UFC 250: Nunes vs Spencer - Jun 6 🇺🇸

[David]

Multiple testing can only be a good thing. Actually glad to see the UFC not skimping on this. 

[Egg Shen]

i wish Ray Longo was my mate

[wandshogun09]

I usually always watch the Weigh Ins on the day of a PPV for that last little bit of hype and it never fails. But with the current situation the ceremonial bullshit Weigh Ins are understandably a thing of the past and awkward masked face-offs in an empty hall just don’t have the same effect. Very much looking forward to this tonight though.

Creepy Dana looking at Felicia Spencer’s tits like they’re a plate of chips there. Dirty old fuck.

Anyway...Amanda Nunes vs Felicia Spencer - Most likely this will be a mauling with Nunes doing the mauling. I hope I’m wrong though and Spencer can make a bit of a challenge of it. She’s a pretty big 145er. It’s not like she’s a 135er coming up like some of Nunes’ past opponents have been. And if Spencer can get the takedown, her being a legit Featherweight could work well for her in the grappling. Aside from that we know she’s tough and has heart. She showed that by surviving 3 rounds of Cyborg. So she’s got some attributes to where maybe we shouldn’t be totally dismissing her chances here. It’s so easy when you have a dominant champ like Nunes to just write off any challenger. But we haven’t really seen Nunes in with a strong grappler who’s also a real 145er. And one that doesn’t just unravel as soon as punches start flying like Ronda did. Spencer has shown she doesn’t shy away from getting stuck in and will take her lumps to get the takedown. All that said, if she can’t get the takedown I think she’s fucked. She’s got nothing for Nunes on the feet based on what we’ve seen of her so far.

Nunes by KO/TKO. Could be an early blitz. Might well be over in 30 seconds if Nunes just comes out in beast mode. But I’ve got a feeling this one’s going a few rounds. I think Nunes will be a bit wary of the takedown early and she’ll know Spencer is durable. Can see it being more of a drawn out beating. For Spencer’s sake, I just hope it’s not as bad as the Pennington one. But unless she can just get out the blocks strong and get her grappling going early, I see a painful night ahead for her. 

Raphael Assuncao vs Cody Garbrandt - Not sure what the fuck happens here. Can’t see it being boring though. Assuncao is obviously a terror on the mat but people forget he can also crack on the feet too. Hard as nails, ton of experience, well rounded. He’s still a hard night’s work for pretty much anyone in the division on a good day. And at this point the blueprint is kind of out there with Cody. He’s a dangerous fighter himself, heavy hands for a Bantamweight for sure. But everyone knows now that he’s there to be hit and he doesn’t hold up to it very well. Whether it’s a lack of durability or his defence going out the window, or both, it’s undeniably become an issue. He’s been knocked out 3 times in a row now. The last 2 inside a round. People point to the smart way he fought against Dominick Cruz as what he needs to go back to but I’m not sure how effective that’d be now. His power was what brought him to the dance and I think a lot of what made his performance against Cruz so effective was the element of surprise. Nobody expected it. Cruz included. It worked a treat but that’s not how he fights. His last fight against Pedro Munhoz he threw caution to the wind and it nearly paid off. He had Munhoz hurt bad, but he’s just not holding up well in these shootouts.

In fairness, Cody is trying everything he can to protect that chin this time...

But I don’t think it’s going to work. I’m having Assuncao by KO/TKO. Probably first round again. Hopefully Cody has found a balance somewhere between the Cruz performance and his bombs away style. If he goes in to slug it out because he thinks Assuncao is just a ‘BJJ guy’ then I think he ends up dribbling on the canvas again. But even if he starts off playing it smart, I reckon Assuncao can drag him into a brawl and either KOs him or stuns him and jumps on a submission. In a way the worst thing that could happen for Cody is if he scores a quick knockout here because then he’ll probably just think he’s ‘back’ and continue fighting like a div. 

