Best Matches Seen January 2018 |
UFC on Fox 27 1/27/18: Drew Dober vs. Frank Camacho 3R. Camacho has already developed a reputation as a Fight of the Night machine, but here he really tried to use his takedown & BJJ game rather than deliver a crowd pleasing standup brawl. The first round was more of a solid, workmanlike effort on his part, getting his favorite trip out of the clinch into sidemount early. Although Dober was up quickly, Camacho hit the same sweep again later on, spending almost the final 90 seconds on top before scoring a flash knockdown with a short right hook after Dober got up. In between takedowns, we saw the type of standup exchanging we've come to expect from Camacho. He was waiting for Dober's left then countering with the body hook. His leaning back to avoid Dober's shots was a suspect tactic, but Camacho was avoiding & countering back. At full energy, Camacho's skills were just superior to Dober's, and he was able to outmaneuver him for the most part. Camacho countered Dober's trip to start the 2nd & took the top, but was looking winded when Dober quickly got back to his feet, and never really seemed to recover, which defaulted him into his old habit of standing toe to toe & exchanging. Camacho was still landing his counters, but he was no longer moving to avoid Dober's leads, so Dober pretty much always got the 1st, if not the 2nd shot in, before Camacho landed 1 back. Camacho moved up to welterweight after missing weight in his fight of the night against Damien Brown at UFC Fight Night 121 11/19/17, but fighting the bigger man wasn't really a factor here as Dober has generally been a lightweight as well. Still, at least at this point, the 1 for 1 exchanges were generally an edge to the fresher Dober. The more Dober saw that Camacho wasn't looking to avoid & was slow to fire back, the more he extended his combos, working behind his jab & just racking up numbers on Camacho. Camacho recovered somewhat in between the 2nd & 3rd rounds, and cut Dober around the left eye early in the 3rd with a right hand counter. Camacho had a round of proof to show that waiting for Dober was a losing strategy, and willed himself to push forward in the 3rd, which allowed him to get off 1st. Dober again tried to shift to his wrestling, but found himself on the bottom as Camacho stuffed the single leg then did the same old spinning trip. Again, Camacho's time on top amounted to little offense though, and the rest of the fight was really about who was coming forward as they just exchanged bombs on their feet, but the aggressor was generally the one who got the 1st shot in & thus was likely to get the extra shot in. Dober was certainly more likely to throw a combo, as tired Camacho was just loading up for full power, but really doing a good job of ripping to the body. I thought Camacho did a little more to actually win the 3rd round given the cut, the hard body shots & his continued success of taking Dober down when Dober wanted to take him down, but Dober had more volume & Camacho likely lost it for himself by showing such extreme weariness that he gave the judges the impression he was losing. Dober won a unanimous decision 29-28, 29-28, 30-27. 29-28 either way I could live with, but the judge who gave round 1 to Dober should have his licence permanently revoked, as this was way closer to a 10-8 round for Camacho than a Dober round. Good match.
UFC 220 1/20/18: Calvin Kattar vs. Shane Burgos R3 0:32. A back & forth boxing match fought in the proverbial phone booth that had some kicks from time to time, though not enough if you were pulling for Burgos. The more they stood toe to toe & exchanged punches, the better it was for Kattar, who had the better jab, quickly damaging Burgos' left eye, and the quicker punches because he didn't load up. Burgos was the harder hitter, but he made the mistake of not respecting Kattar's poewr, just fighting his fight in the 1st round, employing his typical strategy of working the body. While these were Burgos' most effective shots, Kattar wasn't getting worn down the way Burgos' opponents usually do, so Burgos wasn't gaining traction. In the 2nd round, Burgos did much better because he somewhat addressed the areas he was losing, primarily trying to use kicks to get Kattar out of his jabbing game rather than simply taking punches then throwing his combos as he did in the 1st. Burgos also pressured more, so it was harder for Kattar to get off 1st then move. With Burgos evening the fight at a round a piece, it was now on Kattar to answer, and he did that in a big way to start the 3rd, coming in with combos rather than being content to land the single jab. He following his missed combo with a stutter step where he still missed the jab put this time landed a huge right hand that sent Burgos stumpling forward after he grasped for the takedown. Kattar had backed to avoid Burgos's clutches, and was right there with a big uppercut when Burgos was off balance. The fight was for all intents & purposes over right there, but Kattar got a left hook & another big uppercut in before finishing it on the ground. The match was never amazing, but it was back & forth with consistently quality action. Good match.
