Tag: Fallout

Fallout: Chokes, Referees, and Kevin Lee, Tony Ferguson Talking Major Trash

UFC Fight Night 112 saw some major controversy in the main event. The fight between Michael Chiesa and Kevin Lee was anticipated to be a high stakes game between two fighters hoping to enter title contention with a win Sunday night. But instead of everyone speaking on how great the main event was, everyone is talking about Mario Yamasaki’s supposed “flub.”

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UFC Fight Night 112 saw some major controversy in the main event. The fight between Michael Chiesa and Kevin Lee was anticipated to be a high stakes game between two fighters hoping to enter title contention with a win Sunday night. But instead of everyone speaking on how great the main event was, everyone is talking about Mario Yamasaki’s supposed “flub.”

Watch the fight the first time around, it appeared that Michael Chiesa was still conscious and willing to continue his grudge match again Kevin Lee. Yamasaki intervened and called the fight which seemed to many observers to be an early stoppage. Here’s the thing about being a ref: it’s an absolutely thankless job. No one appreciates what these refs have to go through with each and every fight they have to call. The thing about this fight was that it was apparent in multiple viewings that Michael Chiesa was on his way to blacking out completely.

The choke was locked in tight, there was thirty plus seconds left, Lee was cranking his choke and Chiesa’s arms went limp, eyes fading and rolling back into his head, a clear response from a blood choke rather than a wind choke. With Yamasaki on top of the action he had the best view out of anyone present. Rather than letting Chiesa go out like a “warrior” Yamasaki instead stopped the match. Sure, we want fighters to be given a chance at victory, at accomplishing the goals they’ve been obsessed with for weeks of training. Problem is that their ego can get in the way of their health at times and that’s what the refs are there for. As a result we have an angry fighter, angry fans, and people cursing the ref for his utter stupidity. Funny thing is, while the tough call may not be the most popular, Yamasaki had a job to do, did what he thought was right and shouldn’t be demonized for it.

On a side note, I never knew I wanted a Kevin Lee versus Tony Ferguson fight before last night. Ferguson congratulated Lee like a true class act, but the brash Detroit native took things a different way. In true McGregor form, Lee wasted no time in his additional time on television as he relegated the rest of the lightweight division as chumps and potentially set up a match between himself and Ferguson.

It was entertaining as hell and is just the kind of thing you want to see if you’re the UFC. Two personalities clashing making for a potentially exciting grudge match in the cage. It’ll sell and at the end of the day this sport is a business. Dollars and cents rule the day and Kevin Lee is setting himself up nicely to start making a nice profit.

What are your biggest takeaways from UFC Fight Night 112?

Jonathan Salmon is a writer, martial arts instructor, and geek culture enthusiast. Check out his Instagram, Twitter and Facebook to keep up with his antics.

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Fallout: Max Holloway And The Beauty of Solid Basics

Well, that escalated quickly now didn’t it. In one of the most anticipated fights of the year, Max Holloway once again showcased his superior ability to perform under the bright lights and in hostile territory no less. But the road to victory was by no means a cake walk for the Hawaiian fighter. Former featherweight champion Jose Aldo gave Max Holloway all he could handle before succumbing to ground and pound in the third round. Let’s get a glimpse at some of the big takeaways from UFC 212 and the fantastic main event that shook up the featherweight division.

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Well, that escalated quickly now didn’t it. In one of the most anticipated fights of the year, Max Holloway once again showcased his superior ability to perform under the bright lights and in hostile territory no less. But the road to victory was by no means a cake walk for the Hawaiian fighter. Former featherweight champion Jose Aldo gave Max Holloway all he could handle before succumbing to ground and pound in the third round. Let’s get a glimpse at some of the big takeaways from UFC 212 and the fantastic main event that shook up the featherweight division.

