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[Rumblebones]

If there's one thing I can think of right now that I think should be reviewed in terms of scoring it's cage dominance, or more specifically centre control. Historically, judges favour fighters that command the centre of the octagon, but should it really weigh that much when they're not imposing their dominance by taking control if it's a case where the other fighter doesn't want to fight in the centre?

Some fighters are well aware their best odds are fighting at distance or by creating more space. If they're not battling for control of the centre, should judges actually take that into consideration? Woodley and Overeem are good examples of this. Woodley likes the space to blitz and creates that space by backing up to the cage. It has served him well on many occasions so can it really be held against him? Overeem likes to circle around his opponents and reset often because he knows his chin ain't what it used to be, and he's had a lot of success doing it.

I dunno if centre control should really matter at all if it's not a battle of control.

 

[Chesskid1]

i cant believe backing yourself into a corner/into the cage is now a strategy

MMA is truly evolving

 

[Plywood]

i cant believe backing yourself into a corner/into the cage is now a strategy

MMA is truly evolving

This is why Rogan wants cage free MMA.

 

[dream]

"Center control" is not Octagon control.

 

[Weckum]

This is why Rogan wants cage free MMA.

I, for one, welcome this.

 

[Fox318]

I, for one, welcome this.

That would make so much fucking money of it was held in a parking lot.

 

[dream]

From the unified rules:

Fighting area control is judged by determining who is dictating the pace, location and position of the bout. Examples of factors to consider are countering a grappler's attempt at takedown by remaining standing and legally striking, taking down an opponent to force a ground fight, creating threatening submission attempts, passing the guard to achieve mount, and creating striking opportunities.

There is nothing here that privileges standing in the center of the cage, which can be, but is not always, advantageous.

 

[Rumblebones]

i cant believe backing yourself into a corner/into the cage is now a strategy

MMA is truly evolving

I have no idea how Woodley does it, you'd think every last instinct you had would tell you not to do that, but it's been working for him.

For the most part anyway. Rory picked him apart, but for some reason no one else has been able to make Woodley pay for it it since.

 

[dream]

Also, keep in mind that Octagon control is only considered when the two key judging criteria--effective fighting and effective aggressiveness--are considered to be equal between two fighters. This seldom happens, other than in situations like we saw last night, when Tyrone and Wonderboy fought like cowards.

 

[pixelation]

Almost all of your posts are abrasive and needlessly condescending. jeez

I'm not the only one who has noticed that, cool.

Also, keep in mind that Octagon control is only considered when the two key judging criteria--effective fighting and effective aggressiveness--are considered to be equal between two fighters. This seldom happens, other than in situations like we saw last night, when Tyrone and Wonderboy fought like cowards.

They really did. And Tyrone better shut his mouth when he keeps begging for dem "money fights" he ain't winning no fans with performances like that. Now before you guys go "What about Thompson?" he isn't the one asking for money fights and he also sucked monstrous donkey balls.

 

[Heel]

Wonderboy was beautifully nullifying Woodley's rushes with well-timed counters, and Woodley was effectively blocking pretty much everything Wonderboy threw at him.

It's not that these two guys came expecting to put up a boring fight, and I don't think it was. It was very tense and reminded me of Wonderboy/Rory, which a lot of people also slated.

Well uh...beauty is in the eye of the beholder, I suppose.

lol

 

[Rumblebones]

I'm not the only one who has noticed that, cool.

I don't make disagreements on the internet personal, Levito isn't above doing that, so I've got that over him.

As far as you and I are concerned, I find it amusing you have no problem calling fighters putting their health on the line cowards, but have such thin skin you can't tolerate what you perceive as rude behaviour.

Well uh...beauty is in the eye of the beholder, I suppose.

lol

It sure is. I thought it was very impressive Wonderboy managed to essentially stuff Woodley from rushing in for the majority of the fight using excellent timing on a fighter as explosive as Woodley, who admitted after the fight Wonderboy kept him real honest with those hooks.

 

[dream]

Putting your "health on the line" when you get paid six figures to do so is not bravery, Rumblebones. Tyrone isn't brave. Men are brave.

 

[Maklershed]

Holy shit Wonderboy got robbed. Hard to care much though based on that performance.

 

[RBelong2Us]

Stephen "preachers daughter" Thompson


It's obvious he was really worried about Woodleys power as he got rocked with the first solid combo Woodley hit him in at the end but man .... way to become irrelevant

 

[Sato Koiji]

I now remember what Conor said about Khabib. He said hes a pull out merchant and damn, how right he is! Mystic Mac strikes again! Hes even winning when hes not fighting.

Our god, Conor McGregor!

 

[N° 2048]

I now remember what Connor said about Khabib. He said hes a pull out merchant and damn, how right he is! Mystic Mac strikes again! Hes even winning when hes not fighting.

Our god, Connor McGregor!

