You may not know it, but Cruz is an important component here. Cody/Cruz/TJ is one of MMA's greatest love traingles lol. You cant talk about these 2 greats fighting this week, without talking about Cruz. We first need to understand Cruz's style in order to gain a better picture of everything
Let us begin (sorry, no gifs for this breakdown thread. Don't have time to go through all the footage again and make gifs. Don't have the software right now either. Im going to try something new and color code to make the reading of large chunks more digestible)
Please stick by and read it all. Promise you will enjoy it: )
Cruz is always shifting and moving his feet to either set an opponent up, blind side them from an angle, or to memorize them with footwork and ambush them when they are sleeping etc
A great tactic of Cruz's, is that he loves when opponents correctly start cutting off the cage against him. As soon as they square up to laterally step and cut off any escape routes, Cruz will lead as soon as they go square, and catch them head on.
Also, where other counter strikers like to set opponents up for strikes, Cruz typically likes to set opponents up for his takedowns...
- where he will level change under their response or return fire
- or where he will guide an opponent into stepping into a bad position or stepping off balance, so that he can easily take them down
TJ is kind of similar. However he's more aggressive/offensive, more of a creative combination striker, and has better hands (or at least more pop on his punches)
Cruz was generally one step ahead of TJ when they fought. Cruz was the originator of that style adapted for MMA, so he generally knew everything TJ was trying to do.
Now Cody outclassed Cruz via simple and effective boxing footwork to shut down the unconventional movement of Cruz
Cody would take subtle steps to shut down any ambush opportunities off of Cruz's movement
Cody would subtly pivot to take away the possiblities of angles being cut on him, which not only kept Cruz off set, but forced Cruz into bad positions himself
Cody would simply take all the right small steps (his boxing base)
Cody vs Cruz was like Barrera vs. Naseem Hamed, in how simple effective small steps/pivots beats unconventional movement/excessive movement etc
And Cody's tremendous TDD further made it more difficult for Cruz to implement his will etc
We saw Cody doing the same against TJ, and having success against TJ for the same reasons.
However TJ is more aggressive and more willing to exchange. Cody eventually got caught
1. TJ's infamous shift into his left high kick off his punching combinations completely caught Cody off guard. That was all on Cody
2. After Cody was dropped by TJ's unpredictable shifting left high kick, Cruz got emotional and then unknowingly stepped himself into a bad position, trying to "get his rival back"
He ended up exchanging hooks while giving up the outside angle to TJ.
So of course TJ from the better position at that moment got there first/landed better. TJ had the outside angle from the drop. Cody through multiple factors stepped himself into a bad position and engaged to trade hooks while giving up the outside angle. Big no no
This rematch is very interesting
1. If Cody can keep his composure he can beat TJ the way he beat Cruz
2. TJ is much more offensively orientated then Cruz, and much more aggressive and more willing to exchange. Cody has to take OUT all of the emotions of their rivalry, be patient, be calm, and remain on his p's and q's
3. Cody has to be prepared for TJ's unconventional and unpredictable punching kicking combinations and akward kicks that come up from weird angles and suprise
4. IF Cody can slow down the fight, and dictate when exchanges occur through his footwork, Cody can outbox TJ/certainly counter TJ rushing in for knockdowns ala vs Cruz
Mainly, PATIENCE WILL BE absolutely KEY FOR CODY
For TJ, CHAOS AND FORCING MISTAKES in that chaos is his key
Awesome fight between 2 actual elite skillsmen in their primes
People were making a big deal out of Jones vs DC. Jones and DC are medium sized fish in a small pond. Both are only truly stand out in wrestling/clinching
WHERE as Cody vs TJ are the REAL DEAL in terms of skill and IQ
Even for their first fight I was saying how Cody vs TJ is the actual Elite level fight between 2 elite skillsmen (unlike Jones vs DC)
And their first fight didn't disappoint
Was an awesome fight
CODY vs TJ = a fight between 2 actual worthy p4p skillsmen
Very much looking forward to their rematch.
No matter the result we will witness an absolute pinnacle of skill and IQ in MMA
The lower weight classes is WHERE It's really at with truly elite talent, depth and fierce competition.
