UFC 236 Watch/Don’t Watch, Notes From Sean Ross Sapp

Brandon Davis submits Randy Costa, R1

• This was a blast. Davis got tagged a few times in the first round and dished some out for his own. This was a good test for his chin at the lighter weight.
• Brandon Davis is 160 pounds in the cage. He calls out Sean O’Malley after the fight.
• They kept messing up the audio after the fight. Davis honored Costa’s fallen teammate, which was very classy.

SRS’ Rec: Watch this. This was a blast

Poliana Botelho defeated Lauren Mueller

• Botelho lands a brutal body kick and for some reason follows up by clinching.
• Everything after was embarrassing for Botelho. It was two rounds of Mueller trying to regain her breath.
• In the third, Mueller tees off on Botelho and almost takes the fight. This should have ended in the first, but here we are.

SRS’ Rec: Don’t.

Montel Jackson UD’s Andre Soukhamthath

• I thought that Andre Soukhamthath’s experience could play a role here. It didn’t.
• Montel Jackson outclassed him for three rounds. And kicked him in the ballsack once.
• Jackson has won two in a row since debuting against a far more experienced Ricky Simon

SRS’ Rec: Don’t watch this.

Belal Muhammad defeated Curtis Millender via snoozer

• Muhammad wrestled Millender.
• That’s the fight.
• For three rounds. Finally, Muhammad makes it to the mount.
• We said going into this fight that Muhammad was stuck on Fight Pass. That isn’t changing.
• Belal Muhammad strikes me as one of those people the UFC will lowball in contract negotiations.

SRS’ Rec: NO

Khalid Taha sears Boston Salmon, R1 TKO

• Khalid Taha just cracks Boston Salmon. That’s it.
• A left hook dropped Salmon. Filthy
• Boston Salmon got SMOKED.

SRS’ Rec: Yeah, I mean, why not?

Max Griffin beats Zelim Imadaev via UD.

• Imadaev immediately has a point taken away for grabbing the fence.
• Griffin swarms, and has to keep distance or else Imadaev cracks him with SPINNING SHIT.
• Round two goes in Imadaev’s favor, as Griffin is gassed out.
• Griffin holds on and takes the win.

SRS’ Rec: It’s worth watching the highlights of this, at least.

#5 Alexandre Pantoja starches #4 Wilson Reis, R1 TKO

• This doesn’t last long. A Pantoja straght puts Reis on his ass two minutes and change in.
• That’s it. Reis is done. Perhaps in the UFC, too. He’s lost four out of his last five. He’s Asia bound.
• Pantoja wants a title shot, and at 4-1 in the UFC, is up there. That’s not happening, though.

SRS’ Rec: Watch it. Possibly a future title challenger.

Matt Frevola outlasts Jalin Turner, UD

• Matt Frevola is rabid with his attack. This isn’t going to end well for Turner.
• Turner is able to get up and land some strikes, but is taken down again.
• Frevola finds success on the ground, but gets swept.
• There are an afwul lot of bad guillotine attempts from both sides.
• Turner eats a nasty illegal upkick. There was nothing innocuous or “grazing” about that upkick. That was a foul. Just because Frevola went absent minded and wasn’t aware doesn’t make that accidental. It was thrown was intent. Take a point.

SRS’ Rec: Another with highlights, but maybe even pass on that.

Nikita Krylov is less bad than #12 OSP, R2

• Nikita Krylov Fan got to fist bump Krylov.
• I fully expect Krylov to get Von Flue choked. OSP is clearly going for it early.
• Krylov gets up after a takedown and peppers OSP with some good body kicks followed by some punches with pretty rough technique.
• Cancel MMA. Krylov just took down OSP. He ends up getting a rear naked choke submission win. I’ll eat my words.
• It’s amazing that this is a top-15 UFC Light Heavyweight fight.

SRS’ Rec: Yeah, I guess. Wow.

