D
Deleted member 585708
Guest
Ilia Topuria vs Diego Lopes – This guy, man… Ilia has just torn through Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway, and while he clearly has some defensive deficiencies, they seem to be nothing compared to the sheer firepower this guy has. Undoubtedly the number one featherweight in the world today, Ilia as champion is going to be an insanely fun ride. Speaking of insanely fun, Diego Lopes has come from nowhere! While back-to-back decision wins over Ige and Ortega have dampened the mood just slightly compared to a string of R1 finishes, there’s no denying how impressive it is that he’s adapted to the level so damn well, so damn quickly. Book it while it’s hot!
Max Holloway vs Dan Hooker – BMF title fight? No BMF gimmick belt? Either way? Fuck yeah. The end.
Khamzat Chimaev vs Dricus Du Plessis – Khamzat’s rise to the top has been absolutely bizarre at times, but his (literally) CRUSHING win over Rob Whittaker immediately puts him in the same bracket as the champ Dricus Du Plessis, who also finished Whittaker on his rise to the top. Don’t get me wrong, if the UFC book DDP against either Strickland or Adesanya tomorrow, then I guess I’m fine with that as it’s been expected for some time, but since they haven’t… well, the door is open for Khamzat, no?
Rob Whittaker vs Anthony Hernandez – First of all, RECOVER, because if you saw the state of Bobby Knuckles’ jaw, you’ll know he won’t exactly be back next week. But while we’re considering scheduling, ‘Fluffy’ Hernandez is the cat with all the hype at the minute after easily drowning Michel Pereira, and guess who he (temporarily) overtook in the rankings last week? That’s right, Khamzat. That’s too perfect, and as I say, with scheduling in mind, ‘Fluffy’ isn’t exactly renowned for fighting week in, week out either. Either Whittaker bounces back sometime next year, which the fans will love, or the meteoric rise of Hernandez continues, which the fans will also love!
Magomed Ankalaev vs Alex Pereira – Might as well do it, but this fight perhaps hurt Ankalaev’s credibility as a challenger. He’s got some tools that might make up for his inferior striking, though, and he’ll have to use them to best effect if he’s not going to be steamrolled by ‘Po Atan’.
Aleksandar Rakic vs Khalil Rountree – Rakic has now lost 3 in a row, but all of them against elite opposition, and one of them was an injury finish. The guy is talented, but seemingly not the huge threat I think he was thought of at one point. Give him Khalil. Khalil impressed everybody with his losing performance against Po Atan, but many felt he didn’t deserve it and his failing cardio did little to justify it in hindsight, either. Let’s see if he can improve his fight management in a main event fight with Rakic that will ultimately prove if Khalil is legit, or over-pushed and overhyped.
Lerone Murphy vs Calvin Kattar – I have my doubts about what Kattar has left at this point, but if he can repel the challenge of Lerone Murphy and stop the ‘Miracle’ climbing into the top 10, that will be a damn fine piece of work for the veteran. Kattar is a tough, fun fighter who can both turn it on and steamroll opponents or fall behind badly to more technically proficient opponents. Line it up!
Dan Ige vs Sean Woodson – Dan Ige is game as hell, but really struggling for momentum, and Lerone Murphy is the latest in a fairly long line of up-and-comers who have successfully used him as a springboard to bigger, better things. If Ige remains in the rankings, then Woodson deserves the opportunity, but sooner or later Ige needs to pick up a credible win if he’s to remain in high regard. Wins matter, and they’ve been pretty rare this past 3 or so years.
Shara Magomedov vs Kevin Holland – Petrosyan gave Shara all he could handle until Shara pulled out a spectacular double spinning backfist KO, but the fact Shara isn’t watertight against middling opponents could spell trouble as he climbs the ladder – but, climbing the ladder he actually is, so let’s see how he does against a perennial not-quite-good-enough-to-be-ranked fighter like Kevin Holland. This is Holland’s spot, and I think he’s more than good enough to provide the next step up for Shara at this point.
Armen Petrosyan vs Brunno Ferreira – I like both guys, and they share a bizarre fact: they both beat Robocop Rodrigues in their UFC debut! I find that wild considering how good Robocop has looked in the UFC, whereas these two have struggled a little to achieve the same momentum. Petrosyan seems to have found his match against elite specialists like Shara Magomedov and Rodolfo Vieira, whereas Brunno, conversely, has struggled with better rounded opponents… who wins this fun, but low-risk banger?
