GrAPpLiNG iS fiGThINg bRO Ur a caSUAL

[Hog-train]

If no one lands a punch in 60 seconds they should force the fighters to the ground so they can grapple

Good idea. And they should do it in 69 North South position as well.

 

[sdpdude9]

No, you took the completely wrong conclusion. I'm saying MMA cannot be a real fight, so we shouldn't even bother trying to make it a real fight.

MMA is sports entertainment. The rules should be changed to punish boring control wrestling.

Ahh, that makes more sense. My bad on the misinterpretation, it’s a very common sentiment I see around here.

 

[JKS]

This is 100% right and a lot of people don't understand this and just resort to the usual "go watch kickboxing" or "this is mma" comments.

Fighters like Merab and Belal are beyond boring with their style and on top of that, they actually lack the skill to do damage/advance and finish on the ground. A lot of it is just capability, they can't do more. They are essentially good at getting a hold of their opponent and holding/controlling. It is the worse most awful style of fighting to watch and fight against.

There are grapplers that are very exciting and great to watch. Guys like Olivera, Islam, Jones, Khabib, are the complete opposite. They are highly skilled with their grappling and are always advancing and working towards a finish and looking to do damage. The thing about these fighters is the moment the fight hits the ground, as a fan you get the feeling that the fight could end at any moment, it's very exciting. The same way when you got a KO artist and their in a position to finish.

The same way you get these guys like Merab and Belal in grappling, you also have boring strikers that will stink up a fight. These are just as awful to watch.

It just comes down there are exciting fighters and there are boring ones and it's not dependent on style of fighting. And again, lot of just comes down to skill and ability.

 

[roman510]

MMA is a clash of fighting styles, that's what makes it so exciting, to see the grappler vs striker matchups and keep guessing whose will prevail.

If you wanna see two dudes standing against each other throwing highkicks until one of them goes down, why the hell do you watch MMA?

 

[JKS]

Based take, fucking boring grapplers and fuck the gay retards on here who defend boring shit.

I love high level grappling, but we should be allowed to criticise when it’s fucking boring.

100%, it's awful to watch and we as fans can criticize as much as we want. And there are stand up fighters who get the same s##t

 

[GordoBarraBJJ]

Grappling is part of MMA, what part of MMA do you not understand? Is it Mixed?

Also, "fans" who use the term "casual" are almost always cluelessly referring to themselves.

 

[Only Here for Attachments]

fuck the gay retards on here who defend boring shit.

They're just contrarian hipsters feeding off of internet arguing. Most of them probably didn't even watch, just read the results and then clicked on Sherdog as fast as they could.

 

[Armyhawk]

I'm glad o malley lost.

I also turned it off after round 2

 

[JKS]

MMA is a clash of fighting styles, that's what makes it so exciting, to see the grappler vs striker matchups and keep guessing whose will prevail.

If you wanna see two dudes standing against each other throwing highkicks until one of them goes down, why the hell do you watch MMA?

I think you're missing the point. There are exciting grapplers and there are boring ones. You can have grappler vs striker match ups that are very exciting like Khabib vs Conor because Khabib went in there and did his business right. Took Conor down, busted him up with GNP and then choked him out. As a fan, when Khabib was on top, you knew that finish can come at any moment. Then you get the BS we got last night. I knew that it was gonna be 25 mins of the same thing and there was no chance Merab is finishing the fight. It's just to predictable.

You got grapplers like Islam who are very exciting to watch. His fights end in so many different ways with grappling, from GNP or submission inside 2 minsor round 1, not a sunmisson after a KD or a later finish after breaking his opponent down. With Merab you know how the fight will go, 15 or 25 mins or jumping around, TD attemtps, clinch, control, etc and no damage or finish.

 

[mister piscadinha]

ur stupid if u think merab is pure strength in his grappling

 

[JKS]

Grappling is part of MMA, what part of MMA do you not understand? Is it Mixed?

Also, "fans" who use the term "casual" are almost always cluelessly referring to themselves.

You missed the point as well. There are exciting grapplers that have the evolved game to do damage and finish their opponents and then there are boring ones like Merab. It's not about grappling is a part of mma. It's that certain fighters just have a boring style and lack the skill to do more. Fighters like Merab are extremely boring, fighters like Olivera and Islam are very excting with their grappling.

 

[roman510]

I think you're missing the point. There are exciting grapplers and there are boring ones. You can have grappler vs striker match ups that are very exciting like Khabib vs Conor because Khabib went in there and did his business right. Took Conor down, busted him up with GNP and then choked him out. As a fan, when Khabib was on top, you knew that finish can come at any moment. Then you get the BS we got last night. I knew that it was gonna be 25 mins of the same thing and there was no chance Merab is finishing the fight. It's just to predictable.

You got grapplers like Islam who are very exciting to watch. His fights end in so many different ways with grappling, from GNP or submission inside 2 minsor round 1, not a sunmisson after a KD or a later finish after breaking his opponent down. With Merab you know how the fight will go, 15 or 25 mins or jumping around, TD attemtps, clinch, control, etc and no damage or finish.

But that's not exactly what I saw.

What I've seen was Merab constantly pressuring when not straight up ragdolling Sean all over the cage and then Sean doing absolutely what he could position-wise not to get submitted or pounded (he did really well, yet nobody gives him credit for that).

And that's what's exciting, same as it would be exciting to see Sean stuffing the takedown and then landing a fight ending liver shot, but that didn't happen.

 

[PeterGriffin]

How fucking drunk was I and what fight did I watch? I really don't get why anyone should be surprised at the main event or how it played out, or complain about it either. Merab was a dwarf trying to fuck up an elf and he pushed Sean's shit in.

