MMA & UFC General - Featuring Bellator MMA & Rizin Fighting Federation

  • 🏰 The Fediverse is up. If you know, you know.
  • Want to keep track of this thread?
    Accounts can bookmark posts, watch threads for updates, and jump back to where you stopped reading.
    Create account
Conor was actually out-boxing Poirier in his fight with him. He was simply faster and was beating Poirier to the punch several times in the first round. What made the difference for Poirier was his improved defense, his chin, and, of course, the calf kicks.

Can't believe how devastating those things can be. I remember the very first time I heard about calf kicks a long time ago, where I thought they could do nothing because all I had to do was turn my shin out 45 degrees. In fact, you can totally do that and save yourself a lot of trouble, but man, if you don't check those or counter over the top with a punch combo, you're going to pay.

Conor's punching just started getting awkward because of the leg damage. Having weight on your front foot is paramount to good punches, good footwork, and good balance for head movement. Once one of your legs are gone, you're in for a very bad time. Right before Conor got knocked out, I knew he was a sitting duck given how easily Dustin circled around him, leaving Conor to defend against the cage before unleashing the combo that put him out.

With all this being said, I thought that a win for Conor wouldn't do much for the UFC. Before the fight, I knew that if the UFC wanted to grow further, they would need another superstar, and at the time, I thought that the only way that this could happen was if Poirier won against McGregor in the most definitive way possible (i.e. knockout), becoming a superstar in the process. I thought this wasn't going to happen.

Here we are, though. What a crazy timeline.
 
I was a bit surprised Conor fought in a kinda sorta dumb way.
It was a southpaw vs southpaw fight and Poirier is pretty good at things like cross-arm block or elbow guard (i.e. Conor's left is much less effective this time), Conor had to use body shots and kicks (especially leg kicks aka best counter against leg kicks) and I was almost certain he would bring in some new tools in a Bangkok ready way, not just right hands. BUT he basically fought like a boxer while his front leg murdered, what a disappointment. It feels like he isn't motivated enough anymore or something.

Chandler vs Hooker ended in an unexpected way too because Hooker made a pretty noob mistake. Your rear hand should be glued to your face all the time if you fight with a long guard (e.g. Jones often fight with my fingers in your eyes stance long guard too and NEVER lets his rear hand down, it saved him in some fights) but Hooker let his hand down for no apparent reason. Maybe he was hurt in the body or something but that was weird.
I know Chandler did a great job mixing up right body shot, overhand and the shifting left from Hell but that punch was totally blockable.

Khabib really should make it clear if he retires or not ASAP. If he retires, Poirier vs Chucky is the fight to make obviously, but otherwise Chandler vs Khabib would be an interesting match up even though muh rankings. Conor should... I don't know, maybe getting a shit ton of money by murdering Paul bros isn't really a bad idea at this point.
 
immovable object said:
Conor was actually out-boxing Poirier in his fight with him. He was simply faster and was beating Poirier to the punch several times in the first round. What made the difference for Poirier was his improved defense, his chin, and, of course, the calf kicks.

Can't believe how devastating those things can be. I remember the very first time I heard about calf kicks a long time ago, where I thought they could do nothing because all I had to do was turn my shin out 45 degrees. In fact, you can totally do that and save yourself a lot of trouble, but man, if you don't check those or counter over the top with a punch combo, you're going to pay.

Conor's punching just started getting awkward because of the leg damage. Having weight on your front foot is paramount to good punches, good footwork, and good balance for head movement. Once one of your legs are gone, you're in for a very bad time. Right before Conor got knocked out, I knew he was a sitting duck given how easily Dustin circled around him, leaving Conor to defend against the cage before unleashing the combo that put him out.

With all this being said, I thought that a win for Conor wouldn't do much for the UFC. Before the fight, I knew that if the UFC wanted to grow further, they would need another superstar, and at the time, I thought that the only way that this could happen was if Poirier won against McGregor in the most definitive way possible (i.e. knockout), becoming a superstar in the process. I thought this wasn't going to happen.

Here we are, though. What a crazy timeline.
Click to expand...
wasn't calf kicks what determined Inoki/Ali?
 
immovable object said:
Can't believe how devastating those things can be. I remember the very first time I heard about calf kicks a long time ago, where I thought they could do nothing because all I had to do was turn my shin out 45 degrees. In fact, you can totally do that and save yourself a lot of trouble, but man, if you don't check those or counter over the top with a punch combo, you're going to pay.
Click to expand...
You can check them easily provided you are in the correct stance. Muay Thai fighters know how to check them well and their stance allows them to check calf kicks easily. One of the weaknesses of the calf kick is if its checked properly and the lower end of your shin hits sharp bone, your leg is done. Expect to get Anderson Silva'ed and shatter your leg. It's one of the reason why pro Muay Thai fighters use the thigh kick - hit with mid part of the shin and it takes more time to check it.

