Tag: Features

Fallout: Alexander Gustafsson Is Redefining Striking At Light Heavyweight

Well, that was both beautiful and hard to watch wasn’t it. Alexander Gustafsson solidified his position as the third best light heavyweight in the world with an absolutely dominant performance over the tough Glover Teixeira at UFC Fight Night 109. It was bloody, it was brutal, and it was a true masterclass in striking. Watching the battle unfold before my eyes, I caught glimpses of pure brilliance from Alexander Gustafsson who lived up to his moniker as “The Mauler” as he showed off is fast hands en route to a knockout victory. There was boxing and kickboxing on full display with some shades of karate mixed in. But not everyone was a fan of Gustasfsson’s style.

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Well, that was both beautiful and hard to watch wasn’t it. Alexander Gustafsson solidified his position as the third best light heavyweight in the world with an absolutely dominant performance over the tough Glover Teixeira at UFC Fight Night 109. It was bloody, it was brutal, and it was a true masterclass in striking. Watching the battle unfold before my eyes, I caught glimpses of pure brilliance from Alexander Gustafsson who lived up to his moniker as “The Mauler” as he showed off is fast hands en route to a knockout victory. There was boxing and kickboxing on full display with some shades of karate mixed in. But not everyone was a fan of Gustasfsson’s style.

Several different times the Swedish warrior would dodge heavy leather, duck out to the side, then sprint around the octagon and back to the center of the cage. Many people, including middleweight champion Michael Bisping and lightweight legend Gilbert Melendez, were outraged with Gustasfsson’s willingness to turn tail and run.

It’s totally understandable how this could be frowned upon, particularly when you consider that Gustafsson could have turned his sprinting into legitimate counter opportunities.

But you know what, I didn’t mind the tactic one bit and here’s why.

Alexander Gustafsson has been in a few wars already in the cage. Taking punishment shouldn’t be par for the course of being a warrior. Yes, perhaps he could have weaved, pivoted out and landed the same beautiful fight ending combination he showed off in the fifth round. But maybe he could have pivoted out and come face to face with a Teixeira left hook and see his title hopes vanish in an instant. The art of fighting isn’t about how much damage you can take and throw back (though that is a great Rocky quote). Nope. It’s about dishing out the punishment and avoiding punishment at all costs.

To some of you, simply saying that may sound like a cop out, but let’s really consider this for a moment. I’ve been punched in the face enough times to realize that staying in the pocket and brawling isn’t my cup of tea. No one goes into a fight just for the hell of it. You go in to win it and that means not getting your head knocked loose from your body. Alexander Gustafsson took the path of least resistance and at the end of the day secured a big win.

As for the actual fight itself, Alexander Gustafsson showed much improvement in his striking game. Not only did he land his jab on numerous occasion, he also seems to have become proficient in setting up elbow strikes as well.

Gustafsson also showed off a few karate based attacks with a spinning back kick, a blitz, and even fighting from both orthodox and southpaw stances.

By the end of the fight, Glover Teixeira had no clue what his opponent would do next, yet he valiantly hung in there. But despite his heart, we saw no real versatility from Teixeira. Barely any kicks, not enough feints, and a willingness to throw all his punches to the head rather than varying the levels of his attacks.

When all was said and done, it was Gustafsson’s uppercuts that won the day as he finished with a flurry. The work he was doing with his lead hand throughout the bout made it easy for him to gauge the range for his uppercuts of death followed by the overhand right of doom that closed the show.

While the haters and uninitiated will talk crap about Gustafsson and even this very article, “The Mauler” will be collecting checks and readying himself for another crack at the UFC light heavyweight belt. Let’s just appreciate the fact that Alexander Gustafsson figured out a way to beat the opposition without taking punishment in return and adding to his highlight reel. But though he may have had success getting away with the sprinting in this fight, it may not work against a man like Jon Jones you isn’t shy about throwing kicks.

Is Alexander Gustafsson the best striker at light heavyweight?

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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UFC Fight Night 109 Analysis: Alexander Gustafsson Battles Glover Teixeira On Home Turf

I’ve been gone for a minute but I’m back now and I’m ready to dig deep into one of the more anticipated fights of the year. Alexander Gustafsson battles Glover Teixeira right in his backyard, Stockholm, Sweden. While both men have been on the cusp of winning UFC gold, both are still very dangerous fighters with interesting tools in their arsenal. Both are strikers with more than enough capability to switch things up and fight in all different phases of the game. But which one has what it takes to get the W this weekend?

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I’ve been gone for a minute but I’m back now and I’m ready to dig deep into one of the more anticipated fights of the year. Alexander Gustafsson battles Glover Teixeira right in his backyard, Stockholm, Sweden. While both men have been on the cusp of winning UFC gold, both are still very dangerous fighters with interesting tools in their arsenal. Both are strikers with more than enough capability to switch things up and fight in all different phases of the game. But which one has what it takes to get the W this weekend?