RIZIN World GP 2017 Final Round 12/31/17
Bantamweight Grand Prix Tournament Semifinal: Kyoji Horiguchi vs. Manel Kape R3 4:25. Kape is a great athlete, but he's not there yet technically. While this wasn't the most competitive fight you'll ever see, Kape's attributes made it a really exciting one because his answer to just about everything was to explode recklessly. He, of course, took a ton of punishment because of that, but he was chaos incarnate, and there were a lot of wild scrambles, and the general intensity & unpredictability of a sort were miles higher than the average match because Kape felt more like a force that was unleashed than a trained fighter. Horiguchi on the other hand, had technique & a plan, and was generally content to use some variation of a combo where he'd feint, left jab, then come back around with the overhand right since Kape seemed incapable of adjusting to it or stopping it. Kape would get rocked, but still just dart in & grab Horiguchi, machine gunning short punches while he tried for the takedown. Horiguchi would usually defend, and nail Kape a few more times before he got hold of him again. Horiguchi tried to use left high kicks because Kape kept his hands at his waist, relying solely on his athleticism, but they never really panned out. As the fight progressed, Horiguchi tried harder to wait for Kape to explode in so he could use Kape's force against him when he read Kape's single shot & landed the counter. Horiguchi got a flash knockdown when Kape charged into a right hand counter with 1:45 left in the 2nd, but waiting for Kape often meant Kape was able to then grab him, so Horiguchi knew he had to attack when Kape was resting in between explosions. I think Kape tried to close the distance & lead with a high kick at the end of the 2nd, but possibly Kape's left leg just ended up high when he fell down from getting drilled by Horiguchi's right hand! Horiguchi's confidence was definitely riding high in the 3rd, coming out with a jumping high kick. That didn't connect, but within 90 seconds he'd dropped Kape again with another big right hand. Kape was excited to finally have Horiguchi in a compromised position until the ref stepped in to give Horiguchi time to recover from the accidental headbutt when Kape's head came back to center after slipping Horiguchi's left straight. Horiguchi was lucky to escape unscathed, but was then cut on the eyelid with a left hook in the next exchange, which wasn't going to be particularly meaningful here, but presented a huge problem given the final was later that night. Horiguchi was happy to entertain, but got serious after this & just took took Kape down & smothered him until he had the arm triangle locked in. Though Kape only had random moments of success, he certainly delivered spectacular action & made Horiguchi look great. Very good match.
