UFC 232 Watch/Don’t Watch, Podcast Notes From Sean Ross Sapp Of Fightful.com

Montel Jackson weighs Brian Kelleher down with a submission, R1.

• Kelleher threw an ill-advised naked leg kick and gets countered. Jackson’s range is a problem early.
• A Jackson elbow cracks Kelleher. Brian tries to scramble and eats up getting put in a d’arce and tapped. 
• Kelleher said he’s going to send Jackson the 20 percent he lost due to missing weight. 

SRS’ Rec: Quick and harmless, and a really nice d’arce choke. Kelleher isn’t what many thought he’d be

Curtis Millender UD’s Siyar Bahadurzada

• Fun Fact: Siyar’s loyal fans thumbs downed our Millender video rather heavily a couple of weeks ago, which is kind of funny.
• Millender has nice kicks at range, but they don’t always have power. A flying knee meets success, too. Siyar is finding the best of the punch exchanges. 
• Siyar grabs a great body lock into a trip. He spends the round on top of Millender.
• Millender CRACKS Siyar and Bahadurzada spends the next 20 seconds shaking his head like it didn’t hurt, and the next 20 seconds getting punched.
• That was downright SAD takedown defense and a total absence of scrambling off of a punch-drunk Siyar takedown. Millender is able to reverse another.
• Curtis Millender calls Mike Perry “Michelle Perry.” K-1 level banter. He’s now 3-0 in the UFC. Siyar has snapped a 3 fight winner streak.

SRS’ Rec: Watch the third round.

#14 Uriah Hall TKOs Bevon Lewis, R3

• One of the most perpetually frustrating fighters in UFC history, Uriah Hall. 
• I do not know what a Uriah Hall 2.0 or an old Uriah Hall or a new Uriah Hall is. I just know that you can never tell if a fight from him will be good until one minute into it when you realize he isn’t going to punch anyone.
• Bevon Lewis goes right after Hall. Shows Hall no respect and makes him uncomfortable
• Hall sticks to jabs and low kicks but seems like he’s loading up for big spinning attacks that aren’t there.
• Bevon varies up the striking a little bit, but gets countered and dropped. That’s a wrap.

SRS’ Rec: I would never recommend watching a Uriah Hall fight at this point. Highlights are good. 

Nathan Wood dominates Andre Ewell, submission, R3

• Ewell has some real fundamental flaws for a 30 year old in the UFC. Doesn’t seem to put together combos, gets himself pinned. Tries to work out of guard a little too much. His chin is straight in the air.
• Wood controls this entire fight. Ewell has no game. A major flaw.
• Wood fights off a rear naked choke, but gets put belly down and tapped out.
• We’ve learned a win over Renan Barao means precisely DICK.

SRS’ Rec: This is not a high level fight. 

Ryan Hall with an insane R1 sub over BJ Penn

• BJ Penn hasn’t won in 8 years. Ryan Hall feels like he hasn’t fought in that long.
• Penn gets inside and lands a couple of strikes. Hall misses a kick and drops to his back and tries leg locks for a while.
• This is a such a pointless, fascinating fight between Penn and Hall.
• Ryan Hall just won with a god damned rolling heel hook. IMMEDIATE tap.
• First submission loss in Penn’s career
• I can’t put over how impressive that Imanari Roll is.

SRS’ Rec: Yeah, this is harmless. 

Petr Yan forces a corner stoppage of #14 Douglas Silva De Andrade

• Petr Yan finishes Douglas Silva De Andrade via corner stoppage.
• Shout outs to the ref letting Andrade know he’s not grounded as he tries to game the system there.
• Yan has arrived. He’s fighting a good fight. Not an overwhelming top control grappler, but really good and aggressive. 
• Great on Andrade’s corner to put a stop to this fight. 

SRS’ Rec: Yes. You should be watching Petr Yan.