Dwight Grant technically defeated Alan Jouban but it sucked

• Dwight Grant is countering because Jouban is pressuring instead of cutting angles.
• Grant is throwing wild ass punches to start round 2. That’s as exciting as it gets.
• Wow, this fight BLOWS. These guys are punching air.
• In the last ten seconds Jouban gets a takedown and lands some punches.
• They get a giant chorus of boos.
• Jouban is not happy about losing that. He flips out.

SRS’ Rec: This fight was a heaping pile of garbage. Don’t.

Khalil Rountree defeated Eryk Anders via sustained slaughter

• Khalil Rountree is putting the pain on Anders in the first round. He completely cooks Anders’ leg.
• Anders’ corner doesn’t even ice the leg. What the hell.
• It was a nice 2017 for Anders, but he’s just not on the level.
• Khalil Rountree is laying one of the most methodical ass whippings in UFC history on Anders.
• Anders is dropped with a right and Rountree just tees off. It doesn’t get much better on the feet.
• This is the Khalil Rountree that was so highly touted years ago.
• Anders dropped again. That’s a third in the round. How about four?
• This corner needs to stop the fight. Absurd.
• This continues through the third round. 30-26 is being very generous and kind to Eryk Anders. He was never in this fight.
• Khalil Rountree technically has one loss in his last six fights. One decision loss was overturned after his opponent popped for clomiphene

SRS’ Rec: Yeah, watch it. It’s an interesting story.

Interim UFC Middleweight Championship
Israel Adesanya beats Kelvin Gastelum in an all-timer

• There is a giant size advantage for Adesanya. It’s monstrous. I think Gastelum really missed out on his opportunity in facing a smaller middleweight in Whittaker.
• Gastelum shuts me up by getting inside and cracking Adesanya, scooting him on his ass.
• Round two tells a different story. Gastelum remains aggressive, and Adesanya slips well, but drops Gastelum with a great punch. Body kick-punch counter is there for Adesanya.
• Adesanya cracks Gastelum with a huge spinning back elbow.
• Round four is back and forth. Both men land well, but Gastelum rocks him with a head kick.
• Gastelum tries to take Israel down and eats a head kick.
• It’s all down to the fifth round. Adesanya lands at will early, but Gastelum is landing heavier shots.
• Adesanya grabs a guillotine, gets taken down, almost locks in a triangle and gets back to his feet! The next several minutes are Adesanya beating the brakes off of Gastelum. This finishes with a 10-8 round for Adesanya.

SRS’ Rec: This is an all-time great middleweight title fight.

Interim UFC Lightweight Championship
Dustin Poirier beats Max Holloway

• Poirier tries to measure Holloway, but gets clipped. Holloway unloads.
• The SAME sequence happens to Holloway, and he slugs to get out of it. Poirier is landing heavy and often. I’m not sure how Holloway is standing.
• Poirier is connecting whenever he wants and is dominating the round. Holloway is getting in here and there, but his shots aren’t doing much. It’s impressive he’s retaining so much technique.
• Round one is probably a 10-8 under new scoring.
• Poirier already looks like he’s slowing. Holloway steps it up, but Poirier turns it on and clips Holloway multiple times.
• There’s a great stand off at the end of this round.
• The reach of Poirier is really causing problems for Holloway, especially off the counter.
• Poirier is playing into Holloway’s game now. Active and in the middle of the cage. That’s not somewhere Poirier wants to be with decreased output against Max Holloway.
• Poirier landed takedown in round four early, but it was clear he was cooked as they get back to the feet.
• A big knee lands for Poirier and may have saved him because it busts open Holloway — specifically his nose.
• I think in totality, Poirier won it. By the nature of the scoring system. I have it a draw.
• I could certainly see 49-46 Poirier in that, too. Great fight
• BJ Penn, TJ Dillashaw looked “less than” when they jumped divisions and lost. Holloway was overmatched, but I think it added to his image in the end.

SRS’ Rec: Everything it was hyped up to be.