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

[HHJ]

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.

Lol at too early to tell. You act like if you aren't an all time great you must be an overrated piece of shit and there's no in between. Facts is other than a brain fart against the bearjew no ones been able to beat him. Put some respect on his name.

 

[HHJ]

If Alex wins the rematch by grappling, then I think he'll have proven something. Otherwise, there's still a giant question mark about his grappling.

And were his injuries confirmed? Or are they still just rumors?

He doesn't need to prove his grappling is anything. He needs to win fuckin fights. That's it. If he ko's Ank in the first, that means way more than trying to grapple to prove a point.

 

[don't ask]

He doesn't need to prove his grappling is anything. He needs to win fuckin fights. That's it. If he ko's Ank in the first, that means way more than trying to grapple to prove a point.

Sure, it means more, but it doesn't mean he's not a one-dimensional fighter.

 

[Luffy]

Yeah, it's been confirmed Alex had a broken hip and renovirus. He said the adrenaline made it feel very mild but that his body would slow down more than normal with strikes. He said that one thing the virus held him back a whole lot was less endurance for body kick. It makes sense as ppl's body get kinda aching with a simple flue. Just moving quick felt already uncomfortable, but needing to show 2x the toughness for body shots endurance and keep the focus always high was the most challenging.

The interviwer even asked Poatan about Ankalaev showing him for the 6th round in August saying "this time it won't go the distance, I don't get paid by the hour" and Pereira kinda smiled finding the situation like, enjoyable and said "that's good, in May I can go back to training and I want to do at least 2 months and a half of a camping. My body will be back to normal as I am totally fine and I feel I have enough game to do whatever I want with him next time". It's funny because Ankalaev with his not fluent English answer to Alex saying that writing "your game will make this man sleep" ... And everyone was like "he's talking about you, moron! " ... "So you're saying you will sleep next fight? You didn't even make sense!" Lololol

Ankalaev is obsessed with Alex though. He had a video telling he was worried, like, wondering " Alex you are still a FIGHTER? Or are you done with it? I feel like you retiring"

Lol but I like Ank and Alex, I think both are serious and fun and one of the best fighters currently anyways ... Within the top 4 with JJ and Aspinall IMO

 

[mister piscadinha]

ankalaev is a case of the total being bigger than the sum of its parts

skillwise i would say he's nothing more than good everywhere, but he's relatively young, strong and fast for the division
he's calculated and defends well, also seems to have a good chin

 

[HHJ]

Sure, it means more, but it doesn't mean he's not a one-dimensional fighter.

Yeah but who cares if your one dimensional if you win?? You don't get extra points or more money for filling nerd quotas.

 

[Rubios]

Yeah, it's been confirmed Alex had a broken hip and renovirus. He said the adrenaline made it feel very mild but that his body would slow down more than normal with strikes. He said that one thing the virus held him back a whole lot was less endurance for body kick. It makes sense as ppl's body get kinda aching with a simple flue. Just moving quick felt already uncomfortable, but needing to show 2x the toughness for body shots endurance and keep the focus always high was the most challenging.

The interviwer even asked Poatan about Ankalaev showing him for the 6th round in August saying "this time it won't go the distance, I don't get paid by the hour" and Pereira kinda smiled finding the situation like, enjoyable and said "that's good, in May I can go back to training and I want to do at least 2 months and a half of a camping. My body will be back to normal as I am totally fine and I feel I have enough game to do whatever I want with him next time". It's funny because Ankalaev with his not fluent English answer to Alex saying that writing "your game will make this man sleep" ... And everyone was like "he's talking about you, moron! " ... "So you're saying you will sleep next fight? You didn't even make sense!" Lololol

Ankalaev is obsessed with Alex though. He had a video telling he was worried, like, wondering " Alex you are still a FIGHTER? Or are you done with it? I feel like you retiring"

Lol but I like Ank and Alex, I think both are serious and fun and one of the best fighters currently anyways ... Within the top 4 with JJ and Aspinall IMO

*Norovirus.

I'm the OP and, well, we'll never know, but the reported injuries (never directly from Alex or his team AFAIK) match some pretty evident lack of lead hand activity and uneventful low kicks.

I've heard about a foot or ankle and something related to the left arm (some say hand, others wrist, others shoulder...)

But no way he was fighting with a broken hip. Not even a stress fracture or fissure. You can't go through that kind of injury.
Fighting is mostly hips.

A bone bruise... maybe. I doubt it, though.

 

[Rubios]

If Alex wins the rematch by grappling, then I think he'll have proven something. Otherwise, there's still a giant question mark about his grappling.

And were his injuries confirmed? Or are they still just rumors?

Nothing confirmed, and as far as I know not a single word on that matter from Alex or his team other than the virus.
Well, unless someone shows some MRI or X-Rays there's no way to confirm any injury.

But -not a Socratical but an actual question-: an injured foot and left hand doesn't seem a plausible explanation for 1- his very erratical and far from his style (he has one register) approach & 2- the lack of any power in his low kicks?

I know it's match-fiction, but do you think any fighter could keep rushing and moving so well, not even changing stances, after eating 25+ Poatan's calf kicks, when Izzy's and Jiri's legs were quite cooked taking way below 10 of them?

 

[don't ask]

Yeah but who cares if your one dimensional if you win?? You don't get extra points or more money for filling nerd quotas.

Fans care if he's only champion because he's being fed strikers.

