MMA Thread

Rumble couldn't put Phil Davis away, Ryan "Lead With My Face" Bader sure as hell isn't.

Bader's boxing is probably still a bit better, though not by much. But overall striking it's pretty even I think or maybe even leaning Phil's way. Davis throws some actual decent kicks.

I've mentioned before, but watch Phil's feet when he fights. He seems to slip and slide around out there and it is not good for his striking. It's like the bottoms of his huge feet are weirdly slick or something. I first noticed it against Rashad and now I can't stop seeing it. Guy has no traction.

BTW the UFC has reportedly signed Cro Cop because Bellator was going after him.

ok

Davis vs. Bader, I just can't get excited for this. It's a fight between two guys who showed huge potential early and then quickly petered out as they failed to improve enough to be title threats.

Grimmlokk_sl said:

BTW the UFC has reportedly signed Cro Cop because Bellator was going after him.

ok

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wut?

In a world without Jon Jones we'd probably have a LHW division like we did before where the title changed hands every fight or two. And Phil Davis would be one of those guys fighting with DC, Rumble, and Gus.

He's disappointing, but in large part that's because we had such high expectations for him. He submitted Gustafsson and has 3 wins over Brazilians IN BRAZIL, including 2 decisions! We want him to be the guy that can topple Jones, but the fact he's not doesn't make him bad. Just disappointing relative to our expectations.

Yeah, I think you're right about the expectations being what made me sour on him, especially since he debuted with that potential around when Jones was starting to get a lot of attention.

Haalen_sl said:

Yeah, I think you're right about the expectations being what made me sour on him, especially since he debuted with that potential around when Jones was starting to get a lot of attention.

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And I declared that he looked like the guy that would push JJ for years to come. Then we watched as Jones kept improving by leaps and bounds and showed he's a transcendent talent and I just felt dumb...

In part it's an example of how high level grapplers can cancel out each others games even with some skill differential. While high level strikers can and do create their own openings and just have more chances to press their advantage. Which in turn opens up the grappling game even more, there's a reason Jones has the most LHW submissions and it's not because he's the most bestest BJJ guy in there. It's because his crazy striking creates openings and he transitions to them like no one else can. Phil Davis simply doesn't have that weapon in his arsenal. Look at his submissions, they're not cases of rocking a guy and jumping on the opening. He's got 3 unorthodox submissions, 2 anacondas and the crazy modified kimura thing. All ones where he had to work his way in to them. Now look at how JJ subbed Machida, he was beat the fuck up when JJ locked in that nasty standing guillotine.

While we are on the lhw topic, opinions please. Was Glover A. Given an easy path to the title and overhyped by beating cans outside the UFC, or B. Broken by Jon Jones? I was amazed at how easily Phil wrestlefucked him. I know Phil has a super prestigious wrestling background but against Top 5 guys he can't seem to score a takedown to save his life (see Rashad and Rumble fights). Fortunately Phil has an amazing chin when his wrestling fails, if only his striking wasn't the most bajankity looking shit ever.

The Jack Slack pre-fight breakdown of Glover was one of the best and most accurate he ever did. The big point he made was that Glover has one real weapon that he mastered, the cross counter. A big right coming over the top of the opponent's left. His entire game is based around luring people in to that weapon. The idea was that if JJ could neutralize that somehow, either by keeping his distance or some other way, he'd have an easy time of it. Jones came up with this...



He almost literally did break him. Jacked up his shoulder and Glover couldn't throw the right worth a shit the rest of the fight. Jones was able to smother him inside and grind him up with no fear of Glover's biggest weapon.

Glover was definitely given an easier path to the title shot, though not so much because the UFC loves him. They just needed to manufacturesomeoneto challenge Jones. It's the same thing we went through with Silva for years. Not as bad yet though. Anyone remember Patrick Cote being maybe the most dangerous fight Silva had faced? Thales Leites?

