GDT: UFC 259: Blachowicz vs. Adesanya

[chicagoskycam]

There's no argument she wasn't overhyped. People like Joe Rogan were talking about her fighting Floyd Mayweather for cryin' out load.

BUT, she was good. She was 12-0 with a 100% finish rate with only one of those coming after the first round. She lost to Nunes which in hindsight, of course she would, and Holm who's record looks worse than it is when you consider she was 1.5min away from beating Tate, arguably did beat GDR, had no business fighting Cyborg in the first place, and only other losses were to Nunes and Valentina. If Rousey stuck around, she'd still have beat most of the division IMO. She'd lose to Nunes, Holm, Valentina, and probably GDR. Other than that, I think she she has a good chance of beating everyone else.

Edmond didn't do her any favors either. You play to your fighters strengths and he did the exact opposite of that.

She was young enough she could have worked on a few black belts in striking and made a comeback. She's only 34 now.

 

[pistolpete11]

Did they change his name on the clock from "Yadong" to "Song" in between rounds?

I knew it!


Also, at the tweet they are discussing.

 

[pistolpete11]

A lot of pictures and videos of Sterling posing with the belt and getting into it with Cejudo on Twitter. I was on his side the whole time, but that's not a good look. "Leaving the belt in the octagon" was clearly performative and he's glad to be champ. I hate that fake bullshit. I'd respect it more if he said "f*** you, Yan. That was an illegal strike and you took my chance to win the belt, so f*** you. I'm the champ now."

I don't care how you act as long as it's authentic. From Wonderboy to prime Conor to Max to Nate to Frankie, I don't care. I like all those guys. But what Sterling is doing is really rubbing me the wrong way.

I guess I should be thankful. I now have a rooting interest in the rematch.

 

[67 others]

I threw a bunch of money down on Yan, very frustrating because it was a smart bet and a total fluke I lost.

Well, not a total fluke. A fluke is like Anderson Silva breaking his leg in half with a kick. The fighter you bet on did something exceptionally stupid

 

[Byron Bitz]

Delete

 

[Byron Bitz]

Well, not a total fluke. A fluke is like Anderson Silva breaking his leg in half with a kick. The fighter you bet on did something exceptionally stupid

It was a smart bet, I knew Yan would dominate him and he did. Yan has never thrown an illegal strike in a fight before so there’s no reason to think that would happen in this fight.

 

[Perennial]

Sterling looked very impressive in the 1st round... it looked as though he was going to dominate

And then at some point he became the least coordinated fighter I've ever seen and kept falling over himself

If he can extend that 1st round performance across 3 or more rounds, I don't see any reason why he can't win the rematch

 

[CDJ]

Sterling looked very impressive in the 1st round... it looked as though he was going to dominate

And then at some point he became the least coordinated fighter I've ever seen and kept falling over himself

If he can extend that 1st round performance across 3 or more rounds, I don't see any reason why he can't win the rematch

I think the reason why he kept falling over himself is because that pace is unsustainable. It doesn’t help that Yan kept stuffing his takedowns and tripping him at will

it’s a winning strategy but I’ve only seen Holloway hit a pace like that for 5 rounds

 

[SoundwaveIsCharisma]

A lot of pictures and videos of Sterling posing with the belt and getting into it with Cejudo on Twitter. I was on his side the whole time, but that's not a good look. "Leaving the belt in the octagon" was clearly performative and he's glad to be champ. I hate that fake bullshit. I'd respect it more if he said "f*** you, Yan. That was an illegal strike and you took my chance to win the belt, so f*** you. I'm the champ now."

I don't care how you act as long as it's authentic. From Wonderboy to prime Conor to Max to Nate to Frankie, I don't care. I like all those guys. But what Sterling is doing is really rubbing me the wrong way.

I guess I should be thankful. I now have a rooting interest in the rematch.

