- Joined
- Oct 23, 2022
- Messages
- 355
- Reaction score
- 520
If you really think about it. How does someone lose in their chosen specialty (striking) against a guy who got knocked out in round 1 (against Alex Pereira) with his hands down.
Either Adesenya got a lot worse or Sean Strickland improved a lot in the past year.
Looking at Adesenya's style, he is what I call a "point fighter".
Yes, he is capable of knocking out anyone, just like most UFC fighters.
We witnessed that when he brutally KO'd Alex Pereira with his counter right hook.
But if you look at his fights, he doesn't really go for the kill. Like you would expect a pissed off drunk high T bar dude or hungry lion would. He just stands and trades like a pacifist, trying to one-up his opponents and win on points.
No killer instinct like a Francis Ngannou or Jiri Prochazka or Islam Makhachev.
These guys instill fear in their opponents and the audience feels that tension (you know what I'm talking about) while being captivated from start to finish.
Adesenya is an expert at distance management, counter striking, and kicks.
But where is the wrestling?
The offensive jiu jitsu?
The muay thai knees and elbows in the clinch?
Because these missing weapons aren't an immediate threat in the match, we get a highly-skilled (albeit one-dimensional) fighter who focuses more on range and pacifism rather than just going after the kill and ending it.
Most of his fights go all 5 rounds because Izzy is too risk-averse to fight like a killer.
He knows he is the best technical fighter so he will do enough to just win on points.
It's probably the safest and most guaranteed way of winning (hey, a win is a win whether you finish or decision, right?) so I don't blame him but...
that is also the main thing holding Izzy back from reaching that next level.
And yes, even world champions can keep on improving and breaking their own plateaus.
Just my 2 cents sherbros..
Either Adesenya got a lot worse or Sean Strickland improved a lot in the past year.
Looking at Adesenya's style, he is what I call a "point fighter".
Yes, he is capable of knocking out anyone, just like most UFC fighters.
We witnessed that when he brutally KO'd Alex Pereira with his counter right hook.
But if you look at his fights, he doesn't really go for the kill. Like you would expect a pissed off drunk high T bar dude or hungry lion would. He just stands and trades like a pacifist, trying to one-up his opponents and win on points.
No killer instinct like a Francis Ngannou or Jiri Prochazka or Islam Makhachev.
These guys instill fear in their opponents and the audience feels that tension (you know what I'm talking about) while being captivated from start to finish.
Adesenya is an expert at distance management, counter striking, and kicks.
But where is the wrestling?
The offensive jiu jitsu?
The muay thai knees and elbows in the clinch?
Because these missing weapons aren't an immediate threat in the match, we get a highly-skilled (albeit one-dimensional) fighter who focuses more on range and pacifism rather than just going after the kill and ending it.
Most of his fights go all 5 rounds because Izzy is too risk-averse to fight like a killer.
He knows he is the best technical fighter so he will do enough to just win on points.
It's probably the safest and most guaranteed way of winning (hey, a win is a win whether you finish or decision, right?) so I don't blame him but...
that is also the main thing holding Izzy back from reaching that next level.
And yes, even world champions can keep on improving and breaking their own plateaus.
Just my 2 cents sherbros..
