MMA
Sean Ross Sapp’s UFC 224, Bellator 199 Podcast Notes
Markus Perez puts away James Bochnovic via R1 submission
- Perez wants to win the title at 185, then go to 170. That's thinking ahead.
- I thought Perez would have trouble getting in close, but Bochnovic took it upon himself to get into clinch range, which has resulted in him being taken down repeatedly.
- Perez locked that rear naked choke in, and Bochnovic tried to battle the hands and peel the arm, but no dice. First round win for Perez.
Rasman Emeev defeated Alberto Mina via me falling asleep
- It's really best we all move on and forget that this fight happened. The UFC had the balls to display stats for this fight, which was kind of funny.
- Emeev is 2-0 in the UFC. This is Mina's first loss, but he's 36 and has fought four times in his four year UFC career.
Jack Hermansson surprises Thales Leites via R3 TKO (GNP)
- Anik says that 3-2 in the UFC Hermansson looks a UFC champion when he's on. Don't most when they're "on?"
- Jack Hermansson hitting Thales Leites with a hane goshi after Leites tried over and over and over to land takedowns after th clinch. The in-cage equivalent of shitposting.
- Hermansson winced really hard at the beginning of round two when he was taken down, and Leites almost had an arm triangle, but Jack miraculously fights it off. He also survives heavy ground and pound
- Leites makes a sloppy guillotine attempt, Hermansson stepped over the leg, moved to mount and clobbered Leites for the win. He's screaming in pain after he wins.
- Leites 2-5 in his last 7. He'll likely be 37 by his next fight. I think that's about it for him. Amazing what Hermansson was able to do with a broken rib.
Warlley Alves mercifully beats Sultan Aliev via corner stoppage after R2
- Warrley Alves HURLED before he came to the cage, per Jon Anik. He's aggressive early, but begins to pace himself.
- There's not a ton of action, but Alves threw the right over and over until Aliev's eye closed and the fight was stopped.
- Alves calls out Colby Covington. He's beaten Covington before, but won't be getting that fight.
Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos destroys Sean Strickland via R1 KO
- Zaleski hit a GREAT wheel kick and knocked out Strickland. Faked a left hook, went right, then threw as he moved in. A big win for him and the first time Strickland has been finished.
- Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos could very well be 6-0 in the UFC. That Dalby fight was CLOSE.
Davi Ramos brutes Nick Hein via submission (face crusher) R1
- Ramos looked like he pulled guard when he got kicked, which was certainly curious. He threw a right, and landed a really easy takedown. Bad, bad news for Hein.
- Ramos looked for the double wristlock, and Hein tried to shake the back control attempt, but Ramos is relentless. Crank on the jaw gets the win. A face crusher. That's impressive.
Oleinik embarrasses Junior Albini via ezekiel choke in R1
- Royce Gracie wouldn't have had the balls to pull guard with an ezekiel at UFC 1.
- Oleinik has as many ezekiel choke finishes as ways to spell his goddamn name. He overcame an early cut.
- Albini needs a fight out of the top 15.
Cezar Ferreira naptimes Karl Roberson via technical submission (arm triangle) R1
- Roberson didn't look good, and got his first loss. This was going to be a KO or a submission, but the latter was much more likely. Poor matchmaking,
- Roberson got out on the front foot, rushed in and was taken down. He got flattened out pretty easily. After a ground battle, Cezar goes from one side to the other and puts Roberson to sleep with an arm triangle. Roberson had been punching from his back while mounted like it was UFC 1 on PS3.
Lyoto Machida Old Yellers Vitor Belfort, R2
- Belfort's career ends after 41 documented fights, although many more undocumented fights are likely to have happened. He captured the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship in controversial fashion in 2004 when part of his glove caught Randy Couture's eye, leading to a doctor stoppage. He would go on to beat Wanderlei Silva, Rich Franklin, Anthony “Rumble” Johnson, Michael Bisping, Luke Rockhold, Dan Henderson and others.
- Machida fights southpaws ALL THE TIME. He should also be riding a four fight losing streak. The first round is typical boring Machida fight, but then in the second round, he lulls Belfort into a rhythm and Old Yellers Vitor with a front kick. Sick.
John Lineker puts down Brian Kelleher, KO R3
- Over 200 strikes and almost two years since Lineker's last KO. Will that change?
- Kelleher slugged Lineker with a nice counter right, but got caught with an overhand. I was little surprised that Kelleher didn't scramble, but I think he was looking to survive.
- Kelleher is really good at stepping back and countering. That's great for him because Lineker is pressuring.
- Lineker is really scoring with the body hook to the right, and left hook to the face. He's far more technical than given credit for.
- Kelleher being willing to slug it out with Lineker and not getting slept is worthy of a top 15 ranking. Kelleher keeps looking to reset and get in the middle of the cage, but immediately has to take a few steps back and undoes the work he did to get there.
- Kelleher should probably move his head if he doesn't want to get hit in it. He does get hit, and often. Lineker throws one of the hardest left hooks in division history and finishes.
Mackenzie Dern anti-karmas Amanda Bobby Cooper via submisison R1, RNC
- Dern is so slow and clunky and how thick she came into this fight makes her weight miss look even worse.
- Footwork was bad and slow. Setups were not good, but that right hand was there the entire fight for Dern and looked really great. An overhand drops ABC, and then 123 applies the RNC for the win.
- Imagine Dern against the striking of Andrade, Torres, Waterson, Joanna, Rose, at 115. She would be waterboarded. It wouldn't be torture, but she'd be waterboarded.
Kelvin Gastelum edges out Jacare Souza
- Surprised that the distance was closed so quickly, but Jacare takes advantage with a flying leglock. He realizes he isn't getting it, and moves to top control. His pressure is insane. He takes a risk an steps over with and armbar.
- Gastelum has too many of his strengths negated by what Jacare does better than 99.9 percent of fighters. On the feet is Gastelum's best shot, in my estimation. Even then, Jacare is able to land here and there.
- Gastelum really learned from the first round and started to circle away from the fence. That results in Jacare landing a few good shots but getting dropped by Gastelum.
- They have abandoned strategy and technique. It's great. Zombie mode. Jacare can't take Gastelum down in round three. Body punches are finding a home for Jacare. It's impressive to see such an output from a guy as tired as Souza is.
- Gastelum tries to utilize footwork in the last minute more than Jacare was willing. Souza gets a quick takedown, but they're back on the feet. This ruled. I had it 29-28 Jacare.
Amanda Nunes beats up Raquel Pennington, R5 TKO
- Once, Pennington would have seemed an unlikely opponent. Just three years ago, she was 5-5 in her career, and had dropped fights to Holly Holm and Jessica Andrade. Between September 2015 and November 2016, she won a rematch over Andrade, beat former champion Miesha Tate and former title challenger Bethe Correia, and sent Elizabeth Phillips packing from the UFC.
- Nunes made an impression right out of the gate with a leg kick that dropped Pennington and set up the rest of her offense. Nunes dropping Pennington right out of the gate with a leg kick is like running the ball for a first down on the each of the first two plays of a football game. It opens up everything.
- Nunes outclassed Pennington in the first round, and painted up Rocky P's leg. Round two starts with Nunes going to the body. Round 1 was leg early, round two body early.
- Pennington briefly closes the distance and connects with a right, but it seems like it's taking everything she has to muster up one of those every minute or so. Raquel starts wading in to get close and eats knees, but does get the waistlock takedown. Perhaps most importantly, she's off that leg briefly. They trade to end the round.
- Pennington tries to pressure and gets put on her back. Pennington's counter striking is just too slow. We've not seen a ton of it before this fight. This is much of the same of the first two rounds until Pennington is crumbled with a knee to end the third. Nunes returned to kneeing Pennington in the head in round 4.
- Nunes' cardio is not an issue.
- Pennington wants out, and her coach is making her stay in. Mmk. Find a coach who cares more about you than the percentage he's taking home.
- Fire your fucking cornerman, Pennington. You got clubbed minutes later.
Kongo flattens Ayala in R1 KO
- Cheick Kongo gets his first knockout in four years. Ayala tries to push him against the cage, work off and throw a sloppy punch. Kongo blocks, rolls, and throws a magnificent short counter right.
- The first fight of Kongo's that hasn't sucked in years. He's now won six in a row and turns 43 next week!
Pico drops Morrison via R1 KO
- Morrison has won four in a row. Pico has some excellent footwork, instincts and aggression. He drops a flying Morrison, then finishes things off with a left uppercut.
- They need to run back Pico vs. Freeman.
Jon Fitch zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Paul Daley
- You know what this is. C'mon. This fight sucked.
Ryan Bader dominates King Mo Lawal in 15 seconds (KO)
- Ryan Bader 100 percent should have fought Daniel Cormier in the UFC.
- Bader wins with a lead left hook out of the gate. What is there to break down!? Awesome!
