MMA Thread (UFC, Bellator, ONE Championship, etc.)

This the third time I’ve seen someone who wins a fight, but gets humbled by his opponent.

I want a rerun of Volk vs Islam next year. I know Volk won that fight, not in the scoring because I thought it was 3-2 Islam, but because Volk is the one moving up and challenging Islam in Islam’s weightclass and then exposed all of his weaknesses.

Volk won. Kicked Islam’s ass.

I think UFC judges don’t count reversals and defense that’s why Islam won the scoring for having scored more takedowns and submission attempts overall and hugged Volk in R4.

This actually exposes the judges system too.

@Khamzat Chimaev
After criticizing Dana White for the lack of promotion, I think Islam lost that privilege. Unlike with Khabib, Dana never liked Makhachev that much. To Dana, Islam’s just Khabib’s boy.

And to be honest, he is.

Islam needs to really be independent and start winning fights and working the crowds empathically without Khabib in his corner.

@tehwatever
Fair point. Dana might even find this decision surprising and most likely gonna push harder for a rematch. Islam may have the scores but he was humbled tonight. This the first time he got his takedown defenses stuffed so much, got rocked, and bled.

Volk will learn better from this fight if they fought again.

And yes, a one man Islam is what would cement him as a good fighter.

So it’s much better that he should be like this and no Khabib in the corner huh? Well that confidence booster had ran it’s course.

After this Islam should be texting Charles: Careful bradda. Volk is very tough opponent.

Islam woulda lost ALL of his fans (except for a tiny amount of hardcore fans) if he pulled a Paddy’s “THAT WASN’T CLOSE” post-fight interview. Dodged a bullet there.

I stand corrected. He pulled a Paddy. He said he thought he won four rounds. He needs to be humbled more.

For now.

@tehwatever
Well, Oliveira congratulated him just now and hope he tell him that.

@Khamzat Chimaev
Awwh. Wholesome.

That R5 shake and hug is also very wholesome.

Okay, so I’ve woken up, cleared up the hype a bit and now I’m thinking that maybe I gave Makhachev too little credit.

He won all of his recent fights post-covid with finishes and dominant performances with Khabib in his corner, in neutral to friendly territory, barely hurt, barely challenged, never knocked down.

So ofc I expect the same level of Elite Dagestani OP-ness. Ofc seeing the opposite of that kinda disappointed me a lot.

However.
Islam just barely scraped a victory against a tough-as-nails 88% TDD rate P4P King 4 months after subbing the fighter with the most subs, without Khabib in the corner in hostile (but very nice) territory.

Not bad. I can give him that. It’s a much needed learning experience for the new champ. If this doesn’t humble him, then it’s just gonna get worse for him down the line.

Islam with hometown advantage + Khabib seems to excel under those circumstances but that means he’s only a one dimensional fighter. He learned his lessons today not to underestimate someone whose credited for an 88% takedown defense and a history of completely dominating everybody in the FW division. Islam hasn’t reached that caliber Volk has yet.

Immediate rematch? Realistically, no. Someone else? Probably the winner of Oliveira vs. Dariush.

He’ll lose that belt if he doesn’t straighten up his gameplan.

@tehwatever
We need to be reminded that his chin was cracked by a no-name guy many years ago. Imagine a rematch with Volk or a fight with Beneil Dariush and Islam always pushes forward recklessly, he gonna get KO’d.

This the 3rd time I see someone so hyped got derailed through the ditch. First was Chimaev vs. Burns, then Paddy vs. Gordon and now this.

Coach Jav confirmed the Khabib never lost a fight yet again.

Submission Radio asked Javier has seen
anybody push Islam this far before and Coach Jav was like “Well yeah. By Khabib. He’s just that good.”

…
Guess I should put Not-Retired-Khabib into the Mythical Fighters list.

*Father’s Plan Khabib.

And now… 285 marks the return of a so-called GOAT this March 5.

Two prospects Shavkat Rakhmonov and Bo Nickal present on the Prelims makes this PPV hype as hell. 🔥🔥🔥🔥

@Khamzat Chimaev
Oh boy. Wouldn’t that be something. Nice2.

If Beneil won, and Islam defended against Beneil…
Then he really should be given some kinda nickname because he be ruining people’s long winstreaks.

@tehwatever
Real Gs don’t need no nicknames from being a phenom in the game.

Remember when everybody say: nobody in the LW wanted Islam’s smoke? When most sports analysts says “Nobody is worth fighting Islam Makhachev right now”?

It only takes someone from a lower weight class who is the supreme P4P overlord in the game…

@Khamzat Chimaev
I love how ppl now feel like they can beat Islam after his performance against Volk.

@tehwatever
That’s MMA fans for ya’.

@Khamzat Chimaev
You know…
The best outcome after the result of Ufc 284 is:
for Islam to defend the LW title and for Volk to retain his title as P4P King.

Everybody loses. I don’t care if Islam or his team doesn’t like it.

Nobody on earth outside of blind Khabib/Islam fans would consider Islam to be P4P.

@tehwatever
Indeed. The fact that even I, a devoted fan of Islam and his Dagestani co. was actually not impressed with the result of the decision of their fight but still entertained by their performance.

The way I see about P4P, is how much excellence a fighter has done against other great and promising contenders. Islam has only done two great things so far in his career. So much more to achieve. Hell, it ain’t gonna be easy.