Media Eddie Alvarez on Khabib and Islany

[biscuitsbrah]

Dude was spot on. Pretty underrated fight analysis

 

[BangBang]

I enjoy listening to Eddie. You can tell he knows what he's talking about.

Which is probably obvious to say, but what I mean is that he is fucking bone fide legend so when he speaks I tend to listen. #underground king

 

[Kwic]

Needed more loud music for analysis to be more accurate.

 

[oski]

Great take me thinks. Eddie always came off as a solid guy.

 

[AL-Tappo McSnappo]

never heard of Islany

 

[Mohawk Banditó]

never heard of Islany

I think that's one of the ring girls

 

[HuskySamoan]

They like to be all the way out or all the way in. Adbulmanap used to tell them to never exchange basically, that if they can avoid exchanging standing they mitigate most of the risk that they may lose. They aren't unbeatable, Khabib wasn't unbeatable, or anywhere close to it but they do bring some incredible intangibles to the table in that their physicality and conditioning are incredibly world class. That said, imagine if Volk was anywhere near Islams size? He'd probably be able to beat Khabib and Islam, because he also had world class conditioning and physicality, high fight IQ, very strong defensive wrestling and superior striking. But they are great at keeping guys off their game and avoiding adversity altogether. It's why say, Umar vs Merab is so exciting potentially, as we rarely see someone able or willing to impose on them they way Merab would try to and has the skillsets to do so. Or Leon vs Islam, because Leon has the length and size to where Islam will be forced to exchange to close distance and grappling or even just come into range and Leon also has that world class physicality and conditioning...and quality defensive wrestling. Almost none of Islam or Khabibs opponents had the conditioning, the physicality, the defensive wrestling and up to par striking to give them difficulties but...once you have those tools, there is holes in their style and ways to break it down.

Looks like Amru Magomedov is getting signed later this year from their Gym, he strikes me every bit as talented as Usman Nurmagomedov so far. And Usman will likely try to come over to the UFC once Islam leaves 155. Maybe they will sign Renat Khavalov too. I like having a puzzle to solve and having guys so great as these Dagestanis that force the level of athlete and technical abilities to be higher at the top than they are. It's great for the sport, doesn't matter where you land on which side.

 

[MaulingMyClown]

Didn't love him as a fighter, always considered him very above average but not elite. Either way after hearing his take I'd like to see more of his commentary and maybe even in a booth for some fights.

 

[SuperAlly]

They like to be all the way out or all the way in. Adbulmanap used to tell them to never exchange basically, that if they can avoid exchanging standing they mitigate most of the risk that they may lose. They aren't unbeatable, Khabib wasn't unbeatable, or anywhere close to it but they do bring some incredible intangibles to the table in that their physicality and conditioning are incredibly world class. That said, imagine if Volk was anywhere near Islams size? He'd probably be able to beat Khabib and Islam, because he also had world class conditioning and physicality, high fight IQ, very strong defensive wrestling and superior striking. But they are great at keeping guys off their game and avoiding adversity altogether. It's why say, Umar vs Merab is so exciting potentially, as we rarely see someone able or willing to impose on them they way Merab would try to and has the skillsets to do so. Or Leon vs Islam, because Leon has the length and size to where Islam will be forced to exchange to close distance and grappling or even just come into range and Leon also has that world class physicality and conditioning...and quality defensive wrestling. Almost none of Islam or Khabibs opponents had the conditioning, the physicality, the defensive wrestling and up to par striking to give them difficulties but...once you have those tools, there is holes in their style and ways to break it down.

Looks like Amru Magomedov is getting signed later this year from their Gym, he strikes me every bit as talented as Usman Nurmagomedov so far. And Usman will likely try to come over to the UFC once Islam leaves 155. Maybe they will sign Renat Khavalov too. I like having a puzzle to solve and having guys so great as these Dagestanis that force the level of athlete and technical abilities to be higher at the top than they are. It's great for the sport, doesn't matter where you land on which side.

I mean, Khabib was super close to it

 

[gracie_barra_samurai]

Dagestanians

 

[Madmartigains]

We'll see if that rings true for Pareira vs Ankalaev, assuming Ankalaev decides to wrestle early.

 

[chinarice]

I would have liked to see Eddie against Khabib or Islam over a lot of the guys they've fought.

 

[HuskySamoan]

I mean, Khabib was super close to it

I don't really agree. He was undefeated but never close to unbeatable. That said, I think he was really ahead of his time and I've stated this a lot, nowadays we're seeing prospects who began amateur at 14-16 pretty regularly and go pro at 18. Khabib was winning Pankration championships, hand to hand combat tournaments, Sambo championships all as a teen and young adult. He wa doing wrestling at a very young age and similar to how Lomachenkos father thought him diversifying while young would help him further develop, Abdulmanap had Khabib go into Judo and other things as well. Khabib was training at a world class level to be a champion since his middle school years and was coming up with guys and cross training with guys who would come to be champions in mma and sambo and Olympians even before he did. Do I think a young Michael Chandler would have seriously given him fits? Yup, until Chandler gassed in said hypothetical fight, I think he'd have really been issues for Khabib...maybe less for Islam because Chandlers style plays into the cleaner technical striking and counter striker game of Islam. Do I think guys like Vartanyan would give Islam or Khabib trouble? Yeah but...very few guys. They were and still kinda are way ahead of the game.

