Tag: Daniel Cormier

Khabib Nurmagomedov Retires An Undefeated Champion

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Blogger’s Note: It’s been an emotional few days in MMA land hence why this took until Wednesday to get up. Lots to process.

Khabib Nurmagomedov was as close to his father as anyone could be.

Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov did more than raise his son. He mentored him. He coached him. In how to live his life. In the sports of judo, wrestling, and sambo, the latter of which Khabib became a recognized International Master of Sport, in both its combat and non-combat forms.

To see his son become a champion in MMA was Abdulmanap’s dream. A dream shared by a young Khabib, not just for himself, but for his father who he revered immeasurably.

Khabib’s MMA journey took him from Dagestan, a mountainous area of Russia on the Caspian Sea, to Northern California, where he linked up with the American Kickboxing Academy, its head ocach Javier Mendez, and a slew of world class training partners. Khabib brought friends. His crew included fighters from Dagestan and Chechnya, including fellow Abdulmanap pupils such as Islam Makhachev. Over the years someone within the AKA camp could not be asked about the elder Nurmagomedov without espousing a rare reverence, a respect that was palpable in each syllable of the response.

There was a hiccup in Khabib’s jet setting journey. His normal schedule/process would be to live back home in Dagestan and come back to the west coast for training camps, which lasted for a few months before every fight. However, visa issues hounded Abdulmanap, “Father,” as Khabib always called him, and he was unable to coach his son under the AKA roof or attend his fights in Vegas or elsewhere in the United States. It had to of sucked for his son, to put it plainly.

But as we all know, that was pretty much the only thing going wrong for Khabib. He was wrecking shop in the 155 pound division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He was going through Lightweights like a great white in a koi pond. His style of dogged chain wrestling and impeccable ground technique led opponents to reflect that they felt like they were “drowning” under his pressure. They felt. Like they were actually drowning. Consider that for a moment.

It became hard indeed for “The Eagle” to even get a fight. Why would a top-10 fighter risk taking a fight against a seemingly emotionless Russian wrestler destined to grind him into dust on the ground, ending in a hail of Khabib’s patented vicious ground and pound or submission? Why would anyone want to risk their standing in the division against an opponent who was still unknown outside of MMA circles because he had just begun to grasp speaking English, an ugly necessity to finding superstardom in the West, and who would not just beat them, but expose them. Expose them as not as up to snuff in their chosen craft as a professional. Expose them as simply not as good as they had been considered before the 15 or less minutes spent in the cage with Khabib.

Eventually though, the UFC could deny him no more. Under his father’s tutelage back home and under the watchful eye of Mendez in California, he had simply become too good, no, too dominant to ignore. He had even developed a bit of a sense of humor on the mic he had developed a persona of sorts. It was subtle. He was still his surly, stoic, Eastern Bloc self. Yet in a, dare I say, Pedro Martinez-esque way, he seemed to grasp that people were enamored with the Russian-accented deadpans he answered questions with. He called topics he felt scorn for “#1 bullshit.” Khabib finding his self-awareness out of the cage will always be his second greatest accomplishment, professionally at least.

His coming out party came against long-time Lightweight contender Michael Johnson. Although 1-2 in his last three fights, “The Menace” had just knocked out young stud Dustin Poirier (remember that name) in his last fight and was known to have lightning fast hands, as well as a decent junior college wrestling background to boot, regardless of how little he used it. Khabib destroyed him. Despite taking what looked like a couple of good pops from Johnson early on he proceeded to do what he did to just about every other opponent he faced: he got a hold of Johnson, tore him to the ground, and mauled him. One of the top nightmare fuel moments in maybe all of sports is the video, and for some of us, the memory, of Khabib pounding on Johnson while on top of him, pleading with his foe to quit.

“You have to give up, I need to fight for the title. You know this, I deserve this. Out of everybody I deserve this. Hey! I need to fight for the title.”

