Ben Rothwell: Accepting Junior dos Santos UFC fight was strategically stupid!!!

[Hannya MMA]

And as he told The MMA Hour (via MMA Fighting), he intends to think more rationally before accepting fights that don't make much sense moving forward.

"I was on a four-fight win streak and I took on a guy off a loss. It was a stupid fight for me, strategically. There some regret and there's not. I think more, not regret, but a learning lesson. I think right after the fights, I need to be locked up and somebody else needs to take my phone and take my wallet, because I get crazy after a fight. It's when I do crazy interviews, it's when I'm off the wall, and I think I get high off the wins. I don't know what it is, but it's obvious I'm not thinking rationally at the time. It was good for the UFC because they got to fill a main event. It was just a strategically stupid fight!"

 

[BokaBokte]

Remember Ben, only politics can slow you down.

 

[charalsias]

Excuses/saltiness aside it was a stupid choice indeed.He risked a ts for little potential reward.

 

[Tormund]

I'm glad he took it and I'm glad he lost, he bought into all that BS he was talking about before the fight in the hype videos.

 

[ortizgnp]

Excuses/saltiness aside it was a stupid choice indeed.He risked a ts for little potential reward.

Gotta fight 'em all.

 

[Substance Abuse]

I've got no ill will toward Ben. He's had some fun wins and his caveman with a granite chin and big power thing took him much father then I ever thought it would. If he's salty that he lost, he should be, because that means he cares.

 

[Mattitude V1]

Sherdoggers hate anything any fighter has to say coming off a loss.

The truth is, it was a stupid fight. It was a super dangerous opponent with little upside.

 

[Prime Ang]

I don't see him making excuses, I see him saying he shouldn't have taken the risk

 

[Hoop]

Excuses/saltiness aside it was a stupid choice indeed.He risked a ts for little potential reward.

On the flip side, if he went out there and won, he could make a case he beat the ex Champion or at least have that as a means of saying he should be closer to getting a title shot.

I think the fight was just bad stylistically for him. He just couldn't get close to Dos Santos.

 

[Sam Scirocco]

(Me > Overeem + Overeem > JDS) equals me > JDS

MMAmath ben, no works

 

[Mattitude V1]

I don't see him making excuses, I see him saying he shouldn't have taken the risk

I doubt anyone actually read what he said or care. They just want to say he's making an excuse, despite this not being one at all.

 

[Prime Ang]

I doubt anyone actually read what he said or care. They just want to say he's making an excuse, despite this not being one at all.

True, it is Sherdog after all, where everyone bangs tens and benches the 275

 

[TheHermit]

things are always clearer in hindsight. now ben must crawl his way back up a slippery slope. tsk tsk..

 

[Mattitude V1]

On the flip side, if he went out there and won, he could make a case he beat the ex Champion or at least have that as a means of saying he should be closer to getting a title shot.

I think the fight was just bad stylistically for him. He just couldn't get close to Dos Santos.

Honestly, all he needed to do was beat one other fighter. He chose the absolute worst style matchup and came up on the wrong end.

It'd be like if Alistair Overeem decided he wanted to fight Cain instead of waiting for the title shot. He could win or lose, but it'd be a really dangerous fight before he gets a title shot. It'd be a stupid move.

 

[NationWideNinja]

It was a high risk/high reward fight, nothing wrong with taking those. Had he beaten JDS his claim for the titleshot would have been undeniable.

 

[HelloJapan]

Ok, but what was your game plan during the fight? He looked awful, like a punching bag...and I was pulling for Ben.

 

[molest]

The thing is, if he would have chosen not to fight they would probably have given the shot to Overeem and put him in a rematch vs Cain.
If he stopped JDS he was number one contender no doubt.

 

[Miiiiiiighty]

Honestly, all he needed to do was beat one other fighter. He chose the absolute worst style matchup and came up on the wrong end.

It'd be like if Alistair Overeem decided he wanted to fight Cain instead of waiting for the title shot. He could win or lose, but it'd be a really dangerous fight before he gets a title shot. It'd be a stupid move.

Especially with Cain coming off a loss...

That doesn't make sense for someone with a 4 fight streak

 

[Miesha]

Didnt he say after the barnett win he was about to lay waste to the entire division and didnt care about the title shot?

 

[Kneepocalypse]

Says the guy who said he would destroy the entire hw division lol