Ank is nothing special IMHO. Emphasis on "special".

[EnthusiastCultivator]

Being champion is special

 

[Tokoloko]

Really? The guy who Pereira knocked out twice is going to beat Ank? I just don't see it.

Ankalaev is 12-1-1-1 in the UFC... that's pretty damn good. I'm a huge Pereira fan and I hope he wins the rematch, but I just don't see it. Ankalaev is in his prime and well rounded. I can't see who beats him at 205 in the next 1-2 years.

I think Ank will be champ until he gets old and loses at 36-37 years old.

Ankalaev got absolutely nothing for Jiri. Even his team knows it... His own team member words - We dont want fight with Jiri because he unpredictable and we cannot 100% prepare for him...

Go and look what Jiri did to Nemkov. Ankalaev is definitely not better than Nemkov.

 

[Alpha_T83]

Ankalaev got absolutely nothing for Jiri. Even his team knows it... His own team member words - We dont want fight with Jiri because he unpredictable and we cannot 100% prepare for him...

Go and look what Jiri did to Nemkov. Ankalaev is definitely not better than Nemkov.

I mean I love watching Jiri fight, and I think the UFC like having him fight too.

Assuming Ank beats Pereira, this would be a reasonable title fight to make. Let's see how Jiri does.

 

[HHJ]

. Ankalaev is definitely not better than Nemkov.

That really remains to be seen man.

 

[Tokoloko]

That really remains to be seen man.

What please? This is utter comical.

Ankalaev has zero submission game and barely finishes fights. He’s a point fighter, not a finisher. His ground game is weak, and he doesn’t have the ability to end a fight when he has the chance. He just doesn’t have that killer instinct to go for the finish.

Now compare that to Nemkov, who has a serious submission game and is a complete fighter. He finishes fights, whether it’s with strikes or submissions. Nemkov can control all aspects of the fight and hunt for the finish constantly, something Ankalaev can’t do.

Ankalaev is maybe a decent counter striker and "excellent point fighter", but when you put him up against someone like Nemkov, who can dominate everywhere, it’s clear who’s the better fighter. Ankalaev is just a basic fighter with no real finishing ability.

And he have absolutely nothing for Jiri.

 

[HHJ]

What please? This is utter comical.

Ankalaev has zero submission game and barely finishes fights. He’s a point fighter, not a finisher. His ground game is weak, and he doesn’t have the ability to end a fight when he has the chance. He just doesn’t have that killer instinct to go for the finish.

Now compare that to Nemkov, who has a serious submission game and is a complete fighter. He finishes fights, whether it’s with strikes or submissions. Nemkov can control all aspects of the fight and hunt for the finish constantly, something Ankalaev can’t do.

Ankalaev is maybe a decent counter striker and "excellent point fighter", but when you put him up against someone like Nemkov, who can dominate everywhere, it’s clear who’s the better fighter. Ankalaev is just a basic fighter with no real finishing ability.

And he have absolutely nothing for Jiri.

Man. I like Jiri as much as anyone. Just because he's amazing doesn't mean everyone else just sucks automatically lol

 

[Dark Lord]

He has the face of a special person.

 

[Tokoloko]

Man. I like Jiri as much as anyone. Just because he's amazing doesn't mean everyone else just sucks automatically lol

I never said that everyone else sucks. I've never trashed anyone like this besides Ankalaev...or maybe Hill little bit when Jiri was injured, but definitely not that much...

ALL THAT "Big Ank" is great warrior pose is totally comical. sorry for being honest.

 

[HHJ]

I never said that everyone else sucks. I've never trashed anyone like this besides Ankalaev...or maybe Hill little bit when Jiri was injured, but definitely not that much...

ALL THAT "Big Ank" is great warrior pose is totally comical. sorry for being honest.

Its comical to deny big Ank when he beat Poatan, and didn't even have that hard of a time doing it!

 

[chillyoo]

Ank Is good, he’s earned that. But I am never really impressed with his skillset. He is very well rounded but not great at anything imo.

I think 205 is extremely weak, I’m a big AP fan but him being a successful champ kind of exploits that point.

 

[FilipEmoFights]

I read this as Anik isn’t special and came to fight for goldys job back only to find out it’s a fuckin Anguirus thread and not even the cool kaiju one

 

[TriangleMonkey]

Ok Im convinced Poatan via triangle now

 

[jeskola]

Let's put Alex aside for a moment.

Jiri could beat Ank any given day, but most likely he loses more often than he wins.
He's head and shoulders above anyone else in a weak LHW division.

Now, back to Alex.
Our training coach made us watch their fight today. It was my 3rd time.
Pereira lost, period.

But he was able to deny his wrestling/grappling. All 12 attempts. If he got to the ground with Ank, he'd have been in big trouble.
There was some cage work, but the fight kept standing 80% of the time.

So, sure, the TD threat was looming in Poatan's head, but once you defend successfully the first... dunno, 4-5?
you get enough confidence to focus on the striking match. Because it was basically a striking KB match.

Retroactively, the info about Poatan having a foot and his lead hand/shoulder/whatever injured... makes sense.
No excuses: if you enter the cage, you are ready to fight.

Poatan's left was absent, his -apparently- pitty-patter low kicks with the inner foot (that actually cause a lot of damage, as other fighters have reported) did nothing this time, and he landed a ton of them.
I don't know, it adds up IMO.

I don't buy that he didn't take the camp seriously. It was his last challenge left* (I'll dig into this).
He is 37 and has had the tightest schedule. Injuries piling up and getting sick while on camp sounds likely to me.

Don't get me wrong, Ank is a good/great MMA striker with a wrestling cherry on top.
But Alex has faced each of his strengths to the 11th.
More power, more pressure, faster hands, better defense... even hand-fighting, too.

Now, the rematch. Alex has much more room for improvement in his TDD/wrestling/defensive grappling that Ank has regarding his striking.
Alex won't forget how to KB.

If Ank doesn't make it ugly, I'm pretty confident that a healthy, recovered Alex takes it pretty comfortably.


*If Alex won, he would be undeniable and silence the naysayers securing a spot along the greatest combat sport athletes of all time.
And move to HW. Losing to JJ or Aspinall, even in dominant fashion (unless he looked absolutely embarrassing) wouldn't lower his stock the tiniest bit.
The HW fight would've been a celebration lap for him, at worst, or an epic win if somehow he pulled it off.

Are you Luffy's backup account?

 

[don't ask]

not saying he isn't. it's just too early to tell. he may be an all-time great or may not, time will tell. but the fact is, outside of peireira his biggest wins are guys like krylov and cutaleba. he drew with jan and a decent win against rakic and that's it.

obviously he looks good but need to wait and see, could be flash in the pan or could be legit.

The dude had to climb the ladder twice. I don't know how he could be a flash in the pan.

 

[IceCold ADCC]

Ank is special in everywhere more than other LHW, that’s why he’s champ now

*Was