On another note that is why Conor is the true GOAT of MMA. Conor became champ of the 2 deepest most stacked greatest divisions in all of MMA. It's all about the lower weight classes
Let us begin (sorry, no gifs for this breakdown thread. Don't have time to go through all the footage again and make gifs. Don't have the software right now either. Im going to try something new and color code to make the reading of large chunks more digestible)
Please stick by and read it all. Promise you will enjoy it: )
Cruz is always shifting and moving his feet to either set an opponent up, blind side them from an angle, or to memorize them with footwork and ambush them when they are sleeping etc
A great tactic of Cruz's, is that he loves when opponents correctly start cutting off the cage against him. As soon as they square up to laterally step and cut off any escape routes, Cruz will lead as soon as they go square, and catch them head on.
Also, where other counter strikers like to set opponents up for strikes, Cruz typically likes to set opponents up for his takedowns...
- where he will level change under their response or return fire
- or where he will guide an opponent into stepping into a bad position or stepping off balance, so that he can easily take them down
TJ is kind of similar. However he's more aggressive/offensive, more of a creative combination striker, and has better hands (or at least more pop on his punches)
Cruz was generally one step ahead of TJ when they fought. Cruz was the originator of that style adapted for MMA, so he generally knew everything TJ was trying to do.
Now Cody outclassed Cruz via simple and effective boxing footwork to shut down the unconventional movement of Cruz
Cody would take subtle steps to shut down any ambush opportunities off of Cruz's movement
Cody would subtly pivot to take away the possiblities of angles being cut on him, which not only kept Cruz off set, but forced Cruz into bad positions himself
Cody would simply take all the right small steps (his boxing base)
Cody vs Cruz was like Barrera vs. Naseem Hamed, in how simple effective small steps/pivots beats unconventional movement/excessive movement etc
And Cody's tremendous TDD further made it more difficult for Cruz to implement his will etc
We saw Cody doing the same against TJ, and having success against TJ for the same reasons.
However TJ is more aggressive and more willing to exchange. Cody eventually got caught
1. TJ's infamous shift into his left high kick off his punching combinations completely caught Cody off guard. That was all on Cody
2. After Cody was dropped by TJ's unpredictable shifting left high kick, Cruz got emotional and then unknowingly stepped himself into a bad position, trying to "get his rival back"
He ended up exchanging hooks while giving up the outside angle to TJ.
So of course TJ from the better position at that moment got there first/landed better. TJ had the outside angle from the drop. Cody through multiple factors stepped himself into a bad position and engaged to trade hooks while giving up the outside angle. Big no no
This rematch is very interesting
1. If Cody can keep his composure he can beat TJ the way he beat Cruz
2. TJ is much more offensively orientated then Cruz, and much more aggressive and more willing to exchange. Cody has to take OUT all of the emotions of their rivalry, be patient, be calm, and remain on his p's and q's
3. Cody has to be prepared for TJ's unconventional and unpredictable punching kicking combinations and akward kicks that come up from weird angles and suprise
4. IF Cody can slow down the fight, and dictate when exchanges occur through his footwork, Cody can outbox TJ/certainly counter TJ rushing in for knockdowns ala vs Cruz
Mainly, PATIENCE WILL BE absolutely KEY FOR CODY
For TJ, CHAOS AND FORCING MISTAKES in that chaos is his key
Awesome fight between 2 actual elite skillsmen in their primes
People were making a big deal out of Jones vs DC. Jones and DC are medium sized fish in a small pond. Both are only truly stand out in wrestling/clinching
WHERE as Cody vs TJ are the REAL DEAL in terms of skill and IQ
Even for their first fight I was saying how Cody vs TJ is the actual Elite level fight between 2 elite skillsmen (unlike Jones vs DC)
And their first fight didn't disappoint
Was an awesome fight
CODY vs TJ = a fight between 2 actual worthy p4p skillsmen
Very much looking forward to their rematch.
No matter the result we will witness an absolute pinnacle of skill and IQ in MMA
The lower weight classes is WHERE It's really at with truly elite talent, depth and fierce competition.
On another note that is why Conor is the true GOAT of MMA. Conor became champ of the 2 deepest most stacked greatest divisions in all of MMA. It's all about the lower weight classes
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