Aljamain Sterling vs Cory Sandhagen - This is the fight I’m most into on the whole card. Got a really good feeling about it. Sterling has really come on since that knockout loss to Marlon Moraes a few years ago. He’s been beating some solid fighters and having entertaining fights along the way. Even pulled off a Suloev stretch to beat Cody Stamann! The Munhoz fight last year was fantastic as well. And I’ve been a fan of Sandhagen since his comeback stoppage over Iuri Alcantara early into his UFC stint. He’s on a 7 fight streak and coming off back-to-back wins over John Lineker and Raphael Assuncao. Buzzing for this. They’re both on top form, both at their physical peak and fairly young at 30 and 28 respectively. And Dana confirmed this week that the winner is getting a title shot. So it looks like we’re basically getting a mini tournament with Sterling vs Sandhagen and Aldo vs Yan with the winners facing off to crown a new undisputed champ. Where Moraes fits into this I don’t know. He’s already beat 2 of the 4 but he’s being left out which sucks. Cejudo’s sudden retirement has kind of thrown the whole division into a tailspin though.

Sandhagen by decision for me. Almost 50/50 on it though. Got a feeling it’s going to be razor close. Shame they weren’t given 5 rounds as a Fight Night headliner to really determine who the top contender is. Just got a feeling Sandhagen might outwork him. I think Sterling is the better overall grappler but I think Sandhagen will be able to hang and survive down there. On the feet, although Sterling’s striking has improved, I give Sandhagen the slight advantage there. That’s why I wish they had 5 rounds. Then we’d see other factors like cardio really put to the test. Great fight. 

Neil Magny vs Anthony Rocco Martin - It’s the fight I’m least bothered about on the main card but it’s not bad. Magny came back from his USADA suspension in March and looked pretty good beating Li Jingliang. Martin has gone 5-1 in his last 6, with the only loss being Demian Maia. And he went the distance with Maia. Martin is probably slightly underrated, to be honest. I’m sure this’ll be perfectly fine. Can’t say I’m too fussed about it though.

Tough one to call but I’ll say Magny by decision. Won’t be shocked if Martin edges it but they’re pretty evenly matched on paper. I’m swinging towards Magny slightly just because he’s done better against a higher level of opposition. Wins over Gastelum, Condit etc. Bit of a toss up though.

Eddie Wineland vs Sean O’Malley - Like I said in the OP, this is the toughest test to date for Suga Sean. Wineland has been around the block, fought some of the top fighters in the game and he’s tough as old boots. He shouldn’t be a pushover here. So if O’Malley does walk through him, it’ll be quite a statement. I’m expecting a really fun and lively fight here. Both are aggressive, O’Malley has that fearlessness of a young fighter and Wineland can be a bit wild. It’s the ideal PPV opener really.

I’m going with O’Malley on points. Could see a finish but Wineland’s only been legitimately stopped by strikes twice in a 38 fight career. And one of them was prime Renan Barão. O’Malley has been talking about wanting the kind of KO that goes viral so fuck knows what’ll happen when the cage door shuts. If he can make a highlight reel of Wineland it’ll be impressive. I think he wins but hopefully Wineland makes a good scrap of it. 

Full predictions;

Amanda Nunes by KO/TKO.

Raphael Assuncao by KO/TKO.

Cory Sandhagen by Decision.

Neil Magny by Decision.

Sean O’Malley by Decision.

Chase Hooper by KO/TKO.

Gerald Meerschaert by Decision.

Cody Stamann by Decision.

Charles Byrd by Submission.

Jussier Formiga by Decision.

Alonzo Menifield by KO/TKO.

Herbert Burns by Submission.

Don’t sleep on that undercard either. Even down on the Fight Pass bit, the Menifield and Burns fights should be well worth a look. Looking forward to seeing Chase Hooper again as well. 

Edited June 6, 2020 by wandshogun09

[jimufctna24]

Some additional content if anyone is interested:

 

 

 

 

[ReturnOfTheMack]

I dont know why, but I fancy Spencer to take to the third, if not win.

 

But I'm notoriously bad at this shit.

[jimufctna24]

😮

[wandshogun09]

Liked this show a lot. Some good fights, standout performances, highlight reel finishes and a couple of surprises. Couple of prospects shined and a couple got derailed. 

