LW division, wtf?

[Kono dio da!]

The four guys, apart from Tony and Justin, whom I can see beating or challenging khabib legitimately (arman with experience, Gillespie, oliveira and hernandez) are being buried with no named opponents and cans. Why can't dana make some of these top tens fight these guys? They're just getting buried and we're stuck with predictable ass matchup. Like, in what world would Felder, or pettis, or hooker or lee beat khabib? Like I'm not saying Gillespie beats khabib 100 percent but I can't seem him getting smashed like conor or poirier were. He's been in the ufc still undefeated but they offered him Yancy for his last opponent. Wtf!? Oliveira lentz? Why? Makhachev Ramos? He gained nothing from that. Ufc needs to stop with trash matchmaking.

 

[VVarhead]

I can't believe there are people that think Gaethje beats Khabib.

But yeah, matchmaking is trash. Ranked guys only fight other ranked guys close to them. No more #5 vs #15 or ranked guys defending their spot against an unranked guy on a winstreak. Rarely happens.

 

[Threetrees]

I can't believe there are people that think Gaethje beats Khabib.

Why not?

 

[Jojomojo]

You say Felder cant beat Khabib? I agree, but wtf at naming Hernandez as a possible guy to beat him.
After he talked big and got starched by Cowboy he should be happy with build up fights

 

[VVarhead]

Why not?

Gaethje's best weapon are his leg kicks and his pressure. Leg kicks are useless because they get him taken down in that fight and his pressure then is neutralized aswell.
He would have to rely on his TDD and power punching, just like Dustin Poirier.

I just see it playing out very similiar to Khabib vs Dustin, Gaethje might have better wrestling but worse BJJ than Dustin.

 

[BooBoyMan]

oliveira and hernandez

Maybe Oliveira stands an okay chance (relatively), but Hernandez? The guy who just lost to Trinaldo?

 

[Hellowhosthat]

Hernandez?

 

[Kono dio da!]

I can't believe there are people that think Gaethje beats Khabib.

But yeah, matchmaking is trash. Ranked guys only fight other ranked guys close to them. No more #5 vs #15 or ranked guys defending their spot against an unranked guy on a winstreak. Rarely happens.

I can't believe there are people that think Gaethje beats Khabib.

But yeah, matchmaking is trash. Ranked guys only fight other ranked guys close to them. No more #5 vs #15 or ranked guys defending their spot against an unranked guy on a winstreak. Rarely happens.

I put a caveat in there, "or challenging him legitimately", not saying he wins for sure. But what we do know is he has the division 1 pedigree and he's tough to take down and hold down. Even if khabib takes him out early, you know you're guaranteed your money's worth. He won't shy away from khabib, probably won't get backed up, will throw fire leg kicks and will be in khabib's face. I still think he loses though. But it's a better matchup than say... Hooker for instance.

 

[Threetrees]

Gaethje's best weapon are his leg kicks and his pressure. Leg kicks are useless because they get him taken down in that fight and his pressure then is neutralized aswell.
He would have to rely on his TDD and power punching, just like Dustin Poirier.

I just see it playing out very similiar to Khabib vs Dustin, Gaethje might have better wrestling but worse BJJ than Dustin.

I mean theres a world of difference between not having any wrestling experience at all (Dustin Poirier) and being an all American who used to train with GSP before even starting MMA (Gaethje).

 

[Kono dio da!]

I can't believe there are people that think Gaethje beats Khabib.

But yeah, matchmaking is trash. Ranked guys only fight other ranked guys close to them. No more #5 vs #15 or ranked guys defending their spot against an unranked guy on a winstreak. Rarely happens.

And it's especially egregious in LW. It got worse when the belt was being held up. I'd suggest punishing spot hoggers by lowering their ranks and making these dangerous grapplers fight each other bumping up their ranking significantly. For example pettis would never fight hernandez or Gillespie, so make those two guys fight and after Gillespie smashes hernandez you bump Gillespie to number 7 and push pettis to 11-13 for inactivity and ducking (of course you don't expose his ducking though), that way you get things moving. And shout out to Kevin lee for actually welcoming the challenge to fight Islam.

 

[Kono dio da!]

I mean theres a world of difference between not having any wrestling experience at all (Dustin Poirier) and being an all American who used to train with GSP before even starting MMA (Gaethje).

Amen man that's what I'm saying tho! Agreed. Like it's such a good matchup. Even if khabib wins it'll be a brutal fight whilst it lasts. It'll be just bleed shit.

 

[Kono dio da!]

Hernandez?

Decent striking ☒
Great wrestling ☒
Cardio ☒ ☒ ☒
Explosiveness ☒ ☒ ☒ ☒ not saying he wins. But he does muuuuuuuch better than conor in my opinion.

 

[fortheo]

I mean theres a world of difference between not having any wrestling experience at all (Dustin Poirier) and being an all American who used to train with GSP before even starting MMA (Gaethje).

He also times those leg kicks really well, usually off of his opponents jabs.

 

[Hellowhosthat]

Decent striking ☒
Great wrestling ☒
Cardio ☒ ☒ ☒
Explosiveness ☒ ☒ ☒ ☒ not saying he wins. But he does muuuuuuuch better than conor in my opinion.

He's just not good enough at any of it to compete with Khabib, he's a poor man's Kevin Lee.

 

[Kono dio da!]

You say Felder cant beat Khabib? I agree, but wtf at naming Hernandez as a possible guy to beat him.
After he talked big and got starched by Cowboy he should be happy with build up fights

Could not "would". Don't like him either. He's a twat. But the way he smeshed his previous opponents leads me to think he's no slouch on the ground. He can strike too. But yes cerrone took his soul. He should build. I agree. But I'm just saying give him a chance. I think he has potential. Not Erick silva potential but you can't ignore it.

 

[Kono dio da!]

He's just not good enough at any of it to compete with Khabib, he's a poor man's Kevin Lee.

Fine I concede the point he's nowhere near where he needs to beat khabib. But unlike fighter kevin lee, he doesn't gas, we've seen him ko opponents. He's no scrub. Poor man's kevin lee? That's a stretch wouldn't you say?

 

[Kono dio da!]

Maybe Oliveira stands an okay chance (relatively), but Hernandez? The guy who just lost to Trinaldo?

Does his wrestling suck? Does his striking suck? Does he have bad cardio? Is he physically weak? He's not excellent or even great. . Yet. But he's a motherfucker of a prospect.

 

[Jojomojo]

Could not "would". Don't like him either. He's a twat. But the way he smeshed his previous opponents leads me to think he's no slouch on the ground. He can strike too. But yes cerrone took his soul. He should build. I agree. But I'm just saying give him a chance. I think he has potential. Not Erick silva potential but you can't ignore it.

Yeah he should be build and win some fights, like guys like Felder who have earned their Spot. Hernandez rn is even close to title contention and is by no means more legit than the guys you named.
The UFC cant make rankings based on people who potentially have the skillset to beat the recent champ.

 

[Me&MrJones]

By the time Hernandez, Oliveira, Gaethje reach title contention Khabib will be 45.

 

[Hellowhosthat]

Fine I concede the point he's nowhere near where he needs to beat khabib. But unlike fighter kevin lee, he doesn't gas, we've seen him ko opponents. He's no scrub. Poor man's kevin lee? That's a stretch wouldn't you say?

Not if you watch Lee run through Massaranduba then watch Hernandez lose to him (imo). Other than the flash KO of Dariush I don't think Hernandez has done anything that would otherwise justify being a ranked fighter.