UFC 241 Watch/Don’t Watch, Podcast Notes From Sean Ross Sapp

Sabina Mazo UD dominates Shana Dobson, UD

• Mazo lands a liver kick with the quickness. She finds a lot of success with that in her fights. She jumps all over Dobson and a takedown follows.
• This is a real, one sided. Mazo lands some really good knees towards the end of the fight.
• Dobson probably shouldn’t be in the UFC anyway. She got there via TUF after being 2-1 and losing to Roxanne on the show. She’s 3-3 now.
• There were some 30-24s there, too. Woof.

SRS’ Rec: I love a good liver kick, so just watch the highlights here.

KHK SD’s Brandon Marathon Man Davis

• Brandon Davis apparently runs 20 miles a day. Hey, more power to him, and no way I could do that, but as a 10-6 MMA fighter, it seems as if that time could be spent better.
• Kang chips away at Davis with jabs before dropping him. Kang ate a lot of leg kicks.
• For some reason the referee doesn’t stop the action when the mouth guard of one of the fighters flies out. This referee is GARBO. He stands a fight up in side control.
• Davis’ corner thinks he’s got this in the bag. He doesn’t. He loses the fight via split decision.

SRS’ Rec: No we’re good.

Hannah Cifers outlasts Jodie Esquibel

• Both women were incredibly tentative throughout the first round.
• I really like the broadcast team throwing to Megan Olivi, who is sitting in a respective corner to get scoops.
• Hannah Cifers is really really timid after the fight. Seems kinda odd. She won the fight though. She looked like she was almost in tears. I’m not really sure what to make of this.

SRS’ Rec: No.

Casey Kenney beats Manny Bermudez via UD

• This is a catchweight and Bermudez is moving to 145 after this. Kenney accepted a 140 pound fight and said he’d be happy with that because it’s more money for him. Bermudez isn’t a 135er.
• Kenney wins this fight, but it’s not great. Seems to be a trend tonight. This card has not been good.
• Kenney calls out Urijah Faber and Frankie Edgar for Bantamweight fights. I respect it, but he’s not getting that fight. At least when he wins a couple more he can say he’s been calling them out forever.
• Kenney is now 2-0 in the UFC, and also has a win over Ray Borg.

SRS’ Rec: No.

Drakkar Klose def. Christos Giagos

• This is far from a great fight early on, but at least it’s paced faster.
• Giagos tries to apply a rear naked choke, but can’t get it done.
• Klose stands up and ends up dropping Giagos, who always seems to have a problem with gassing out.
• Klose also lands a nice trip and a hammer fist. Klose thew a great soccer kick to the ribs, which is completely legal.
• That point about a great fight and the pace changes in the third round, and it turns into a barnburner.

SRS’ Rec: This isn’t that important of a fight, but either the highlights or the third round will suffice.

#9 Corey Sandhagen defeated #3 Raphael Assuncao, UD

• A big bantamweight fight and not a damn person around to see it.
• Assuncao wasn’t completely shut out or anything, but Sandhagen definitely did shut him down.
• This is a lot of Sandhagen utilizing his defense in an offensive manner, and it’s really good.
• Assuncao did manage a couple of takedowns, and a big slam. That was neat.
• We didn’t need another decision on this card, but here we are. Sandhagen won every round.
• Sandhagen is 5-0 in the UFC, and 4-0 in the division. He’s definitely one to be watching, and should be a top 5 guy next week.

SRS’ Rec: Just the highlights, but this is a high level fight.

Khama Worthy upsets Devonte Smith, TKO R1

• Khama Worthy impressed at media day and has trained with Smith before.
• There are some wild exchanges that result in Worthy dropping and finishing Smith.
• And THAT’S why Worthy was one of my “I Got 5 On It” picks. Late notice replacements, especially ones that have trained with their opponents are particularly dangerous.
• Just like that, Smith has been derailed.
• Man, Khama Worthy is AWESOME. He cut a great promo and was really awesome putting over Smith and saying how much he needed this fight himself for his family.

SRS’ Rec: Watch the finish. Thankfully we finally have one.

#8 Derek Brunson def. #10 Ian Heinisch by unanimous decision

• Heinisch steps right in and cracks Brunson with a big head kick.
• The balance of Heinisch is something to behold. I can’t think of anyone else who would have stopped all of the takedowns he did when they were so close to being completed.
• Brunson has some really rough technical striking, but it also is what opens him up for success.
• Brunson is really good at sprawling out and creating some opportunities for himself.
• Colby Covington shows up in the crowd in the middle of the opening fight. The crowd chants “Colby sucks.”
• Brunson landed a left down the middle fairly repeatedly.
• After that head kick, Brunson recovered exceptionally well.

