't ask]

You're definitely a shit poster. Alex won the belt by finishing Izzy at MW and beating former champs Jan, Jiri, and Hill at LHW. They were the top guys at the top of the division who he faced immediately. MMA fans are just embarrassed that a pure kickboxer came over and sped run the UFC and showed it's bush league compared to elite kickboxing

Yeah? Explain why Ankalaev was kicked back down the rankings when he drew for the title and Aleks was defending against the #8 guy instead of a top guy.

 

[Motivated BJ Penn]

Thanks for the insight, for real!

The only thing no one of you addressed is that Ank ate 48 low kicks. 48.
And it's not that Alex was not committing to them bc of the TD threat. He never commits and throws with his unique awkward technique.

For context, Izzy ate 22 & 26 with seasoned KB legs
Jiri, 12 & 9 being... Jiri.

Both, besides reporting how much they hurt and the damage they cause, showed clear impairment in their mobility from them.

Do you think Ank just ate that many because... well, he felt didn't hurt that night?
*This was a clear sign that something was going on with Poatan's foot, or leg, IMHO.

Or do you think Ank will finish him early? Because I can't figure out how he can get away receiving that many calf kicks from Alex, nonetheless.

Izzy and Jiri ate calf kicks from the orthodox stance tho, Big Ank being a southpaw made them alot more innefective.

 

[KO Shotz]

Because Ank beat Pereira & made it look easy while Poatan was beating tf outta ppl. I personally think Poatan will come back & look much different than he did in the first Ank fight, but I can understand the hesitation of certain things especially after Ank looked pretty impressive against one of the best guys in the game right now.

 

[SalvadorAllende]

I don't buy the Pereira was hurt thing. All guys are somewhat hurt on fight night.

Ankalaev got the timing and the distance.. Pereira could never really get his rythm and never had Big Ank in any trouble.. while he got stunned a few times himself.

 

[Rubios]

Izzy and Jiri ate calf kicks from the orthodox stance tho, Big Ank being a southpaw made them alot more innefective.

Fair point, but keep in mind that Alex throws a lot of them with the lead leg. That's why they are so damn sneaky and he doesn't need to "commit".

So being a southpaw with a TD thread should not be any factor (just in this particular regard).

 

[Motivated BJ Penn]

Fair point, but keep in mind that Alex throws a lot of them with the lead leg. That's why they are so damn sneaky and he doesn't need to "commit".

So being a southpaw with a TD thread should not be any factor (just in this particular regard).

He only throws them with the lead leg against southpaws. Against anyone else he uses the back leg, which are just as sneaky but way more powerful.

 

[Alpha_T83]

Probably money & closure. The fight was close, at least on the scorecards. He makes the most money from fighting Alex, and beating him again puts that matchup to rest forever.

I'm guessing he also views it as an "easy" fight, since he's fought him now. He knows what to expect. He must be very confident that he can perform even better in the rematch.

 

[mkt]

I don't know the stats, but I'm pretty sure winners of title fights win rematches as well most of the time. And Ank is considerably younger. Time isn't on Poatan's side.

 

[mkt]

Why do you think the Alex that beat Jan is the best version of Alex in the first place?

Sorry, but honestly, Alex's TDD was more impressive than Ankalaev's supposed grappling prowess.

Not impressed with Ank's TDs or grappling, but he did enough wall-n-stall to secure the win. Honestly we had better offensive wrestlers at LHW 20 years ago--guys like Tito and Couture. The sport has regressed in that area, at least in the heavier weight classes.

 

[nostradumbass]

Ank is just better. He's faster with better pressure because he wasn't scared of Pereira's power like most of his previous opponents and kept grabbing Pereira's lead wrist to keep the hook from coming and kept him on his back foot so the leg slaps didn't do much. Alex doesn't have a very extensive toolbox and Ank shut down his hooks and took the sting out of his kicks by keeping him on his back foot.

Ank has good punching power so he'll always have a puncher's chance, but Ank wins 8/10

 

[ThaiSexPills]

I’m one of the biggest Pereira nuthuggers on here and I’ll admit that he was totally shutdown.

I don’t agree it will happen again but I understand why the odds are what they are

 

[Pechan]

Math says that the one that wins the first fight wins the rematch most of the times.

 

[Rubios]

He only throws them with the lead leg against southpaws. Against anyone else he uses the back leg, which are just as sneaky but way more powerful.

I explained myself poorly.
Jiri and Izzy switch stances quite often. Alex is as orthodox (just stance-wise, I mean) as it gets.

Jiri even said himself in an interview/podcast (can't remember which, sorry) that he couldn't change stance as much as he'd love to because of these bizarre lead leg, inside of the foot kicks Alex throws.

Izzy has at least a clip talking exclusively about these lead leg kicks.

So, if they actually hurt and punish mobility that much, Poatan's low kicking game (strictly this aspect) is easier vs a southpaw.
Less distance to cover, hitting from the outside hurts more than from the inside... well, you already know all that.

If Ank absorbed almost 50 of them with no apparent issues because he's built different a-la-Holloway or bc something was going on with Pereira's foot or leg, only they know.

 

[Rubios]

Is there a confirmed or somehow "confirmed" date, BTW?

 

[mangokush]

Alex is a great kickboxer but he was exposed when he finally fought a well rounded MMA fighter in Ank instead of a tailor made sloppy brawler or a pure striker

Ank was right when he said that Alex needed to stopping running away from him, Alex was running away from him in the fight as well and is again running away from a rematch

Sean, Izzy, Khalil, Hill, Jiri..... They don't wrestle at all or Sean rarely does. Alex has basically fought pure strikers & sloppy brawlers during his UFC run. Wasn't getting that against Ank

 

[marvinparsons]

For me it is the fact that Alex did absolutely nothing, looked slow/hittable and is not getting any younger.

Ank is 33 with minimal wear and tear and looked great in the first fight.

Perreira could KO him, but i feel like it will be the same fight mostly.

 

[humdizzle]

he couldn't deal with the grappling or standup.

his power doesn't work against a true LHW frame. Hill is garbage, Jiri doesn't cut weight, Jan nearly beat him.