Are the Dagestani' losing their edge OR are other's catching up????

[maximus__]

I think the biggest issue is that Umar didn't pace himself at all, and went balls to wall from the opening bell assuming he'd find the finish somewhere in the first two or three rounds. If he had just calmed down and picked his spots, he could have let his skills dictate and done much better. Instead, he blew his load and was unable to keep up with the pace that he set himself.

But that's also a testament to Merab that he would have to go out with that mindset in the first place.

Yes that's part of it but rewatch the fight. How many times did Merab try and wrestle in that first round?
Merab hung with Usman on the feet and made him not pace himself in those early rounds. Umar thought he was going to tee off on Merab like he had everyone else and Merab just stayed conservative and kept those rounds close and took no real damage, even landing more sig/total strikes in the first round.

2nd round Umar took, but only by 5 sig strikes and a takedown, with Merab landing more total strikes.

Umar couldn't pace himself because he couldn't keep up with Merab. he blew his load in 2 rounds just to edge out the first 2 rounds.

 

[Substance Abuse]

you know Dagis are the premier MMA competitors when people stupidly meatride a high level title defense and a 48-47 title fight as knock against them.

I think people who are tired of their dominance in the sport are just going full copium.

We finally agree on something. This thread is filled with shit posts.

 

[DrRodentia]

Yes that's part of it but rewatch the fight. How many times did Merab try and wrestle in that first round?
Merab hung with Usman on the feet and made him not pace himself in those early rounds. Umar thought he was going to tee off on Merab like he had everyone else and Merab just stayed conservative and kept those rounds close and took no real damage, even landing more sig/total strikes in the first round.

2nd round Umar took, but only by 5 sig strikes and a takedown, with Merab landing more total strikes.

Umar couldn't pace himself because he couldn't keep up with Merab. he blew his load in 2 rounds just to edge out the first 2 rounds.

Yeah I would have to rewatch. But I do recognize that much of it is because of Merab's style. I just think that Umar could slow things down and have more success, because the skillset is there. He fought with nervous energy. He fought like a contender, not a champion, if you know what I mean.

 

[maximus__]

Yeah I would have to rewatch. But I do recognize that much of it is because of Merab's style. I just think that Umar could slow things down and have more success, because the skillset is there. He fought with nervous energy. He fought like a contender, not a champion, if you know what I mean.

Then he would have lost the first 2 rounds. He barely edged them going flat out and gassing himself.
People are forgetting how close 1-2 were. Umar can't keep that pace at all. He slows it down and Merab just gets to step up his offence with less ti worry about

 

[DrRodentia]

Then he would have lost the first 2 rounds. He barely edged them going flat out and gassing himself.
People are forgetting how close 1-2 were. Umar can't keep that pace at all. He slows it down and Merab just gets to step up his offence with less ti worry about

I hear what you're saying, but I disagree. Just looking at it skill for skill. I genuinely think Umar has the skill to beat Merab with an overhauled gameplan.

But it's whatever. I very much respect Merab and think he did great. They will likely fight again, and I look forward to it.

 

[markg171]

Never said that.

Brotha firsta you say Umar barely losa fight. Then you say he gonna learn from ah his mistakes. It's obvious youah believe Umar win duh rematchez.

Don't be a pussy and just say it outright so we can all laugh in your face.

 

[markg171]

That's a switch and what I was referring to. It's not a kick, it's a wrestling counter if someone is in on your hips.

DP hit it on Islam and failed to hit it on Khabib. Volk hit one on Islam in the 5th also, plus he used a butterfly hook beautifully to counter Islam escaping like Khabib did.

Anderson Silva hit one on someone back in the day also.

Damn son.

Maybe Islam should've fought Gamrot who was the official backup, had the longer streak, fought on the same card as Poirier, and literally trained Poirier for this fight.

Weird how Islam instead wanted Poirier over anybody eh? Complete coincidence it was for his chance to tie the LW record eh?

 

[markg171]

We finally agree on something. This thread is filled with shit posts.

It is now that SubShit's here

 

[Substance Abuse]

It is now that SubShit's here

Pea brain is still mad. Rent free, lol.

 

[markg171]

Pea brain is still mad. Rent free, lol.

 

[maximus__]

I hear what you're saying, but I disagree. Just looking at it skill for skill. I genuinely think Umar has the skill to beat Merab with an overhauled gameplan.

But it's whatever. I very much respect Merab and think he did great. They will likely fight again, and I look forward to it.