Conor*

 

[Kelsdesu]

i cant believe backing yourself into a corner/into the cage is now a strategy

MMA is truly evolving

"Cage control, bro."

Thompson vs. Woodley should be next. Both coming off a loss and if Thompson wants to win by points it can happen since it won't be a title fight.

 

[FUME5]

I'm stilled pissed at that pathetic excuse for a fight Woodley And Thompson put on.

 

[pixelation]

As far as you and I are concerned, I find it amusing you have no problem calling fighters putting their health on the line cowards, but have such thin skin you can't tolerate what you perceive as rude behaviour.

The way you said Saturday night that "it was time for me to stop posting" just because you disagreed with me was honestly not cool and i'll leave it at that.

 

[Roland Deschain]

It was a pretty good night of fights but the main was so fucking awful that it retroactively drags down the entire event.

 

[Brerlappin]

It was a pretty good night of fights but the main was so fucking awful that it retroactively drags down the entire event.

Sad but true. The rest of the main card was pretty good (Vanatta/Teymur was great, Cooper v girl whose name i forget had some sweet BJJ, Reem hunt was good even tho i wanted Hunto to win, only Rashads fight was a bit meh), but yeah now all i can think of is the waste of 25 minutes of a min event. I hope to god no one gives Woodley or Thompson a headline spot on a PPV for a long ass time.

 

[Heel]

Man, it's really nice to have an ally in the MMA press who isn't yielding to fans who find the innate beauty of watching paint dry.

Here's this on Thompson-Woodley, and why "you weren't the ones in there getting punched in the face" doesn't fly.

After their five-round respect-filled battle, there was a party line that all the principals — Thompson, Woodley, and even Dana White — used to address the disenchantment being expressed at the T-Mobile Arena. It was some variation of the same thing: That nobody understands what it’s like to be in there fighting with the other.

“It’s easy to sit in your seats, drink some beers and [eat] some popcorn and boo people, but they’re not in the fighting Tyron Woodley or Wonderboy,” White said. “A lot was at stake, and these guys fought the way they needed to fight to win.”

“I want to see Dana get in there and fight Wonderboy,” Woodley said, when hearing White’s overarching criticisms.

“The thing is, you’re the one that’s out there,” Thompson said. “Of course the crowd and everybody is watching you, but they’re not the ones in the Octagon getting punched in the face.”

Of course not. See, that’s the thing. Fans are not the ones in there getting hit in the face. And it doesn’t fall to the fans to suddenly embrace the idea that self-preservationists are squaring off in a cage fight. If anything, everybody can understand self-preservation completely, and that’s why most people don’t fight. The problem as it stands is, everybody gets exactly why Thompson and Woodley didn’t want to get hit by the other. That’s easy. No idea has ever been so translatable.

It’s just that that line of thinking doesn’t jibe. Nobody was in there with Bektic getting pummeled, other than Elkins (who did something about it). Nobody was in there with Tuymer, other than Vannata (who tried to kick his head off his shoulders). Nobody was in there with Calvillo, other than Cooper (and her neck for the taking). In fights, people either go for it and spectators react in kind, or they don’t, and people boo.

So no, fans don’t want to get punched in the face. They pay for the understanding that there are people willing to. That’s the contract between fans and fighter in an entertainment-based UFC, that there are athletes that are crazy enough, driven enough, and willing enough to engage in something as counterintuitive as the laying on of hands for public enjoyment.

Thank you, Chuck Mindenhall, for saying what needed to be said.

 

[Maklershed]

Thank you, Chuck Mindenhall, for saying what needed to be said.

Now lets talk about a true legend of the sport, Captain Redneck Dick Murdock.

 

[parrotbeak]

I didn't mind the fight. I was hoping Woodley would ko him and it almost came once but if he didn't ko him this is the fight I was expecting.

I was not expecting to see Hunt get ko'ed like that but wow that was a great fight.

I didn't watch anything else yet but sounds like I should watch the whole card.

 

[Levito]

I don't make disagreements on the internet personal, Levito isn't above doing that, so I've got that over him.

Oh, the irony.


You're arguing with almost everyone in this thread right now , maybe that's because you're needlessly abrasive and condescending? Hmm, I wonder. Like dude this is just a sport, please relax.


For the record, I'm not disagreeing with you on Wonderboy/Woodley. Tyrone won as far as I'm concerned, but that fight fucking sucked regardless of result.

 

[manfestival]

Fight of the night for teymur and vannata was well deserved. Can't wait to see more from those 2. Still bummed about Tony and khabib. I was super stoked to see them fight in Tampa but once again the fighting gods deny us all

 

[Banglish]

I have no idea how Woodley does it, you'd think every last instinct you had would tell you not to do that, but it's been working for him.

For the most part anyway. Rory picked him apart, but for some reason no one else has been able to make Woodley pay for it it since.

