Media Johnny Walker decimates Ankalaev on Instagram

[WildShrimper]

You don't accidentally knee the tallest LHW in the face like that. Ankalaev is very talented but frustrating dumb sometimes.

 

[Dirty Frank]

So this is what counts for "decimation" nowadays, on Instagram

 

[Dirty Frank]

You don't accidentally knee the tallest LHW in the face like that. Ankalaev is very talented but frustrating dumb sometimes.

I concur. He brain freezes in the most inopportune moments.

 

[Dirty Frank]

Can't tell of this is genuine or wolf tickets to generate interest in a rematch. Either way, it really is peculiar how in the post-Jones LHW division, the relatively young/promising contenders (Reyes, Ankalaev) never panned out, and the belt became a game of hot potato between near-retirees (Glover and Jan) and weirdsmobiles like Jiri and Hill.

That's the Curse of Saint Jones for you

 

[El Fernas]

10-8 if i have seen one calling for the DQ.

 

[Fact Checker]

Abu Dhabi shenanigans at its finest.

I get they want the oil sheik money, but they gotta clean up the typical blatantly biased controversies.

 

[Dirty Frank]

Ank is like the LHW version of Belal

 

[Bobby Boulders]

I'm all for fighters playing within the rules of the game they're playing. You wanna fight for orgs in the West? Fight clean, don't grab the fence, don't throw illegal strikes. You wanna fight for orgs in the East? Shoot up, still don't grab the fence (or ring rope), and throw every strike the West won't allow. Just play within the parameters of what is allowed, where you're playing.

That said, that down knee rule needs to go, it's terrible.

 

[HaulParris]

I concur. He brain freezes in the most inopportune moments.

Yup. From snatching defeat from the jaws of victory in the Craig fight (props to Craig), to wasting a year of his prime rematching Cutelaba (though that one is at least partially on the matchmakers), to forgetting that wrestling is part of MMA in the Jan title fight, and now this - this dude is frustrating to watch.

And the worst part is, unlike Walker, Ankalaev is actually a well-rounded MMA athlete with a solid chin, and has the makings of a varsity athlete.

And (!!!) the LHW belt is ripe for the taking - Jones left, Glover retired, and the rest of the Top 10 is fooking Oezdemir and Smith. All Ankalaev has to do is not be a weirdsmobile for 25 minutes, but maybe that is asking a lot.

 

[Cooliox]

The UFC is pretty much as legit as the WWE when they're in Abu Dhabi.

There's no proper governing body licensing the fights or doing the drug tests... or regulating the weigh-ins.
This is why Khamzat's scale showed 166 or something after Khamzat missed weight for his first weigh-ins at 171.5

The UFC officials calibrated the scale so that Khamzat would clear it.

Same for Khabib. Cleared without the scale even being still.

The refs and judges are also paid by the UFC.


This would be equivalent to Fury and Ngannou fighting in Saudi Arabia. Boxing has so many more rules and regulations, and governance. There's no way that boxing match is going to be official. It's an exhibition bout. Boxing organizations won't recognize it.

In MMA, the UFC pretty much runs the whole sport. They can make official fights in Saudi, or Abu Dhabi... but be the ones running the whole thing themselves. Who is going to say otherwise? Bellator gonna say that don't acknowledge Khabib's win due to wieght scandal and lack of Athletic Commission?

Come on.

But yes, it's pretty much as real as WWE or an exhibition fight.

Otherwise Johnny Walker would have won by DQ. There's just no way that an illegal strike that blatant, can result in a NC. There's no way that Knee was unintentional either. Ankalaev loaded it up and landed it flush on the grounded opponent's chin. Automatic DQ if fighter can't continue.

 

[tritestill]

Knees to downed opponents should be legal, but whatever

 

[Poirierfan]

Among many, another absolute shit stain on the UFC that the fight wasn't a DQ win for Walker.

 

[Dirty Frank]

Yup. From snatching defeat from the jaws of victory in the Craig fight (props to Craig), to wasting a year of his prime rematching Cutelaba (though that one is at least partially on the matchmakers), to forgetting that wrestling is part of MMA in the Jan title fight, and now this - this dude is frustrating to watch.

And the worst part is, unlike Walker, Ankalaev is actually a well-rounded MMA athlete with a solid chin, and has the makings of a varsity athlete.

And (!!!) the LHW belt is ripe for the taking - Jones left, Glover retired, and the rest of the Top 10 is fooking Oezdemir and Smith. All Ankalaev has to do is not be a weirdsmobile for 25 minutes, but maybe that is asking a lot.

Agree on all points, but did he not wrestle against Jan? Not that he had a choice.

 

[Jesus H. Sherdog]

Knees to downed opponents should be legal, but whatever

I agree, I don’t like the rule. But there’s no way that was unintentional so it should have been a DQ.

 

[tritestill]

I agree, I don’t like the rule. But there’s no way that was unintentional so it should have been a DQ.

Yeah for sure, I get it. If they were in an org where it was legal, Johnny would have had to fight through it or accept the KO.

 

[DjolexMTL]

STFU Johnny you was putting on your best Aljo acting job until they actually stopped the fight.

You consistently have bad takes man, it's quite something haha

 

[Dana's Moonface]

Fuck Walker and his bum ass team

 

[eighterumg5]

Ank is like the LHW version of Belal

Who?

 

[jx820]

In Abu Dhabi I'm surprised they didn't DQ Walker.

 

[HaulParris]

Agree on all points, but did he not wrestle against Jan? Not that he had a choice.

IIRC he kept the fight standing until maybe the 4th round and then suddenly had an epiphany that grappling was allowed. Up until that point, he was losing a dull kickboxing fight to Jan; after, he seemed on his way to winning the fight.