One judge gave Merab the first. All were in agreement on the other rounds with Umar's best round being the second.

He wasn't blowing Merab out in those first two rounds. He was throwing his usual flashy kicks and Merab was being defensively sound whilst landing his own offence.

Umar's only real chance is a flash KO vs this current version of Merab. Umar will most likely work his way to a belt another shot, but it doesn't get easier from here.
they will try and put him over in a 3 rounder in his next fight, when he needs to be fighting someone like Figgy in a 5 rounder.

 

[MarioLemieux]

One judge gave Merab the first. All were in agreement on the other rounds with Umar's best round being the second.

He wasn't blowing Merab out in those first two rounds. He was throwing his usual flashy kicks and Merab was being defensively sound whilst landing his own offence.

Umar's only real chance is a flash KO vs this current version of Merab. Umar will most likely work his way to a belt another shot, but it doesn't get easier from here.
they will try and put him over in a 3 rounder in his next fight, when he needs to be fighting someone like Figgy in a 5 rounder.

Umar's only getting better at 29 where Merab will be declining heavily very soon at 34. I would anticipate it takes them two years to rematch at which point Umar will have a significant advantage being 31 to Merab's 36.

 

[Young Calf Kick]

Lol @ miserable little @markg171 throwing Islam/Dagestani related temper tantrums literally all week

crazy levels of Dagestani Derangement Syndrome

 

[VinceArch]

Brotha firsta you say Umar barely losa fight. Then you say he gonna learn from ah his mistakes. It's obvious youah believe Umar win duh rematchez.

Don't be a pussy and just say it outright so we can all laugh in your face.

Zzzzz...

 

[maximus__]

Umar's only getting better at 29 where Merab will be declining heavily very soon at 34. I would anticipate it takes them two years to rematch at which point Umar will have a significant advantage being 31 to Merab's 36.

Yeah in theory of course Umar is younger and has more chance to get better. I could say that about any current champ fighting a younger contender.

 

[wrb]

Umar's only getting better at 29 where Merab will be declining heavily very soon at 34. I would anticipate it takes them two years to rematch at which point Umar will have a significant advantage being 31 to Merab's 36.

Clearly Merab is an outlier for many things so I would not count on a number making some huge difference. I mean Belal made that "no one 36 + has ever won a championship" stat less meaninfull and its impossible to know when that age of decline starts to happen so I would not factor that into the equation really.

 

[mkess101]

I hear what you're saying, but I disagree. Just looking at it skill for skill. I genuinely think Umar has the skill to beat Merab with an overhauled gameplan.

But it's whatever. I very much respect Merab and think he did great. They will likely fight again, and I look forward to it.

Umar isn't the only BW that's better "skill for skill" than Merab. Yan is too. Hell maybe Sandhagen is.

What Merab is--a "skill killer". You can stuff TD's like Umar and Yan did, and be the more polished striker. But inevitably, Merab's pace simply doesn't allow the opponent's skills to matter. What's crazy is that he's the one using more energy early in fights. Shooting failed TD's is more exhausting than defending them. Bouncing around and always moving foward is more tiring than slowly circling. Yet, it doesn’t matter.

It's like Merab starts with a full gas tank and his opponents start with 1/8 of a tank. Merab has the accelerator floored and his opponents are cruising along at the speed limit. If it was equal he'd run out of gas first, but it's not.

 

[richardjohnson]

its just that "dagestanis" are little more than abdulmanap pupils who train at aka, outside that they are normal fighters

Exactly. There are unrealistic expectations put on so many fighters from that area of the world as if it is some sort of automatic cheat code, which is why you see guys praised for something as simple as defending a takedown against one of these Dagestani fighters. The reality is it’s no different than anywhere else in the world in that they produce fighters of all skill levels.

 

[fandangler101]

Lol at "ran over". Umar outstruck him in both 3 and 5, had the same TD ratio with more control time in rnd 3, and was 40 seconds away from winning the 5th when Merab had one last burst of energy to get a TD that did nothing. His only "offense" was shooting 21 times in the last 2 rounds with no GNP, no sub attempts, no guard passing and no significant control time. Umar could easily win a rematch by either a finish or by just winnign the first 3 and not even have to worry about 4 and 5. Merab doesn't finish or win 10-8s, and he had nothing for him in the first half, so there was nothing that shows Merab would win a rematch.

Stats | UFC

Your username rings true.

 

[Pequeño Corey]

Beeb and Islam set the bar pretty high. I don’t doubt that Umar and Usman will continue to have exceptional careers, but there’s levels.