GDT: UFC Fight Night: Cannonier vs. Strickland

[m9]

Not an exciting fight, but fun fifth round.

I really think both guys will be happy with their performance there - they are just at the exact same level as very good but not great 185ers. Tough tests for anyone coming up

 

[Taytro]

Not an absolutely awful fight but not nearly the fireworks that I hoped. Can't help looking at it and wondering what Strickland was waiting for, he seemed to be just as fresh in the fifth as he was in the first but only applied pressure for 5 seconds intervals.

I'll take Cannonier 48-47 just because he was moving forward and landed more visible damage, but do I really care? No.

 

[Avs_19]

Yeah, 4-1 Cannonier.

Strickland really chose not to listen to his coaches at all. Then had the nerve to get upset at the result.

 

[CDJ]

Could’ve gone either way imo

Would hate to be a sex worker or homeless in Sean’s city tonight

 

[td_ice]

Could’ve gone either way imo

Would hate to be a sex worker or homeless in Sean’s city tonight

Agreed. Felt draw would have been good imo. I don't think either guy "won it", or "lost it". Close as close can be.

 

[Taytro]

Could’ve gone either way imo

Would hate to be a sex worker or homeless in Sean’s city tonight

What's the over/under on an assault charge before 4am tomorrow?

 

[pistolpete11]

He throws good jabs & is very technically sound, which some analysts (ie, Luke Thomas and others) love and overrate a bit. Tsarukyan was like - 200 so I think most people knew he had a big wrestling advantage.

That might be true and all, but you need more than a jab at LW. That division, especially the top 10, is full of dudes who can crack and/or wrestle.

And not to harp on it, but he's almost 32. Islam, Oliveira, Poirier, Gaethje, Dariush...these guys are all 31-34 and have been fighting at the very top of the division for years. Arman and Fiziev are past him and several years younger.

I'm not saying he's bad or anything. Arman is a stud, so he would have run over him if he was. I just didn't buy into the hype and I think I was right not to based on what I saw tonight. Maybe he'll prove me wrong next time out. We'll see.

 

[pistolpete11]

Felt like Cannonier won the fight overall to me due to throwing more power shots, but really close and who knows if you go through it closely round by round. I think both guys are a step down from being legit title threats anyway, so whatever. A split decision for Cannonier is fine by me.

 

[scottywiper]

Compareand contrast power plays...

 

[MMC]

I love opposite scorecards

 

[CDJ]

To me Ismagulov will probably peak somewhere in the middle of the top 10. Tsarukyan will fight for belts

Ismagulov’s defensive wrestling was actually pretty good I thought- his issue was that he was so focused on stopping Arman’s wrestling that his offense never really got going. Which I get- Arman’s a top 3 wrestler in that division without question. You have to devote a lot to stopping that.

 

[m9]

To me Ismagulov will probably peak somewhere in the middle of the top 10. Tsarukyan will fight for belts

Ismagulov’s defensive wrestling was actually pretty good I thought- his issue was that he was so focused on stopping Arman’s wrestling that his offense never really got going. Which I get- Arman’s a top 3 wrestler in that division without question. You have to devote a lot to stopping that.

His wrestling defense was good in the first round but not the rest of the way. Or at least, not good enough.

I'm kind of with @pistolpete11 on this one that this was a let down for him in a big spot. I think he should take a step back with his next fight and then we'll get a better sense of where he's at.

 

[CDJ]

His wrestling defense was good in the first round but not the rest of the way. Or at least, not good enough.

I'm kind of with @pistolpete11 on this one that this was a let down for him in a big spot. I think he should take a step back with his next fight and then we'll get a better sense of where he's at.

He beat Guram in his last fight and Guram is a beast, imo we know where he’s at

I think that Arman is potentially elite and Damir is “merely” very good

 

[m9]

He beat Guram in his last fight and Guram is a beast, imo we know where he’s at

I think that Arman is potentially elite and Damir is “merely” very good

Agreed he takes care of guys outside the top 20

Wouldn't mind him vs Dober next though

 

[CDJ]

Agreed he takes care of guys outside the top 20

Wouldn't mind him vs Dober next though

That would be a sick fight

 

[Taytro]

Agreed he takes care of guys outside the top 20

Wouldn't mind him vs Dober next though

I'm very quick to think "He would smoke Dober", then I remember that Dober is a dog and really just needs 1 shot.