Ibo Aslan vs Rodolfo Bellato – The UFC Light Heavyweight division is so thin that it’s feasible Aslan gets a ranked opponent next, but am I the only one that thinks he’s not at that level? Maybe I’ll get proven wrong, but give him Bellato first. Another Brazilian who has entered the UFC in impressive fashion, Bellato accounted for Ihor Potieria in his first outing having become the first man to stop Bahraini stand out Murtaza Talha on DWCS. This guy does look dangerous, but like Aslan, perhaps just lacks a rankings-worthy win at this early stage.
Raffael Cerqueira vs Ivan Erslan – Two puzzling pick ups for the 205 division, Cerqueira seems to have benefitted from being messed around a little too much by the DWCS scheduling and rescheduling, and in the end just got straight signed. Tonight we got more questions than answers about what he brings to the table. Give him the other odd pick up in Ivan Erslan and see who adds a UFC win to their resumé.
Geoff Neal vs Michael Morales – Geoff Neal will certainly take the ‘W’ and move on. I want to see him face someone who is actually in the welterweight rankings next, and maybe it’s a bit mean to give him this fight after both Shavkat Rakhmonov and Ian Machado Garry, two other undefeated, younger fighters surged past him, BUT! Don’t count Geoff Neal out. Michael Morales will have to be at his best to keep climbing the rankings. If Geoff wins this, though, he can start parlaying some momentum into the fact he already beat Belal Muhammad once and demand a much bigger name. But not now.
Rafael dos Anjos – RECOVER – RDA suffered a leg injury and says he heard a ‘pop’ – that’s not good news. Best wishes for a full recovery, RDA!
Mateusz Rebecki vs Nasrat Haqparast – First thing’s first, this was not a proper Split Decision fight, it was a deliciously entertaining bloodbath that Rebecki won pretty clearly despite some rough moments. The Pole doesn’t have the best cardio, but he is super aggressive and fun to watch. Nasrat Haqparast is a fighter I see as not only a very suitable opponent outside the top 15 skill-wise, but also someone who needs a banger to build on his Performance of the Night winning effort against Jamie Mullarkey. I trust Rebecki to bring a tooth-and-nail scrap out of the Afghan.
Myktybek Orolbai vs Jai Herbert – Orolbai’s toughness and grit was amazing after suffering what looked like a serious orbital injury in the first round. There’s no quit in the Kyrgyzstan native, and we’ve already seen his skillset is pretty impressive for a relative rookie. Give him the slightly more experienced Jai Herbert next. Herbert is 10 years Orolbai’s senior, but in fight years it’s a bit closer. He’s had entertaining scraps with several fighters, and I see nothing but good things here between two very athletic lightweights.
Abus Magomedov vs Michel Pereira – Abus is good enough that he’s going to be constantly in the frame for a ranked opponent even when he’s being handed defeats. Losing to guys like Caio Borralho and Sean Strickland really isn’t too much of a bad thing, they’re both now considered top 5 talent, so let’s reward Abus for his two-fight win streak over Brazilians Warlley Alves and Brunno Ferreira with a fight against the unpredictable and powerful Michel Pereira – the #14 ranked middleweight last seen being utterly drowned by Anthony Hernandez. Obviously the blueprint is there for Abus, but having a strategy is one thing; executing it is another entirely.
Brunno Ferreira vs Armen Petrosyan (See Above)
Kennedy Nzechukwu vs Austen Lane – I know this probably won’t be a popular pick, but these guys are both coming off a win that snapped a losing streak, and don’t have much momentum. They’re both big, tall heavyweights, they both sport 13-5 records, and they both generally finish fights, although we’re still waiting for Lane to show out in the UFC. Put it on at the Apex or an obscure Fight Night somewhere and try to get the ball rolling for one of these heavyweights. I’m actually very confident this fight does not go the distance, and honestly… that’s half the battle booking lower-ranked heavies IMO.
Chris Barnett – RECOVER/IMPROVE – I don’t know, at 38 and plagued by issues getting into the cage, now he’s suffered a hamstring injury mid-fight… things aren’t looking good for ‘Beast Boy’. I say give Barnett some time out, and let’s see if he can actually get into better shape for any future outing.
Farid Basharat vs Montel Jackson – Farid Basharat is obviously good, but he’s too decision-heavy at this level, and he’s not really winning hearts and minds yet. Give him Montel Jackson, the guy he was originally slated to face. The winner has a good case for a shot at a top 15 opponent, but I must caveat that with this: it’s time to start pleasing the Just Bleed God, Farid!