I am in the same boat, was fine with everything up until maybe the interview. Everything since then makes Aljo look like a joke. The fact that he’s going for the Cejudo fight instead of trying to legitimize him having the belt seems to speak volumes about his mindset

 

[pistolpete11]

I am in the same boat, was fine with everything up until maybe the interview. Everything since then makes Aljo look like a joke. The fact that he’s going for the Cejudo fight instead of trying to legitimize him having the belt seems to speak volumes about his mindset

I didn't even really care about the interview, but you can't be crying saying this isn't how you wanted to win the belt and then celebrate it later that same night.

What's crazy is that Yan should be the bad guy here, but Sterling is making it so that he is.

Yeah, the Cejudo stuff might even be the worst part. Whether he is or not, it makes him look like he's scared of Yan and that he knows he wouldn't beat him in the rematch.

 

[m9]

It's a weird situation. I can't really say I agree with how he's handling it but I also think it's a tough spot. He's been working towards that title fight his whole life, he was pretty competitive in there, and then just had it end via weird circumstances. I'm sure his friends/family have been supportive and telling him that's he's the champ and to embrace it.

Hopefully once these first few days are done he embraces it and turns it into a fun shtick/gimmick where he acts like the real champ. Could actually be kind of funny.

 

[SoundwaveIsCharisma]

It's a weird situation. I can't really say I agree with how he's handling it but I also think it's a tough spot. He's been working towards that title fight his whole life, he was pretty competitive in there, and then just had it end via weird circumstances. I'm sure his friends/family have been supportive and telling him that's he's the champ and to embrace it.

Hopefully once these first few days are done he embraces it and turns it into a fun shtick/gimmick where he acts like the real champ. Could actually be kind of funny.

If he goes full troll mode/heel turn I'd find it hilarious.

 

[pistolpete11]

It's a weird situation. I can't really say I agree with how he's handling it but I also think it's a tough spot. He's been working towards that title fight his whole life, he was pretty competitive in there, and then just had it end via weird circumstances. I'm sure his friends/family have been supportive and telling him that's he's the champ and to embrace it.

Hopefully once these first few days are done he embraces it and turns it into a fun shtick/gimmick where he acts like the real champ. Could actually be kind of funny.

It would be funny if he starts trolling, but it would put more pressure on him to win the rematch because that could make him look even dumber.

 

[SoundwaveIsCharisma]

It would be funny if he starts trolling, but it would put more pressure on him to win the rematch because that could make him look even dumber.

What if...and I'm just spitballing here, he trolls so hard that he refuses a rematch? Just keeps pushing for a Cejudo fight, or he wants to avenge his loss against Moraes, wants that legacy fight against Aldo?

 

[m9]

It would be funny if he starts trolling, but it would put more pressure on him to win the rematch because that could make him look even dumber.

I don't know if extra pressure will really translate to anything though. If he can use this opportunity to get his name out there and make a bit of money then he should do it while he can. I look at someone who did the extreme version like Colby and he bounced back fine after losing v Usman.

You never know with injuries/covid either. The Yan rematch is obvious, but if Yan got hurt and he had to defend against someone else then who knows where things go from there.

 

[m9]

What if...and I'm just spitballing here, he trolls so hard that he refuses a rematch? Just keeps pushing for a Cejudo fight, or he wants to avenge his loss against Moraes, wants that legacy fight against Aldo?

The UFC would say no, they would keep offering fights and eventually strip him. And then maybe release them.

And given how he won the belt, this would be a case where if Sterling got stripped off his belt nobody would care or argue it if he refused to fight Yan.

As mentioned above though, who knows with injuries/covid. What if Sterling tears his UFC and then Yan takes another fight and loses? What if Yan gets hurt and Sterling loses to someone else?

Hopefully they get this rematch going pretty quickly (assuming Sterling is healthy) to help avoid these issues.

 

[pistolpete11]

What if...and I'm just spitballing here, he trolls so hard that he refuses a rematch? Just keeps pushing for a Cejudo fight, or he wants to avenge his loss against Moraes, wants that legacy fight against Aldo?

I think the UFC says "No, you're fighting Yan." And if he still refuses, then they strip him and make Yan vs. Sandhagen / TJ / Cejudo / etc. And then he misses out on getting even 1 fight in with the champion PPV points.

