Media Umar first statement: I don't think I lost

[moosaev]

I think the loss will be good for the entire team and a bit of a humbling they all can't just keep winning forever.

They’ve taken plenty of losses, it’s a big team. Only the top guys have been undefeated.

 

[xhaydenx]

Umnar is delusional lol.

 

[Squintz]

What he lacks in humble he makes up for in defeat.

 

[TR1]

Is that a picture from after the fight ? It looks like he did not fight yesterday, excluding the hand injury.

That's because Merab's empty head did more damage to Umar than his fists.

 

[VinceArch]

Oh, you definitely lost that one. Winning a round or two doesn't cut it in a 5 round fight.

 

[Ozze]

Apparently the translation was completely wrong from what I’ve read, khabib said stay on the feet and don’t initiate the wrestling but when you’re in the wrestling exchanges give everything you have to not lose them. UFC broadcast translators are complete ass lol.

Was wondering that when the translator talked about something like "now it's time to wrestle". If Khabib was asking Umar to initiate the wrestling or to get prepared for Merab because he was already 2 down and would have to play to his strengh.

It was DC that later said that Khabib asked Umar to take Merab down, but I had my doubts.

 

[TR1]

Wow he's so humble

Oh no a fighter thinks he won a VERY close fight! What an asshole!!!!

 

[MarioLemieux]

I had 1, 2, and 3 for Umar,

It was a close fight where he faded in the end leaving a bad impression with the judges.

 

[HHJ]

He definitley lost. Close but clear 3 - 2 for Merab. Tied going into the fifth and Umar almost turned it around until Merab took a bump and went ham.

 

[Pancake Sprawl]

He didn’t win. He did well in the first 2 rounds then he began to fade. Khabib’s technical coaching was pretty bad. Why ask Umar to wrestle when he was starting to get tired?

this was a major red flag for me. so many were blowing up Khabib's "fight IQ" all week before the fight, but he gave some of the most terrible advice i heard. it's like he couldn't even see Umar was tired. it was weird because Umar still had a way to recover, stay on the outside, use your kicks to confuse Merab and try to stall with movement and range. but what Khabib told him would've literally made him gas even worse. he also didn't just say to wrestle, he told him you're going to ONLY wrestle and not give Merab an inch. that's asking a lot from a guy who is clearly fading and there was little to no grappling even happening yet.

 

[The XL]

Because he wanted to have Umar get on top and drain Merab's tank. His various is that good because he can always dictate the pace. It's a good plan but I think he overestimated Umars ability to keep Merab down.

I'd imagine they are gonna be slaying his ass on the mats non stop for a long time. Gotta be able to grapple on par with his cousins

I think he can grapple at the level of his cousins. Merab is just that good.

 

[AL-Tappo McSnappo]

He didn’t win. He did well in the first 2 rounds then he began to fade. Khabib’s technical coaching was pretty bad. Why ask Umar to wrestle when he was starting to get tired?

Khabib was telling him what he would have done, it was bad advice.

 

[HHJ]

I think he can grapple at the level of his cousins. Merab is just that good.

I think his grappling was great, but the more tired he got the less he could do it with authority. Esp when trying on a guy with "unlimited" gas tank and explosive movement.

 

[Pancake Sprawl]

its coming across as cringe now
"i broke my hand"
"i thought i won"

dude just take the L and work on a better gameplan. stop wasting energy with high kicks and TDs. Try to just keep it on the feet and work on TD defense instead of offense

kicks and TDs are a integral part of his game. he will do worse if he tries to sprawl and brawl because that allows Merab to close the distance and force wild exchanges. the Dags already try to avoid the pocket as much as possible. without his long range kicks and his takedowns, how will he keep Merab back?

 

[HHJ]

kicks and TDs are a integral part of his game. he will do worse if he tries to sprawl and brawl because that allows Merab to close the distance and force wild exchanges. the Dags already try to avoid the pocket as much as possible. without his long range kicks and his takedowns, how will he keep Merab back?

They have to try and finish him with strikes or a submission. He's pretty durable but its the only way. Umar ALMOST won this fight and it was really decided in the final 2 mins or so. They need to make those strikes fucking count more and try to knock him out or do so much damage that his cardio cant help him enough to win.

 

[GreatSaintGuillotine]

I think he can grapple at the level of his cousins. Merab is just that good.

He can't. They all talk about it every now and then. He's the best striker of them but he didn't spend nearly as much time grappling as the rest of them. While they were all in on sambo and wrestling, he was mainly focused on muay thai. He's still got a lot of grappling experience. He's still very good. But he's behind the rest of them because it's not the focus of his game

 

[Rataria]

INSALTLLAH

 

[Simple Southerner]

 

[swizztony]

I think he can grapple at the level of his cousins. Merab is just that good.

What makes you think that? His base is Muay Thai and even DC remarked on how late he had to learn grappling at AKA

 

[NoSmilez]

I think Khabib's logic was wrestle, get the takedown establish position and sort of rest on top.

Far easier said than done against Merab, he's a very scrambly mofo.

I think Umar got one clean takedown at that point. The wrestling exchanges actually killed him in the 4th. Merab started to take over the fight. I understand Khabib's instructions of limiting the high kicks but Umar scored well with knees and kicks to the body.

Because he wanted to have Umar get on top and drain Merab's tank. His various is that good because he can always dictate the pace. It's a good plan but I think he overestimated Umars ability to keep Merab down.

I'd imagine they are gonna be slaying his ass on the mats non stop for a long time. Gotta be able to grapple on par with his cousins

Umar barely got any control time on Merab before Khabib asked him to wrestle. He got back control for maybe less than a min in the second round but that was off a scramble? To be fair there was little control time from both men. I think Merab might have banked a minute or two in the 4th.