UFC 226 Podcast Notes And Analysis From Sean Ross Sapp

Whitmire defeated Moyle via UD

Moyle has missed about a year from the cage after losing to Pereira. Has seven amateur fights on her record, including one against Tecia Torres. Almost always goes to the scorecards. This isn’t a great fight. Moyle was kept outside of her range while Whitmire took advantage with extended strikes. When Whitmire takes it to the ground, Moyle just letting herself get pinned. Low level MMA fight.

Dan Hooker slayed Gilbert Burns, R1

Burns was on his front foot right out of the gate and found success, but slowed down pretty quickly and Hooker jumped all over him with rangey strikes to the body. Hooker timed Burns’ inside kick with a punch to the body, and then countered a right hook with a left of his own. That’s all she wrote. Hooker has now won four in a row, and is knocking on the door of the top 15.

Millender UD’s Max Griffin 

Griffin walks into a series of strikes, including a jumping knee. He’s able to  get in close for a body lock takedown. It takes a while before he can get ground and pound. The second round is really sloppy and just fundamentally bad. Millender brings his back foot up when he throws lunging punches, but now he has Griffin retreating as he lands some combos that he puts together nicely by including knees — which seems to be Millender’s strong suit. This is Millender’s 8th straight win, which spans across Bellator, LFA and UFC. 

Drakkar Klose UD’s Lando Vannata

Vannata told us at Fightful he was looking to slow down his pace, but Drakkar Klose isn’t really letting him. Vannata looks to shift the momentum with a backfist, but Klose is doing a good job disrupting his rhythm. It’s amazing that Vannata was able to give Ferguson a run for his money, because he’s doing a lot of nothing and Klose’s cardio is reflecting that. That bonus streak is gonna come to an end for Vannata.

#3 Assuncao UD’s #11 Font

I’ve always wondered how Assuncao’s ankle injury would affect him in a footwork-heavy bantamweight division, but he’s been just fine. He does what Assuncao does in the first round. Body kicks, low kicks, being smart with strikes, then comes out and times a takedown perfectly to start R2. The ground battle is a huge mismatch. Assuncao is just so precise and careful with what he throws. It has to be frustrating for Font, who can’t get anything at all going. Assuncao with a takedown and controls Font to end it. One sided. Assuncao won’t be able to get a title shot until 2019, though.

#10 Paulo Costa obliterates #9 Uriah Hall R2

This is a don’t blink fight. Hall won’t commit to anything with too much behind it, and that’s usually when and why he loses fights. Hall gets kicked RIGHT IN THE PENIS as Costa turns it up. Hall is OWNING Costa with a jab. Costa is able to go to work against the cage with some wild hooks and overhands.Hall also briefly lands a takedown in round 2. Hall drops Costa, who gets punched again while shaking his head. Costa starts swinging for the fences and knocks Hall out. There wasn’t a whole lot of strategy outside of Hall successfully spamming jabs and Costa working the body. Just two hosscats throwing, countering and doing what they do. Costa is now 4-0 in the UFC. Hall has lost 4 of 5.

Khalil Rountree derails Gohkan Saki’s hype train with his fist in R1

Did not hesitate to pick Khalil Rountree. He’s fulfilling his potential, and Saki showed too many holes in the limited time I saw him. Coupled with Rountree’s more well rounded game, I thought this would be his fight. I didn’t expect a straight right to drop Saki, though. That’s what happened and Rountree went into killer mode on the ground after. Saki had a lot of trouble with Rountree’s speed and I don’t think he was prepared for it. Still have a lot of respect for Saki for making the transition to MMA. Rountree is very passionate after this win because a lot of people wrote him off.

#12 Showtime Pettis shocks #9 Michael Chiesa

Chiesa says this will be his last fight at 155 pounds, after he said McGregor cost him a shot at the title (he didn’t). Typically former champs get more of a leash, but I would say 2-5 in his last seven is already a pretty long one for Pettis, so he needed a win. Chiesa immediately takes down Pettis and that’s where most of round one is there, with Pettis taking the back once. In round two, Pettis counters a lazy body kick with a punch and a big knee and goes for a guillotine. He regains guard and ends up getting the win with a BIG triangle/armbar! Chiesa’s kicking game here was subpar and kept costing him. The turds are gonna put Pettis ahead of Vick in the rankings next week.

Mike Perry split decisions #14 LW Paul Felder

Felder was supposed to fight James Vick, who got pulled to fight Justin Gaethje. In steps Mike Perry at a weight class higher, and it shows. Perry is much bigger and bullies Felder. Perry able to score some big elbows — his specialty. Felder is landing rights when Perry comes in. Perry was also able to take Felder down, who looked for an armbar. In the third much of the same happens, this time with Perry landing ground and pound. Output is comparable, but you can tell Felder is adjusting to having to fight a much heavier opponent than usual. This was an outstanding, bloody, messy brawl. This ends Felder’s three fight win streak, but it was a weight class up. 

#5 Derrick Lewis beats #1 Francis Ngannou in the most boring fight in UFC history

Literally almost nothing happened in the entire first round. Lewis said in between rounds his back was bothering him. Didn’t think there was any way Ngannou vs. Lewis could suck, but they’ve stared at each other, interrupted by the occasional Derrick Lewis kick. Herb Dean appropriately warns for timidity. Oooooooooooh boy, Dana White is gonna cut a promo on this fight. I wish Brock Lesnar would come out and F5 both of these jobbers. Bruhs you better bring the ketchup for the UFC post-show podcast I’m doing, because I’m serving up some fuckin’ harsh browns on this Ngannou-Lewis fight. This is legit maybe the most boring UFC fight I’ve ever seen. Embarrassing display from both men. 

Miocic bullies his way inside and Cormier looks helpless. Miocic is finding a home for his knees, and a nice 1-2. The knees are working for Stipe before he’s poked in the eye. Cormier connects with big punches and knocks out Miocic! Cormier has done it! Cormier is legit the best heavyweight in the world. Was he the entire time? Cormier says he noticed Miocic backing up with his hands down, and capitalized. Daniel Cormier is going to take that WWE Universal title, too.