If Masvidal wins, UFC might be reborn and restarted again

[IsNormal]

Would you not say that in a sport where individuals are constantly trying to grow and evolve a fighters most recent run of fights are more relevant?

Isn't every sport is filled with athletes trying to grow and evolve?

If we're defining a fighter, we should probably try to find patterns, what are the odds that the last 3 fights will give us more info than the other 45?
Maybe they will. It does happen.
But the more I read about MMA the more I see people seem after every other fight want to create the narrative that this is a reborn fighter and the last fights are a trend showing how they'll fight from now on, but more often then not it turns out those were just a few unusual performances in a back-and-forth career.

One recent example is Cody Garbrandt. After Cruz people said "Hail Cody 2.0 - the Cerebral version" then he gets KO'd 3 times in a row for being a bit too much of a brawler.

 

[SG123]

Isn't every sport is filled with athletes trying to grow and evolve?

If we're trying to determine the essence of a fighter, we should probably try to find patterns, and with such a long career as Jorge's - what are the odds that the last 3 fights will give us more info than the other 45?

Not saying it's always like that, just saying it's probably more likely.

Sure there are plenty of cases where fighter's changed their style up at a turning point.
But plenty of sherdoggers are so eager to analyze and create narratives that they call every other fight a new turning point. And quite often it turns out later that nope, it was just that fighter who has a back-and-forth career.

Yeah, typically a team’s/individual’s most recent season is taken as more representative of their current level in any sport.

Agree, people are often quick to create a narrative. But Masvidal’s 2019 did also happen and it looks to be a pretty significant departure from his prior approach.

 

[Juicy Jon]

 

[IsNormal]

Agree, people are often quick to create a narrative. But Masvidal’s 2019 did also happen and it looks to be a pretty significant departure from his prior approach.

True.
It is significant. And could be indicative of a big change. After all he has talked about how his mindset has changed to become more agressive.

But if you're a good fighter with as many as +45 fights it's not unlikely that you'd sooner or later just randomly fall into having 3 highlight performances in a row.

 

[randomg1t]

Yeah, typically a team’s/individual’s most recent season is taken as more representative of their current level in any sport.

Agree, people are often quick to create a narrative. But Masvidal’s 2019 did also happen and it looks to be a pretty significant departure from his prior approach.

but what did he change in 2019, really?

he KO'd till - which was awesome - but we can't really claim he changed his approach much. it was a striking match and he came out on top. he was always a sharp striker. nobody thought he packed enough power to put till to sleep, but other than that nothing shocking about his approach.

he KO'd askren in devastating fashion, do people now assume he'll do the same to anyone who could outwrestle him? i mean come on, he timed a flying knee perfectly on an opponent who was shooting in on him. had he done to askren what luis santos did before the eyepoke, we'd have some substance to work with. but a 4 second KO? definitely an amazing performance, but nothing to really indicate he's a different fighter.

he went toe to toe with nate diaz and whooped his ass. again, a striking match, this time against a fairly sloppy striker. an effective one, no doubt, but not exactly the floyd mayweather of MMA.

before this run, he got outpointed by wonderboy who made it look easy, and thoroughly outgrappled by maia. now, there's no shame in losing to either of those two, because they're both spectacular fighters... but he's shown nothing in his recent run to suggest that a strong grappler is not problematic for him, or that a slick rangy striker can't outpoint him.

i expected masvidal to be the next big thing when he whooped KJ noons in 2011. then he fought gilbert melendez for the title and just stood there, and that's pretty much how his entire career has gone. he looks like a world beater for 3 fights straight, and then shits the bed in a big one. he hasn't won more than 3 straight in 12 years. i'm not holding my breath over this one.

 

[Paynebringer]

Anderson ruled with iron fist till 38. DC was champ till 39. Its still old lion's nest. There is no new breed, never was.

Both those men were World Champs and defended their belt multiple times, Jorge owns a gift shop promotional belt that will never be defended or seen again. Both those men have that proven tiger blood and sadly both those men have slowed or slowing. A better example would've been Yoel Romero who got that tiger & lion blood mix and Jorge still don't have his level of fitness, Yoel is a rare breed of genetics.