Sterling has no leverage. Nobody views him as the legitimate champ. He's not a draw. Has he ever even main evented a UFC card? He's not from a country that they need help in developing as a market. All he has is the belt which the UFC could take away at any time for any reason.

 

[SoundwaveIsCharisma]

The UFC would say no, they would keep offering fights and eventually strip him. And then maybe release them.

And given how he won the belt, this would be a case where if Sterling got stripped off his belt nobody would care or argue it if he refused to fight Yan.

As mentioned above though, who knows with injuries/covid. What if Sterling tears his UFC and then Yan takes another fight and loses? What if Yan gets hurt and Sterling loses to someone else?

Hopefully they get this rematch going pretty quickly (assuming Sterling is healthy) to help avoid these issues.

I think the UFC says "No, you're fighting Yan." And if he still refuses, then they strip him and make Yan vs. Sandhagen / TJ / Cejudo / etc. And then he misses out on getting even 1 fight in with the champion PPV points.

Sterling has no leverage. Nobody views him as the legitimate champ. He's not a draw. Has he ever even main evented a UFC card? He's not from a country that they need help in developing as a market. All he has is the belt which the UFC could take away at any time for any reason.

Oh, don't get me wrong, I definitely agree with both of you. I just think it would be funny if he gave it the old run around and started beef with a bunch of other fighters hoping to drum up interest before going to the Yan fight.

 

[pistolpete11]

I don't know if extra pressure will really translate to anything though. If he can use this opportunity to get his name out there and make a bit of money then he should do it while he can. I look at someone who did the extreme version like Colby and he bounced back fine after losing v Usman.

You never know with injuries/covid either. The Yan rematch is obvious, but if Yan got hurt and he had to defend against someone else then who knows where things go from there.

Sterling, and that whole team over there, doesn't seem like the type that would intentionally make himself an ass to maybe make a little bit extra money.

Sure, if Yan can't make the fight for whatever reason, they've got to keep things moving.

 

[CDJ]

It's a weird situation. I can't really say I agree with how he's handling it but I also think it's a tough spot. He's been working towards that title fight his whole life, he was pretty competitive in there, and then just had it end via weird circumstances. I'm sure his friends/family have been supportive and telling him that's he's the champ and to embrace it.

Hopefully once these first few days are done he embraces it and turns it into a fun shtick/gimmick where he acts like the real champ. Could actually be kind of funny.

That’s exactly what I was hoping Anthony Smith would do

 

[m9]

That’s exactly what I was hoping Anthony Smith would do

It almost would have been better if he had because I think this rule and how the belt changed hands in this situation is pretty bad. But I still don't want guys milking injuries.

I thought in some situations or under some commissions there used to be a rule where if the fight ended they go to the scorecards. If the guy who did the illegal strike won on the scorecard, the fight is declared a No Contest. If the guy who received the illegal strike won on the scorecard, they win the fight and in this case the belt. I think that system solves a ton of cases of guys faking injuries to win fights but there still being an appropriate penalty to the guy who did it. Especially if you deduct 1 or 2 points from the offender before the scorecards.

In this case for example if Yan got deducted a point and the 4th round was scored, he would have still won a decision. But since he was offending, it would be a No Contest and he would keep the belt and I'm sure we would have a rematch. But if Sterling had been winning the fight, he wins the belt/fight.

 

[pistolpete11]

That’s exactly what I was hoping Anthony Smith would do

I've been saying for years that Jones should have gone heel because that's actually the type of life Jones lives, or at least lived.

Instead, he pretends to be a Mr. God Loving Christian in front of the cameras and then does coke, steroids, gets arrested for DWI, drag racing, and gun charges, hits pregnant ladies with his car and runs away, etc. in his real life.

 

[chicagoskycam]

A lot of pictures and videos of Sterling posing with the belt and getting into it with Cejudo on Twitter. I was on his side the whole time, but that's not a good look. "Leaving the belt in the octagon" was clearly performative and he's glad to be champ. I hate that fake bullshit. I'd respect it more if he said "f*** you, Yan. That was an illegal strike and you took my chance to win the belt, so f*** you. I'm the champ now."