Megan Anderson wins with a pokey TKO over #5 BW Cat Zingano, R1

• This will answer a lot of questions about Anderson.
• Megan Anderson gets the win. Cat Zingano got grazed with a kick in the eye, but that’s completely legal and doesn’t call for a pause in the action.
• I’m okay with an immediate rematch of this (something Anderson said she would completely understand), but I don’t understand anyone calling for a DQ or a NC. It was completely legal.

SRS’ Rec: There’s no need to watch this. 

Walt Harris snoozes a split over #13 Andrei Arlovski

What am I supposed to break down? This fight sucked and nothing happened.

SRS’ Rec: This put the nail in the coffin of the UFC on Fox era. Do not watch it.

#10 Alexander Volkanovski TKO’d #5 Chad Mendes in R2

• One of the recurring problems for Mendes is that he expends too much energy with the takedown. That was really on display tonight.
• A not much happening first round really stepped up in round two. Mendes was able to land a couple of takedowns, but was ZAPPED after putting all he had into them. We’ve seen this in the Aldo and McGregor fights. He doesn’t like being pressured after a takedown.
• Back on his feet, Volkanovski hits a big left hand to the head, left to the body and another big right to finish off Mendes. 

SRS’ Rec: Watch the second round of this one.

Corey Anderson beats Ilir Latifi, UD

• Corey Anderson wisely showed up on championship weight the night Jon Jones was booked for a title fight. Latifi is very underrated and has teased a move to heavyweight depending on Gustafsson’s trajectory. 
• Latifi is very successful with calf kicks because Anderson is really heavy on his lead leg. Latifi wades in, and finds success here and there. 
• Latifi gets VERY tired in round two, and Anderson isn’t the kind of guy who gets tired easily. He starts ripping to Latifi’s body.
• Anderson keeps getting better, but always finds ways to do super curious things that could mess that up.
• Anderson starts to keep Latifi at range and picks him apart in round three.  
• Latifi had won 5 of 6 going into this fight. Corey Anderson extends his winning streak to three.

SRS’ Rec: Not a bad fight. Don’t prioritize it if you don’t have time. UFC 205 is a carousel past the top 3-4.

Michael Chiesa wristlocks Carlos Condit, R2

• Chiesa isn’t getting a ton done early, and almost gets locked in an armbar and a heel hook. Chiesa was more physically dominant, but Condit threatened much more. 
• Chiesa changes that in the second round and takes Condit down, and finishes him off with a WRISTLOCK. Very insane, impressive finish. 
• I’ve never seen that sub pulled off in my life. Chiesa wants Magny. Condit has lost five fights in a row, and no wins since May 2015. Since beating Nick Diaz, he’s 2-9.

SRS’ Rec: This is such a fun fight. A must watch.

UFC Featherweight Championship
Amanda Nunes crushes Cris Cyborg (c) in R1, KO

• They slug it out IMMEDIATELY. They catch each other and are swinging!
• Nunes cracks Cyborg with a wild shot and drops Cyborg. She’s done it! Two-division champion!!
• Amanda Nunes is the greatest female fighter of all-time.
• Amanda Nunes has beaten both women to hold the 145 pound title in the UFC, Bellator’s Featherweight Champion, the current UFC Flyweight Champion (twice), and two women to hold the UFC Bantamweight championship.

SRS’ Rec: This was an amazing, historic moment. What do you think!?!?

UFC Light Heavyweight Championship
Jon Jones defeated Alexander Gustafsson

• This is contested at range in the first round. Jones seems to take it. 
• Of all the dumb rules in MMA, not giving time to recover from eye pokes like they do ball shots. Jones eats one. 
• Jones goes to work on the leg of Gustafsson, but Alex is throwing some decent combos. Jones has drawn attention to the leg and goes to work on the body. 
• Jones drags Gustafsson down on the ground and moves to side and crucifix. He utilizes a half nelson, then a hook before taking Gus’ back and finishing him with brutal strikes. 

SRS’ Rec: Second round on, but all of it if you want the highest levels of MMA in your face.