The biggest issue for Jose Aldo in this fight was getting in on the inside and landing meaningful strikes on the interim champion. He started out strong and his speed was blinding in the opening frame. He kept a busy front hand to keep Holloway at bay as Aldo can throw his fair share of fast jabs to catch his opponents off guard.

It was Aldo’s left hook, right straight combination that stunned Holloway in the first followed by a nice flying knee.

It was a beautiful display of Aldo’s speed, power, and precision. But after taking a moment to consider what that kind of explosion took out of Aldo’s gas tank, you have to wonder if he was pushing himself too hard too fast in hopes of getting a big win in front of the hometown crowd.

By the end of the first we saw Holloway loosen up a bit and open up with a spinning back kick to Aldo’s body.

As I mentioned in my breakdown, as soon as Max Holloway decided to start going first, his offense started to become more effective. Holloway is great at counter fighting as well as being the aggressor. In a fight with a faster competitor with sharp counter punching skills, staying busy with in and out jabs, feinting, and being the aggressor is all needed. Max Holloway started using these tools in the second round which started to throw off Jose Aldo’s rhythm. Max Holloway began to turn the tide by moving forward, shifting back when Aldo committed, then countering back before the former champ could recover defensively.

That doesn’t mean Aldo wasn’t still in the game as his counters were still looking sharp.

By the time the third round came around, Max Holloway was fully in his rhythm and started to throw more volume. Rather than load up on power shots, as Aldo was tending to do, Holloway was content to just simply touch the champion with potshots.

In the end, it was the basic jab-cross that got the job done, but it was the rhythm change the separated the first and second combinations that made the shots so devastating.

Holloway throws the jab-cross that just touches Aldo, but rather than move all the way out after the combination he avoids the left hook counter and follows up with a counter one-two that ultimately signaled the end of Jose Aldo’s reign as champion.

It’ll be interesting to see who the UFC matches Max Holloway up with next. My guess is that it will be a little known New Jersey native. You know, the former lightweight champion Frankie Edgar.

What did you think of the performance of Max Holloway?

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Fallout: Was Demian Maia vs Jorge Masvidal The Definition Of A Draw?

Now, I’ve been going back and forth with this for the last few days and though the fight has already been decided it left me with a pretty interesting question. What exactly constitutes a draw? While we could talk about the scoring system all day, we have consider all manner of thought processes that occur while watching and judging a fight. For a grappling enthusiast it’s easy to say that Demian Maia clearly won and for a striking aficionado that Jorge Masvidal did more damage and deserved the win. But I’m starting to believe that the truth falls somewhere in between.

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Now, I’ve been going back and forth with this for the last few days and though the fight has already been decided it left me with a pretty interesting question. What exactly constitutes a draw? While we could talk about the scoring system all day, we have consider all manner of thought processes that occur while watching and judging a fight. For a grappling enthusiast it’s easy to say that Demian Maia clearly won and for a striking aficionado that Jorge Masvidal did more damage and deserved the win. But I’m starting to believe that the truth falls somewhere in between.

By now someone has already reached this point in the article and is saying “This guy is just a crybaby, pissed that the striker didn’t win.” I invite you to finish the article and see if you’re still thinking that way by the end.

First and foremost, I’m an MMA fan much like anyone else that visits sites like these or other MMA related pages. Breaking down fights is a pleasure and finding differing opinions has always helped in seeing the intricacies of the game. As such, I happened to come across BJJ Scout’s breakdown of the Demian Maia/Jorge Masvidal bout. To get the details you can watch the video below

To some things up, BJJ Scout was able to breakdown what worked for each fighter and what didn’t work. Jorge Masvidal played a kicking game with Demian Maia. Maia secured takedowns through small inconsistencies in Masvidal’s game. It was a true chess match with each men implementing their game plans in the exact manner that they envisioned. The problem for me is that neither man clearly out dueled the other.

