Talking of British middleweights and murder row. Look who Darren Till had after he KO'd Cowboy!
Till had it rough. Woodley was just a monster when he fought him, I don't think he was ready for that fight. Jorge was just in his moment.
You could see the nerves when he fought Gastelum, I remember watching that and thinking my word he looks panicked now. He was so composed and relaxed vs Thompson in particular but you could tell that KO from Jorge ruined him a bit and became a bit more conscious to engage.
No shame in the last 3, especially DDP who is an absolute anomaly 😂
Can't wait for DDP vs Khamzat. Everything says Khamzat as he is an absolute monster and imo the greatest fighter alive pound for pound (just doesn't have the resume to back it up yet) but Dricus is such a weird fighter I could see him pulling something out of the hat.
Great couple of fights coming up with that and Ilia Vs. Charles
DDP (!) hasn't really impressed me tbh like Silva and Adesanya did. Heart says Khamzat should finish him but i expect DDP will have a great game plan, drag him into the trenches and take it to the distance. Will be a great match.Khamzat doesn't have a great gas tank in the couple of fights that he's had that weren't over in the first round.
Jon Jones swerved Ngannou as well. He talked up the Stipe Miocic fight to a level nobody believed and is claiming that as some sort of career defining victory.
Aspinall v Jones was the only fight at heavyweight and Jones chose not to have it. Still a great fighter Jon Jones just wish he had shat or got off the pot. Held Aspinall waiting for ages for a fight he knew was never going to happen
Properly avoided Francis. I don't blame him, it is just the bullshit that comes out of his mouth. Like saying Pereira is a more exciting match up than Aspinall as it is more career defining and Poatan has done more. I can't believe people actually believe stuff like that as anyone who follows the sport or understands it knows Aspinall was the bigger fight and a true test. I don't like Jones but he would have taken out Alex Periera quite swiftly imho, as much as I like Alex, Aspinall presented something else entirely.
How he has handled the Aspinall situation is a joke. Would have left the sport with a lot more credit if he just said he is getting old and is choosing to vacate as he feels that was the right time and the right win.
He spoke up Miocic like it was a true test but everyone knows Stipe was done after the third DC fight/the Ngannou KO. Bloke was more than halfway out of the octagon.
He fought Miocic when he was 41 and hadn't had a fight for 3.5 years, it was a pointless fight.
Aspinall has been well and truly messed about and desperately needs a fight soon. Bloke has fought once in the last 18 months and that was a first round KO. He's spent less than 4 minutes in the ring since 2022.
Talking of British middleweights and murder row. Look who Darren Till had after he KO'd Cowboy!
Till had it rough. Woodley was just a monster when he fought him, I don't think he was ready for that fight. Jorge was just in his moment.
You could see the nerves when he fought Gastelum, I remember watching that and thinking my word he looks panicked now. He was so composed and relaxed vs Thompson in particular but you could tell that KO from Jorge ruined him a bit and became a bit more conscious to engage.
No shame in the last 3, especially DDP who is an absolute anomaly 😂
Can't wait for DDP vs Khamzat. Everything says Khamzat as he is an absolute monster and imo the greatest fighter alive pound for pound (just doesn't have the resume to back it up yet) but Dricus is such a weird fighter I could see him pulling something out of the hat.
Great couple of fights coming up with that and Ilia Vs. Charles
Till's knees are fucked for wrestling, his body just can't handle that aspect of the game it seemed. He was beating DDP handily in the standing in that fight but had absolutely 0 wrestling defence so would get some good shots off then would get taken down by any wrestling attempt from DDP.
Maybe a bit of hindsight bias with Till as a few of those opponents really kicked on after beating him. Still a hell of CV albeit a losing one. I had money on Masvidal beating him and was the only person in the bar I watched that fight in who celebrated
The Whittaker fight I think he took too soon, looked a bit half cooked and Whittakker just bullied him. Gastelum and Thompson are valid wins and good ones.
Maybe a bit of hindsight bias with Till as a few of those opponents really kicked on after beating him. Still a hell of CV albeit a losing one. I had money on Masvidal beating him and was the only person in the bar I watched that fight in who celebrated
The Whittaker fight I think he took too soon, looked a bit half cooked and Whittakker just bullied him. Gastelum and Thompson are valid wins and good ones.
I like Till, he's nothing if not game
Bit harsh judgement on the Whitaker fight, it was a 5 round war that he lost by a slim margin, he also dropped Whitaker I think?
Maybe a bit of hindsight bias with Till as a few of those opponents really kicked on after beating him. Still a hell of CV albeit a losing one. I had money on Masvidal beating him and was the only person in the bar I watched that fight in who celebrated
The Whittaker fight I think he took too soon, looked a bit half cooked and Whittakker just bullied him. Gastelum and Thompson are valid wins and good ones.
I like Till, he's nothing if not game
Bit harsh judgement on the Whitaker fight, it was a 5 round war that he lost by a slim margin, he also dropped Whitaker I think?