It is a little jarring to look at the path they paved for Glover and compare it to Phil Davis. Glover got Maldonado, Kingsbury, Rampage, Bader, and Te Huna. There's not a top 5 guy in there...shit maybe not a real top 10. Plus all guys who are willing to stand and trade with him. In his last 8 fights Davis has faced Glover, Lil Nog, Rashad, Machida, and Rumble. That's fucking rough, probably the toughest schedule of anyone at 205 except JJ himself. And probably a big reason there's talk of him getting a title shot after the Bader fight possibly. Sort of a reward for the level of fights he's taken, and mostly won or at least been competitive in, over the last 3ish years.

I think most wrestlers won't let you get their arm in that position. They stay tight with it and usually keep their hips at an angle that doesn't allow it.

Shinya Aoki broke a dude's arm with a similar arm drag thing.



As for why it's not used more, I think it's just something fighters didn't realize could be that effective. Look at all the guys throwing teeps, oblique, and "stump" kicks to the opponent's knees and thighs now. JJ and Silva showed what an effective weapon it can be and it's still taken years for it to catch on. Jones kind of ruined Rampage with one of them. Guy hasn't been the same since.



I actually don't like the technique because it's so dangerous. And unlike a leglock the fighter has no chance to tap before the injury. It's perfectly legal, I just cringe watching it=P

It just goes to show you how powerful the UFC marketing engine is.

I had to go back to Glover's wiki page and see who he had really fought in the UFC. As Grim posted, the list is laughable for someone propped up as the JJ killer. I actually bought into the hype and thought Glover had a pretty good chance against him, and then felt completely stupid when Jones obliterated him.

Could we be in for a similar experience with McGregor and Aldo? hmm

I never believed that Glover had a shot at beating JJ. I really did think that DC would win, but that's another story.

McGregor's gonna get raped so hard that it's going to start another Irish exodus, this time just out of shame.

McGregor is getting the same fast track to a title shot that Glover did for the same reasons, they need someone to fight Aldo because he's already beaten the rest of the top 5. McGregor hasn't earned a title shot in any real sense of the division, but none of the rest of the top 5 have looked like they deserved a rematch and you can't have Aldo sit on the belt all year. He only has 7 title defenses in 4 years.

I expect Aldo to rough up McGregor's leg in the first 2 rounds and coast to a relatively easy decision. Assuming Aldo dedicates himself to wrecking the outside of Conor's lead leg. I'd like to see Aldo go apeshit and really attack but he's a very smart fighter and won't put himself in line with that killer left straight early unless he fucks up.

THAT SAID! Conor has one of the things that has proven to really be Aldo's biggest weakness, gas for days. He hasn't had to go 5 rounds, hell he's only gone to decision once. But when he fought Max Holloway he ran him in to the ground for those 3 rounds. Also Conor's path has absolutely been laid out for him, what with the zero wrestlers faced etc, but it hasn't beenquiteas much of a cakewalk as Glover just because Conor was at least facing young go-getter types(Brimage/Holloway/Brandao/Poirier) until Siver and his suspicious sudden top 10 ranking.

So yeah, Aldo should and and almost definitely will win, but don't be surprised if it's a pretty close decision with Conor pushing hard the last 2-3 rounds.

Grimmlokk_sl said:

don't be surprised if it's a pretty close decision with Conor pushing hard the last 2-3 rounds.

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... and then begins the McGregor vs Aldo trilogy for the next 2 years.

I wouldn't be so quick to write McGregor off. Aldo has been caught in the past and been in some pretty deep water. Stylistically I see McGregor winning that fight. I don't see him as someone who will reign over the division like Aldo but I just see that fight as one that matches up pretty well.

It's not a terrible match up for Conor. It really will come down to how much Aldo does and can kick that lead leg. Aldo has the strong and fast leg kicks, but he has broken his foot before. Or just flat out abandoned it.

Fight Night: CONOR CONOR CONOR drew 2.75 million viewers for Fox Sports 1. Previous high event was Chael/Shogun at 1.7 million.

So if anyone was confused why they push McGregor so hard and want him fighting for the belt so soon, there you go. 60% higher ratings. That's nuckin' futs.