Nunes vs Spencer was the one sided hammering most expected. I kind of hoped/thought Spencer might be able to get something going with her grappling but Nunes just busted her up. Man, is Spencer is next level tough or what though? That’s a total of 8 rounds combined she’s gone with Nunes and Cyborg and neither could put her away. She’s too tough for her own good. Got her arse kicked for 4 rounds straight then looked like this coming out for the 5th...

Not normal is it? Rich Franklin move over. I think we have a new toughest maths teacher on the planet.

Don’t know what the hell Nunes does from here. There’s not much left. It’s probably going to have to be Megan Anderson but I think she’s got even less chance than Spencer did. If only they still had Cyborg around. Nunes vs Cyborg 2 would’ve been perfect for one of the end of the year PPVs. Cheers Dana. 

Cody Garbrandt needed that. Badly. Can’t stand Cody but that was a hell of a knockout. The little duck before coming back up with the kill shot reminded me of this Roy Jones KO;

Wasn’t quite as slick as Roy’s but it was a cleaner connection and more devastating. And just like that, Cody is back in the mix. He’s nowhere near a title shot given the current logjam of contenders at the top of 135, but a finish like that will do wonders for rehabbing an image after a losing skid. Still see him getting fucked up by the top boys though. Everyone’s on his dick again after this but, as awesome a KO as it was, this was no revelation. He’s always had that power. It’s going to pay off some nights, others he’ll rely on it and get waffled while going for the kill. Still not convinced he’s ‘fixed’ now. That vulnerability will always be there. It’s going to be a question of not taking the shots in the first place and I’m not sure he’s ever going to be defensively sound enough where that becomes his regular approach. He’ll always revert to a slugfest. And if he slacks on his defence again he’ll likely pay the price.

Made me laugh how DC was saying ‘if Cody wins this fight, how can he not be on the shortlist of guys to fight for the title?’ But you have to remember he was coming into this fight off 3 knockout losses. He’s not getting a look in ahead of Aldo, Yan, Sterling and that lot. I wouldn’t mind seeing Garbrandt vs Cruz 2 actually. But I’ve got a feeling Cody might be a victim of his own impressive showing here and they might throw him in with Marlon Moraes. Moraes needs a dance partner and him and Cody has fireworks written all over it. 

Aljamain Sterling handling Cory Sandhagen the way he did was the surprise of the card for me. Really didn’t see that coming. This was a huge statement from Sterling at a crucial time. Dana had already said going in that the winner of this would be getting a shot at the title but a performance like this really solidifies that. Sandhagen is a BJJ brown-belt and had never been finished before, so Sterling subbing him in a minute or so was something special. Sterling has really hit his stride. Looking forward to seeing him get the winner of that Aldo vs Yan fight that’s being talked about. 

Magny vs Martin was the slow moving, tactical chess match I expected. Close one. Seen some complaints that Martin should’ve got the nod from the judges but I had Magny winning myself. Thought he held up better cardio wise and did just enough. 30-27 was a bit generous maybe but aside from that, I thought the right man won. 

The Sean O’Malley KO wasn’t far behind the Garbrandt one. Just ruthless. Liked the Mark Hunt style walk away too. Like I said before the fight, Wineland was never a world beater but he was a crafty and tough veteran. You don’t generally walk through Wineland and stop him quick so for Suga to do it in a minute was impressive for where he is at this stage in his career. Interested to see who he’s matched up with next. Got a feeling they’ll be moving him up the ladder fairly fast after this. 

The afro battle between Alex Caceres and Chase Hooper wasn’t quite how I expected. I either bought into the bit of Hooper hype too much or Bruce Leeroy just had a great night. Sadly I think it was too much too soon for Hooper. I like him but if you’re looking that out of your depth and getting outclassed by Caceres then you’re probably not ready for the UFC yet. He’s only 20 so it’s not the end of the world. But based on this, I think Rogan was spot on when he said he’d probably have been better off gaining some more experience outside the UFC first. Caceres is fun but he shouldn’t be exposing you this clearly. 

