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- Dec 19, 2012
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To me it was one of those cards that started terrible and kept gradually getting better and better (with the exception of Garry/Neal).
Fluffy/Kopylov = 3.5/5
Fun fight while it lasted, if somewhat sloppy, but this is MW so what do we expect? Both guys got to do their stuff, Kopylov showed some improved TDD and nice combination striking, Fluffy showed his toughness and determination to pressure, with a very opportune submission game. However, Kopylov still hasn't shored up his grappling defense that well after all this time and ended up falling over trying to throw a body kick against the fence, so we aren't seeing the highest level of fighting exactly....but it was enjoyable.
Merab/Cejudo = 4/5
This could've been terrible and in some spots it was (extended clinches against the cage or Cejudo just holding top position to end the first round for 2 minutes almost), but Merab was willing to brawl in spots and it made it kind of a wild sloppy brawl in spots. Cejudo hurt Merab in the first, Merab hurt Cejduo in the second, and then Merab just put that pace/pressure on Cejudo in the 3rd and he couldn't stop it. Probably wouldn't deserve this high a rating on pure action but it had "moments" to remember (Merab talking to Zuck while holding a crouched guillotine, carrying Cejudo on his shoulder like Matt Hughes did against Frank Trigg). I guess Merab is going to get a title shot off this they say ("his next fight will be for the title"), but they also didn't say "he's fighting the winner of O'Malley/Vera" so who knows what that means except cryptic UFC bullshit games.
Neal/Garry =1/5
Terrible lull in the action, card had finally built some momentum and then we got Ian Garry doing his best Wonderboy impression against Neal; he must've watched that fight (WB/Neal) because he seemed to take a lot of cues from it - constant movement away and laterally, use feints to try and walk Neal into shots, use his height/frame in the clinch to stifle any offense. Neal is just too predictable, he doesn't hit the body, he doesn't methodically chop the legs, he just pushes forward and hopes his opponent is going to be willing to sit down and throw hands with him; when they don't, he seems lost for ideas and will just push into a clinch that he doesn't even know what he wants to do with. Arena filled with boos during and after this fight and rightfully so.
Whittaker/Costa = 4/5
Re-gained the energy lost from Neal/Garry and really got things going again. Costa catching Whittaker with that oddly thrown hook/wheel kick changed the momentum of the fight and arguably could've gotten Rob finished with a few more seconds left. Seeing Whittaker hurt for the like 5th fight in a row that early you just got a bad feeling, but he showed a lot of heart and upped his output and really took apart Costa's leg with kicks and confused him with feints. Costa did better than I thought he would, but he just seems incapable of sustained pressure; he can land a great jab or push Rob against the fence but is then incapable of opening up with combinations. Credit to Whittaker though, he was looking to counter Costa whenever he would throw without a set-up and since his game is so brutish and straight-forward Rob had a pretty good read on his entries throughout the fight. Just a solid banger all-around that Rob pulled out by the skin of his teeth.
Volk/Topuria = 5/5
Even if you love Volk there is no way to say this is anything other than a 5. First round super-high level chess with both guys starting the first minute feeling each other out before starting to take chunks out of each other. Volk started really well early with kicks but Topuria stormed back late, it was a super-even round that people were edging to Volk but honestly it felt like Topuria had to feel confident with how consistently he was able to get into the pocket and make Volk react to his feints. Second round more of the same, Volk starting to make some slight adaptations but Topuria now really getting confident and pressuring into the pocket, looking to just string together boxing combinations and push Volk back. The finishing sequence straight out of an action movie, like an 8-punch combination going body-head-body-head and just putting Volk into the land of wind and ghosts with such a sneaky inside right hand on the chin he never saw it coming. Really quite sad, but also unflinchingly beautiful violence.
Overall = 4/5
I wouldn't call it a "legendary card" but it had some great fights and the main card built in quality/action except for the one stinker in-between. Hope you guys enjoyed as well!
Fluffy/Kopylov = 3.5/5
Fun fight while it lasted, if somewhat sloppy, but this is MW so what do we expect? Both guys got to do their stuff, Kopylov showed some improved TDD and nice combination striking, Fluffy showed his toughness and determination to pressure, with a very opportune submission game. However, Kopylov still hasn't shored up his grappling defense that well after all this time and ended up falling over trying to throw a body kick against the fence, so we aren't seeing the highest level of fighting exactly....but it was enjoyable.
Merab/Cejudo = 4/5
This could've been terrible and in some spots it was (extended clinches against the cage or Cejudo just holding top position to end the first round for 2 minutes almost), but Merab was willing to brawl in spots and it made it kind of a wild sloppy brawl in spots. Cejudo hurt Merab in the first, Merab hurt Cejduo in the second, and then Merab just put that pace/pressure on Cejudo in the 3rd and he couldn't stop it. Probably wouldn't deserve this high a rating on pure action but it had "moments" to remember (Merab talking to Zuck while holding a crouched guillotine, carrying Cejudo on his shoulder like Matt Hughes did against Frank Trigg). I guess Merab is going to get a title shot off this they say ("his next fight will be for the title"), but they also didn't say "he's fighting the winner of O'Malley/Vera" so who knows what that means except cryptic UFC bullshit games.
Neal/Garry =1/5
Terrible lull in the action, card had finally built some momentum and then we got Ian Garry doing his best Wonderboy impression against Neal; he must've watched that fight (WB/Neal) because he seemed to take a lot of cues from it - constant movement away and laterally, use feints to try and walk Neal into shots, use his height/frame in the clinch to stifle any offense. Neal is just too predictable, he doesn't hit the body, he doesn't methodically chop the legs, he just pushes forward and hopes his opponent is going to be willing to sit down and throw hands with him; when they don't, he seems lost for ideas and will just push into a clinch that he doesn't even know what he wants to do with. Arena filled with boos during and after this fight and rightfully so.
Whittaker/Costa = 4/5
Re-gained the energy lost from Neal/Garry and really got things going again. Costa catching Whittaker with that oddly thrown hook/wheel kick changed the momentum of the fight and arguably could've gotten Rob finished with a few more seconds left. Seeing Whittaker hurt for the like 5th fight in a row that early you just got a bad feeling, but he showed a lot of heart and upped his output and really took apart Costa's leg with kicks and confused him with feints. Costa did better than I thought he would, but he just seems incapable of sustained pressure; he can land a great jab or push Rob against the fence but is then incapable of opening up with combinations. Credit to Whittaker though, he was looking to counter Costa whenever he would throw without a set-up and since his game is so brutish and straight-forward Rob had a pretty good read on his entries throughout the fight. Just a solid banger all-around that Rob pulled out by the skin of his teeth.
Volk/Topuria = 5/5
Even if you love Volk there is no way to say this is anything other than a 5. First round super-high level chess with both guys starting the first minute feeling each other out before starting to take chunks out of each other. Volk started really well early with kicks but Topuria stormed back late, it was a super-even round that people were edging to Volk but honestly it felt like Topuria had to feel confident with how consistently he was able to get into the pocket and make Volk react to his feints. Second round more of the same, Volk starting to make some slight adaptations but Topuria now really getting confident and pressuring into the pocket, looking to just string together boxing combinations and push Volk back. The finishing sequence straight out of an action movie, like an 8-punch combination going body-head-body-head and just putting Volk into the land of wind and ghosts with such a sneaky inside right hand on the chin he never saw it coming. Really quite sad, but also unflinchingly beautiful violence.
Overall = 4/5
I wouldn't call it a "legendary card" but it had some great fights and the main card built in quality/action except for the one stinker in-between. Hope you guys enjoyed as well!
