GDT: UFC Fight Night: Jędrzejczyk vs. Waterson

[Avs_19]

Date: October 12, 2019
Venue: Amalie Arena
City: Tampa, Florida
Time: 8pm ET/5pm PT
Viewing: ESPN+, TSN 5

MAIN CARD (ESPN+, TSN 5)

Women's Strawweight bout: Joanna Jędrzejczyk vs. Michelle Waterson
Featherweight bout: Cub Swanson vs. Kron Gracie
Lightweight bout: Thomas Gifford vs. Mike Davis
Women's Strawweight bout: Mackenzie Dern vs. Amanda Ribas
Lightweight bout: Matt Frevola vs. Luis Peña
Middleweight bout: Eryk Anders vs. Gerald Meerschaert

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, TSN 5)

Welterweight bout: Niko Price vs. James Vick
Light Heavyweight bout: Ryan Spann vs. Devin Clark
Flyweight bout: Deiveson Figueiredo vs. Tim Elliott
Welterweight bout: Max Griffin vs. Alex Morono
Welterweight bout: Miguel Baeza vs. Hector Aldana
Middleweight bout: Marvin Vettori vs. Andrew Sanchez
Women's Flyweight bout: JJ Aldrich vs. Lauren Mueller
Bantamweight bout: Marlon Vera vs. Andre Ewell​

Click to read more...

 

[member 51464]

Niko Price. It's your time to posterize James Vick. Don't let us down.

 

[Sheppy]

Over/under Dern being 4 pounds over?

 

[LSCII]

Over/under Dern being 4 pounds over?

Whatever you do, take the over. You know she will...

 

[pistolpete11]

I like the main event and think it was a logical fight to make, but I'd like it more as the 3rd or 4th fight on a PPV or something like that. I just have a hard time seeing any other outcome than JJ piecing up Waterson. Waterson's best bet would be a submission, but JJ has pretty good TDD and is pretty good at getting back up when she does. Cub needs a win badly and a Gracie is always interesting to see.

There's a bunch of other recognizable names, but nothing really jumps out at me. The next 3 cards are really just appetizers to get to UFC 244. The only fight I really want to see is Reyes-Wideman. Maybe Maia-Askren but that could also be like watching 2 flies f***.

 

[vladdy16]

Insanely good prelim lineup.

 

[Avs_19]

No fight really stands out as must watch on this card but I don't think it's too bad for a fight night. I have some level of interest in most of the main card fights. The main event is an important one in that division, Cub's a really good test for Kron, Dern's return, Pena is interesting, and Anders' fights are usually worth watching for one reason or another. There's a couple on the prelims as well like Price/Vick and Figueiredo/Elliott.

 

[m9]

I like the main event and think it was a logical fight to make, but I'd like it more as the 3rd or 4th fight on a PPV or something like that. I just have a hard time seeing any other outcome than JJ piecing up Waterson. Waterson's best bet would be a submission, but JJ has pretty good TDD and is pretty good at getting back up when she does. Cub needs a win badly and a Gracie is always interesting to see.

There's a bunch of other recognizable names, but nothing really jumps out at me. The next 3 cards are really just appetizers to get to UFC 244. The only fight I really want to see is Reyes-Wideman. Maybe Maia-Askren but that could also be like watching 2 flies ****.

I agree that it's a good style matchup for JJ. I do like the depth of the card though.

As for future cards, the Boston card should be solid with Yair/Stephens in the co-main.

 

[pistolpete11]

I agree that it's a good style matchup for JJ. I do like the depth of the card though.

As for future cards, the Boston card should be solid with Yair/Stephens in the co-main.

Forgot about that and whatever I was looking at didn't have it listed for some reason. The top 2 fights are good and make it worth watching. The rest of it is pretty weak for a Big-ESPN card, though. Still trying to get people to watch for Hardy, I suppose.

 

[Avs_19]

While replacing Jedrzejczyk with another opponent has been discussed, the UFC is also considering canceling the fight altogether and bumping up Kron Gracie vs. Cub Swanson to the main event slot.

Other options discussed have been moving the fight to a card in November or having Waterson face Jessica Andrade at UFC 244 on Nov. 2, sources said.

Well that sucks. It's too bad Waterson is refusing a catchweight fight so far but I can't really blame her. This is on Joanna if she can't make weight.

 

[m9]

Weird, it's almost like JJ had some sort of procedure that might affect her weight..

 

[Sheppy]

Weird, it's almost like JJ had some sort of procedure that might affect her weight..

Yep, she has a hard enough time making 115 as it is, when you factor in new bombs, it’s another story.

 

[LSCII]

Sucks to hear and especially sucks for Waterson. She's been on her weight and diet the entire camp only to get let down by her opponent. I fully agree that she shouldn't do a catch weight and bail out JJ. JJ needs to make weight or move up if her new enhancements don't allow her to fight at 116 anymore. Why give JJ an advantage instead of forcing her to drop as much weight as she can before the fight and possibly coming in wiped out? Take the 30% and let JJ come in drained. Easier fight for more $$$.

 

[Avs_19]

That statement is different than what Ariel Helwani reported and seems to imply she's still going to try to make weight, I think.

 

[m9]

I hope this works out and they fight on Saturday, but situations like this can end up very poorly for the health of the fighters. I'm sure Joanna will walk out Friday looking like a corpse to try to make weight, but why are we doing this? Why isn't Joanna fighting someone else at 125lbs?