Of course, this isn't a Muay Thai fight, and most MMA fighters don't have the years of pure Muay Thai practice to defend against it, and don't have a Muay Thai stance because it opens them up to takedowns. Against guys with wide stances like Conor or Max Holloway the calf kick is deadly because you can't check it well.

Another thing that helped Poirier in this fight was his check right hook. Poirier is right handed, but fights southpaw, so his check hook played a good 2nd role here.
KatanaSenshi said:
Chandler vs Hooker ended in an unexpected way too because Hooker made a pretty noob mistake. Your rear hand should be glued to your face all the time if you fight with a long guard (e.g. Jones often fight with my fingers in your eyes stance long guard too and NEVER lets his rear hand down, it saved him in some fights) but Hooker let his hand down for no apparent reason. Maybe he was hurt in the body or something but that was weird.
I know Chandler did a great job mixing up right body shot, overhand and the shifting left from Hell but that punch was totally blockable.
Click to expand...
Chandler set it up with body shots. Chandler has got ohko power in his hands, even though he's known mainly for his elite wrestling. There is the misconception that he has only a big right hand, when in fact he has power in both. Hooker kept circling anti-clockwise away from Chandler's right hand and trying to calf kick him for most of the round, maybe throw the knee if Chandler went for a takedown he respected the right hand and Chandler's wrestling.

Chandler kept hitting Hooker with crosses to the body and a teep as well, but not following up. When he went for the kill shot he threw the cross to the body, stepped forward into southpaw stance, then threw the left hook and floored him. I don't think Hooker realised he has power in both hands, got caught and tko'ed.

Chandler might be a UFC newcomer, but he is dangerous. He has prime Woodley level of explosiveness, power in his fists, good distancing from avoiding the calf kicks, and his greatest strength is his wrestling, which we didn't see. He's one of Kamaru Usman's main wrestling training partners, and he keeps up.
 
XYZpdq said:
wasn't calf kicks what determined Inoki/Ali?
Click to expand...
Dunno how comparable that is to now - iirc wasn't Inoki on his back most of the time delivering lots of kicks to everywhere from the knee down? Ah, if only Ali's people hadn't gone to an exhibition Inoki was in a few days before the fight, leading to them demanding the rules be changed. Instead of an awkward farce we might've gotten a dominant smashing by Inoki and MMA could've gotten more interest sooner.

Anyway as has been pointed out Conor's stance opened him up to these kicks. Good game-plan by Poirer; I was getting a bit worried for Dustin when he was getting backed up into the fence but he defended well once he was there. I was struck by how poor Conor looked in striking when he wasn't the one walking Poirier down.
 
Last edited:
KatanaSenshi said:
Chandler vs Hooker ended in an unexpected way too because Hooker made a pretty noob mistake.
Click to expand...

Hooker is sort of noob sauce as a whole to be honest. He's very sloppy and he tends to not care about defending punches because he trusts his chin a little too much. He has very sloppy and lazy punches himself as well. I'm glad he got totalled; his fighting style is an eyesore.

Slimy Time said:
You can check them easily provided you are in the correct stance. Muay Thai fighters know how to check them well and their stance allows them to check calf kicks easily. One of the weaknesses of the calf kick is if its checked properly and the lower end of your shin hits sharp bone, your leg is done. Expect to get Anderson Silva'ed and shatter your leg. It's one of the reason why pro Muay Thai fighters use the thigh kick - hit with mid part of the shin and it takes more time to check it.
Click to expand...

I practiced Muay Thai (strictly traditional) for a good 8 months and couldn't help but notice the tradeoffs of their style. Having the narrow stance that Thais have just to be able to lift your knee is not at all worth it considering you give up your balance for good punching, which should be your main go-to in any hand-to-hand combat sport.

Also, by turning your shin out 45 degrees to defend a calf kick, the end of the opponent's shin will end up hitting the thicker part of the tibia, causing more harm than a traditional Thai block. It's also great because you get to do it in a wider stance. Something I found funny too was the supposed fact that checking with your knee is considered a dirty move in traditional MT bouts.

Sort of unrelated though, but worth a watch.
 
Watched the BKFC event from last night out of curiosity.

What an awful combat sport. A bunch of mediocre to poor failed MMA/boxing people winging sloppy punches at each other until someone gets clipped and can't answer a ten count. The main event was pretty much Paige Van Zant getting punched in the implants for 15 minutes.