He was beating the ever loving shit out of a man he wanted to show mercy to. A man who he himself was a vaunted, professional hand-to-hand combatant. But Khabib wasn’t going to let that soft spot in his heart get in the way of his and his father’s destiny.

After the Johnson fight, Khabib polished off another constant in the top ranks at 155lbs, Edson Barboza, to earn a shot at the belt in April of 2018 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY. The interim belt was held by Tony Ferguson, a man Khabib always seemed destined to fight and would be matched up with FIVE FUCKING TIMES. Ferguson got hurt either, depending on which story you believe, kicking a light pole or tripping over some wires and was pulled less than a week before the fight. And the regular, non-interim belt? Conor McGregor beat Eddie Alvarez for the regular belt in 2016 but was off somewhere doing blow or pouring whiskey off a hooker’s ass or both, all after trying to throw a dolly at his new chosen nemesis, Nurmagomedoc, threw a bus window. Fun stuff. Either way he wasn’t around, and after Ferguson dropped out, Khabib would be matched up on short notice with Max Holloway, who almost died from a short notice weight cut. Finally, local boy Al Iaquinta stepped in and took a five round beating. Khabib notably kept the fight standing for most of the 25 minutes to show off his hands a bit more and was now the champ. He and his father’s mission was complete, almost.

The Eagle was now 26-0 and the king of his hill. He had always been honest in the past about not wanting to fight forever. He wanted not for money, possessions, or fame. He wanted to be a champion, to be the best at what he did, solidify that position, and walk away. A lot of athletes, particularly in combat sports, have taken this posture over the years. But Khabib meant it, and we knew it. But when would he leave? When he was 30 years old seemed like a good time and was mentioned a few times over the years. However, as of winning the belt he was only six months shy of that mark so it was unlikely if not no longer feasible – he had a little more work to do. Eventually, Abdulmanap and Khabib settled on 30-0. A nice round number to walk away at. So who would the last four victims be?

First there was McGregor, who by this time had become both an international superstar and an international menace to the public. There were rumors of coke and hooker sprees in Dublin. There was the attack on the bus at the Barclays. It was a shitshow. As a matter of fact, at that point the only thing it seemed Conor could concentrate on was his disdain for Khabib, his way of life, his religion, and his general existence. By the time the cage door shut behind them in October 2018, I was surprised they could be kept apart for the introductions. Khabib throttled McGregor. Sure, he lost the third round, only one of two he’s ever conceded in his career. But it’s been confirmed beyond any reasonable doubt since that the champ took the third off to get ready for the fourth, when he forced McGregor to tap to a neck crank and then leaped over the cage to attack the rest of the Irishman’s disrespectful posse. He and members of his team would be suspended for that ugly incident, one of the only times we’d see his emotions get the best of him. 27-0.

Next was Dustin Poirier, an all around good story and good guy. He had taken losses at 145 and 155 lbs, including the aforementioned to Michael Johnson and kept climbing, kept fighting. He was now back, a black belt in BJJ with quick, hard hands, ready to earn what he had worked so hard for. Khabib, a lifelong devout Muslim like most in Dagestan, was given the opportunity to defend his belt in Abu Dhabi, a city that built an arena just for their brother in Islam. Even better, Abdulmanap could attend, and even corner, his son for the first time since he entered the UFC. It was a special moment. In “behind the scenes” videos, you could see the love, respect, and admiration Khabib had for his father. You could even see the latter feelings coming from Javier Mendez, himself considered one of the best coaches in the game. Other than a brief, tight, guillotine attempt Poirier didn’t have much to offer Khabib, and wound up stuck on his knees against the fence in the third round, one less than McGregor when he found himself in the same position. The Eagle locked in a rear naked choke and made it to 28-0 by September of 2019.

