if u watched the amirkhani fight
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Mr. Finland showed an excellent top game (bjj-wise, not so much with the gnp). I was very impressed by his scrambling, too. Wilkinson put him in serious trouble with subs a few times, and he seemed really calm when facing danger, free to focus on advancing his position because he's confident in his eventual escape. Both guys really impressed me.
Also, Amirkhani's takedowns are very strong, but I thought he was getting away with some telegraphed shots from way outside. It's not really a fair criticism because he was really successful with them, but I remember thinking that they could cost him.
Also, Amirkhani's takedowns are very strong, but I thought he was getting away with some telegraphed shots from way outside. It's not really a fair criticism because he was really successful with them, but I remember thinking that they could cost him.
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Everyone one with a brain knows that doo ho choi is the next big thing at FW. Amir has potential, though.
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Amir looked good until the second half of the third. Not sure if he was rocked, if he hit a wall, or what. But his wrestling looked awesome. Some sneak sub attempts by his opponent and he stayed perfectly calm. Now he just as to work on not getting caught in stuff.
I don't know if anyone else caught it, but he seemed to be trying to set up something VERY specific from side control. I'm not sure what it was, but halfway through the second round he bailed on it and started going for the crucifix instead. I wonder what it was he was looking for... because he gave up some obvious sub possibilities.
I don't know if anyone else caught it, but he seemed to be trying to set up something VERY specific from side control. I'm not sure what it was, but halfway through the second round he bailed on it and started going for the crucifix instead. I wonder what it was he was looking for... because he gave up some obvious sub possibilities.
Dude's ground game is impressive. I like that he takes risks by letting his opponents have space to bait them into making mistakes in the scramble. It's risky but it's surely much more entertaining than the "lay on top of them and hold them down" strategy we've been getting.
Haven't seen many prospects with a shot like his lately either.
Haven't seen many prospects with a shot like his lately either.
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I was surprised by his greco background, leave him alone. Don't turn him into the next Myles Jury.
Not impressed to be honest. He was facing the first semi decent guy who had fought like once in the last two years and Amirkhani had problems. If Wilkinson would have any td defence it would have been a bad night for Amirkhani.
On top of this the fight was pretty boring and both guys ran out of gas in the third.
On top of this the fight was pretty boring and both guys ran out of gas in the third.
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I made a thread with my opinion and it disappeared without a single reply. I think that says something about his hype train.
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Makwan's shot is indeed impressive, but his setup for those shots leaves a lot to be desired imo. If there's a single technical area I would have to emphasise to improve his game the most, it would be the transition portion from striking to grappling and vice versa.
Even at this point of his MMA career, his wrestling instincts still seem to kick in and he attempts to turn the MMA match into a grappling match. Now, that's not as much of a problem when he's able to turn into a Ben Askren lite and handle his opponents comfortably in every position like he did to Wilkinson, but when he's going to start facing guys that he can't just simply take down at will, he can't afford to miss out on so many opportunities for causing actual damage on the ground simply because he's instinctually conditioned to prefer a grappling oriented offense.
To put it short, he's not using a majority of the weapons that he could be using in MMA.
You're selling Wilkinson a bit short here if you're saying that he has no TDD. From my POV, it was more the fact that Mike wasn't prepared to deal with the unorthodox style of Makwan's takedown offense. Amirkhani has an absolutely beautiful shot and he covers a very surprising amount of distance with it, and also utilizes his long arms to generate a lot of torque without having to be super-deep on the hips of his opponent.
Granted, there are more than a few fighters in the division who certainly are equipped with a good enough wrestling base to shut down atleast the most obvious one's of Makwan's shots. Getting your face sprawled to the mat by someone like Chad Mendes is not something Amirkhani will want to happen to him.
Or maybe that says something more about your opinion.
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Mach1 beats Choi imo. They're going to have to match make wisely for the young Korean for your prediction to become reality.
Well, he's committed to training full time with SBG full time after this fight. If anything, McGregor can help improve his striking while he helps McGregor with the wrestling.
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They should let him fight Siver and then give him a title shot, right?
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Who the fuck ever thought he was the next Conor.. lol. I could never take the guy seriously. He is corny on purpose to gain attention. I don't see any skills of his that shine.
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Amir didn't engage much on the feet, and just went for shots instead after Wilkinson caught his kicks. He was pretty gassed at the end of the second round considering he was on top most of the time. In the third, Wilkinson managed to out-position him on the ground sometimes, and also got a couple tight submissions.
Not too impressed with Amir overall. But that didn't stop him from being extremely pleased with himself.
Not too impressed with Amir overall. But that didn't stop him from being extremely pleased with himself.
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That'd be one way to do it. How about Dias, then Stephens, then Cub, then Holloway for the title shot?
Just keep him away from Guida, Mendes, Frankie and Lentz.
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Great ground game and awesome transitions. I was impressed.
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I wish it was that simple. While you certainly have a point in that Makwan appears to be willing to move out of his comfort zone and go where he needs to be to improve, I don't think he can condition himself to be a proficient striker any faster even if he's training with McGregor in comparison to some other training partners. He still needs to go through the same things that every striker out there did, building up his striking base all the way from a basic level. Will McGregor really have that much to offer him at this point in that regard?
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Very well said. Mike was a tough opponent. It was touted prospect vs touted prospect. I feel that Mach1 needs to find a home and find one fast. He needs a group of guys around him that he trusts to get to the top of his game. The idea that you're fine by yourself just doesn't work.
I still haven't seen much of his striking, but his fundamentals are solid and his timing and accuracy are there. His grappling is slick and TD's solid. A true future champ if he slots everything into place.