But now we are seeing guys decode things, prepare more thoroughly, have their own pedigree. Joshua Van said "I didn't start competing until 18 in MMA, I started late" 10 years ago if someone began at 18 Rogan woulda raved about it. You have guys like Rei Tsuruya who was a Junior Olympian in Greco and Competing in BJJ, while also having his amateur MMA debut at 15. It's going to take generations of that kind of dedication from combat athletes to stack up consistently vs these guys, because that's the level many of them were on and from such young ages under Abdulmanap. It'll be fun to see the clashes and further development.

 

[TerraRayzing]

They like to be all the way out or all the way in. Adbulmanap used to tell them to never exchange basically, that if they can avoid exchanging standing they mitigate most of the risk that they may lose. They aren't unbeatable, Khabib wasn't unbeatable, or anywhere close to it but they do bring some incredible intangibles to the table in that their physicality and conditioning are incredibly world class. That said, imagine if Volk was anywhere near Islams size? He'd probably be able to beat Khabib and Islam, because he also had world class conditioning and physicality, high fight IQ, very strong defensive wrestling and superior striking. But they are great at keeping guys off their game and avoiding adversity altogether. It's why say, Umar vs Merab is so exciting potentially, as we rarely see someone able or willing to impose on them they way Merab would try to and has the skillsets to do so. Or Leon vs Islam, because Leon has the length and size to where Islam will be forced to exchange to close distance and grappling or even just come into range and Leon also has that world class physicality and conditioning...and quality defensive wrestling. Almost none of Islam or Khabibs opponents had the conditioning, the physicality, the defensive wrestling and up to par striking to give them difficulties but...once you have those tools, there is holes in their style and ways to break it down.

Looks like Amru Magomedov is getting signed later this year from their Gym, he strikes me every bit as talented as Usman Nurmagomedov so far. And Usman will likely try to come over to the UFC once Islam leaves 155. Maybe they will sign Renat Khavalov too. I like having a puzzle to solve and having guys so great as these Dagestanis that force the level of athlete and technical abilities to be higher at the top than they are. It's great for the sport, doesn't matter where you land on which side.

So basically you have to be near perfect in order to expose the holes in their games.

 

[vlz]

thanks for your opinion heavyweight alvarez

 

[EndlessCritic]

I expected Eddie to have way more CTE at this stage in his career. Crazy to see him sounding intelligent and coherent.

 

[BJJ4Tone]

I enjoy listening to Eddie.

As a proud Pennsylvanian, I could listen to that North Philly accent ALL day.

 

[BJJ4Tone]

Looks like Amru Magomedov is getting signed later this year from their Gym, he strikes me every bit as talented as Usman Nurmagomedov so far. And Usman will likely try to come over to the UFC once Islam leaves 155. Maybe they will sign Renat Khavalov too.

I'm excited for Khabib Nabiev and Magomed Zaynukov too. Especially the latter. He seems like a destroyer.

 

[Hassan Mouzine]

They like to be all the way out or all the way in. Adbulmanap used to tell them to never exchange basically, that if they can avoid exchanging standing they mitigate most of the risk that they may lose. They aren't unbeatable, Khabib wasn't unbeatable, or anywhere close to it but they do bring some incredible intangibles to the table in that their physicality and conditioning are incredibly world class. That said, imagine if Volk was anywhere near Islams size? He'd probably be able to beat Khabib and Islam, because he also had world class conditioning and physicality, high fight IQ, very strong defensive wrestling and superior striking. But they are great at keeping guys off their game and avoiding adversity altogether. It's why say, Umar vs Merab is so exciting potentially, as we rarely see someone able or willing to impose on them they way Merab would try to and has the skillsets to do so. Or Leon vs Islam, because Leon has the length and size to where Islam will be forced to exchange to close distance and grappling or even just come into range and Leon also has that world class physicality and conditioning...and quality defensive wrestling. Almost none of Islam or Khabibs opponents had the conditioning, the physicality, the defensive wrestling and up to par striking to give them difficulties but...once you have those tools, there is holes in their style and ways to break it down.

Looks like Amru Magomedov is getting signed later this year from their Gym, he strikes me every bit as talented as Usman Nurmagomedov so far. And Usman will likely try to come over to the UFC once Islam leaves 155. Maybe they will sign Renat Khavalov too. I like having a puzzle to solve and having guys so great as these Dagestanis that force the level of athlete and technical abilities to be higher at the top than they are. It's great for the sport, doesn't matter where you land on which side.

volk would fear the takedown much much more vs khabib. because khabibs top game is much more suffocating and his ground and pound more relentless than islam. so volk would be more weary of freely striking against khabib.

how world class volk may have been....against Islam it showed that he wasnt a better striker than Islam. Islam was definately the better striker so I dont think Volk is a good answer to the puzzle at all

 

[HwoarangStyle]

how did get destroyed by conor that bad. the whole fight was a highlight reel