He wanted to take some time off after the Poirier fight, and he had earned it. 2020 rolled around and Khabib was booked, for what would be the last time, against Ferguson. Then Covid hit. All hell broke loose. Sports of any kind shut down, including the UFC. Khabib, who had been at AKA for the Ferguson fight, went home, expecting to defend his belt at some point back in Abu Dhabi where the UFC was thought to be able to make friendly deals to put fights on, Covid be damned. Dana White, ever the expert scrambler, was able to get fights scheduled in Florida mere weeks after the pandemic hit, promising and delivering extra testing precautions and fighter isolation policies. He then secured the same set up for the UFC Apex, basically a training and exhibition facility, in Las Vegas. The Khabib-Ferguson fight date was drawing near. But Khabib was far, far away in Russia and couldn’t get back into the country. Left with no alternative and roster chock full of exciting talent that needed to fight and advance division, White and co. matched Ferguson up against Justin Gaethje, the most entertaining and by leaps and bound most violent man in the sport. Gaethje decided to become a chess master as well and outclassed Ferguson for almost the whole fight, beating the bag out of the outlandishly durable Ferguson before earning a standing TKO in the 5th. Khabib-Ferguson was not to be.

So Khabib-Gaethje was the fight to make. As a matter of fact, there was already talk of what would be Khabib’s 30th fight after he made Gaethje victim 29. McGregor again? Book a Ferguson fight anyway, as a swan song? Was this all irrelevant and this new, cerebral version of Justin Gaethje was finally the antidote to the scourge Khabib brought to the division? All these questions were asked and then withdrawn just as quick as tragedy struck. Abdulmanap, Khabib’s father, coach, and catalyst behind all his aspirations contracted Covid-19. There were rumors, off and on, about him recovering or doing better; He was brought to Moscow, where he presumably could receive better care, that befitting a man who was now a revered national sports hero. It just wasn’t enough. He died on July 3, 2020 at 57 years old. I remember the texts and social media posts on 4th of July weekend and feeling mournful, not just for a man I never met, but his son, a man my age who had lost a Dad he loved so dearly.

People wondered if Khabib would even fight again. They didn’t have to wonder long as the fight with Gaethje was booked for October 24th, this past Saturday, in Dubai. The UFC had turned a piece of the elaborately wealthy city into “Fight Island,” ostensibly for both another “bubble” to hold fights and for international fighters to have a place to ply their trade while travel restrictions remain in place. A grieving Khabib, meanwhile, held his whole camp in Dagestan and Dubai, never coming stateside. I believe Mendez and some team members arrived in Dubai maybe a month ago to aid in final preparations.

There was a heaviness to Khabib during fight week. While he has always been fairly stoic, he was clearly worn down. One could probably fairly infer he was grieving. What more could conjur memories of his father than fighting? Of talks of titles and glory and accomplishments? This was supposed to be his second to last walk. His second to last trip to the cage before he walked away at a perfect 30-0, just as he and “Father” had planned.

Leading up to the fights, pundits had their opinions. Gaethje’s power and accuracy would be an issue, but his lower leg kicks would be the huge problem. How would Khabib close distance and drive off his legs, a necessary physical part of wrestling, to get his opponent to the mat if those very legs were compromised? It was for sure a fair question. As the 24th neared however, it became clearer that Khabib was the favorite. He would do what was needed, no, what must be done, to beat Gaethje.

A different Khabib walked into that cage. His movement was a little different, he was not bouncing and moving his head in his patented, sort of controlled twitch as much as he normally did (partner and future reality show co-star Daniel Cormier does a fantastic impression of this) (Seriously those two need their own show). Instead he walked Gaethje down. He stalked the ultimate stalker. He threw straight punches, avoided or took Gaethje’s own hands, and ate those vaunted leg kicks. I can’t say for sure but the most violent man in the sport looked shook. Khabib ended the first round in mount and found the position again in the second. He proceeded to pull off a rare mounted triangle, which he later said he did so he did not have to use an arm bar and potentially hurt Gaethje in front of his parents, and won by technical submission in the second round. The ref never saw the tap and Gaethje went to sleep.

