GDT: UFC 273 - Volkanovski vs. The Korean Zombie

[m9]

How is this the 273rd ppv and they still haven't figured out their pacing? Started late because of the prelims and then 3-1/2 hours for 5 fights? It's like 1:30AM in half of North America, lets get things moving

 

[darko]

What I did say earlier in this thread!

I need to start listening to you haha

 

[Kevin27NYI]

Volk is nasty wow

 

[WingsMJN2965]

Props to Zombie for trying, but shouldn’t even have been allowed into the 4th. He grabbed the cage to stay standing in right before the doc checked him.

 

[SoundwaveIsCharisma]

Volk does actually continue to improve quite a bit each fight. Still think he and Max are really close

 

[I am not exposed]

Volk vs. Max part 3 next. Max paid his dues winning a couple of fights convincingly.

If Volk wins that then up a division?

 

[SoundwaveIsCharisma]

Aww man, that’s so sad, having that realization that you’re just not at the level to be the champ

 

[I am not exposed]

Aww man, that’s so sad, having that realization that you’re just not at the level to be the champ

I would like him to win one more fight before he retires. A lesser opponent of course!

 

[m9]

Aww man, that’s so sad, having that realization that you’re just not at the level to be the champ

For sure. And really not even close.

Like I said earlier I heard that this was it for Zombie of he lost and I think that's where it goes. Hopefully he's back as he's still a great guy for the division but I'm not sure that's going to happen.

 

[CDJ]

Give him a fight card in Seoul against Cub Swanson

 

[Mickey Marner]

He looked just as mentally defeated as he was physically defeated.

 

[LyricalLyricist]

Fight was exactly like Gaethje v. Ferguson, even the stoppage.

No. Tony dropped Justin in round 1

 

[Davimir Tarablad]

Volk vs. Max part 3 next. Max paid his dues winning a couple of fights convincingly.

If Volk wins that then up a division?

If Mitchell bags a couple wins over guys like Kattar and Ortega between now and the trilogy fight, an undefeated opponent might be enticing enough for Volk. Could also see him chasing Aldo’s 7 defenses.

 

[member 51464]

How is this the 273rd ppv and they still haven't figured out their pacing? Started late because of the prelims and then 3-1/2 hours for 5 fights? It's like 1:30AM in half of North America, lets get things moving

For a few of the less exciting cards, I have switched to watching Sunday morning. The times I avoided spoilers, it was pretty great to get through everything in a reasonable time over breakfast.

The times I did not avoid spoilers, the event was ruined, haha.

 

[CDJ]

I’m wildly impressed by Khamzat. Striking defense is a little sus but for him to come out and win round 3 like that shows A LOT. Did not expect it. He’s a future champ. I think he beats Colby and I think Kamaru and him is a coin flip

 

[bov]

Chimaev/Burns stole the show. Hats off to Gilbert, I thought he had no chance and they were even after 2 in a ridiculous all-out battle. Chimaev vs Covington is the fight to make, sorry folks.

Very happy for Sterling after all the disrespect thrown his way. This guy is one hell of a fighter. I had Yan winning 1, 4 and 5 but can't be too upset when Aljo had the two most dominant rounds of the fight. I still believe Yan is the best bantamweight but this is Sterling's moment and I'm glad he gets to enjoy it. There is too much talent at 135 for a title reign to last very long imo, it would rally take a generational talent.

Main event was a mismatch. Volk made it look easy but Zombie had no business being in there. Holloway has to be next if healthy, unless there are other plans for him. Time to have his name in the mix for best p4p fighter in the world.

 

[CDJ]

Oleinik + Volkanovski got POTN

Burns-Khamzat got FOTN

 

[Chaels Arms]

No. Tony dropped Justin in round 1

Since we're being sticklers.... it was round 2.

 

[LyricalLyricist]

Since we're being sticklers.... it was round 2.

Fair enough, point remains that there was more offense from tony than you alluded to. The end wasn't pretty though.