Victor Hugo vs Jonathan Pearce – JSP got humbled by Pat Sabitini last time out and has now lost 3 straight. It’s sink or swim time now: Pearce can’t start getting entry level talent again, his next opponent needs to be someone with experience and who might push him just enough to see if he’s still worth a roster spot. Victor Hugo looks ideal for that task, and yes, this should be 145 after the Victor Hugo weight fiasco.
Ismail Naurdiev vs Abdul Razak Alhassan – I’ll be honest, I find Ismail Naurdiev a really bizarre pick up. He had an actual record of 4-3 outside the UFC, but for whatever reason he’s back and showing that the talent in the UFC at this level is on a par or worse than in Brave CF. Yikes. Is that really the optic they want? Anyway, that’s irrelevant now, give the Moroccan-Austrian-Russian Abdul Razak Alhassan next. At 39, Alhassan remains a danger, and he was tearing Cody Brundage a new one before landing illegal elbows leading to an NC. This will give us some indication of exactly where Naurdiev fits in.
Bruno Silva – CUT! I’d have cut Silva after the Weidman fight had it not been for the multiple egregious eyepokes that weren’t punished at all. I still think he’s performing very, very poorly, though, and this outcome seemed predictable.
Rinat Fakhretdinov vs Nursulton Ruziboev – The fury at the scorecards tells its own story: Rinat Fakhretdinov in Middle Eastern arenas is not only a tough opponent, but you’ll also have a tough time getting some honest scoring. His win over Nicolas Dalby at least had some support – this one, not so much. Not a single member of the media scoring the fight on mmadecisions gave this one to Rinat, and most gave it 30-27 to Leal. On this basis, while I’m not committing to a rematch, I say move Rinat absolutely nowhere. Let him face the 6’5 Uzbek, but maybe do this one in Europe or America if possible because… well, yeah. Scoring his fights seems to be a problem.
Carlos Leal vs Chidi Njokuani – Carlos Leal probably won a few fans given the nature of the ‘defeat’, and I wonder if that could set him up for some favourable booking going forward. Without giving him anything too easy, I’d quite like to see him lined up against Chidi Njokuani. Chidi has won two straight, but his win over Jared Gooden wasn’t easy on the eye – I think he does struggle to draw entertaining fights out of boring opponents, but if his opponent is fun, there’s a real possibility of fireworks! Line it up.
---
Sorry for being late! Couldn't watch the card live, so have had to do some serious catch up!
Max Holloway vs Dan Hooker – BMF title fight? No BMF gimmick belt? Either way? Fuck yeah. The end.
Khamzat Chimaev vs Dricus Du Plessis – Khamzat’s rise to the top has been absolutely bizarre at times, but his (literally) CRUSHING win over Rob Whittaker immediately puts him in the same bracket as the champ Dricus Du Plessis, who also finished Whittaker on his rise to the top. Don’t get me wrong, if the UFC book DDP against either Strickland or Adesanya tomorrow, then I guess I’m fine with that as it’s been expected for some time, but since they haven’t… well, the door is open for Khamzat, no?
Rob Whittaker vs Anthony Hernandez – First of all, RECOVER, because if you saw the state of Bobby Knuckles’ jaw, you’ll know he won’t exactly be back next week. But while we’re considering scheduling, ‘Fluffy’ Hernandez is the cat with all the hype at the minute after easily drowning Michel Pereira, and guess who he (temporarily) overtook in the rankings last week? That’s right, Khamzat. That’s too perfect, and as I say, with scheduling in mind, ‘Fluffy’ isn’t exactly renowned for fighting week in, week out either. Either Whittaker bounces back sometime next year, which the fans will love, or the meteoric rise of Hernandez continues, which the fans will also love!
Magomed Ankalaev vs Alex Pereira – Might as well do it, but this fight perhaps hurt Ankalaev’s credibility as a challenger. He’s got some tools that might make up for his inferior striking, though, and he’ll have to use them to best effect if he’s not going to be steamrolled by ‘Po Atan’.
Aleksandar Rakic vs Khalil Rountree – Rakic has now lost 3 in a row, but all of them against elite opposition, and one of them was an injury finish. The guy is talented, but seemingly not the huge threat I think he was thought of at one point. Give him Khalil. Khalil impressed everybody with his losing performance against Po Atan, but many felt he didn’t deserve it and his failing cardio did little to justify it in hindsight, either. Let’s see if he can improve his fight management in a main event fight with Rakic that will ultimately prove if Khalil is legit, or over-pushed and overhyped.