We’d seen anger from Khabib. We’d seen the aura of sadness in press conferences and interviews after his father died. We’d never seen the outpouring of emotion we saw next. He waved his teammates and corner away and, all alone, as alone as he probably felt without his father there, in the center of the octagon dropped to his knees, head in his hands, tears no longer held back behind his own iron curtain.

He eventually got up. And not to brag or seem any wiser than I am, I noticed, I saw what he was doing with his hands. And as he exhaled, loudly and hard, and began speaking to John Anik about the fight and how he was feeling, he finished taking off his gloves and confirmed mine and many other’s suspicions. That this was it. That he would could not fight without his father here. That his mother had asked him to not even take this one. But he got it done one last time anyway. No more though. The 30 was for his father, and his father was gone. The journey would end and The Eagle would fly away at 29-0.

Immediately, it was speculated if the retirement would stick. I think it does. I think the only way he comes back is if he fully grieves and one of two things happens. First is if something materializes with Georges St. Pierre, a kindred spirit stylistically, mentally, philosophically, and competitively. GSP has long said he’d only come back for Khabib. They intrigue each other. The GSP fight, should Abdulmanap not have passed away, probably would have been Khabib’s last fight. It would have cemented his legacy, which has always been his goal beyond anything else. The odds of this happening are slim. St Pierre will be 40 in May. Who knows what weight he’d want to cut to another year added to that (which I’m guessing Khabib would need). There’s too many pieces to put together. Add that to the fact that I don’t think either would ever call the other out, and the stand off alone makes this idea far fetched. The other possibility, one which I don’t think Khabib would admit to, is if Tony Ferguson becomes champion somehow, the decimation at the hands of Gaethje be damned, and Khabib finds the motivation to fight him. If Ferguson were to somehow reclimb the mountain and grab the belt, he’d undoubtedly call out Khabib. The Ferguson fight is one Khabib wanted for a long time. One he felt he needed to win to certify himself as the King of the 155 pound division. Would Ferguson holding the strap he laid down be enough for Nurmagomedov to come back? Maybe. But Ferguson is already 36 and faces an uphill battle in an absolute shark tank of a division. Either way, I just don’t see either scenario playing out.

Khabib wanted to be known as the greatest. In his weight class, pound for pound, overall, in all of MMA. Although he became rich in those pursuits, the material world never mattered to him. He wanted for himself what his father wanted. And now he’s fought and won 29 times against the greatest the world had to throw at him and his father is gone and he is done fighting. He doesn’t feel the need to compete to prove a point anymore. I really think he’s done.

So, is he the GOAT? That’s the question that has plagued twitter and MMA media for the past few days. He asked to be named the pound-for-pound #1 is his conversation with Anik post-fight. He needed that, I think, for closure, for peace of mind. To make up for the 30. The UFC granted his wish. He now, on their board, ranks above anyone else in the world regardless of weight-class. The highest level of mixed martial arts considers Khabib the best. Of all time? That gets tricky. GSP is usually the name I drop here. However he coasted to many a decision and took a couple of Ls, one each to Matt Serra and Matt Hughes, along the way. Anderson Silva is another fine candidate. However I think a PED pop should count you out and unfortunately Silva had one, albeit late in his career. Then there’s that other guy. One man who is often mentioned in that spot, Jon Jones, took to twitter and lambasted that concept. He still feels he is owed the GOAT title. He certainly has the accolades. However, I personally think how those wins are earned matters. Khabib dominated, plain and simple. There was never a moment, in any fight, where you wondered who the better fighter was (this is where someone mentions the Gleison Tibau fight and I roll my eyes. Khabib did what he had to against a roided up beast and still won. Get over it). Jones on the other hand has won his last two by contentious decision, one of which was of the split variety. He also had his legendary duel with Alexander Gustafsson in 2013 that really could have gone either way. Jones blamed it on the partying, but that can’t matter. There have been moments where we could have wondered if we were seeing the end of Jon Jones. We’ve never wondered with Khabib.

