Robert Whittaker reminded me of Cody no Brain.

[7.62x39]

Instead of blocking Israel's left hook during the exchange, he got greedy and threw a right and got dropped by Israel's left.

Similar thing happen with TJ vs Cody 1

 

[Axis]

No, Whittaker's gameplan was actually the right one to use. He was never going to have any success being "patient" on the outside and trading jabs with a far more skilled kickboxer who has a reach advantage of 6.5 inches.

Blitzing and throwing looping shots that come from weird angles, followed by a disguised head kick was appropriate, but Israel's defense for it was textbook.

 

[linvillegorge]

Cody is a totally different situation. That dude showed me in that Cruz fight he has ELITE skills. Iffy chin, but elite skills. Dude is just hot headed and gets baited into slugfests that he's not equipped to win. In any slugfest, the safest bet is on the better chin.

Whittaker is a good fighter but he's never stuck me as a guy with elite skill. He's a combo of good skill, good power, good chin, and elite recovery and heart. He's elite for sure, but Neck Tats honestly could've been an all-timer.

 

[magicmarker]

Spamming lunging overhand rights against a counter puncher is strategically very questionable at best.

Regardless of Izzy’s length he was the challenger, and Robert should have made him come to him. Reach be damned, most counterpunchers don’t enjoy initiating all the action. That (and body punches) are what he should have done more of. jmo

 

[magicmarker]

Cody is a totally different situation. That dude showed me in that Cruz fight he has ELITE skills. Iffy chin, but elite skills. Dude is just hot headed and gets baited into slugfests that he's not equipped to win. In any slugfest, the safest bet is on the better chin.

Whittaker is a good fighter but he's never stuck me as a guy with elite skill. He's a combo of good skill, good power, good chin, and elite recovery and heart. He's elite for sure, but Neck Tats honestly could've been an all-timer.

Agree, especially about Cody.

 

[Filter909]

He reminded me of Brunson vs Whittaker. Gotta feel him out, feint, threaten the takedown, save enough juice for the championship rounds if they come. But what do I know?

 

[7.62x39]

i rewatched it again and again. i wondered why Whittaker never threw a hook to Israel's ribs. That right hook whittaker threw before he got dropped would have easily dropped israel if he hit his ribs..

 

[bubbleboyjones]

but Israel's defense for it was textbook.

God bless Israel

 

[Franklin U.]

Agsin - validation of this being thee most unforgiving game. Before last week , Whitaker was on the receiving end of these lofty labels . Now ( as I'm not surprised), fans taking turns taking a dump on the aussie.

 

[Lando]

Whittaker fought how he always fought.

 

[Erratic]

Spamming lunging overhand rights against a counter puncher is strategically very questionable at best.

Regardless of Izzy’s length he was the challenger, and Robert should have made him come to him. Reach be damned, most counterpunchers don’t enjoy initiating all the action. That (and body punches) are what he should have done more of. jmo

Plus in round 1 , izzy didn't do much at all with his range, no leg kicks, Rob was leg kicking him and had the round won, then got dropped with good shot and his eyes rolled back and then obviously Izzy took the round back.. but I think he got so rocked from that shot that he just fought a bit more stupid than usual. Rob was the champ, he cant lose the fight by decision unless someone takes it from him semi convincingly, but yet he fought like the challenger and his chin couldn't handle it this time.

 

[UraharaTaicho]

No, Whittaker's gameplan was actually the right one to use. He was never going to have any success being "patient" on the outside and trading jabs with a far more skilled kickboxer who has a reach advantage of 6.5 inches.

Blitzing and throwing looping shots that come from weird angles, followed by a disguised head kick was appropriate, but Israel's defense for it was textbook.

Nah that gameplan was horrible. Should have at least finished with low kicks rather than spamming head kicks, take some of his movement away. He really should have timed a shot in as well and had Israel thinking about a whole range of things instead of almost exclusively head strikes. Rob was right to stay in Israel's face but he didn't even clinch or push him up against the fence, anything to make it ugly would have been more successful than entering in a straight kickboxing battle.

 

[Chart69r]

It was focused on the blitz to initiate, should have been blitzing to counter, going to the body, teeping the legs and at least make the threat of a takedown.

 

[HI SCOTT NEWMAN]

Cody is a meathead. Whittaker is not at all, he is a likable person. Their skills are different but I think Whittaker was too slow for Adesanya and Adesanya is so accurate, I was surprised Whittaker didn't try to do any wrestling, not even one shot, I think if he got a rematch he will mix in more wrestling.

 

[rjmbrd]

Quick index check:

- no clinching
- no TD attempts
- no TD fakes
- minimal bodywork
- minimal leg kicks

- spammed looping punches
- routinely got out of position

This is a YOLO game plan that gave Izzy openings to counter cleanly and didn't create much variability of attack. He looked predictable and spammy, emotional instead of slick.

 

[Portland8242]

Santos' game plan vs Jones is what he should have tried to replicate.

ATT's gameplanning is 2nd to none.

 

[hypocalking]

Cody is a totally different situation. That dude showed me in that Cruz fight he has ELITE skills. Iffy chin, but elite skills. Dude is just hot headed and gets baited into slugfests that he's not equipped to win. In any slugfest, the safest bet is on the better chin.

Whittaker is a good fighter but he's never stuck me as a guy with elite skill. He's a combo of good skill, good power, good chin, and elite recovery and heart. He's elite for sure, but Neck Tats honestly could've been an all-timer.

You forget that literally Faber, TJ and Benavidez all trained with Cody and he was given the blue print to beat him. He's not that intelligent of a person. You're giving him way too much credit.

 

[magicmarker]

i rewatched it again and again. i wondered why Whittaker never threw a hook to Israel's ribs. That right hook whittaker threw before he got dropped would have easily dropped israel if he hit his ribs..

100%

He was always leaning back but didn’t show great footwork to get out of range and was leaving his body wide open. His head movement was great but his body was right there for the taking the whole time.

 

[Qays Stetkevich]

Israel was constantly leaning way back, often with feet planted and parallel, to dodge Rob's repetitive looping bombs. Which is what I would do too given that kind of height/reach advantage. But why in the hell didn't Whittaker go to the body? He could have really ripped into him. I kept hearing about Rob's great "fight iq"... but going to the body on a rangy fighter that keeps leaning back is textbook.

 

[Qays Stetkevich]

100%

He was always leaning back but didn’t show great footwork to get out of range and was leaving his body wide open. His head movement was great but his body was right there for the taking the whole time.

Haha, your post literally came up as I was typing mine out. Dead-on.