Masvidal was certainly landing more shots and did more damage throughout the bout, that is certain. But he couldn’t prevent Maia from taking him down and controlling position. At the same time, Maia was able to secure positions but was able to finish. In the first he had clear control, but then Masvidal landed some quality shots that made you scratch your chin and wonder, “did that just negate everything that came before?” The third round literally saw Jorge Masvidal dominate the striking realm for half the round and then Demian Maia took over to do what he does.

This begs the question, what does it take to get a draw?

You have two men both implenting their game plans, both being successful in their realm of expertise. Masvidal had the damage advtantage and Maia the positional advantage. Do strikes trump control or does positioning rule the day? It’s what makes judging so damn difficult in the first place. The purest in me believes that this fight was the definition of a draw. On the other hand, holding up the welterweight division isn’t particularly ideal, so having Demian Maia come out the winner was simply the best logical decision, especially when you consider that he finished on top.

What did you make of the Demian Maia vs Jorge Masvidal?

Jonathan Salmon is a writer, martial arts instructor, and geek culture enthusiast. Check out his Twitter and Facebook to keep up with his antics.

 

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Fallout: Is Stipe Miocic The Greatest UFC Heavyweight Of All Time?

It’s funny what they say about headlines that end in a question mark. Most of the time the answer to the proposed question will be no and in this case that tends to be my initial gut reaction. But that doesn’t mean that this is a topic that is without merit or one that shouldn’t be explored. In fact, it makes researching and finding the evidence for or against all the more intriguing. So let’s take a moment to really consider whether or not Stipe Miocic deserves the title of the greatest heavyweight the UFC has ever seen.

The post Fallout: Is Stipe Miocic The Greatest UFC Heavyweight Of All Time? appeared first on Cagepotato.

It’s funny what they say about headlines that end in a question mark. Most of the time the answer to the proposed question will be no and in this case that tends to be my initial gut reaction. But that doesn’t mean that this is a topic that is without merit or one that shouldn’t be explored. In fact, it makes researching and finding the evidence for or against all the more intriguing. So let’s take a moment to really consider whether or not Stipe Miocic deserves the title of the greatest heavyweight the UFC has ever seen.

With his victory at UFC 211 over former champion Junior dos Santos we saw a Stipe Miocic who was hungry for the finish, hungry to prove that he first loss to the former heavyweight kingpin was simply just a bump in the road. During his UFC tenure, Stipe Miocic has lost to only two men, one being Stefan Struve and the other Junior dos Santos. In fact, these are the only two blemishes on the heavyweight champion’s resume. Every other match has seen him taking a pretty clear cut victory and as such demonstrating just how sharp a fighter Miocic is.

That said, it still does boggle the mind that Stefan Struve was able to best the champ, but that’s a case of been there done that and move on. Struve is a tough fight for anyone in the UFC heavyweight division, but he does have the tendency to stray away from game plans and get himself in big trouble. Yes, it was years ago and yes it was Miocic’s first main event, but still it just seems pretty interesting to me.

At the risk of sounding like a prick, I need you to hear me out.

Losing to Stefan Struve is by no means a reason to sulk. The man is a giant after all with some good skills. But I mention this loss to Struve because it’s the turning point that has made Miocic into the beast he is today, that and his only other loss coming at the hands of dos Santos. You see, after the Stefan Struve fight we saw Stipe Miocic evolve as a fighter inside the cage. Not only did he throw away the slugger mentality that he seemed to adopt in the earlier portion of his career, he became more well rounded in his approach to fights. After his loss to Struve we saw a Stipe Miocic that chose to utilize his wrestling in conjunction with his striking. He would set up his combination punching with both faked and honest takedown attempts. We saw him focus more on versatility rather than simply what boxing combination would be best for the finish. Frankly, we saw the birth of a future champion in taking that first devastating loss.