Lerone Murphy vs Calvin Kattar – I have my doubts about what Kattar has left at this point, but if he can repel the challenge of Lerone Murphy and stop the ‘Miracle’ climbing into the top 10, that will be a damn fine piece of work for the veteran. Kattar is a tough, fun fighter who can both turn it on and steamroll opponents or fall behind badly to more technically proficient opponents. Line it up!
Dan Ige vs Sean Woodson – Dan Ige is game as hell, but really struggling for momentum, and Lerone Murphy is the latest in a fairly long line of up-and-comers who have successfully used him as a springboard to bigger, better things. If Ige remains in the rankings, then Woodson deserves the opportunity, but sooner or later Ige needs to pick up a credible win if he’s to remain in high regard. Wins matter, and they’ve been pretty rare this past 3 or so years.
Shara Magomedov vs Kevin Holland – Petrosyan gave Shara all he could handle until Shara pulled out a spectacular double spinning backfist KO, but the fact Shara isn’t watertight against middling opponents could spell trouble as he climbs the ladder – but, climbing the ladder he actually is, so let’s see how he does against a perennial not-quite-good-enough-to-be-ranked fighter like Kevin Holland. This is Holland’s spot, and I think he’s more than good enough to provide the next step up for Shara at this point.
Armen Petrosyan vs Brunno Ferreira – I like both guys, and they share a bizarre fact: they both beat Robocop Rodrigues in their UFC debut! I find that wild considering how good Robocop has looked in the UFC, whereas these two have struggled a little to achieve the same momentum. Petrosyan seems to have found his match against elite specialists like Shara Magomedov and Rodolfo Vieira, whereas Brunno, conversely, has struggled with better rounded opponents… who wins this fun, but low-risk banger?
Ibo Aslan vs Rodolfo Bellato – The UFC Light Heavyweight division is so thin that it’s feasible Aslan gets a ranked opponent next, but am I the only one that thinks he’s not at that level? Maybe I’ll get proven wrong, but give him Bellato first. Another Brazilian who has entered the UFC in impressive fashion, Bellato accounted for Ihor Potieria in his first outing having become the first man to stop Bahraini stand out Murtaza Talha on DWCS. This guy does look dangerous, but like Aslan, perhaps just lacks a rankings-worthy win at this early stage.
Raffael Cerqueira vs Ivan Erslan – Two puzzling pick ups for the 205 division, Cerqueira seems to have benefitted from being messed around a little too much by the DWCS scheduling and rescheduling, and in the end just got straight signed. Tonight we got more questions than answers about what he brings to the table. Give him the other odd pick up in Ivan Erslan and see who adds a UFC win to their resumé.
Geoff Neal vs Michael Morales – Geoff Neal will certainly take the ‘W’ and move on. I want to see him face someone who is actually in the welterweight rankings next, and maybe it’s a bit mean to give him this fight after both Shavkat Rakhmonov and Ian Machado Garry, two other undefeated, younger fighters surged past him, BUT! Don’t count Geoff Neal out. Michael Morales will have to be at his best to keep climbing the rankings. If Geoff wins this, though, he can start parlaying some momentum into the fact he already beat Belal Muhammad once and demand a much bigger name. But not now.
Rafael dos Anjos – RECOVER – RDA suffered a leg injury and says he heard a ‘pop’ – that’s not good news. Best wishes for a full recovery, RDA!
Mateusz Rebecki vs Nasrat Haqparast – First thing’s first, this was not a proper Split Decision fight, it was a deliciously entertaining bloodbath that Rebecki won pretty clearly despite some rough moments. The Pole doesn’t have the best cardio, but he is super aggressive and fun to watch. Nasrat Haqparast is a fighter I see as not only a very suitable opponent outside the top 15 skill-wise, but also someone who needs a banger to build on his Performance of the Night winning effort against Jamie Mullarkey. I trust Rebecki to bring a tooth-and-nail scrap out of the Afghan.
Myktybek Orolbai vs Jai Herbert – Orolbai’s toughness and grit was amazing after suffering what looked like a serious orbital injury in the first round. There’s no quit in the Kyrgyzstan native, and we’ve already seen his skillset is pretty impressive for a relative rookie. Give him the slightly more experienced Jai Herbert next. Herbert is 10 years Orolbai’s senior, but in fight years it’s a bit closer. He’s had entertaining scraps with several fighters, and I see nothing but good things here between two very athletic lightweights.