Ian Heinisch wasn’t fucking about. Had this pegged as a competitive, close 3 rounder but Meerschaert didn’t even get out of the blocks. Really impressive win over a durable guy.

Stamann vs Kelleher was good stuff. Enjoyed it a lot. Never fully got into Stamann’s fights before but whether it was the move up to 145 or his brother’s death lighting a fire under him, he had a different energy and aggression about him for this one and it paid off. Post-fight interview was rough. Poor fuck. Don’t know how he held it all together while grieving, much less won.

Maki Pitolo looked good stopping Charles Byrd. Really liked his body punches towards the end especially.

Fight Pass bit was fun. Alex Perez ending Formiga with leg kicks in a round wasn’t the way I expected that fight to go at all. Those calf kicks are fucking brutal. To fold a tough little bastard like Formiga the way he did says it all.

Devin Clark vs Alonzo Menifield was an eye opener. I’ve been high on Menifield but this wasn’t a good sign. He looked dangerous as fuck early on as usual but he gassed pretty badly as the fight went on and Clark just outworked him. Never really rated Clark much so Menifield losing to him makes me reassess my expectations of him. Hopefully he can fix his conditioning issues. Decent fight regardless. 

Herbert Burns pissed straight through Evan Dunham in the night’s opener. Cut through him like butter and got the quick choke. The Burns brothers are on a roll at the moment.

Top show that. 

Edited June 7, 2020 by wandshogun09

[Supremo]

First full show I’ve watched in forever. Really enjoyable. Daniel Cormier is the most likeable commentator on the planet. An absolute joy listening to him having such a good time. 

My biggest takeaway was how improved the post-fight interviews were with the new format. Allowing fighters to truly catch their breath and thoughts did wonders for their lucidity. I suspect not having the pressure of public speaking in front of thousands helped, too. They should seriously consider keeping this change going forward.

The Sugar Show though. Awesome. That’s the type of shit that could pull me back full-time.

[wandshogun09]

O’Malley’s performance reminded me so much of McGregor’s UFC debut against Marcus Brimage.

Seen some right dopey talk on who he should fight next though. Seen people throwing names like Aldo, Edgar and Cruz around. Back the fuck up and slow down with that shit. Not sure who I’d have him fight next but I definitely wouldn’t be throwing him in with guys like that yet. Maybe someone like Marlon Vera.  

Edited June 7, 2020 by wandshogun09

[jimufctna24]

I hope O'Malley's desire to renegotiate his contract doesn't result in him being sidelined for a while. 

4 hours ago, wandshogun09 said:

He’s always had that power. It’s going to pay off some nights, others he’ll rely on it and get waffled while going for the kill. Still not convinced he’s ‘fixed’ now. That vulnerability will always be there.

Agreed. 

[Carbomb]

So annoyed I missed this. As I've said before, I like O'Malley because his style to me looks like the MMA equivalent of Tommy Hearns', and I'm fairly square on the Nunes bandwagon too. 

Meant to set the box to record and fell asleep. Grrrrrr. 

[David]

O'Malley is a prime example of someone who's got the tools in the cage, but can make people care outside of it as well. He'll get his pay rise I'm guessing, especially if he's still on an entry-level type deal.

[WeeAl]

Cody Garbrandt's next fight should be against Urijah Faber. Keys to Alpha Male hanging from the rafters. Either get there by ladder or Ultimate X, since they are the little fella's. Maybe get the keys and then have to complete the win by escaping the cage. Submissions and pinfalls don't count. 

[wandshogun09]

45 minutes ago, WeeAl said:

Cody Garbrandt's next fight should be against Urijah Faber. Keys to Alpha Male hanging from the rafters. Either get there by ladder or Ultimate X, since they are the little fella's. Maybe get the keys and then have to complete the win by escaping the cage. Submissions and pinfalls don't count. 

BRO! 

[WeeAl]

6 minutes ago, wandshogun09 said:

BRO! 

I was clearly missing the chance to go with Keys In A Bowl. . . On A Pole!