SRS’ Rec: Yes. This one’s worth it.

Sodiq Yusuff flattens Gabriel Benitez, R1

• Yusuff starts out strong and keeps Benitez at the end of his strikes.
• Benitez is able to threaten briefly, but Yusuff recovers well.
• Yusuff couters a Benitez straight with a great right hook. That’s a wrap. That’s it.

SRS’ Rec: Yeah, sure!

#7 Paulo Costa Fight of the Year’s #2 Yoel Romero, UD

• Romero comes out aggressive and slips.
• Then it all goes down. Costa drops Romero. Romero drops Costa.
• Romero looks knackered 90 seconds in, right after he and Costa dropped each other.
• Romero is pushed against the cage and has nowhere to go, aside from right into Costa’s fists.
• Right after that, Romero throws a big knee and gets kicked in the nutsack.
• Costa is throwing heat to the body. Just hard hooks.
• I would imagine that Romero is effectively done at the championship levels of middleweight. He has one win since 2017, is 42 years old, fights about once a year, and has trouble making the weight.
• I wonder if Costa’s corner is just calling out “THREE FOUR THREE FOUR THREE FOUR THREE FOUR THREE FOUR THREE FOUR THREE FOUR THREE FOUR THREE FOUR THREE FOUR THREE FOUR THREE FOUR THREE FOUR THREE FOUR THREE FOUR THREE FOUR THREE FOUR THREE FOUR THREE FOUR THREE FOUR.”
• Somehow, Romero is more effective in the third round than he’s been since the opening minutes of the first. Neither one are exactly daisies here.
• People thought Romero won that fight? I’m shocked by the boos.
• Costa wants a title fight.

SRS’ Rec: That was one of the best UFC fights of the year.

Nate Diaz beats #7 Anthony Pettis, UD

• It’s finally happening, Nate Diaz is back. This is a big shot in the arm for the UFC. They need stars.
• Pettis goes right at the legs of Diaz, unsurprisingly.
• Pettis switches it up and goes up high. I was surprised the betting lines were so close here considering Diaz hasn’t checked a kick in a decade.
• Diaz gets a takedown and moves out of a guillotine. Diaz gains full mount and the back, and Diaz took that first round right away from Pettis.
• The ref calls time as there’s an issue with Diaz’s eye, but Nate wants to keep fighting. It was barely a discussion, but you had to know that was gonna happen. Nate doesn’t care.
• Pettis’ talk of Nate “not being a real welterweight” is even more confusing when you see how much smaller he is than Diaz.
• Diaz pulls the fight up into clinch range and throws knees and elbows. Against the cage is literally the last place you want to be against a Diaz brother.
• Diaz is up 20-18. Pettis isn’t out of it, but he’s fading big time. Diaz has done exceptionally for having three years off.
• Diaz whoops up on Pettis and throws some disgusting knees that should have finished Pettis. Somehow, Pettis ends up in Diaz’s guard after all of that happened.
• This was an outstanding fight, and Diaz looked really good. I had a lot of doubts, and this was vintage Diaz.
• Diaz says that he left because everybody sucks. He wants to fight Masvidal. Diaz wants to defend what I can only assume is the CBD Marijuanaweight Championship against him

SRS’ Rec: Oh yeah. Please watch this. Diaz is one of a kind. Or I guess two of a kind.

UFC Heavyweight Championship
Stipe Miocic comes back to beat Daniel Cormier (c) to win the title

• Daniel Cormier just hit the Attitude Adjustment on Stipe Miocic, and followed it up with closed guard ground and pound.
• Cormier’s wrestling sets up nasty hammerfists from a turtled position. Herb wisely won’t stop it.
• In the second round, there’s a big turning of tides. Cormier lazily wades in and gets cracked several times. He doesn’t go to sleep, which is a positive.
• I have the first two rounds going to DC. Looks a little tired, but he’s still throwing heavy.
• Miocic looks much fresher to start round three, and gets a 1-2 combo.
• Miocic manages a takedown, but it’s mostly for show.
• Cormier doesn’t show Miocic the respect he deserves, and the lefts to the body zaps Cormier of his energy. Miocic crumples Cormier and finishes him off for the win.
• Miocic is easily the greatest UFC Heavyweight of all-time and it’s not close. The rubber match has to come.

SRS’ Rec: I’m going to say yes before the fight even happened, because it’s two of the best heavyweights ever.