Gustafsson on avoiding Rumble's punching power...

[YES Cartwheel]

People thought Davis would take down Rumble repeatedly. Rumble came into the fight with takedown defense and scored a takedown him on Davis.

People thought Lil Nog was the superior boxer. Rumble murdered him with a vicious combination.

People think Gus' movement and footwork will be enough to out score or tko Rumble. These people had better hope the pattern doesn't continue with Rumble coming into this fight with advanced lateral movement and footwork of his own.

Rumble is growing leaps and bounds in every camp now that his whole training camp isn't being wasted on making weight. I think a lot of people are gonna have their jaws on the floor in disbelief in Sweden when all is said and done...

 

[ShreddinMMA]

I think Rumble is a lot more dangerous for Gustafsson than Manuwa. Manuwa is physically gifted and not much more. Rumble, while certainly not a technical marvel, actually has some fundamentals and has shown some understanding and variation when setting his work up. Manuwa is all flash and power from the outside which is fine against strikers devoid of talent, but not against someone who actually has some defensive ability and can see the punches coming a mile away. The grappling element isn't the same as the Manuwa fight, as well. Manuwa feared the takedown whereas Gus had no fear of it. In this fight, Rumble will fear Gus' grappling a whole lot less and have some threat of his own (though, I see neither fighter having much success getting the other down).

Gus does have the talent to outbox Johnson and break him down over time (and that's the most likely outcome as far as I'm concerned), but I will say that Gustafsson isn't always completely airtight defensively or always in top form, and Johnson, as far as I'm concerned, is clearly the best boxer that Gus will have faced to date. I think Gustafsson will have to show more of the toughness that he showed in rounds 4 and 5 against Jones in order to come through. I don't think I see this as easy work for Gus, and we could see something of a war here. His toughness has been proven in the past, though, and I'd favour him in the category of stamina, as well, so I think he is certainly capable of doing well even if the fight goes to the trenches.

AJ also loves those kicks. He loves firing off the big kicks to the body and head. Gus is a guy that loves to circle, to move around. I see him circling into some big kicks at some point or another.

 

[ShreddinMMA]

People thought Lil Nog was the superior boxer. Rumble murdered him with a vicious combination.

Who the fuck said this? Everyone on Sherdog was confident Rumble was going to maul Lil Nog, just as he did.

Nog was a massive underdog in Vegas too. That fight was to make Rumble look good.

 

[Docile]

Who the fuck said this? Ever one on Sherdog was confident Rumble was going to maul Lil Nog, just as he did.

Nog was a massive underdog in Vegas too. That fight was to make Rumble look good.

1+

he's a dangerous striker without a doubt, but the lil' nog fight isn't exactly telling for the eventual gus matchup.

 

[YES Cartwheel]

Who the fuck said this? Everyone on Sherdog was confident Rumble was going to maul Lil Nog, just as he did.

Nog was a massive underdog in Vegas too. That fight was to make Rumble look good.

You are aware that there was this thing called DISCUSSION THREADS that were on the internets before this fight took place, and certain fans posted in said threads with something called OPINIONS, and a certain percentage of these people thought that Lil Nog might have a chance based on toughness and crisp boxing, and mighty have a chance at a decision?

There is honestly not a large percentage of people that thought Rumble would knock him out in the first round.

And keep the snarky posts involving Vegas odds coming. I share the same opinion as you about Rumble in the Gus fight and I would have nice words for you if you weren't being an argumentative for the sake of arguments kind of guy...

 

[Kirin]

People acting like crumble knocking out the ghost of minotouro is some kind of revelation. Do they forget about little nog getting dismantled by the african assassin about a decade ago? Where is he now?

 

[ShreddinMMA]

You are aware that there was this thing called DISCUSSION THREADS that were on the internets before this fight took place, and certain fans posted in said threads with something called OPINIONS, and a certain percentage of these people thought that Lil Nog might have a chance based on toughness and crisp boxing, and mighty have a chance at a decision?

There is honestly not a large percentage of people that thought Rumble would knock him out in the first round.

And keep the snarky posts involving Vegas odds coming.

So you picked the people who clearly had the worst opinions on the matter to use as an example? Rofl.

It's a shitty example. Everyone had Johnson winning that fight, it just came quicker than some imagined it would. It doesn't change the fact that this was a terrible example to use. Also, neither guy got a takedown in the Davis/ Johnson fight. I believe Davis fell down at one point, but stood up instantly.

So, actually, one of your examples is false and the other was a fairly small minority opinion.

 

[YES Cartwheel]

So you picked the people who clearly had the worst opinions on the matter to use as an example? Rofl.

It's a shitty example. Everyone had Johnson winning that fight, it just came quicker than some imagined it would. It doesn't change the fact that this was a terrible example to use. Also, neither guy got a takedown in the Davis/ Johnson fight. I believe Davis fell down at one point, but stood up instantly.

So, actually, one of your examples is false and the other was a fairly small minority opinion.

Well ain't you a nitpicky little cuss. I'm fittin' to make you my huckleberry.

 

[a guy]

I think Rumble is a lot more dangerous for Gustafsson than Manuwa. Manuwa is physically gifted and not much more. Rumble, while certainly not a technical marvel, actually has some fundamentals and has shown some understanding and variation when setting his work up. Manuwa is all flash and power from the outside which is fine against strikers devoid of talent, but not against someone who actually has some defensive ability and can see the punches coming a mile away. The grappling element isn't the same as the Manuwa fight, as well. Manuwa feared the takedown whereas Gus had no fear of it. In this fight, Rumble will fear Gus' grappling a whole lot less and have some threat of his own (though, I see neither fighter having much success getting the other down).