I'd suggest a decent boxer could go there and clean up but if they were any good they wouldn't need to do this carny shit in the first place.
 
So after months of speculation, Bellator is officially moving to Showtime on Friday nights. LHW Grand Prix is rumored.

Feels a little too late, imo. Scott Coker has a history of running things into the ground so I wouldn't be surprised to see him do it yet again. Hopefully this means an end to all the terrible prelims and scale back on the squash matches but Coker Gonna Coker.
 
trent said:
Watched the BKFC event from last night out of curiosity.

What an awful combat sport. A bunch of mediocre to poor failed MMA/boxing people winging sloppy punches at each other until someone gets clipped and can't answer a ten count. The main event was pretty much Paige Van Zant getting punched in the implants for 15 minutes.

I'd suggest a decent boxer could go there and clean up but if they were any good they wouldn't need to do this carny shit in the first place.
Click to expand...
This is the biggest issue with BKFC. If you’re watching it for something other than a bunch of MMA guys and gals outside or their prime, or random folks picked up from local gyms around the world, bloodying each other up, there’s nothing here. There’s no depth. The rules don’t make sense. It’s weird to see Dan Miragliotta, who I respect as a decent referee (Herb Dean and Jason Herzog the for the best, imo), get involved with this promotion. I do fall in the category of wanting to see bloodshed, so it’s up my alley. I enjoyed the Dat Nguyen fight, and was very satisfied with the outcome of the OVZ fight - the shitty theatrics that followed both of these fights were stupid as hell. Do they have Vince Russo on as a matchmaker or writer?

If Scott isn’t careful, he will lose ratings to BKFC. BKFC events also occur on a Friday and are increasing in viewership each event, especially after the appearance of PVZ. That aside, Bellator has some ridiculously stacked main events coming up. I can’t wait for Rumble v Romero.

Not looking forward to the Burns v Usman fight, to be honest, but I’d love to be pleasantly surprised. I didn’t think shit of the Moreno v Figueiredo fight, but that was likely my favorite fight of 2020.

Combat sports are looking up. ONE Championship has free events on the Bleacher Report application. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the past several events I’ve watched. I really, really like RIZIN. Their latest event was super, and only marred by a Frank Trigg who was doing color commentary on Skype using a 5 dollar Walmart microphone.
 
RIZIN is fucking fantastic. The RIZIN Confessions videos on YouTube are great.

I've been watching MMA for around 25 years and I'm at the point where I don't give a shit about marquee names and I just want entertaining fights. I love any organization that allows knees to the head of a grounded opponent and soccer kicks.

I liked Trigg when he replaced Guy Mezger on HDNet with Schiavello and he was color on my favorite fight of the last decade (Santiago x Misaki II; If you really want to enjoy it, don't spoil yourself with the results). So hopefully, they give the english commentary better production next time around.

I've been really enjoying the Japanese kickboxing renaissance too with the rebooted K-1 and RISE. It's not anything like the K-1 Golden Age of the 90s and it's mostly lightweights and below but they usually put out some good brawls.

Japan has been killing it with their YouTube presence for the last few years. I wish they had started sooner for Shooto, Pancrase, and DEEP before they became shells of their former selves.
 
Looney Troons said:
Not looking forward to the Burns v Usman fight, to be honest, but I’d love to be pleasantly surprised. I didn’t think shit of the Moreno v Figueiredo fight, but that was likely my favorite fight of 2020.
Click to expand...

Not caring about what people at bantamweight and flyweight have to offer is a big mistake. They're too fast and furious for their own good, and it's fun to watch.

Burns vs Usman intrigues me since Usman may resort to using his distance striking to avoid having to walk through the hard counters of Burns. I heard from BJJ Scout's new video that Usman is now training with Trevor Wittman (who you may know as the guy who made Gaethje more technically sound in the standup). I think Usman will use his straight punching more than he has in other fights. Even if he does manage to pin Burns to the cage, Burns isn't going to stay still.

I've done no grappling arts in my life, but i've watched enough of it throughout my time as a combat sports nut to say that Usman vs Burns on the ground can still be pretty fun to watch because everyone loves good scrambles (myself included)
 
immovable object said:
Not caring about what people at bantamweight and flyweight have to offer is a big mistake. They're too fast and furious for their own good, and it's fun to watch.

Burns vs Usman intrigues me since Usman may resort to using his distance striking to avoid having to walk through the hard counters of Burns. I heard from BJJ Scout's new video that Usman is now training with Trevor Wittman (who you may know as the guy who made Gaethje more technically sound in the standup). I think Usman will use his straight punching more than he has in other fights. Even if he does manage to pin Burns to the cage, Burns isn't going to stay still.