I don't care how you act as long as it's authentic. From Wonderboy to prime Conor to Max to Nate to Frankie, I don't care. I like all those guys. But what Sterling is doing is really rubbing me the wrong way.

I guess I should be thankful. I now have a rooting interest in the rematch.

I took some flack during the live thread for stating I felt he was acting after the foul. After watching a bit of again, I feel more strongly about it, his demeanor changed after Mark/ref stated to the doc it could be a dq foul. That should have never happened, especially in a silent arena. He was just not acting like a fighter reeling from a headshot IMO. He still deserved the belt and should not have been expected to fight. The way it was handled and his embellishing rubbed me the wrong way.

pretty good recap on Big John’s podcast on this and the Herb screw up. Also, I guess Yan’s corner told him to throw the knee??

 

[pistolpete11]

I took some flack during the live thread for stating I felt he was acting after the foul. After watching a bit of again, I feel more strongly about it, his demeanor changed after Mark/ref stated to the doc it could be a dq foul. That should have never happened, especially in a silent arena. He was just not acting like a fighter reeling from a headshot IMO. He still deserved the belt and should not have been expected to fight. The way it was handled and his embellishing rubbed me the wrong way.

pretty good recap on Big John’s podcast on this and the Herb screw up. Also, I guess Yan’s corner told him to throw the knee??

I think embellishing is the right word, not acting. To me, 'acting' implies that he didn't get a vicious knee to the side of the head.

Embellishing or not, I don't think it matters. The fight should have been stopped. I think @m9 's scenario is the right way to go. If there is an intentional fight ending illegal strike, go to the scorecards. If the judges had Sterling winning, he gets the belt. If they had Yan winning, it's a DQ - no contest. I'd add, though, if you are the champ and get DQ'ed, the belt becomes vacant.

I think it was Mighty Mouse that brought it up on Twitter, but someone was saying that should be a legal strike. Under the rules, it is clearly not, but why? In that case, it is deemed too dangerous and thus illegal, but if he is in a very slightly different position it would be applauded and win him the fight. Mighty Mouse was saying "being down" is just a stalling tactic and in a real fight you would never be or stay in that position because you could get kneed in the side of the head. I think it's a valid point. It doesn't change anything because the rules are the rules, but it doesn't mean it isn't a shitty rule.

 

[m9]

I think embellishing is the right word, not acting. To me, 'acting' implies that he didn't get a vicious knee to the side of the head.

Embellishing or not, I don't think it matters. The fight should have been stopped. I think @m9 's scenario is the right way to go. If there is an intentional fight ending illegal strike, go to the scorecards. If the judges had Sterling winning, he gets the belt. If they had Yan winning, it's a DQ - no contest. I'd add, though, if you are the champ and get DQ'ed, the belt becomes vacant.

I think it was Mighty Mouse that brought it up on Twitter, but someone was saying that should be a legal strike. Under the rules, it is clearly not, but why? In that case, it is deemed too dangerous and thus illegal, but if he is in a very slightly different position it would be applauded and win him the fight. Mighty Mouse was saying "being down" is just a stalling tactic and in a real fight you would never be or stay in that position because you could get kneed in the side of the head. I think it's a valid point. It doesn't change anything because the rules are the rules, but it doesn't mean it isn't a shitty rule.

It's a shitty rule, and while I don't want to absolve Yan it could have been avoided if they got rid of the "hands on the ground mean you're grounded" which has always been dumb. Yan said he was focused on making sure his hands weren't on the ground which is a dumb answer but it's also dumb that he even has to think that.

The reason I've tried to side with Yan here a bit is that while it was an illegal strike, you're still allowed to do that strike most of the time. That's why I personally consider it "unintentional" as opposed to if he had stomped on his head, punched a ref, or did something that is obviously illegal.

As for the ref talking about a DQ with Sterling there, agreed he shouldn't have. But I also doubt that made a difference as I would be surprised if Sterling in that situation could piece together that DQ=belt as it's a rare situation even when your brain is at full capacity which his certainly wasn't.