And one has to wonder how many more of these type of fights Gustafsson can take. Viktor Pesta has spectacular takedowns and great top control. “There’s too many big fights out there for him at this time, but I don’t think that there’s a specific date, time, etc. already in place”. He will be relentless with the takedown attempts.
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“I felt like myself”. If I don’t fight my best, I can lose to him but I think we’ve covered all of our bases to make sure that doesn’t happen. He wrecked Francisco Trevino in under a minute, without breaking a sweat and was all over him pouring down lightning quick shots.
That’s a level you only get to when you’ve been through the kind of fight Cormier endured Saturday night. I’m hitting my stride and getting better and better. I have Rose Namajunas winning by submission.
“If I never got to fight Jones again, it would be hard”, Cormier said.
“I think one of the things to keep in mind with this particular topic is any suggestion or inference that there was a cover-up is just categorically false”, Sholler said.
Albert Tumenov = Absolute BEAST! Pena will try to take this fight into a phone booth and grind it out, which is bad news for Eye bettors. “I won the belt”.
“Fighting as the champion is the same to me as fighting as a contender”.
But although he came up short, everyone in attendance, and hopefully those watching at home, walked away from that bout recognizing that Gustafsson is a special talent and someone that is able to rise to the occasion, even when people are counting him out and questioning his involvement in the main event.
In the early rounds, Gustaffson will be unsafe as he has the knockout power to stop Cormier or lacerate him with those vicious fists.
Jessica Eye (11-3) also meets Julianna Pena (6-2). So that’s one fight I’d like to get back. He gave Benavidez a tough fight, despite the scores, and is still a contender in the division. Bagautinov is a spectacular fighter overall. He will always look for the finish, and he can finish the fight wherever it goes. For UFC, that means a lot of money.
Bader showcased an improved striking game, mixing kicks to the body with a precise jab and a deceiving right hand that kept Evans guessing from start to finish.
“I go out there – ideal situation – I go out there, beat Rashad”, Bader said.
The evening’s co-feature bout was the biggest win of Ryan Bader’s career.
Cormier’s first title defense sets up a possible fight with a surging Ryan Bader, who swept the scorecards in a dominant performance over Rashad Evans to extend his win streak to five. Evans suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his knee and had surgery not long after the Sonnen fight. They’ve got a guy capable of pushing their champions further than anybody, but also one who just can’t crest the mountain and actually, you know, beat the guys with the belt. All the experience is paying off. I used to fight in a fog.
Wow! What an wonderful match up! Let’s see him fight Soa Palelei next. He is a technical and lengthy fighter, who is very well rounded. But…
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It’s rare to hear a professional athlete as bluntly obvious in discussing his shortcomings and failings as Daniel Cormier in January. It was however, Cormier’s relentless forward pressure and sheer volume of strikes that ultimately won Cormier the split decision in a raucous and bloody battle of will and technique leaving both men physically spent. “He doesn’t care who you are”.