I've done no grappling arts in my life, but i've watched enough of it throughout my time as a combat sports nut to say that Usman vs Burns on the ground can still be pretty fun to watch because everyone loves good scrambles (myself included)
Click to expand...
I think Burns is going to be his hardest defence. Woodley just let him win by not biting down and going forward, Colby's volume striking sucks when he's not mixing in the threat of takedowns and Masvidal was on short notice. I believe Michael Chandler, who rolled frequently with Usman said he thinks Burns has the edge on this one. He's a threat on the ground and his standup is much better than Colby's. I don't think this is going to end up like Usman-Covington, which was a sub-par kickboxing match, there will be takedowns mixed into it. This one might be a real fun fight.

Yes, Usman did switch to Wittman last year. Trained with Gaethje to help him prep for Khabib, for all the use that was. It was a switch done on amicable terms, probably because of the in camp clash between him and Burns and him wanting to change anyways. Hooft's camp has a lot of Welterweights and pro fighters, while Wittman trains more one on one/focused, and apparently that is what Usman wanted going forward in his career, more attention and refinement of his skills.
 
Slimy Time said:
I think Burns is going to be his hardest defence. Woodley just let him win by not biting down and going forward, Colby's volume striking sucks when he's not mixing in the threat of takedowns and Masvidal was on short notice. I believe Michael Chandler, who rolled frequently with Usman said he thinks Burns has the edge on this one. He's a threat on the ground and his standup is much better than Colby's. I don't think this is going to end up like Usman-Covington, which was a sub-par kickboxing match, there will be takedowns mixed into it. This one might be a real fun fight.

Yes, Usman did switch to Wittman last year. Trained with Gaethje to help him prep for Khabib, for all the use that was. It was a switch done on amicable terms, probably because of the in camp clash between him and Burns and him wanting to change anyways. Hooft's camp has a lot of Welterweights and pro fighters, while Wittman trains more one on one/focused, and apparently that is what Usman wanted going forward in his career, more attention and refinement of his skills.
Click to expand...
Usman could just clinch fuck Burns tho.
I don't see how Burns could stop that and Usman will surely overpower him up close in the clinch
 
JamalActimel said:
Usman could just clinch fuck Burns tho.
I don't see how Burns could stop that and Usman will surely overpower him up close in the clinch
Click to expand...
I'm sure they prepped like hell for the clinch fuck. Burns is his ex training partner and that team coached/gameplanned those fight where he won by clinchfuck. I don't think it's going to be easy to simply clinch fuck Burns, not after all the training they put him through to stop it.. He's a knockout fighter and a BJJ champion, so both standup and ground games are not going to be easy.

I still think Usman is going to win, but it is going to be his most difficult belt fight yet.
 
Slimy Time said:
I'm sure they prepped like hell for the clinch fuck. Burns is his ex training partner and that team coached/gameplanned those fight where he won by clinchfuck. I don't think it's going to be easy to simply clinch fuck Burns, not after all the training they put him through to stop it.. He's a knockout fighter and a BJJ champion, so both standup and ground games are not going to be easy.

I still think Usman is going to win, but it is going to be his most difficult belt fight yet.
Click to expand...
Gonna be a great fight, but I think Usman is gonna take a close decision. Probably 49-46 with two close rounds
 
Hollywood Hulk Hogan said:
Him breaking Colby's jaw and shutting him up for a bit made me a fan
Click to expand...
Colby is a cartoon character. He's quite cringe inducing with his routine. Colby's striking suuuuuuucks when he can't mix in his wrestling. Really showed off how strong Usman is.

We have some bangers coming up after this. Izzy vs Blachowicz, that is interesting. A lot of pros think thats going to be a harder fight for Izzy since he's confirmed that he's not putting on much muscle. Jan is a tank and he's not slow either. People talked about Costa or Romero having power, that's nothing compared to Jan. I would not count Jan out at all.
 
Slimy Time said:
Colby is a cartoon character. He's quite cringe inducing with his routine. Colby's striking suuuuuuucks when he can't mix in his wrestling. Really showed off how strong Usman is.

We have some bangers coming up after this. Izzy vs Blachowicz, that is interesting. A lot of pros think thats going to be a harder fight for Izzy since he's confirmed that he's not putting on much muscle. Jan is a tank and he's not slow either. People talked about Costa or Romero having power, that's nothing compared to Jan. I would not count Jan out at all.
Click to expand...
It's funny because usually in the "super fights", the smaller weight class guy wins (DC, Conor, Cejudo), but I agree that Jan should be the favorite
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom