Got out wrestled by Clay Guida in his UFC debut but went on a tear after that. Opponents were worried about not only about his kicks but also his submission game. Has now lost 3 in a row and is facing Do Bronx at 145 to try and kick start his career. Maybe CM Punk has been kicking his ass everyday at Roufus. I don't know.
Gilbert figured out the gameplan to stop him and RDA executed it flawlessly. After that he's looked tentative at best. Confidence is a big part of his game, so hopefully he can get a W and get back on track. Young talented fighter and not a massive amount of wear and tear so prevailing wisdom would say he can pull it back.
People figured out that constant forward pressure and putting his back against the cage negated his dynamic striking game. He's struggled to get any offense off and it cost him those decisions. He's not getting starched or anything, just losing on points.
This topic must come up again at least once a week. Regardless, it's a good question. Should one day go through all his fights and figure out what the hell happened. tbqh intuitively I'm leaning toward the "was never really all that good" and the rest of the division just caught up.
He lost and his hype train lost a wheel. It happen all the time. Come back next year and see if the Stephen Thompson love train is still on the tracks.
He fights at Lightweight against really good fighters. It's the best division on the planet for a reason. Get the fuck outta here.
I think it all came crashing down when he said "I'm on another level than all these guys" at the RDA weigh ins.
