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UFC on FOX: Weidman vs Gastelum - Jul 22


wandshogun09

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On 7/18/2017 at 8:08 AM, OzExile said:

But I can't help but think he's got a death wish stepping in there with Gastelum who is hot as fuck right now.  Why not swallow some pride and build some momentum by tearing through one or two easier fighters before going back to the upper echelons? IMO. 

I keep reading comments like these so you're certainly not alone, but I don't agree with it.

For starters, Weidman doesn't need to step too far down as he's still easily part of the elite of the division. If you look at his 3 losses, he was having major success in each of them. He certainly wasn't getting outclassed. On top of that, if he steps too far down what does that achieve? A win over a nobody that doesn't elevate him at all to inevitably go in there against a top guy again?

And then there's Gastelum, and whilst he's an excellent fighter, is a hugely undersized middleweight. The guy is a welterweight but just can't control his diet between fights. He's done well so far at middleweight, but all he's beaten is a Tim Kennedy who hadn't fought in god knows how long and a shriveled up Vitor.

Personally I think he's a perfect opponent for Weidman, someone with a name, an excellent fighter, but someone who I see as beatable. That said, it's certainly not a gimme fight either. 

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Yeah, completely agree with Lamby. This is the fight that Weidman should be taking, I don't want to see people taking one-sided (in MMA terms) 'gimme' fights in order to build themselves back up. Every fight for someone at Weidman's level should be a highly competitive affair & Gastelum definitely has a chance here. When you look at Weidman's losses they've all been against top flight opponents & to me at least, certainly doesn't mean he's a fighter on the slide. The Mousasi result was certainly weird & felt like Weidman playing the game a bit but that was just one of those unique events that happen from time to time.

Looking forward to this, could be belter & I don't see it going the distance.

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The balancing act is a tough one to guage, im certainly not against the idea of seeing Weidman fight a lower ranked top 15 fighter for instance. To fight a surging fighter like Gastelum when you a 0-3 in your last 3 seems a little backward but i can seen why they've done it and im not complaining because i want to see the fight.

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On paper, this is Weidman’s fight to lose. He is the all-round better fighter, and he has a significant advantage in size and reach, and he’s probably be more powerful and stronger as well. But Weidman is on a streak that is pretty damn cold, and that’s reflected in the fact that he’s the betting underdog. Conversely, Gastelum is on a hot streak; if not for some close decisions not going his way and an inability to refrain from indulging himself for one day, Gastelum could easily be 14-0 and coming into this fight with much more momentum than he has now. And sometimes, you get instances where fighters are on a hot streak, where everything inside the cage is clicking for them, and they can beat opponents who they, on paper, have no business beating.

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Fair point about the size difference. Weidman could be at 205 no problem. But I stick by my prediction. I think Gastelum's striking skills are something else.  He and Whittaker are also proof that power can transfer to 185 from 170. 

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Great performance by Weidman. He needed that win more than Kelvin did. Kelvin has got plenty more time to come again, and was not riding a losing streak. Make no mistake. the Middleweight division is better than it had ever been. Plenty of fights for both men going forward.

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Really pleased with how Weidman vs Gastelum went. Chuffed to see Weidman snap that losing streak. He needed this badly. It was a strong performance and he got the finish over a really badass younger fighter who was in top form coming in. Interested to see where Weidman goes next now. A Weidman vs Jacare fight wouldn't upset me. And it would put the winner right back in amongst those contender fights again. 

Enjoyed Elkins vs Bermudez. Good battle and Elkins looks to have turned a corner recently. He looks better than he's ever looked to me. Without looking at his record this was probably his biggest win to date. 

Wasn't too keen on Cummins vs Villante. It's Cummins. He's just so clumsy and sloppy to watch I can't really get into his fights unless he's catching an arse kicking. Villante got my hopes up when he had him hurt in round one but it came to sod all. 

Rivera vs Almeida was fucking fantastic! Rivera looks to be the real deal. Really good record and now he's starting to get those impressive signature wins like this one and the one over Faber. He looked great here. Almeida was always going for it though and that made the fight even better. He came on strong in the third but he was already too far down on the scorecard for me and needed a finish that just never came. 

I liked the little thing between Rivera and Dominick Cruz post-fight. Wouldn't mind seeing that one at all. But fuck what makes the most sense, I really want to see Rivera vs John Lineker next! Or actually, Almeida vs Lineker. Either will do nicely. 

FS1 Prelims were alright as well. 

