How much fun was last night? Last night is one of those examples to why MMA is the best sport in the world. I truly mean. I love Baseball, and Football, but there is nothing like big fight nights. It cant be duplicated in any other sport. All that said, here is a few of my takeaways from last night, and also some predictions on the future after the results from last nights match-ups.
Jorge Masvidal is fighting Covington/Usman next, not Diaz.
Nate Diaz showed his legendary durability last night. He took a beating from Masvidal as I expected. Masvidal’s boxing was way crisper than Diaz’s and his power was really the difference. I know the fight was stopped due to the cut, but honestly I don’t think much would have changed. I don’t think Jorge would have finished Nate, but he was well on his way to a 50-45, 50-44, type decision. This BMF thing was cool for a night, anything after this will seem forced, and I think interest will wane a bit. The best bet for Masvidal is to go home and chill, have some Tequila and Pineapple Pizza and wait for Colby and Usman to work out their drama and face the winner Mid-2020.
As for Diaz, he needs to get the surgery to fix his scar tissue and have a real fight camp, so maybe these cuts won’t be as big of an issue. We know the Diaz boys bleed when you look at them wrong, and that cost Diaz last night, dearly. As for fights, I say just wait and do the McGregor rubber match. It’s the biggest fight left for Diaz, and regardless of what happens with McGregor, the fight will sell. Diaz has nothing to prove, wait for that McGregor trilogy and heal up.
The Judges scorecards should be displayed in between rounds on the Jumbo Tron with names attached.
30-27 Gastelum???? I would love to know the thought process that went into not scoring a single round for Darren Till. It blows my freaking mind. It is time to hold these judges accountable, display those scorecards in between rounds. The fighters, the refs, corners, and teams are all subject to scrutiny. Guys, its long, long overdue. Darren Till fought a very technical fight last night. I was surprised that Gastelum was not able to get inside on Till like he had with Israel Adesanya. It was not the barn burner fight that everyone expected, but a great win for Till against a guy who brought the champion to the absolute brink, last April. What’s next for Till? He immediately becomes a top 5/6 guy and can pick from Robert Whittaker or Jared Cannonier, and possibly Yoel Romero. Stay tuned.
Kevin Lee stuns me.
The surest bet to me last night was Kevin Lee losing to Gregor Gillespie. Either that, or Lee knocks him stone cold dead. I clearly have no clue. Lee, who was battling Staph again, turned out Gillespie’s lights. His low stance was a great checkmate to Gillespie’s wrestle heavy approach. Lee was also humble post-fight. Lee getting his head straight means bad things for the 155lb division. The kid oozes talent, and TriStar is the gym to harness it. Good for Lee.
The Dog gets brought out of Wonderboy.
Guys, I love Stephen Thompson. He is usually tentative and gun shy, as Keith Shillan pointed out on The Fook podcast Friday. Great analysis in my view, and dead on. Luque can take a beating and is so durable, that fight rightfully won the fight of the night, as I had predicted. What is next for Wonderboy? Man, I don’t know. I would like to see a Tyron Woodley rematch. I doubt that will happen. What is Leon Edwards doing?
The middleweight division rules.
Edmen Shabazyhan is for real. That is a good thing for the middleweight division. I am dreaming on Shabazyhan, who’s just Twenty-One, matching up with Whittaker, Adesanya and company. Middleweight went through an adjustment period, with some top talent moving up, but the division is back, and incredibly interesting.
Give Derrick Lewis Greg Hardy or Jairzinho Rozenstruik
Why not? If Hardy can get past Alexander Volkov next weekend, then that’s the fight to make. If not, Rozenstruik and Lewis is all that is good about life.
Donald Trump shows up at Madison Square Garden.
Forget whether you are a Republican, Democrat, Anarchist or whatever for a minute and just think about the fact that a sitting President is tweeting about, and showing up to UFC events. The sports has come a long way from John McCain(Who is a motherfucking war hero) trying to have the sport banned outright. To everyone who has been around a long time, especially media members, I salute you. Honestly, I do.
Johnnie Walker hype train derailed.
If you were ever on it. I was one of those guys preaching patience. Walker fights like a total goofball. He did so again last night. His technique is absolutely brutal. His fight IQ is even worse. If you were one of those people who thought for a second this guy could ever challenge Jones, I recommend rethinking Jones greatness for one, and remembering Walker has got ion’s to go, if he ever gets there. As for Corey Anderson, I would be okay if they gave him a title shot. I wouldn’t love it over Dominick Reyes, but I wouldn’t demand blood.
Final Thoughts.
As stacked as this card was, I am ready to move on to UFC 245. 245 is one of the most stacked cards I can remember in recent memory, with 3 title fights booked, and some amazing under card stuff. I can’t remember a better time to be a fan of the UFC, they are pushing all the right buttons content-wise right now. Last night was a landmark event. Diaz and Masvidal should be proud, and serve as a lesson to other fighters, you’re just one great knockout away from catching fire, and headlining, and making huge money.
Thanks guys! Podcast today drops at 4ish with Juice from fighting with myself pod!