Sunday, August 11, 2019

Kimura counter to Single Leg, Bicep Slicer + Kimura

Counter to a lazy single leg attempt/elbows flared, prior to them switching to a head outside single et cetera. Assuming the opponent stays flat to avoid conceding the back, an option to step over the head and attack a kimura + bicep slicer

Sunday, August 4, 2019

UFC MAGA Colby Edition? - Lawler Coasts, Miller Submits Guida & a look ahead to next week's MMA

I'm sitting there listening to Colby's post fight speech and he manages to make a Matt Hughes/Trump/train track reference all in one sentence. The appeal to a particular demographic feels so forced and over the top at this point I don't know where the sideshow ends and the satire even matters anymore. Despite detractors trying to portray MMA fans as ignorant and bloodthirsty, the truth is as far as most sports go, the UFC's champions both past and present represents a rather diverse set of nationalities and ethnic backgrounds as opposed to many other organized sports. I don't see anywhere near the level of diversity in hockey, Nascar, Football, Baseball, nor the broadcast time given to women athletes by other sports. The NBA doesn't bookend basketball games with WNBA games. The World Cup doesn't punctuate rounds of play with women's soccer games during the men's games. And yet, MMA is still stuck in this narrative of white trash, bud light crushing barbarians that is just not actually true. Cue the Trump family sitting cageside at this event and Colby in his MAGA hat. I'm all for trolling so hard folks can't tell if you're trolling, for isn't that really the point? I also am not a fan of folks being shamed and bullied into voicing opinions that violate the unspoken social contract of their fanbase who expect their idols to eschew certain topics or beliefs and "represent them." That being said, I'm just saying it's unfortunate Colby plays to the lowest common denominator with his antics and insults on the basis of country of origin, sex, vulgarity, and the rest.

If nothing else, Colby showed he's a poor man's version of Usman. Busy enough on the feet to duck that head and press you against the cage (ala Johnny Hendricks fights after the surgery that took away his bazooka punch), and busy enough to win rounds, but that complete befuddlement as to how to submit an opponent or even land meaningful damage following the takedown won't fly against Usman. Usman puts you down, keeps you there, and does work (ask Woodley).

I see the fight being clinch heavy, and active, but I see Usman taking the majority of the rounds with top position and landing more position whilst there. Colby is nothing if not a decision factory, and against Usman, I don't see Colby's skillset getting him the nod as it's just a less voluminous version of Usman's.

Lawler's always been good at getting to his feet, and showed that again in this fight but seemed content to give away the first two rounds, and hearing the corner advice you expected him to pick up the pace but it really only came in a couple spurts and then only in a meaningful way in the 5th round. Anyway, moving on, Miller got tagged, tagged Guida, and jumped on that arm-in guillotine, had his leg over the shoulder and the end was inevitable. A crazy combined number of fights between these two future hall of famers and we'll see both guys in the Octagon again.

Beyond that, the Tristar standout made a name for himself slipping in a hook and sleeping Silva, on an otherwise not very meaningful card for a Saturday afternoon at 3pm. It's always a good day when I can watch my favorite sport in the afternoon like other sports fans do every weekend for an ENTIRE season of a sport.

Thursday night we have Satoshi Ishii and Vinny Magalhaes each facing opponents on the PFL card.
Saturday we've got Schevchenko rematching Carmouche, Mike Perry facing Luque, Oezdemir fighting Latifi, & Rodolfo Vieira's UFC debut. Gilbert Burns makes his welterweight debut on the undercard which is odd because he's a good bit into his UFC career with several stoppages to his credit, so it's odd he's buried early on in the card, but go figure. 

Wednesday, July 31, 2019

BJJ Scout's BJJ Digest: Gordon/Pena Verbal Sparring, AJ Holdeth Choke, Dern Takes Strawweight Fight for Return?

Dern is the most weight missing-est fighter in women's mma, so after a long layoff and carrying a human inside of her, what are the odds she makes weight? Speaking of weight misses, Burns who came in heavy for a bunch of grappling matches (Kasai & Polaris) is now going to move up for his UFC career to welterweight.