Gus does have the talent to outbox Johnson and break him down over time (and that's the most likely outcome as far as I'm concerned), but I will say that Gustafsson isn't always completely airtight defensively or always in top form, and Johnson, as far as I'm concerned, is clearly the best boxer that Gus will have faced to date. I think Gustafsson will have to show more of the toughness that he showed in rounds 4 and 5 against Jones in order to come through. I don't think I see this as easy work for Gus, and we could see something of a war here. His toughness has been proven in the past, though, and I'd favour him in the category of stamina, as well, so I think he is certainly capable of doing well even if the fight goes to the trenches.

I'm extremely skeptical of Rumble's chances in this fight. In the fight against Davis, he actually struggled a lot to find his range. He was consistently coming up short throughout the fight. He only really landed well when Davis ducked in. Gus really just needs to maintain distance to avoid Rumble's power.

It comes down to Gus' use of the jab in my opinion. If he throws multiple jabs and mixes them up to the head and body, hooks off them, etc., then I think he's got it. Rumble doesn't counter well moving forward, so as long as Gus doesn't fall into his range (which I admit is something Gus does from time to time) I don't think Rumble will be very effective. I also think there's a specific opening for Gus to hook off his jab. Rumble likes to lean back and extend his hands when he's being jabbed at. If Gus gets his jab going, then feints it and hooks around that guard I think he can catch Rumble. Another opening I see is that Rumble slips right hands over his left shoulder consistently, but when he does it he'll often square up and straighten his legs. If Gus can feint the right hand, get him to slip then throw his left hook, I think he can find Rumble's temple that way.

Lateral movement could also be a problem for Johnson. Davis was able to avoid a ton of shots just by pivoting, and Gus is able to move laterally just as well as Davis--plus he can attack while doing so. I don't think it will be an easy fight, and in fact I expect Gus to make it harder than it should be, but I think Gus outboxes him to a decision

 

[Castro Alves]

[YT]Jw3vY64dDJs?start=100&end=124[/YT]​

xplosive

good hand speed.

hands up higher with his guard

LOL.

Kid, that's not how the whole "punch landing" thing works.

This place...

 

[Outsider524]

I guess he'll just run the same way he ran in the Jones fight.

 

[flexxx145]

He's going to get touched eventually, there's only so much you can run.
If his plan is to run like Davis he'll lose in the same fashion.
I think Gus is planning to take him down and try to grind Johnson down.
It's worked at the lower weight classes before and I think that's the plan.
No way does he plan to let Rumble load up on bombs until something eventually lands.

 

[Emjay]

I'm extremely skeptical of Rumble's chances in this fight. In the fight against Davis, he actually struggled a lot to find his range. He was consistently coming up short throughout the fight. He only really landed well when Davis ducked in. Gus really just needs to maintain distance to avoid Rumble's power.

No one has really landed well on Davis if you think about it

 

[Mikeyz]

All Gus has to do is use his foot movement. He's really quick and agile on his feet and he should be fine.

 

[Mikeyz]

I guess he'll just run the same way he ran in the Jones fight.

I shudder to think what Gus would have done to him if he actually decided to fight!!!....

 

[a guy]

No one has really landed well on Davis if you think about it

Yea he's pretty tough to hit. But he was avoiding shots from Rumble doing things that Gus can absolutely do too. And can probably do better, because he has more reach and an infinitely better jab. He also reacts much better when he does get hit, whereas people remember Davis getting his ass kicked because he acted like every punch was gonna kill him even though he didn't get hit all that much.

 

[kuromusha]

While Gus is pretty light on his feet, he tends to get hit a lot. I wouldn't be surprised if Rumble can land something big.

 

[Emjay]

Yea he's pretty tough to hit. But he was avoiding shots from Rumble doing things that Gus can absolutely do too. And can probably do better, because he has more reach and an infinitely better jab. He also reacts much better when he does get hit, whereas people remember Davis getting his ass kicked because he acted like every punch was gonna kill him even though he didn't get hit all that much.

I think people assume Gus is going to try to do a Machida against Rumble and it's a wack assumption. IF we take Gus' style into account by looking at his previous fights, he's actually pretty aggressive and leaves openings because of that aggression.

Shogun tagged him a few times and Thiago Silva had him rocked in the 3rd round of their fight. So it's not like he can't be hit just because Phil Davis doesn't get hit that much.

 

[a guy]

I think people assume Gus is going to try to do a Machida against Rumble and it's a wack assumption. IF we take Gus' style into account by looking at his previous fights, he's actually pretty aggressive and leaves openings because of that aggression.

Shogun tagged him a few times and Thiago Silva had him rocked in the 3rd round of their fight. So it's not like he can't be hit just because Phil Davis doesn't get hit that much.

And that's why in my first post I said I'm expecting Gus to make it a harder fight than it needs to be. If you read my post, what I'm saying is that based on the Davis fight, Rumble is very unlikely to hit Gus unless Gus is coming into his range--which I specifically stated is something that Gus does and that I expect him to do. But I don't think he'll do that often enough for Rumble to win, because Gus' jab on the outside and his ability to set up his punches off it should allow him to work his hands effectively.

 

[SuperNerd]

All Gus has to do is use his foot movement. He's really quick and agile on his feet and he should be fine.

I think so too, but his confidence is strangely high. I'm afraid he will underestimate Rumble. Rumble is extremely well trained and I'm sure has a couple techniques or feigns to trap a quicker fighter.

I think Gus has the tools to win, and should.. But Rumble is a smart powerful striker. I'm afraid Gus will underestimating him because of the massive foot speed difference.