 

[SuperScript29]

I think it's time for the UFC to start forcing some matchups in that LW division if they want to be taken seriously as a sport. Dana White complains about the best boxers not fighting during their prime, yet he keeps matching the same top squatters against one another. The matchups to make are the following:

Dariush vs Poirier (Winner fights the winner of Islam/Volk in summer of 2023)
Gaethje vs Fiziev
Oliveira vs Tsarukyan

 

[m9]

I think it's time for the UFC to start forcing some matchups in that LW division if they want to be taken seriously as a sport. Dana White complains about the best boxers not fighting during their prime, yet he keeps matching the same top squatters against one another. The matchups to make are the following:

Dariush vs Poirier (Winner fights the winner of Islam/Volk in summer of 2023)
Gaethje vs Fiziev
Oliveira vs Tsarukyan

I agree they need to start doing stuff like this. I'd like them to get away a bit from matching rankings when they book fights. If you win, you fight a higher ranked guy but if you lose you fight lower.. and sometimes way lower. Oliveira v Tsarukyan would be good but I'm also good with Oliveira vs someone like Jalin Turner.

It does sounds like Fiziev/Gaethje is in the works for March/April though

 

[SuperScript29]

I agree they need to start doing stuff like this. I'd like them to get away a bit from matching rankings when they book fights. If you win, you fight a higher ranked guy but if you lose you fight lower.. and sometimes way lower. Oliveira v Tsarukyan would be good but I'm also good with Oliveira vs someone like Jalin Turner.

It does sounds like Fiziev/Gaethje is in the works for March/April though

Knowing the UFC, they'll probably match Oliveria with Poirier and make Dariush fight down the rankings again against Tsarukyan. If I'm Benny and they give me that, I won't take it unless the contract guarantees a title shot if he wins.

 

[m9]

Knowing the UFC, they'll probably match Oliveria with Poirier and make Dariush fight down the rankings again against Tsarukyan. If I'm Benny and they give me that, I won't take it unless the contract guarantees a title shot if he wins.

Well as far as I can tell not a single fighter at 155 ranked #1-#15 has a fight booked so it's wide open. Hopefully they get a bit creative.

 

[BGDDYKWL]

Guess I found out why it was a pick 'em. Lol. I really thought Cannonier would cripple Strickland's lead leg which would then open up power shots from there, but he just didn't do it.

Sounds like I'm in the minority here, but I actually thought Strickland won. Absolutely not a robbery either way, but I felt like Strickland controlled the fight. He dictated the range, he landed the jab often, and Cannonier often was flailing and missing because he couldn't get inside.

Now does dictating how the fight unfolds win you rounds? I guess ultimately that's the question. I felt like there was really only one round where Cannonier landed a few solid shots where you'd have to give him that round. I'd say outside of that and maybe one other (I'd have to rewatch), I felt like Strickland was largely in control.

Not to discount their skill/toughness but ultimately it's two guys who have no real title relevance.

 

[CDJ]

POTN went to Bruce Leroy and Polish O (new nickname for him)

FOTN went to Dober-Green

 

[pistolpete11]

I think it's time for the UFC to start forcing some matchups in that LW division if they want to be taken seriously as a sport. Dana White complains about the best boxers not fighting during their prime, yet he keeps matching the same top squatters against one another. The matchups to make are the following:

Dariush vs Poirier (Winner fights the winner of Islam/Volk in summer of 2023)
Gaethje vs Fiziev
Oliveira vs Tsarukyan

I'm glad they made the big name action fighters fight each other. The fights between Poirier, Gaethje, Chandler, and Oliveira were some of the best fights of the last couple of years. The only ones I could have done without were Chandler-Ferguson and Poirier-Conor 3.

But I agree the time is now. We've seen all the combinations. Time to see who's coming and who's going.

 

[CDJ]

Rafa Garcia losing 20% of his blood in a pretty convincing winning effort is some legendary shit