So the question remains, is Stipe Miocic the greatest heavyweight in UFC history? That really all depends on how you look at things. He has yet to face the wrecking ball Cain Velasquez and could miss the opportunity completely based on the rate of injury we see from the former champion. But even if he never faced Velasquez, considering the fact that he was able to best Junior dos Santos, Fabricio Werdum, Mark Hunt, Roy Nelson, Gabriel Gonzaga, Andrei Arlovski and Alistair Overeem during his UFC tenure makes you sit back and really wonder. The best heavyweights in the sports history are undoubtedly Fedor Emelianenko, Antonio Nogueira, and Farbicio Werdum. Stipe Miocic handily defeated one name on that list under the UFC umbrella. That in itself adds weight to the argument that he’s the promotion’s greatest heavyweight.

Considering that the most times a UFC heavyweight belt has been defended is twice, it gives way to the argument that with a third title defense Stipe Miocic will unquestionably be the UFC’s greatest heavyweight champion. Until that day, everything is simply based on opinion.

Do you think Stipe Miocic is the greatest UFC heavyweight of all time?

Jonathan Salmon is a writer, martial arts instructor, and geek culture enthusiast. Check out his Twitter and Facebook to keep up with his antics.

The post Fallout: Is Stipe Miocic The Greatest UFC Heavyweight Of All Time? appeared first on Cagepotato.

Fallout: Is Stipe Miocic The Greatest UFC Heavyweight Of All Time?

It’s funny what they say about headlines that end in a question mark. Most of the time the answer to the proposed question will be no and in this case that tends to be my initial gut reaction. But that doesn’t mean that this is a topic that is without merit or one that shouldn’t be explored. In fact, it makes researching and finding the evidence for or against all the more intriguing. So let’s take a moment to really consider whether or not Stipe Miocic deserves the title of the greatest heavyweight the UFC has ever seen.

The post Fallout: Is Stipe Miocic The Greatest UFC Heavyweight Of All Time? appeared first on Cagepotato.

It’s funny what they say about headlines that end in a question mark. Most of the time the answer to the proposed question will be no and in this case that tends to be my initial gut reaction. But that doesn’t mean that this is a topic that is without merit or one that shouldn’t be explored. In fact, it makes researching and finding the evidence for or against all the more intriguing. So let’s take a moment to really consider whether or not Stipe Miocic deserves the title of the greatest heavyweight the UFC has ever seen.

With his victory at UFC 211 over former champion Junior dos Santos we saw a Stipe Miocic who was hungry for the finish, hungry to prove that he first loss to the former heavyweight kingpin was simply just a bump in the road. During his UFC tenure, Stipe Miocic has lost to only two men, one being Stefan Struve and the other Junior dos Santos. In fact, these are the only two blemishes on the heavyweight champion’s resume. Every other match has seen him taking a pretty clear cut victory and as such demonstrating just how sharp a fighter Miocic is.

That said, it still does boggle the mind that Stefan Struve was able to best the champ, but that’s a case of been there done that and move on. Struve is a tough fight for anyone in the UFC heavyweight division, but he does have the tendency to stray away from game plans and get himself in big trouble. Yes, it was years ago and yes it was Miocic’s first main event, but still it just seems pretty interesting to me.

At the risk of sounding like a prick, I need you to hear me out.

Losing to Stefan Struve is by no means a reason to sulk. The man is a giant after all with some good skills. But I mention this loss to Struve because it’s the turning point that has made Miocic into the beast he is today, that and his only other loss coming at the hands of dos Santos. You see, after the Stefan Struve fight we saw Stipe Miocic evolve as a fighter inside the cage. Not only did he throw away the slugger mentality that he seemed to adopt in the earlier portion of his career, he became more well rounded in his approach to fights. After his loss to Struve we saw a Stipe Miocic that chose to utilize his wrestling in conjunction with his striking. He would set up his combination punching with both faked and honest takedown attempts. We saw him focus more on versatility rather than simply what boxing combination would be best for the finish. Frankly, we saw the birth of a future champion in taking that first devastating loss.