Khabib Nurmagomedov, son, student, and best friend of Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov. Is the greatest of all time.


-Joey B.

Khabib Nurmagomedov Loses His Mind at UFC 229, Jumps Into the Crowd to Fight Conor McGregor’s Teammate

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You talk shit long enough and sooner or later someone’s going to make you pay for it. That’s exactly what happened last night at UFC 229 as Conor McGregor got submitted by Khabib Nurmagomedov via rear naked choke in the 4th Round. It was a humbling loss in a fight that McGregor was outclassed in on the ground. He never got into a rhythm and was unable to land enough strikes to ever really faze Khabib who just methodically took McGregor down time and time again with superior grappling skills.

The end right?

Not exactly.

Rather than revel in the victory Khabib instead lost his shit. He literally jumped out of the octagon and attacked, what the broadcast team ID’d as, McGregor’s jiu jitsu coach. A guy who just defended his crown and snuffed a loudmouth literally jumped the fence to fight a guy in the crowd. Then all hell broke loose and you could hear Joe Rogan’s legit concern on the broadcast, “No, no, no, don’t do this!”

It was like a scene straight out of the WWE, but this was anything but fake. Khabib’s buddy and fellow champion Daniel Cormier even had to come out of the crowd in an effort to calm the dude down.

Worst of all, what appeared to be one of Khabib’s teammates jumped INTO the ring and sucker punched McGregor from behind, who was up until that point not participating in the chaos.

I’m sure Dana White was counting the PPV sales in his head for a rematch, but he told Khabib you are not getting this belt in front of this crowd right now.

To be fair, McGregor talked shit for weeks leading up to the fight, and there was the whole Brooklyn bus incident so a lot of people in my twitter mentions were saying Conor got what he deserved. But last night was different, the post fight mayhem was just dirtier.

Khabib had a press conference somewhere past my bedtime and while he did offer an apology, he still didn’t seem to understand the issue with what had just happened.

“I no understand how people can talk about I jump on cage,” Nurmagomedov said. “He talk about my religion, he talk about my country, he talk about my father. He come to Brooklyn, and he broke bus. He almost kill a couple people, worry about this (expletive). Why people talk about I jump on cage? Why people still talk about this? I no understand. My California seven years. Everybody know who I am. All my friends. Everybody who know me, they know who I am.”

Listen, it’s cage fighting. Naturally the sport is going to attract some crazy fellas, but brawling with people in the crowd while your teammate is sucker punching a fighter in the octagon is a bad, bad look for Team Khabib.

Three of Khabib’s teammates were arrested after the shenanigans, but it seems like everyone agreed to just call it a night.

“Per UFC president Dana White, the three members of Khabib’s team that were directly involved in the post-fight brawl were taken into custody, but were subsequently released after McGregor decided not to press charges. He also confirmed that Khabib’s cheque has been withheld by the Commission.”

Wild, wild night and McGregor’s already planning for a rematch.

FloCombat Just Posted This Video Of A UFC 178 Pre-Fight Press Engagement….Listen To The End

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…Just really spooky. Jones probably has had that in his back pocket ever since. Insane how cerebral some of these guys are on top of their immense physical talents.

The 300s UFC 214 Preview

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Image result for jones cormier 214 staredown

Hoooo baby here we go. The best card of the year featuring possibly the most storied grudge match of our time. Coming live from Anaheim, UFC 214 boasts 3 title fights, 2 additional fights pitting two top-10 fighters from a division against each other, and as I mentioned earlier this week, a slew of opportunities for nearly-there contenders to make their presence felt. Let’s do it!