 

[BGDDYKWL]

Look this is 100% JJ's fault, no excuses. But you're a fighter for God's sake. And you're gonna be compensated handsomely for still taking the fight. Is 3 pounds really gonna make THAT big of a difference?

 

[LSCII]

Look this is 100% JJ's fault, no excuses. But you're a fighter for God's sake. And you're gonna be compensated handsomely for still taking the fight. Is 3 pounds really gonna make THAT big of a difference?

You say that but if JJ misses weight, Waterson get's 30% of her purse, and will be fighting a fighter that may have drained themselves trying to make weight. Renegotiating after the fact literally gives away the opportunity for Waterson to cash in and have a more winnable fight. Why should she give up that advantage just because JJ told her early that she was going to miss? No chance I do that if I'm fighting. Make the weight or pay the price. That's what's in the contract. If JJ doesn't like it, don't fight. But to be the one on the precipice of missing and painting the other fighter as the bad guy in this scenario is some major f***ing bullshit. Show up at the weight you were contracted to fight at or fork over 30%.

 

[LSCII]

I hope this works out and they fight on Saturday, but situations like this can end up very poorly for the health of the fighters. I'm sure Joanna will walk out Friday looking like a corpse to try to make weight, but why are we doing this? Why isn't Joanna fighting someone else at 125lbs?

Well the whole issue with weight cutting is that it's proven to have no legitimate impact on the outcome of the fight. Fighters that have shrunk down to a lower weight class have lost just as many as they won. It has very little actual impact overall, statistically. Which is why the UFC needs to step in and say you can't fight in a division that requires you to lose more than X percentage of your walking around weight. That would fix it all, yet they don't do it. It's stupid.

What has shown to be an advantage and effective tool is to miss weight and come in heavier, more refreshed from not cutting, and stronger. The people that have missed weight typically always win. Which is another reason why I don't give JJ the out if I'm Waterson.

 

[m9]

Look this is 100% JJ's fault, no excuses. But you're a fighter for God's sake. And you're gonna be compensated handsomely for still taking the fight. Is 3 pounds really gonna make THAT big of a difference?

Two things to keep in mind:

1) Waterson is probably a natural atomweight if she wanted, she fights in this division because nothing lower exists in the UFC. She's already giving up a size difference to Joanna and at some point Joanna will just be too big for her if they fight at a higher weight.

2) There is zero incentive for Waterson to agree to anything right now. Make Joanna cut as much as she can. If she makes the cut you have an opponent that has to put their body through hell and it will be an easier fight. Or if she misses by a couple lbs, you figure it out at that time and get paid for it.

 

[m9]

Well the whole issue with weight cutting is that it's proven to have no legitimate impact on the outcome of the fight. Fighters that have shrunk down to a lower weight class have lost just as many as they won. It has very little actual impact overall, statistically. Which is why the UFC needs to step in and say you can't fight in a division that requires you to lose more than X percentage of your walking around weight. That would fix it all, yet they don't do it. It's stupid.

What has shown to be an advantage and effective tool is to miss weight and come in heavier, more refreshed from not cutting, and stronger. The people that have missed weight typically always win. Which is another reason why I don't give JJ the out if I'm Waterson.

The UFC has the facilities and resources to determine exactly what weight class every fighter should be fighting at. This kind of stuff shouldn't be hard at this point. Joanna has always had trouble making 115, is getting older, and just bolted a few lbs of weight onto her chest. Plus the UFC just opened a 125lb division. I just don't get why she's fighting at this weight.

 

[m9]

I'm also reminded of my "favorite" fight cancellation when Uriah Hall was fighting Vitor Belfort and the fight got cancelled because Hall couldn't make weight. They decided to make the fight at 185lbs.. even though both guys had fought at 205lbs at times of their career.

These situations are avoidable - get your shit together UFC.

 

[BGDDYKWL]

I completely understand all that, and I actually agree. Perhaps I misread the initial article. My understanding was Waterson said if JJ misses weight Waterson will decline the fight.

She absolutely deserves 30% of JJ's purse and it is absolutely the smart thing to do to make JJ completely deplete herself. Fully agree on all points. My issue, and perhaps I misunderstood, was I thought Waterson said she wouldn't fight JJ if JJ misses weight.

 

[LSCII]

I completely understand all that, and I actually agree. Perhaps I misread the initial article. My understanding was Waterson said if JJ misses weight Waterson will decline the fight.

She absolutely deserves 30% of JJ's purse and it is absolutely the smart thing to do to make JJ completely deplete herself. Fully agree on all points. My issue, and perhaps I misunderstood, was I thought Waterson said she wouldn't fight JJ if JJ misses weight.

My understanding of the stories are that she said she wouldn't renegotiate to fight her at 120, but if she missed by a couple of lbs, she would. Either way, she would be taking the 30% and wants JJ to try to get as close to the limit as possible.

To her credit, JJ is telling people to relax and let her do what she has to do. Should be interesting to see how it goes tomorrow when they actually hit the scales.

 

[Neutrinos]

The Boogey Woman now the Boobie Woman

Still the most unlikable personality on the roster, as far as I'm concerned

 

[vladdy16]

Joanna the Back Pedaller