Watching Merab fight is like watching Clay Guida fight. He is a grinder and he is simply just going to outwork you. It won't be pretty and likely won't make highlight reels, but it works when you have the cardio and chin like they do. If that fight proved anything (at least for me) it's that O'Malley can take his lumps and won't quit.

Merab didn't just lay and pray either, or at least not what I can remember. Seemed to me like he was just constantly bulling his way forward, he timed his takedowns well, and he just imposed his will on Sean. I am sure Merab wanted the finish as much as everyone else did, but Sean gritted it out. Both fighters did well in my opinion, and that fight played out pretty much as expected.

Either Sean was going to catch Merab quick and early, or he was getting grapplefucked. If Merab learns to pass guard like GSP did and work on his striking, he could end up ruling 135 for a while. Honestly, if Sean ever thought about going to 145, it might be a good time to consider it.

The co-main was awful.

Lopes hits hard, and can take a punch. Again, might have been too drunk, but watching Lopes he seems to fight very tight and compact. Obviously, whatever he is doing is working for him and with the full understanding I am just some random armchair Sherbro, but I'd like to see him relax and little become a little more fluid. I wonder if keeping his hands tight and close to defend and block as he does, is impacting his striking power. Weird leg kicks. They don't look technical or heavy, but they obviously hurt. Both Ortega and Lopes can take a punch. Good fight.

Pretty much my takeaways.

Screen/sound was cool, but awful use of it though. The whole "Mexican" angle just seemed super-gimmicky and unnecessary to me. Felt more Pride-ish/early-UFC than current-UFC though (a good thing), and it's a shame it's a one-and-done, because the venue has potential for sure. Should have just focused on UFC combat history, would have cut down production costs a lot by using stock footage and it would been epic to watch a 50ft tall Anderson Silva matrix the fuck out of Forrest Griffin or Gonzage head kick CroCop to Bolivia in highlight reel flashbacks all night long.

 

[Lee Danger]

They're just contrarian hipsters feeding off of internet arguing. Most of them probably didn't even watch, just read the results and then clicked on Sherdog as fast as they could.

everyone that find the co main and main event the same for sure didn't watch them.
If the main event wasn't dinamic enough the Val's performance made it shine in comparison.

and i read a lot of comments praising Val for putting the fight to sleep.

 

[HHJ]

The rules should be changed to punish boring control wrestling.

No Never

 

[Alpha_T83]

You missed the point as well. There are exciting grapplers that have the evolved game to do damage and finish their opponents and then there are boring ones like Merab. It's not about grappling is a part of mma. It's that certain fighters just have a boring style and lack the skill to do more. Fighters like Merab are extremely boring, fighters like Olivera and Islam are very excting with their grappling.

Exactly.

The difference between exciting grappling and boring grappling is taking risks. Trying to finish your opponent reduces control and gives them openings to escape or reverse the position. Merab isn't interested in taking risks to finish the fight. He just wants to hold you down for the whole round.

 

[ClosetVitorFan]

It's obvious the rules need to change. This is sports entertainment, not a real fight. MMA is already nowhere close to representing a real street fight with all its rules (no knives or nearby weapons can be grabbed, no eye gouges, no headbutts, no knees/stomps on the ground).

I think after 60 seconds of takedown without passing guard and without serious damage, there should be automatic standups. After 60 seconds of holding against the cage without a takedown, there should be an automatic reset to the center of the octagon, with a warning to the wall'n'stall fighter and repeated stalls resulting in points taken away.

I like good grappling exchanges. But good grappling exchanges involve risks with fighters passing guard, opening up for big strikes, and going for submissions. But these risks of course can lead to position reversals, and therefore control wrestlers don't take risks. They just hold. Unless the rules change, we will only end up getting more of this.

That's why ppl want 4 point attacks back. Stomps soccer kicks and knees to the head on the ground. I would even be ok with knees to the head on the ground and upkicks. Soccer kicks and stomps can come later.

 

[JKS]

But that's not exactly what I saw.

What I've seen was Merab constantly pressuring when not straight up ragdolling Sean all over the cage and then Sean doing absolutely what he could position-wise not to get submitted or pounded (he did really well, yet nobody gives him credit for that).

And that's what's exciting, same as it would be exciting to see Sean stuffing the takedown and then landing a fight ending liver shot, but that didn't happen.

It wasn't a complete snooze fest and part of the fight I did fight exciting. It was just when Merab got positions in grappling not much happened. Sean was very good defensively and evaded a lot. But if I am seeing a grappling heavy game plan from Merab, I wanna see more in the grappling from him. But like I said, a lot of it is just capability. I don't think he's good enough to do those things.

 

[Alpha_T83]

That's why ppl want 4 point attacks back. Stomps soccer kicks and knees to the head on the ground. I would even be ok with knees to the head on the ground and upkicks. Soccer kicks and stomps can come later.

I think you should be allowed to eye gouge wrestlers if your back is against the ground.

 

[FilipEmoFights]

Chev vs Grasso was way better then the last fight


But if UFC were held in a field instead of a cage this would be a different sport. I’m sorry but the walls effect the fights way too much this is Ultimate Fighting not Ultimate Push you up against the Wall championship…and other than literally pitted patter shots Merab basically only held him against the cage.

So there’s two problems here and it’s the fact that they were both specialists, and they suck at their opponents specialty…it’s almost as if these fighters have completely ignored one whole side of the game. This should not be how MMA fights look in 2024. O’Malley can’t grapple well enough to keep Merab off of him and Merab doesn’t hit hard enough to even hurt a guy he’s hit over 200 times. It’s a bad look.