I don't know if it's the hair or the beard or the hair & beard but Jorge looks like he's aging rapidly, must be why he's looking to get paid heavily and move on?

 

[SG123]

True.
It is significant. And could be indicative of a big change. After all he has talked about how his mindset has changed to become more agressive.

But if you're a good fighter with as many as +45 fights it's not unlikely that you'd sooner or later just randomly fall into having 3 highlight performances in a row.

Let’s see if he makes it 4

 

[SG123]

but what did he change in 2019, really?

he KO'd till - which was awesome - but we can't really claim he changed his approach much. it was a striking match and he came out on top. he was always a sharp striker. nobody thought he packed enough power to put till to sleep, but other than that nothing shocking about his approach.

he KO'd askren in devastating fashion, do people now assume he'll do the same to anyone who could outwrestle him? i mean come on, he timed a flying knee perfectly on an opponent who was shooting in on him. had he done to askren what luis santos did before the eyepoke, we'd have some substance to work with. but a 4 second KO? definitely an amazing performance, but nothing to really indicate he's a different fighter.

he went toe to toe with nate diaz and whooped his ass. again, a striking match, this time against a fairly sloppy striker. an effective one, no doubt, but not exactly the floyd mayweather of MMA.

before this run, he got outpointed by wonderboy who made it look easy, and thoroughly outgrappled by maia. now, there's no shame in losing to either of those two, because they're both spectacular fighters... but he's shown nothing in his recent run to suggest that a strong grappler is not problematic for him, or that a slick rangy striker can't outpoint him.

i expected masvidal to be the next big thing when he whooped KJ noons in 2011. then he fought gilbert melendez for the title and just stood there, and that's pretty much how his entire career has gone. he looks like a world beater for 3 fights straight, and then shits the bed in a big one. he hasn't won more than 3 straight in 12 years. i'm not holding my breath over this one.

Isn’t the comparison to the Melendez fight in your last paragraph the key point? He doesn’t just stand there any more. He doesn’t let fights get away from him. I lean towards a change of mental approach towards fighting, but I’m no mind reader, there’s a chance it’s just coincidence.

 

[randomg1t]

Isn’t the comparison to the Melendez fight in your last paragraph the key point? He doesn’t just stand there any more. He doesn’t let fights get away from him. I lean towards a change of mental approach towards fighting, but I’m no mind reader, there’s a chance it’s just coincidence.

i didn't mean to say that his issue was still his hesitance on the trigger. it's that he tends to lose when it looks like he's finally got it figured out. he's been on hot 3 fight streaks before, this isn't something unprecedented for him.

not to mention he's facing the champ, who's a physical specimen, and on paper a bad stylistic matchup.

 

[Do better]

that little quitter should not be mentioned in the same sentence with the street fighter.
dana protected the little irish cash cow from the cuban, cause masvidal would break mcnuggets in half.

Masvidal has been fighting way longer and has yet to accomplish half of what Conor has! I am not a fan, I'm just not an idiot

 

[RandyCouture>U]

If he wins, him vs McGregor would probably set the all time ppv record.

 

[Hirashin]

Isn’t the comparison to the Melendez fight in your last paragraph the key point? He doesn’t just stand there any more. He doesn’t let fights get away from him. I lean towards a change of mental approach towards fighting, but I’m no mind reader, there’s a chance it’s just coincidence.

exactly, few tiny little adjustments can make the whole difference

 

[Hirashin]

If he wins, him vs McGregor would probably set the all time ppv record.

mctapper has to beg. i don't like talk about that retirerd quitter anymore.

 

[realdmone1]

Guys Gys Guys chillout stop and think for a second. yall acting like a little gf to masvidal. You know him, remember you ended up not liking him when his true colors showed. Now you seem to have forgot just bc he stepped in for a fight he was already suppose to be fighting. And the ufc and media is still for some reason using the step in as a headline. Its fucking dumb. bc clearly there is shit going on that we dont know about and strings are being pulled out of nowhere it seems and I for one dont like the smell of it. All these guys making their lottery money and acting new to it all and nearly tweaking out some days lol and the funny behavior with the attention letting things get in their head(which shows how tough some of these fools actually are) is laughable and gross in some ways. I hope usman breaks this dudes back....pack