Bantamweight Grand Prix Tournament Semifinal: Shintaro Ishiwatari vs. Takafumi Otsuka 3R. It's great to see a battle between longstanding Bantamweight champions, especially when there's a strong promotional rivalry. Ishiwatari has held Pancrase's bantamweight title for 6 years defending 6 times, while Otsuka has held DEEP's for 3 1/2 years but only defended twice, as they've really gotten away from having meaningful titles there. Ishiwatari is a really dangerous striker, but at the same time not necessarily a great striker. He's a hard hitter, but it's difficult for him to throw combinations because he sits down on all his power strikes. He can throw the same right jab/left straight combo that he used over & over & Otsuka just backed away from, but it doesn't really help him close the distance. When Ishiwatari can get inside, he likes to lead with power and then he can sometimes follow with more single power shots. He's not really flowing out there though, just bombing away, but his initial shot is strong enough that he can follow because his opponent is stunned or still trapped on the ropes. Otsuka looked to take him down rather than exchange with him, but after the ref broke them up midway through the 1st, had a right hook knockdown countering Ishiwatari's left that came up short. Otsuka through this was his chance to ground & pound, but Ishiwatari quickly escaped, hip tossed Otsuka, & stood over him drilling him with rights to the ribs or face. Ishiwatari finally faked the jab, and closed the distance landing a big left hook, and you just wondered what he'd be capable of if he used more feints, footwork, & deception rather than just defaulting to the same attack. Otsuka kept trying to draw Ishiwatari in, but even when he dropped down after Ishiwatari missed a superman punch, he couldn't finish the double leg. Otsuka eventually had to attack because he was down on the scorecards, and that made things a lot easier for Ishiwatari because he was coming into his power rather than running away from it. Otsuka landed a good right hand, but following with a kick got him dropped with a left cross & Ishiwatari nailed him with a kick as he was getting back up. With Otsuka stunned, Ishiwatari just kept bombing away, and though Otsuka was still moving laterally & throwing, he couldn't get himself off the ropes & was taking big damage. The fight seemed better the first time because the final 2 minutes of action packed slugging left a strong impression. The first round was good & possibly won by Otsuka not that it mattered, but his inability to get takedowns left him running away all too often. Ishiwatari won a unanimous decision. Good match.
UFC Fight Night 1/14/17: Darren Elkins vs. Michael Johnson R2 2:22. A classic Johnson match in all ways, action packed & exciting with Johnson getting off to a strong start only to find a way to lose to comeback kid Elkins. Johnson started off patient, not overcommitting to his boxing to avoid getting taken down or gassing. He hurt Elkins with an uppercut early as Elkins was trying to retreat after having his takedown stuffed & had Elkins nose cut within the 1st minute. Elkins wasn't appearing to have much of a plan, wanting the takedown but not setting it up, and Johnson soon rocked him with a left hook after stuffing another takedown. Johnson really had all the advantages in standup, from his boxing technique to his speed & accuracy. Elkins was just surviving until he could find an answer, and being Elkins, he eventually did just that. Elkins was just trying to be unorthodox, leading with an overhand right that he really didn't care if missed because he was trying to follow dropping down into a single leg on the left side. Elkins was just getting picked apart by Johnson's combos though, particularly after avoiding all Elkins' leads. This round was one-sided enough that it could have been 10-8 Johnson. Johnson did all this just with his hands, so of course he decides to throw a low kick early in the 2nd & Elkins got the takedown despite getting kicked in the nuts. Johnson was just laying there on his side getting pounded. I don't know why he just layed there for 40 seconds eating leather on his side as he had no answer from his side for Elkins just dropping hammerfists or elbows on the side of his face before even adjusting to his back. Johnson finally tried to explode out as Elkins was trying to crucefix him, but just as Johnson was always a step ahead in standup, Elkins was able to respond, taking Johnson's back. Just as Paul Felder was saying it wasn't going to be easy to choke Johnson out, Elkins snuck his hand over Johnson's arm & slipped the choke in for the win. Again, this was a fight you felt Johnson should have won, but in the end, Elkins was tough enough to persevere through all the standup damage while Johnson quickly wilted once he was out of his element. Good match.