 

The Main Event

The UFC 214 Main Event puts two fighters against each other who have the utmost contempt for each other. In this Light-Heavyweight Championship clash between champion Daniel Cormier and former champion Jon Jones, the loathing between the two fighters hangs in the air as heavy as the summer’s humidity. It’s not even an explosive hatred as it once was – sending Dave Sholler through a fake photo op wall. It’s a hardened unpleasantness, like a molten lava-based resentment slowly cascading toward Saturday night.

In one corner you have “DC”, the former Olympic hopeful and dominant heavyweight, even winning and defending that belt in Strikeforce. When he arrived in  the UFC he decided to downshift, painstakingly, to 205lbs as his teammate Cain Velasquez was the Heavyweight Champion at the time. The late-in-life (first pro fight at age 30) MMA ace has only lost once, to Jon Jones in his first attempt to win the 205lb title. Back when the hate was still fresh.

Jones’ story is the opposite of Cormier’s. He’s a true prodigy. He is the youngest champion the UFC has ever seen, winning the UFC 205lb belt at 23. He defended it 8 times, capped by the aforementioned win over Cormier, only to throw it all away. There was a positive test for Cocaine. There was a planned rematch with “DC” on the “biggest card ever”, UFC 200, that was scrapped 72 hours prior when Jones tested positive for what at the time appeared to be PEDs. There was a hit and run (on foot) involving a pregnant woman, after which he was stripped of the belt. It seemed like Jon Jones would lose it all forever, and it seemed like he didn’t care.

Now they meet again. Cormier out to prove he has what it takes to beat Jones. Jones out to prove he is not only on the straight and narrow, but is still the dominant fighter he once was. The hate may not be as fresh, but it is still palpable.

There really is only one major issue in getting hype for this fight: the first one was a snoozer. Jones was largely dominant from beginning to end and there never was a ton of action, at least not the frenetic kind we’re used to inside the octagon. “DC” seemed burnt out by then, physically and mentally. He was hesitant to engage to an extent and quick to back off when he did. We can only hope now for a more exciting rematch. Jones says he is clean and Cormier, now having the belt himself, appears confident; not as concerned with the drama surrounding them. It’s confounding indeed though, this rematch taking place with “DC” now the champ – having beat Anthony Johnson after Jones was stripped – and Jones the challenger without ever having lost.

In terms of what happens when he actually gets to it, “DC”, a Former Olympic wrestler and American Kickboxing Academy standout is, to put it in simple terms, a load. He seeks to wear out his opponent in whichever phase they find themselves in, although he favors two of these phases the most. In terms of what he is credentialed in, Olympic-wise, his wrestling is set up using sound boxing and forward movement, snatching, when in position, what is normally a high crotch or a body-lock, the latter of which he will use to make his opponent wear his weight from a standing position until he finds a trip or a throw. On the ground Cormier makes for a most heavy and uncomfortable blanket, suffocating his opponents while unleashing brutal ground and bound and keeping his eyes open for his patented rear-naked choke. The champion is also a beast in the clinch, the other phase he absolutely loves. Shorter men tend to thrive in the clinch, especially ones as strong as Cormier, as they can simply reach up and use the organic leverage they find to pull their opponent’s head down and control them. From this position, Cormier will use elbows, punches, and knees – whichever and whatever is available – to punish his foe. He will also hit trips and/or the previously mentioned high-crotch from this position to bring the fight to the ground. I’m not jealous of anyone who has to be in close quarters with a 5’11 former heavyweight. His stature is Cormier’s only weakness, really, with rangier opponents such as Jones and Alexander Gustaffson able to hit him from a distance.