When guys stood in front of Rory and GSP, they would get jabbed to death. It's pretty surprising that barely any MMA fighters work on their jabs - or maybe not. But you see it when top level guys utilize it well, they destroy their opponents ability to close the distance.

 

[alpinestars1980]

Man, it's really nice to have an ally in the MMA press who isn't yielding to fans who find the innate beauty of watching paint dry.

Here's this on Thompson-Woodley, and why "you weren't the ones in there getting punched in the face" doesn't fly.



Thank you, Chuck Mindenhall, for saying what needed to be said.

Mindenhall is the best MMA writer around in my opinion. Luke Thomas is the best at talking MMA.

 

[Brerlappin]

When guys stood in front of Rory and GSP, they would get jabbed to death. It's pretty surprising that barely any MMA fighters work on their jabs - or maybe not. But you see it when top level guys utilize it well, they destroy their opponents ability to close the distance.

I'll never forget when GSP turned Koschecks face into putty with the jab

 

[biosnake20]

I think if Khabib Ferguson doesn't happen at 210 or 211 it won't happen at all. Ramadan starts in end of May which means Khabib probably wont be able to fight until Fall. If it doesnt happen I think they'll try to make Diaz Ferguson for the interim belt at 212 or 213.

 

[Chumley]

I think if Khabib Ferguson doesn't happen at 210 or 211 it won't happen at all. Ramadan starts in end of May which means Khabib probably wont be able to fight until Fall. If it doesnt happen I think they'll try to make Diaz Ferguson for the interim belt at 212 or 213.

Khabib can say goodbye to his one and only shot at becoming a star, then.

Dude will have no leeway whatsoever to talk about Conor being scared and all that if he can't make the match happen soon.

 

[biosnake20]

Practically a ppv card for free

 

[Dysun]

Might be hard pressed to watch for free

Easier if I turn it off when the co main events are done

 

[Heel]

Practically a ppv card for free

How far we've fallen.

 

[manfestival]

Practically a ppv card for free

I feel like Johnson is treated criminally by the UFC. They struggle to put on a solid card for ppv but then they do this

 

[Ninja Scooter]

I feel like Johnson is treated criminally by the UFC. They struggle to put on a solid card for ppv but then they do this

He's not a draw. He probably gets more viewers to his gaming streams than he would PPV buys.

 

[parrotbeak]

It really is just discrimination against small men. He's all action for 25 minutes and he has diverse and frequent finishes. I'll try to tune in if I remember.

 

[Ninja Scooter]

It really is just discrimination against small men. He's all action for 25 minutes and he has diverse and frequent finishes. I'll try to tune in if I remember.

That and the fact that he is so dominant work against him. It's why Roy Jones in his prime drew like shit too. Nobody is going to pay $50 to watch you wax some dude they've never even heard of.

 

[parrotbeak]

He's also got personality but he's basically a nice goofy guy. People pay to see assholes.

 

[FUME5]

Who the fuck is Reis?

 

[Mister Wilhelm]

He's not a draw. He probably gets more viewers to his gaming streams than he would PPV buys.

Nah his Twitch numbers suck as well.

 

[iddqd]

Huh, totally missed the Jacare announcement.
Poor guy is (37!) and has not fought for the belt.

(Romero at 39, Bisping at 38, holy hell. 185 is old)

 

[broz0rs]

MM not being a draw is similar how smaller men in boxing is not a draw compared to those who are bigger. It's just that the bigger then men, the more violence there is potentially.

 

[Sweeney Tom]

35 year old Ben Rothwell popped. 2nd drug test failure, so when it's inevitably confirmed he's eligible for 4 years minimum.

 

[pixelation]

35 year old Ben Rothwell popped. 2nd drug test failure, so when it's inevitably confirmed he's eligible for 4 years minimum.

When somebody pops for drugs i expect it to be somebody in very good shape... time and time again i'm proven wrong... Rothwell... LMAO.

 

[Ninja Scooter]

Probably explains that little mini career resurgence he had. I mean, if you are 37 and in the twilight of your career, why not juice and see how long (and how much $$$ you can make) get away with it.

 

[biosnake20]

Henry Cejudo v Sergio Pettis added to 211. 211 looking super stacked right now.

Miocic-JDS 2
Jedrzejczyk-Andrade
Maia-Masvidal
Alvarez-Poirier
Werdum-Rothwell(hopefully Cain or Ngannou can fill in)
Cejudo-Pettis

 

[Sato Koiji]

Practically a ppv card for free

Nah, they have given Johnson a PPV main spot at the MGM with regret. Win or learn baby!

I feel like Johnson is treated criminally by the UFC. They struggle to put on a solid card for ppv but then they do this

Not the UFC, the public does. Johnson is eternally cursed. Im sorry.

 

[bonchooski]

Who the fuck is Reis?

I believe he is the main villain in Dying LIght.