Lyman Good vs Zaleski Dos Santos was a really fun. I don't know how in the fuck Good ate that one flying knee. If you saw it you know what I mean. It landed clean and Good just kind of grinded his teeth and looked pissed off. Real good fight. Action packed and never a dull moment. If it wasn't for Rivera vs Almeida this would've easily been my FOTN. 

The Cowboy Oliveira knockout was vicious. That was a quality finish for him because LaFlare is no pushover and survived 5 rounds with Demian Maia. I don't like Oliveira. I've always thought he seemed a dick but fair's fair, he's rarely involved in anything dull. 

Eryk Anders UFC debut was about as successful as he could've hoped for. Natal isn't that good but he's been knocking around for years and he's a name UFC watchers know. Anders KOing him inside a round is a good start to his UFC career. 

And I didn't see the fight but I was disappointed to see Pepey lost on the Fight Pass bit. From what I read it sounds like it was really one sided as well. This Shane Burgos could be worth keeping tabs on though. He's 10-0 now undefeated and he's probably going to be on a main card next, I'd imagine. 

Very enjoyable show on the whole, I thought. Two excellent fights in Rivera vs Almeida and Dos Santos vs Good, a feel good hometown win for Weidman in the main, oh and that DC vs Jones interview. 

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The Weidman result was fantastic and I thought his interview after the fact was very good too. It's pretty mad the size difference between the two men, with Weidman being a big middleweight and Gastelum a slightly more yoked welterweight - not that it phased Gastelum, who was competitive for some of it. Weidman seems like one of the good guys in the sport, so it's pleasing to see him best a top middleweight in convincing fashion. No idea if he can get past the other top 5, though. I think Yoel and Weidman are the only two people I wouldn't mind besting Bisping.

How good is Dominick Cruz?! Genuinely, I think the UFC would be better off if Rogan sacked it off. Cruz and Stann have good chemistry and throw knowledge all night long.

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Yeah, I was just about to say that 3-man team was my favourite combination of the lot since they started doing them. Wouldn’t mind them having Anik/Stann/Cruz take over properly and them slowly phase out Rogan.

Well explained, well spoken and interesting insight all night - all while not stepping on each other’s toes or trying to get the last word.

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Indeed. It was the game of volley they played with their analysis, which impressed me most. Someone would make a point, then occasionally one would add something else which only brightened the point, or they would call on the other for some knowledge.

Cruz was even doing jokes.

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Yeah, I liked that team as well. Have those 3 together or put Cormier in for either Cruz or Stann and you're winning. 

Its taken a little while but I think they've finally nailed the commentary for the most part. Goldy and Rogan were great for that mid-2000s through the Lesnar era etc, and I still don't mind a bit of Rogan in small doses. But I'm over that now. I can honestly say I don't even think I'd miss Rogan if he stopped altogether. After less than a year in the booth, I think DC is way better than Rogan as a colour commentator. And despite the shit Cruz gets about his voice grating, and I get that, I like him better than Rogan as well. Action Man Stann too. They've left Smokin' Joe in the dust for me. 

And I have to give him his due, Anik has really grown on me as the lead PBP guy. I wasn't a fan when he first came in and he just screamed QVC presenter. But I quite like him now. He works really well with everyone they pair him with. 

Just keep Todd Grisham the fuck away.

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They are trying guys from other sports on Dana White's contender show, one from ESPN & the other from NFL Network along with Yves Edwards & Paul Felder ,which indicates to me that they will be handing over the full broadcast rights to whoever they sign with, which is probably why they got rid of Mike Goldberg as Fox tried him on a NFL game and he was apparently awful. Obviously they can have whoever they like doing commentary on the PPVs and right now they still control the TV broadcast unlike most sports.

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The only Fight Pass fight you really need to see is Shane Burgos vs. Godofredo Pepey; it was a really good, very entertaining scrap.

Damian Grabowski (261.4lbs, 20-4) vs. Chase Sherman (250.8lbs, 10-3) saw Sherman put in his first full shift with a fight that went the distance. Sherman showed a nice mix of punches, kicks and knees; Sherman still has a way to go before he’s the finished article, but he’s getting there every day.
Five Word Review: Sherman continues to show improvements.