Abus Magomedov vs Michel Pereira – Abus is good enough that he’s going to be constantly in the frame for a ranked opponent even when he’s being handed defeats. Losing to guys like Caio Borralho and Sean Strickland really isn’t too much of a bad thing, they’re both now considered top 5 talent, so let’s reward Abus for his two-fight win streak over Brazilians Warlley Alves and Brunno Ferreira with a fight against the unpredictable and powerful Michel Pereira – the #14 ranked middleweight last seen being utterly drowned by Anthony Hernandez. Obviously the blueprint is there for Abus, but having a strategy is one thing; executing it is another entirely.
Brunno Ferreira vs Armen Petrosyan (See Above)
Kennedy Nzechukwu vs Austen Lane – I know this probably won’t be a popular pick, but these guys are both coming off a win that snapped a losing streak, and don’t have much momentum. They’re both big, tall heavyweights, they both sport 13-5 records, and they both generally finish fights, although we’re still waiting for Lane to show out in the UFC. Put it on at the Apex or an obscure Fight Night somewhere and try to get the ball rolling for one of these heavyweights. I’m actually very confident this fight does not go the distance, and honestly… that’s half the battle booking lower-ranked heavies IMO.
Chris Barnett – RECOVER/IMPROVE – I don’t know, at 38 and plagued by issues getting into the cage, now he’s suffered a hamstring injury mid-fight… things aren’t looking good for ‘Beast Boy’. I say give Barnett some time out, and let’s see if he can actually get into better shape for any future outing.
Farid Basharat vs Montel Jackson – Farid Basharat is obviously good, but he’s too decision-heavy at this level, and he’s not really winning hearts and minds yet. Give him Montel Jackson, the guy he was originally slated to face. The winner has a good case for a shot at a top 15 opponent, but I must caveat that with this: it’s time to start pleasing the Just Bleed God, Farid!
Victor Hugo vs Jonathan Pearce – JSP got humbled by Pat Sabitini last time out and has now lost 3 straight. It’s sink or swim time now: Pearce can’t start getting entry level talent again, his next opponent needs to be someone with experience and who might push him just enough to see if he’s still worth a roster spot. Victor Hugo looks ideal for that task, and yes, this should be 145 after the Victor Hugo weight fiasco.
Ismail Naurdiev vs Abdul Razak Alhassan – I’ll be honest, I find Ismail Naurdiev a really bizarre pick up. He had an actual record of 4-3 outside the UFC, but for whatever reason he’s back and showing that the talent in the UFC at this level is on a par or worse than in Brave CF. Yikes. Is that really the optic they want? Anyway, that’s irrelevant now, give the Moroccan-Austrian-Russian Abdul Razak Alhassan next. At 39, Alhassan remains a danger, and he was tearing Cody Brundage a new one before landing illegal elbows leading to an NC. This will give us some indication of exactly where Naurdiev fits in.
Bruno Silva – CUT! I’d have cut Silva after the Weidman fight had it not been for the multiple egregious eyepokes that weren’t punished at all. I still think he’s performing very, very poorly, though, and this outcome seemed predictable.
Rinat Fakhretdinov vs Nursulton Ruziboev – The fury at the scorecards tells its own story: Rinat Fakhretdinov in Middle Eastern arenas is not only a tough opponent, but you’ll also have a tough time getting some honest scoring. His win over Nicolas Dalby at least had some support – this one, not so much. Not a single member of the media scoring the fight on mmadecisions gave this one to Rinat, and most gave it 30-27 to Leal. On this basis, while I’m not committing to a rematch, I say move Rinat absolutely nowhere. Let him face the 6’5 Uzbek, but maybe do this one in Europe or America if possible because… well, yeah. Scoring his fights seems to be a problem.
Carlos Leal vs Chidi Njokuani – Carlos Leal probably won a few fans given the nature of the ‘defeat’, and I wonder if that could set him up for some favourable booking going forward. Without giving him anything too easy, I’d quite like to see him lined up against Chidi Njokuani. Chidi has won two straight, but his win over Jared Gooden wasn’t easy on the eye – I think he does struggle to draw entertaining fights out of boring opponents, but if his opponent is fun, there’s a real possibility of fireworks! Line it up.
---
Sorry for being late! Couldn't watch the card live, so have had to do some serious catch up!