Across from Cormier is an unenviable riddle to solve. Really what is there to say about Jon Jones? He out-wrestles wrestlers and out-strikes strikers. In terms of the former, Jones employs primarily body locks, from which he’ll hit anything ranging from hip tosses to lateral drops, and double legs, mostly of the turn-the corner variety. There has also been occasions where he’ll casually score a knee-pick turned unto a knee-tap double. In terms of striking, “Bones” is very well-known for his oblique kick, a move that is always an injury risk for his opponent (due to where it lands, just above the knee) and he is therefore criticized for. It is legal all the same. He throws this kick from the side or as a forward facing Thai-style teep, using either his front or rear leg, while at range or leaping forward. Fun. Jones Also employs probing jabs to keep his opponents at range, waiting for an opportunity to smash them with one of his signature elbows, of either the spinning or straight-on variety. When his opponents hit the ground, via either his wrestling or strikes, he lays in with truly vicious elbows and constant submission attempts, just as apt to get the stoppage via strikes as a choke. Jones weaknesses are hard to pinpoint. I suppose he takes his dominance for granted sometimes and gets tagged due to complacency. To this end he is also susceptible to offense when his opponent is not as overwhelmed as he thinks they are and they are able to land.

Summary: I’m not going to keep blathering on. While the champion is without a doubt one of the better fighters of our time, Jones is again in his head and is just a bad match-up, as long and fight-saavy as he is. Jones by UD.

Fan/MMA Nerd Fight of the Night

The welterweight bout between Robbie Lawler and Donald Cerrone might be the most interesting, high-stakes fight between two guys coming off a loss I can remember. Lawler returns a year after losing his title in a fight he perhaps should have waited to take. Cerrone also may have been a victim of activity and looks to jump back into contention under the bright lights he seems to loathe. Despite both losing their last fight the winner of this one could very well either be given a title shot or earn their way to one through a live mic, and they surely would not be more than one more win away. Though both combatants have a ground game (Cerrone’s is the better of the two) this one is going to be contested on the feet.

Lawler – In interviews and outside the cage, Lawler is placid – he is quiet, chill, relaxed. Then the cage door locks and he goes from surfer bro to savage. Stylistically the southpaw Lawler has a heavy reliance on his hands, particularly that anvil of a piston-like left. Although known for when it lands as a straight, Lawler will also throw his power hand as an uppercut, particularly in close quarters. He likes to set it up with a right hook – either a fairly standard one or a sort of looping, overhand technique – although it could comes from anywhere. The left hand is not Lawler’s only weapon, though. The lower body of Robbie Lawler is also something you have to watch out for. He likes to and will throw knees, as Jake Ellenberger, among others, learned the hard way. He also has developed a left high kick, which both serves to earn the finish (Bobby Voelker fight) or as simply another atomic weapon his opponent has to worry about defending while Lawler looks to land something else. “Ruthless” also has a decent turn-the-corner double should the opportunity arise and seem worth it. Lastly, and something that is not always discussed, Lawler can and will go aerial with his attacks. He has employed flying knees and superman punches throughout his career to further keep his opponents guessing, or end their night. Now in his 30’s however, it might be fair to expect Lawler to stay grounded, moving forward and looking for that left hand. In terms of weaknesses, Lawler is a bit of a plodder and not an exceptional athlete. This combines with the fact that he is a bit binary, either on offense or defense, and over-aggressive at times to cause him to be vulnerable when you think he is otherwise winning.

Donald Cerrone is the UFC’s Cowboy – he may not be the only fighter with that nickname but he lives, sleeps, eats and breathes the life behind it. He is not only a high octane, but also a highly technical kickboxer, which he doesn’t get enough credit for. How many other guys are there in the sport, period, with punch/kick combos both elegant and lethal enough to be turned into “DragonBall Z” parodies. To summarize what he does in the cage, Cerrone is indeed looking for a head kick. 5 of his last 11 wins dating back to 2014 were finishes based off of shin hitting skull. Although a slow starter, “Cowboy” knows how to use his footwork to get out of range when in trouble and his boxing in close quarters to do the same. Although he employs a sort of typical kickboxer bounce – I would say it is of the Thai style but the fuck do I know – it is also awkward and unique enough that I don’t think it gets enough credit for keeping opponents off balance and unsure of his next move. It must also be said that should his UFC 214 opponent hit one of those double leg takedowns, “Cowboy” is an absolute bastard off his back, either using his long legs to lock in a body triangle and hit elbows from the bottom or maneuver into a triangle choke, which he has won by 8 times. Cerrone’s weakness are twofold and well publicized. The slow starts are one part of it. He just seems to need to get clipped a couple of times before his on switch is flipped, which you really can’t afford to do against Robbie Lawler. The other part, as also discussed, is he tends to crumble at the biggest moments. This is a big moment.