Ryan LaFlare (170.8lbs, 13-1) vs. Alex Oliveira (170.6lbs, 16-3-1, 2 NC) saw LaFlare completely dominate Oliveira on the ground for the first round. LaFlare had him down and wasn’t letting him up, although it was all positional control until right at the end when LeFlare attempted an armbar. Oliveira was loose and casual, laughing and joking around between rounds, which had the commentary divided on whether that was good. Well, it didn’t do any harm because Oliveira was looking good in the first minute of the second round and when LaFlare moved in for a takedown, Oliveira hit a perfectly timed uppercut to knock LaFlare out.
Five Word Review: ‘The Cowboy’ times it perfectly.

Rafael Natal (185.2lbs, 21-8-1) vs. Eryk Anders (185.4lbs, 8-0) was short and explosive, with Anders pretty much overwhelming Natal, piling on the pressure from the outset and never letting up before dropping him with a pair of left hooks. It was especially impressive as Anders was making his UFC debut on short notice and had fought five rounds just one month ago.
Five Word Review: Anders announces arrival in style.

Lyman Good (170.4lbs, 19-3, 1 NC) vs. Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos (170.4lbs, 16-5) saw Good put in a good performance for someone coming back after a two-year layoff. It was a good fight and saw Good edging past dos Santos for the first two rounds, Good being just too quick and fast for dos Santos to be effective. Elizeu came on strong in the third round, though, and did more than enough to take it. In one of the worst judging calls in a very long time, dos Santos got the nod by split decision, with Doug Crosby, he of Ross Pearson/Diego Sanchez infamy, and Jeff Mullins both giving all three rounds to dos Santos. There is no way dos Santos won all three rounds, absolutely none at all.
Five Word Review:  Good fight; completely inexcusable judging.

Jimmie Rivera (135.8lbs, 20-1) vs. Thomas Almeida (135.2lbs, 22-1) was a really good, all-action fight that was the perfect way to start the main card. Rivera, who is a big bantamweight, had a big speed and power advantage over Almeida in the first round and he really made it count, with Almeida taking a beating and getting rocked and dropped. Almeida came back in the second round and probably did enough to take it. The third wound was just as competitive, and with the fight going the distance, it was hard to be sure just who had won. Rivera got the unanimous decision, with two judges giving him all three rounds, which is viable but unfair to Almeida.
Five Word Review: A really good bantamweight battle.

Patrick Cummins (205.4lbs, 9-4) vs. Gian Villante (205.8lbs, 15-7) was a good, methodical brawl. Villante was rocking Cummins in the first round and had him in real trouble. The second round saw Villante start to slow down and tire, and he was checking the clock almost right away. Cummins was relentless with the takedown attempts, and whilst Villante defended against them, they were draining him. In third round, Cummins, who was bloodied up from an accidental headbutt in the first round and had his right eye almost swollen shut, was starting to outstrike Villante who seemed to be wilting as the round went on. Cummins won the split-decision and it wasn’t a popular decision, but Villante had only himself to blame for not pulling the trigger and gassing out so quickly.
Five Word Review: A solid and bloody brawl.

Dennis Bermudez (145.4lbs, 17-6) vs. Darren Elkins (145.6lbs, 23-5) was a good competitive scrap. Bermudez was clearly the heavier hitter, and it showed, but Elkins held his own in the striking. The first two rounds were close but the third round was clearly in favour of Bermudez. It went to a split-decision with Elkins getting the mild upset victory. It was close enough that a split-decision is a viable result.
Five Word Review: This was another good fight.

Chris Weidman (186lbs, 13-3) vs. Kelvin Gastelum (185.6lbs, 14-2, 1 NC) saw Weidman needing to make a statement as he looked to halt a three-fight losing streak. Weidman controlled Gastelum on the ground for almost the entire first round but Gastelum dropped Weidman with a big left hand near the end and had Weidman in trouble. The second round started slow before Weidman got hold of Gastelum, controlling him against the cage and then on the ground, with Weidman going for submissions. In the third, Weidman was starting to tag Gastelum a little more in the stand-up as well as being able to take Gastelum down, and this led to Weidman transitioning into an arm-triangle choke for the submission. It wasn’t quite the performance Weidman needed, because he showed some holes, but it was the big win Weidman needed to stop his descent down the ladder. Gastelum is still young and has plenty of time to recover and grow.
Five Word Review: The hometown hero comes good.

Overall, this was a pretty good show. Brian Stann and Dominick Cruz were really good providing analysis and expert opinion, and they are two different styles, so they don’t blend together. Jon Anik is coming along nicely as well, but he’s too understated for my liking, and when he tries to sound excited, it feels like he’s trying too hard to say the right things. At least with Goldberg and Rogan, when they sound excited, you could believe they really were.

 

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