 

[CDJ]

Yeah the Tony-Gaethje fight had slightly more hope for the victim than this main event did

Both became brutal one way traffic that had me begging for a stoppage by the end

 

[pistolpete11]

Serious question...did Volk break a sweat? That was more one-way traffic than I thought it would be. Kind of sad to watch and good stoppage from Herb. Guess we get Volk-Max 3 after all.

Sterling-Yan obviously comes down to R1. From watching it live, could have gone either way. I don't really have an opinion. Terrible performance from Yan, though. He was overthrowing his punches and making it way too easy for Sterling to shoot. Give Sterling enough chances and he will eventually get you down. He also didn't throw nearly enough knees or uppercuts. Good for Sterling, though, I guess. Seeing Aldo get a title shot now would be neat. I think Sterling probably wears him down, but you never know.

What a fight Chimaev-Burns was. Chimaev ended up winning, but I said Burns being a +400 underdog or whatever it was was insane and that Burns would actually give Chimaev a test. I thought I was missing something because everyone was expecting Chimaev to run through him. That fight could have gone either way. I thought Chimaev was winning R3, but then Burns started throwing those big right hands and looked to be at least partially landing them. I'm not going to argue who won it. Could have gone either way and is one of those fights where regardless of the result, both guys won.

I don't know how Dern won that fight. Thought it was pretty clear Torres 1 and 3. Dern's striking does look to be improving, though. Not enough to win any fights with it, but good enough to hold her own until she can get it to the ground. She really needs some wrestling, though. She's a killer with her BJJ, but her takedowns suck. Kind of the Ortega predicament.

 

[WingsMJN2965]

Sterling deserved all the disrespect he got lol.

Dude got annihilated in the first fight and took the cheap way out acting like he’d been shot because he knew he wasn’t winning. Then he decided he’d try to get attention by playing up that embarrassment.

I was torn on the decision this time. I leaned Yan, thought he had 1, 4 and 5, but thought 2 or 3 would be a 10-8. I honestly kinda expected a draw.

 

[m9]

What a fight Chimaev-Burns was. Chimaev ended up winning, but I said Burns being a +400 underdog or whatever it was was insane and that Burns would actually give Chimaev a test. I thought I was missing something because everyone was expecting Chimaev to run through him. That fight could have gone either way. I thought Chimaev was winning R3, but then Burns started throwing those big right hands and looked to be at least partially landing them. I'm not going to argue who won it. Could have gone either way and is one of those fights where regardless of the result, both guys won.

Maybe I look at betting odds differently but how the fight played out is exactly why the odds were justified to me. That fight was basically the best-case scenario for Burns and he still fairly clearly lost. I know it wasn't clear in the traditional sense, but only 1 of 18 media members on mmadecisions had Burns winning. Don't get me wrong, Burns exceeded expectations and put on a great fight but if they fought again in a month those odds would be closer but still not that close.

 

[Avs_19]

How is this the 273rd ppv and they still haven't figured out their pacing? Started late because of the prelims and then 3-1/2 hours for 5 fights? It's like 1:30AM in half of North America, lets get things moving

This was one of the worst ones in some time now. Pacing was terrible and it didn’t help that they decided to do a 10 min (maybe more) flashback to the fight that really put TKZ on the map. That’s something you do in the lead up and maybe the prelims, not during the actual PPV that people already paid for. Three title fight PPVs have gone quicker than the one last night.

 

[m9]

This was one of the worst ones in some time now. Pacing was terrible and it didn’t help that they decided to do a 10 min (maybe more) flashback to the fight that really put TKZ on the map. That’s something you do in the lead up and maybe the prelims, not during the actual PPV that people already paid for. Three title fight PPVs have gone quicker than the one last night.

I get sometimes shit happens and there will be lots of decisions, but there is no excuse for having the prelims run long to start.. especially when a prelim fight ends in the first round.

Those first two fights should be done within the first hour of the PPV and there should never be a card that stretches past 3 hours. You used to be able to kind of tag 9pm as when the main event would get going but these guys have just fallen in love with their promo packages and it's damaging the product. The crowd was completely dead by the end of the night and I felt the same way watching from home.