Summary: This is certainly a tough one. My heart says what is on paper, which is that Cerrone is too dynamic for Lawler and that he’ll get the KO. My head however, remembers the Coloradoan’s fights against Rafael dos Anjos (x2), Benson Henderson, and Nate Diaz and just doesn’t know if Cerrone can do it on the biggest stage. Lawler has never had that problem. Lawler by 2nd RD TKO/KO.

Intriguing Fighter To Watch

I’m breaking the one fighter rule and picking two, Jason Knight and Brian Ortega. They are two of the best young prospects in the featherweight division and both bring a lot of their own flair and style to the table, with some key similarities. Both guys were street scrappers growing up, Ortega on the streets of Torrance, Knight on the back roads of D’Iberville, Mississippi. They both love to tap people out, although “T-City” Ortega is the black belt, under Rener Gracie of all people. Those youthful brawls have paid off as well as they both have a handful of knockouts to their credit. Here Knight may have the edge as he has one more knockout and overall seems to have a bit more of a knack for the big shot, if not more pop in his hands altogether. So the questions are many. Will they both win? Will they both lose? Will one fail while one prevails? If they both win who will impress more? Fuck it, no matter what have them fight each other after this.

Another Fighter To Watch

I’m taking Volkan Oezdemir here. He was a completely unknown quantity who, on 3 weeks notice, was basically fed to OSP as a safe replacement opponent to pump the former Tennessee Volunteer back up. It was not to be. The UFC’s first Swiss fighter won via split decision, although I think he was the clear victor. #judges. From there Oezdemir just kept being an asshole, going and knocking out top 205lb prospect Misha Circunov. He now faces Jimi Manuwa, who is openly, in Dana White’s own words, on this card in case “DC” or Jones don’t make it to the fight. A win against Manuwa would probably earn Oezdemir a fight against Alexander Gustaffson in a #1 Contender’s bout. He is mainly a striker – a kickboxer who has spent time training in the famed Golden Glory gym in the Netherlands. He employs smart combos which land with quite a bit of power. It’ll be interesting to see what he looks like against some top competition of his ilk.

Notes

-Although he is the underdog I am taking Demian Maia over Tyron Woodley. Maia has only been truly KO’d once, by Nate Marquardt almost 8 years ago, so I’m not confident such a careful fighter is going to be caught by one of Woodley’s right hands. I think the careful, deliberate Maia survives the first couple rounds and grinds out a decision, maybe even snatching a late submission.

-Yes, I’ve completely ignored another title fight on the card because I think one of the fighters is an abomination to professional sports in general. Do not @ me.

– As I mentioned in a previous blog , Boston-area fighter Calvin Kattar makes his UFC debut against Team Alpha Male’s “Touchy” Fili. That’s a brutal first task but we like those around these parts, don’t we?

-Debuting flyweight Jarred Brooks is undefeated and is nicknamed “the Monkey God”. I’m tuning in just to see what the fuck this kid is about.

-As I mentioned Ortega and Knight, I should also give some attention to Renato Carneiro and the previously mentioned Andre “Touchy” Fili who are also excellent featherweight prospects.

-Here’s to Aljimain Sterling getting that big win he so sorely craves and breaking out into the big time against Renan Barao. As Burt Watson said Aljo, “Don’t leave it to the judges, they’ll break your heart everytime.”

Enjoy this card as ones like this don’t come around often, I’ll be tweeting from @JoeyB300s.

-Slainte