 

[don't ask]

Nothing confirmed, and as far as I know not a single word on that matter from Alex or his team other than the virus.
Well, unless someone shows some MRI or X-Rays there's no way to confirm any injury.

But -not a Socratical but an actual question-: an injured foot and left hand doesn't seem a plausible explanation for 1- his very erratical and far from his style (he has one register) approach & 2- the lack of any power in his low kicks?

I know it's match-fiction, but do you think any fighter could keep rushing and moving so well, not even changing stances, after eating 25+ Poatan's calf kicks, when Izzy's and Jiri's legs were quite cooked taking way below 10 of them?

Sure, but it's also plausible that the highly-skilled Ankalaev used the threat of the takedown to take Alex out of his game and beat him. It's not like Alex is invincible, he's been beaten before, it's just that the UFC fed him a bunch of inferior strikers.

 

[HHJ]

Fans care if he's only champion because he's being fed strikers.

Who are the wrestlers he's not fighting?

 

[don't ask]

Who are the wrestlers he's not fighting?

Okay, let me rephrase that: fans care to know if he's a legitimate, well-rounded MMA fighter or if he's skating at the top because of UFC machinations and a thin division.

 

[Rubios]

Sure, but it's also plausible that the highly-skilled Ankalaev used the threat of the takedown to take Alex out of his game and beat him. It's not like Alex is invincible, he's been beaten before, it's just that the UFC fed him a bunch of inferior strikers.

That still can't explain how his devastating weird calf kicks x4-5 (in terms of volume) did nothing that night.

That's not him not commiting to them because of the TD threat. He always throws them in that sneaky way.

Plus, once you've defended the first... 5, are you THAT concerned for a TD? Even at the final 30" of each round?

 

[don't ask]

That still can't explain how his devastating weird calf kicks x4-5 (in terms of volume) did nothing that night.

I don't know if they need to be explained. Maybe Ankalaev is better at taking calf kicks. Maybe Perreira was hesitant to throw them like he usually does.

That's not him not commiting to them because of the TD threat.

You don't know that.

He always throws them in that sneaky way.

You don't know something wasn't different about them, unrelated to an injury.

Plus, once you've defended the first... 5, are you THAT concerned for a TD?

Maybe. You don't know what was going on in his head. Maybe he was sure he would get destroyed on the ground and defending takedowns in the last round was just as important to him as the first round.

Even at the final 30" of each round?

Again, you're pretending to know what's going on in his head. I'm sure fighters (and people in general) do things all the time that don't make sense to you.

If you're trying to convince me he was injured, save your breath. Unless he comes out and says it, I'm not interested in people mind-reading on the internet. My stance will firmly remain: I don't know if he was injured.

 

[HHJ]

Okay, let me rephrase that: fans care to know if he's a legitimate, well-rounded MMA fighter or if he's skating at the top because of UFC machinations and a thin division.

I dont.

I dont care at all. How can it be UFC machinations if there's no wrestlers? If the division is thin, it's thin. NOT HIS PROBLEM.

He can only fight the guys they can put in front of him, and he only needs to fight the way he needs to, to win. That is all. Just win.

Good for him.

 

[WildShrimper]

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.

And that one loss of his, all he had to do was hold out for literally one more second and he would've won. The guy knows how to win, his fundamentals are tight and he's good everywhere.

 

[HHJ]

And that one loss of his, all he had to do was hold out for literally one more second and he would've won. The guy knows how to win, his fundamentals are tight and he's good everywhere.

He was also completley unintimidated by Poatan.

It was noticable that the guy just dont be givin two fucks wether its poatan or anyone else.

 

[don't ask]

I dont.

There are fans here who do.

I dont care at all. How can it be UFC machinations if there's no wrestlers?

How did he get the belt again?

If the division is thin, it's thin. NOT HIS PROBLEM.

Unless he wants to prove he's a legitimate, well-rounded mixed martial artist.

He can only fight the guys they can put in front of him, and he only needs to fight the way he needs to, to win. That is all. Just win.

Unless he wants to prove he's a legitimate, well-rounded mixed martial artist.

Good for him.

 

[HHJ]

There are fans here who do.

How did he get the belt again?


Unless he wants to prove he's a legitimate, well-rounded mixed martial artist.

Unless he wants to prove he's a legitimate, well-rounded mixed martial artist.

Who cares? Nerds.

How did he win it? by Beating the champion.

Who cares about proving anything to nerds?

Nerds.

I dunno if you understand. It's about forcing your style on the other person. Not showing off that you can do this or that. That doesnt mean anything if you win. When he got taken down, he survived and got up on his own.

Who are the wrestlers he avoided???

 

[don't ask]

Who cares? Nerds.

How did he win it? by Beating the champion.

lol no

Who cares about proving anything to nerds?

You care enough to argue angrily.

Nerds.

I dunno if you understand. It's about forcing your style on the other person. Not showing off that you can do this or that. That doesnt mean anything if you win. When he got taken down, he survived and got up on his own.

Who are the wrestlers he avoided???

He was given the belt from a questionable decision over Jan after Ankalaev was kicked back down the ladder for drawing with Jan. Then he was given the #8 guy in the division instead of higher-ranked guys, one of whom (we now know) could beat him (and would have done it earlier if he hadn't been kicked back down the ladder).

It doesn't matter if you're unhappy that people aren't satisfied he's a legitimate mixed martial artist. He's an extreme recipient of Dana White privilege and hasn't showcased a well-rounded skill set, so you're basically going to rant to yourself until he shows he's well-rounded.