RIZIN World GP 2017 2nd Round 12/29/17, Bantamweight Grand Prix Tournament Reserve Match: Jae Hoon Moon vs. Anthony Birchak 3R. Moon isn't the greatest fighter, as evidence by his 9-10 record, but he has heart & belief & really brings it from start to finish. Birchak was thought to be pretty good not long ago, coming into UFC with an 11-1 record and getting an impressive quick win over last minute title challenger Joe Soto there, but he's 0-2 in Rizin since not being brought back by UFC despite winning his last fight there. He's a really tough guy & he knew he desperately needed this fight. This may just have been a reserve match, but these two went at it as though the title was within their grasp. Birchak got off to a strong start backing Moon with his aggressive kicks & body punches then getting inside & hitting a head & arm throw. Moon couldn't quite take his back, but got back to his feet in the scramble & began attacking aggressively only to get taken down again. When Birchak got a quick takedown to start the 2nd, it looked like he was simply going to outwrestle Moon, but Moon had other ideas and was able to negate the good standing offense we saw early from Birchak by always being the aggressor in standup while fighting off the takedowns better in the 2nd half of the fight and continuing to get up quickly when Birchak did get him down. Moon did a nice job of dropping down & mixing body punches with uppercuts. He also landed a couple nice switch strikes, though the knee also caught Birchak low. Still, if this was silly rounds scoring, Birchak would likely have won the 1st 2 rounds on control. The 1st two rounds were fairly entertaining, but the 3rd was a lot better as Moon still believed in his chances of winning, which were reasonable enough under this scoring system, and really picked up the pace, closing the distance with aggressive jumping techniques & mixing body shots on the inside. Moon found the liver late in the 2nd, but his left kick 2 minutes into the 3rd really took its toll on Birchak. Birchak didn't have the same drive on his takedowns after this, also Moon's pace was simply slowing him down, and Moon was better able to take advantage of being the more explosive fighter, landing a sweet flying switch knee to the chin. Birchak was trying to slow the fight down now, but Moon was clipping him with right hands on the outside or uppercuts on the inside. Down the stretch, Birchak was just blocking big right hands with his face. In the end, it was a close fight, but Moon did most of the damage while Birchak just had control. Moon won a split decision. Good match.
UFC Fight Night 103 1/15/17: Augusto Mendes vs. Frankie Saenz 3R. Watching these two go back & forth for 3 rounds in standup, you'd never guess the match actually pitted an IBJJF & Abu Dhabi champion against a college wrestler. That's not to say there weren't takedown attempts, Mendes actually tried 9, but Saenz would immediately get back to his feet. The most interesting example of this pattern being the 1st takedown where Saenz created a scramble where he snuck out the back, but then got blasted by in a series of big right hooks, which won Mendes the 1st round. Mendes was the aggressor in standup early, showing more power & thus a greater willingness to slug it out, but Saenz used his movement too well for Mendes to have much consistency, and began to push forward & attack more aggressively in the 2nd & 3rd rounds. Early on, Saenz tried to stay on the outside then angle in with a right to the body then a left hook/overhand above Mendes' low right hand. Saenz's hands were too low as well, and allowing too many of Mendes' left hooks to land cleanly. Saenz's corner urged him to come forward in the 2nd, which was probably necessary if he was going to win the fight because if you're the defensive fighter & the opponent hits harder it's difficult to win when both fighters are landing a relatively similar number. Saenz walked straight into a left straight early in the 2nd that dropped him to a knee, but overall, the strategic chance made Saenz more competitive & less predictable. Mendes followed with 2 takedowns, but once they hit the ground the waistlock wasn't serving him, as Saenz was able to pop right back up. After the 2nd one, Saenz just flattened Mendes with a short Misawa elbow. Mendes weathered Saenz's brief ground attack & stabilized, but Saenz caught him flatfooted after faking an entry & cracked him with a right hand. Saenz was now believing in his power, and willing to come forward with a big shot rather than always trying to combo into something. With the fight even going into the 3rd, Mendes was theoretically looking to use his grappling advantage, but hurt Saenz in the initial exchange, which was odd because Saenz didn't show the effects of Mendes' right hand until after he landed his own. Mendes flurried on Saenz against the cage, but Saenz stopped him with a knee to the body then kept the clinch to buy himself time to recover. Saenz had a good short range striking game though whether it be elbows, knees, or hands, and part of what made it effective is that he was content to just hold on to Mendes & wait for his opportunity to sneak a shot in. I don't score Mendes' takedowns because Saenz was back up within 5 seconds every time since Mendes never secures his legs & then Saenz would reverse him against the cage to work his own clinch game, but Mendes early damage was enough to edge another close, competive round. There was never great action, but there were a number of good moments from each fighter in each round, and if we weren't scoring round by round, you could easily justify a draw. Mendes won a split decision 28-29, 29-28, 29-28. Good match.