Like his current foe, Alexander Gustafsson has only lost to the best of the best of the division. Two close battles and a poor performance against Anthony Johnson have been the only losses to sully his record in the last few years and while you would think it would deter Swedish mixed martial artist from taking a step back, he has instead ramped things up. Alexander Gustafsson looks like a man on a mission and seems poised to put on the performance of his career against Teixeira. While he may be a striker at heart, in recent years we’ve seen Gustafsson turn into an all around mixed martial artist complete with takedowns.

Gustafsson is tenacious with his wrestling. Once he decides he wants to put you down and he’s in on your hips, you can rest assured that his man is going for a ride. But nonetheless, it’s his striking that’s going to do a great deal of the work in this fight as always. He has slick movement, an educated jab, and a variety of kicking techniques in his arsenal. The front kick and knees will be his best friends in this fight and should be used, to maintain his distance as well as his jab. Once he senses Teixeira wants to rush into the pocket for a left hook or takedown, uppercuts will likely go flying towards his foe’s chin to put the lights out or at least deter a follow up.

Glover Teixeira like Gustafsson before him felt the wrath of Anthony Johnson’s power last August, suffering a devastating knockout in the process. That said, Teixeira has since come back with a victory over tough prospect Jared Cannonier at UFC 208 this past February. While he has been getting the job done with his fists as of late, Teixeira’s last bout once again showcased his underrated grappling attack. He is proficient at securing a single leg and transitioning to a double leg takedown if his first attempt is stuffed. Once on the ground, Teixeira will either land ground and pound or search for a submission, most often a guillotine choke.

But just like his opponent, Glover Teixeira is a striker at heart and as such he plays aggressive counter striker looking for his opportunity to catch an opponent with crushing punches. He gets in his opponent’s faces, forces them to commit, then slips their punches with bobbing and weaving head movement. Once he slips past their strikes Teixeira returns fire with a left or right hook to either the body or the head. If he can pressure Gustafsson against the cage then you can bet that some helacious hooks will be coming his way.

This could decide the next challenger for the UFC light heavyweight title. Will Alexander Gustafsson get another crack? Can Glover Teixeira prove he still has something left kin the tank?

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Bellator 179: Paul Daley Looks To Validate Himself With A Win Over Rory MacDonald

Let’s be honest with ourselves here. When the this bout was first announced the initial reaction was that of pure excitement. While the modern day UFC execs want you to believe that there isn’t a possibility of exciting fights outside of the promotion. Paul Daley versus Rory MacDonald is example of just how crazy that thought process truly is. Each of these men bring something to the table to make this an immensely intriguing bout.

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Let’s be honest with ourselves here. When the this bout was first announced the initial reaction was that of pure excitement. While the modern day UFC execs want you to believe that there isn’t a possibility of exciting fights outside of the promotion. Paul Daley versus Rory MacDonald is example of just how crazy that thought process truly is. Each of these men bring something to the table to make this an immensely intriguing bout.

The style clash in this match is pretty intriguing. Where Rory MacDonald may have a more well rounded game, Paul Daley is the slugger that can put anyone out with a couple of well placed shots. Daley has always done well playing the aggressive counter striker, specifically when you consider the fact that he has dynamite in his fist. His kicks and knees are also incredibly destructive as many a victim as discovered. His most recent victim Brennan Ward had to learn the hard way that you either create distance and separate from Daley or face the crushing consequences.

Daley has the tools to win this fight, but it’s a matter of staying disciplined throughout. He can’t stay on the center line and expect to do work against MacDonald. Instead, he’s going to have to offer a moving target for the former UFC title challenger as to avoid being taken to the ground. His left hook to the head followed up with another to the body will help to keep MacDonald’s hands at home. A well placed cross or over hand right will also deter the Canadian from throwing out his jab recklessly. Leg kicks should also help, but he’ll need to set things up with either a jab or left hook as standing right in front of MacDonald is simply a recipe for disaster.

On the other hand you have Rory MacDonald who is much more of an all around technician. Rather than come into fights with go to weapons that makes him feared by the opposition, what really makes him such a danger fighter is his ability to game plan, search for weaknesses in his opponent’s game and attack it with calculated precision. MacDonald is the type of fighter that will find out exactly what you want to do, file it away for further study, then exploit that weakness as the bout carries on. Coming from TriStar you can expect nothing less. They tailor their game to their opponents. But you can always expect to see one element that remains constant. The jab.

Rory MacDonald is proficient at throwing the jab and should really am to use it against a striker the caliber of Daley. But rather than just use the jab as a range finder or set up, MacDonald needs to vary the way he utilizes the strike. Daley will likely look to counter off of the jab so full commitment in the first round should be saved for when MacDonald becomes used to the distance. He should use the jab as a range finder first, then as a set up, then as an actual snappy hurting punch. Rory should also utilize his kicking game as much as possible. MacDonald is more than likely going to be the man to initiate the wrestling game so he should be aiming to use kicks as much as possible, particularly the front snap kick that will both wind Daley and keep the slugger at bay.

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This will be one of the highest profile Bellator fights ever, particularly when you consider how highly touted Rory MacDonald is. This is a shining opportunity for Paul Daley to play spoiler and build his and Bellator’s brand. That alone makes this fight one to watch.

Who do you got?

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: 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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