So the question remains, is Stipe Miocic the greatest heavyweight in UFC history? That really all depends on how you look at things. He has yet to face the wrecking ball Cain Velasquez and could miss the opportunity completely based on the rate of injury we see from the former champion. But even if he never faced Velasquez, considering the fact that he was able to best Junior dos Santos, Fabricio Werdum, Mark Hunt, Roy Nelson, Gabriel Gonzaga, Andrei Arlovski and Alistair Overeem during his UFC tenure makes you sit back and really wonder. The best heavyweights in the sports history are undoubtedly Fedor Emelianenko, Antonio Nogueira, and Farbicio Werdum. Stipe Miocic handily defeated one name on that list under the UFC umbrella. That in itself adds weight to the argument that he’s the promotion’s greatest heavyweight.

Considering that the most times a UFC heavyweight belt has been defended is twice, it gives way to the argument that with a third title defense Stipe Miocic will unquestionably be the UFC’s greatest heavyweight champion. Until that day, everything is simply based on opinion.

Do you think Stipe Miocic is the greatest UFC heavyweight of all time?

Jonathan Salmon is a writer, martial arts instructor, and geek culture enthusiast. Check out his Twitter and Facebook to keep up with his antics.

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Fallout: Al Iaquinta Battling For More Pay Should Be A Wake Up Call For The UFC

So, another week, another UFC event where fighters put it all on the line for a chance at glory. Cub Swanson and Artem Lobov had a pretty entertaining scrap in which ‘The Russian Hammer’ showed that he’s perhaps more talented than we first gave him credit for. Lobov by no means is a world beater, but the fact that he was competitive with Cub Swanson shows that he does indeed have some talent. With so many different fights on the card it’s hard to pick one out of the bunch to highlight. But for me, one fighter comes to mind more than anyone else and that’s Al Iaquinta.

The post Fallout: Al Iaquinta Battling For More Pay Should Be A Wake Up Call For The UFC appeared first on Cagepotato.

So, another week, another UFC event where fighters put it all on the line for a chance at glory. Cub Swanson and Artem Lobov had a pretty entertaining scrap in which ‘The Russian Hammer’ showed that he’s perhaps more talented than we first gave him credit for. Lobov by no means is a world beater, but the fact that he was competitive with Cub Swanson shows that he does indeed have some talent. With so many different fights on the card it’s hard to pick one out of the bunch to highlight. But for me, one fighter comes to mind more than anyone else and that’s Al Iaquinta.

The Strong Island native (that’s right, I said it) proved once again why he should be considered a hot commodity in the UFC. The guy is young, talented, and sharp when it comes to his striking ability. With a two year lay off, people were thinking that Al Iaquinta may not have had that pop anymore, that the sport was leaving him in the rear view. He shut up those critics pretty emphatically with his knockout victory over veteran Diego Sanchez. The interesting part about the win for ‘Raging’ Al however was the fact that he didn’t truly have a chance to enjoy the fruits of his labor.

While I still believe that the UFC is the biggest, brightest, and most talent rich promotion in the world, it’s becoming obvious that fighters are getting more and more disgruntled. When you consider the fact that Iaquinta received $26,000 to show and another $26,000 to win, it’s easy to see why the talented lightweight would consider walking away from the sport. He could easily find himself up there with some of the best of the best in the lightweight division and the fact that he’s getting underpaid to knockout fighters that are getting paid more than him is a major issue that the promotion needs to solve.

Make no mistake, Al Iaquinta could easily become a star in the UFC. He could have New York on his back much in the same vain his stablemate Chris Weidman has been doing for years now. But if the UFC is content to let their high level talent seek other employment because they won’t show them the money, then you can bet your ass that Al Iaquinta will be taking his real estate career pretty damn seriously moving forward.

Do you think the UFC is making a mistake not paying Al Iaquinta the big bucks?

Jonathan Salmon is a writer, martial arts instructor, and geek culture enthusiast. Check out his Twitter and Facebook to keep up with his antics.

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