Agree, I just felt Till couldn't handle the calf or thigh kicks Whittaker gave him and was stymied by them, like i say game as they come though. Happy to be wrong I dont tend to watch too many 5 rounders back so am relying on my addled memory
DDP (!) hasn't really impressed me tbh like Silva and Adesanya did. Heart says Khamzat should finish him but i expect DDP will have a great game plan, drag him into the trenches and take it to the distance. Will be a great match.Khamzat doesn't have a great gas tank in the couple of fights that he's had that weren't over in the first round.
That is why DDP is such an enigma. It's like watching a striker in football who just scores every game by one going in off his arse or a deflection. It's beautiful to watch.
Agree with you re Khamzats cardio, and all his cardiovascular issues in general. Usman may have beaten him if there were 5 rounds, same as Gilb burns. Both game him a very tough fight in 3 rounders.
I still think he's special though. His strength is ridiculous for his size and of course his wrestling technique. He also has that air of Khabib/Jones about him as well where it feels he can't lose.
Do Bronx this weekend anyway. Everything points to Ilia for me. His hands are ridiculous, watching all his training content and he has such great technique and he has such dexterity.
I feel like it can't go to decision. Either Ilia is about to struggle with the size discrepancy, and Charles will get the finish, or we are gonna see just how special Ilia is. I think it is going to be one sided one way or another.
I am rooting for Charlie Olives all the way, love his style, an absolute machine when he gets going.
DDP (!) hasn't really impressed me tbh like Silva and Adesanya did. Heart says Khamzat should finish him but i expect DDP will have a great game plan, drag him into the trenches and take it to the distance. Will be a great match.Khamzat doesn't have a great gas tank in the couple of fights that he's had that weren't over in the first round.
That is why DDP is such an enigma. It's like watching a striker in football who just scores every game by one going in off his arse or a deflection. It's beautiful to watch.
Agree with you re Khamzats cardio, and all his cardiovascular issues in general. Usman may have beaten him if there were 5 rounds, same as Gilb burns. Both game him a very tough fight in 3 rounders.
I still think he's special though. His strength is ridiculous for his size and of course his wrestling technique. He also has that air of Khabib/Jones about him as well where it feels he can't lose.
Really exciting match up.
Gilbert is a world class grappler who transitioned to MMA so it was no surprise that Khamzat couldn't maul him. DDP's grappling is no where near that level so will be interesting to how it goes. DDP will have a great game plan for it.
Oliveria v Topuria is some what of a dream match for me, straight into the Lightweight deep end for Ilia! Surprised they've done that instead of the money fight against a lesser opponent in Paddy. Perhaps the competition element is more important for TKO than the financial. Unless they believe Ilia will win well and set up the Paddy fight, but surely a solid win over Charles sets up a title match?!
Till V DDP was interesting, DDP unloaded his tank at the start and Till did a rope a dope (cage a dope?) tactic. He had to signal to the ref that he was fine as he took so much punishment but he nearly pulled it off against the man who is now the champion. Shame Till left UFC.
Comments
You could see the nerves when he fought Gastelum, I remember watching that and thinking my word he looks panicked now. He was so composed and relaxed vs Thompson in particular but you could tell that KO from Jorge ruined him a bit and became a bit more conscious to engage.
No shame in the last 3, especially DDP who is an absolute anomaly 😂
Can't wait for DDP vs Khamzat. Everything says Khamzat as he is an absolute monster and imo the greatest fighter alive pound for pound (just doesn't have the resume to back it up yet) but Dricus is such a weird fighter I could see him pulling something out of the hat.
Great couple of fights coming up with that and Ilia Vs. Charles
Aspinall has been well and truly messed about and desperately needs a fight soon. Bloke has fought once in the last 18 months and that was a first round KO. He's spent less than 4 minutes in the ring since 2022.
The Whittaker fight I think he took too soon, looked a bit half cooked and Whittakker just bullied him. Gastelum and Thompson are valid wins and good ones.
I like Till, he's nothing if not game
Agree with you re Khamzats cardio, and all his cardiovascular issues in general. Usman may have beaten him if there were 5 rounds, same as Gilb burns. Both game him a very tough fight in 3 rounders.
I still think he's special though. His strength is ridiculous for his size and of course his wrestling technique. He also has that air of Khabib/Jones about him as well where it feels he can't lose.
Really exciting match up.
I feel like it can't go to decision. Either Ilia is about to struggle with the size discrepancy, and Charles will get the finish, or we are gonna see just how special Ilia is. I think it is going to be one sided one way or another.
I am rooting for Charlie Olives all the way, love his style, an absolute machine when he gets going.
Oliveria v Topuria is some what of a dream match for me, straight into the Lightweight deep end for Ilia! Surprised they've done that instead of the money fight against a lesser opponent in Paddy. Perhaps the competition element is more important for TKO than the financial. Unless they believe Ilia will win well and set up the Paddy fight, but surely a solid win over Charles sets up a title match?!
Till V DDP was interesting, DDP unloaded his tank at the start and Till did a rope a dope (cage a dope?) tactic. He had to signal to the ref that he was fine as he took so much punishment but he nearly pulled it off against the man who is now the champion. Shame Till left UFC.