Jakro's MMA Musings

Back-to-back winning events, but barely and just like last time, the overwhelming feeling at the end is of having missed out on an opportunity to make huge profits. Main Card Cody wasn't exactly No Chin, but he certainly wasn't the skilled, smooth and smart fighter that I was hoping he would have become. He started very well, and even mixed in takedowns as I hoped he would, but he didn't maintain top control very well. He also was really putting a hurting on Font early on with those calf kicks, but then just inexplicably stopped throwing them despite Font absorbing most of them.  In the end Cody took a ton of damage getting boxed up by Font, which means he has a chin, but I still don't like how he reacts to shots and I think he is still always close to getting KOd. After fighting absolute top of the line competition, he needs a drop in competition, but with Bantamweight being such a shark tank, it's hard to imagine much lower-level opposition to be available. Maybe ...

Main Event: Rob Font vs. Cody Garbrandt Chin vs. No Chin. I dunno Font has slowly developed into a legit contender, while Cody has started to get KOd left and right. He gets through aged Assuncao and people presume that his chin is back and he is gonna make it back to the title? I don't know. But let's face it, the guy has really good hands, moves excellently and has excellent athleticism. He did also look much improved in the fight against Assuncao... so maybe? As for Font, he has now notched up three straight wins after dispatching the former title contender Moraes last time around. That being said, seems like Moraes is kinda washing out so you can't put too much stock on that result.  I dunno I actually rate Cody much higher after checking the last fights of the each guy. Font beat Moraes easily, but unless Cody goes brain dead again he isn't gonna be there to be hit like that. Also Cody would do smart to mix in some wrestling, he certainly has the capability to do s...

Honestly the expectation for UFC 262 for me was so high it was almost impossible for the event to live up to it. The event had it's share of snoozer fights but few absolute bangers and crazy moments, so all in all very satisfying night. Main Card Main event was just as violent and crazy as we could have hoped for. Charles Oliveira showed some balls stepping right into range with Chandler, not respecting his power at all and got the back control early, but it started to quickly look bad when Chandler managed to scramble out and then started to lay waste on Oliveira. In all that barrage guess Chandler gassed himself a little, cause instead of standing up and finishing Oliveira on the feet, he stayed in guard to work the ground and pound until the round ended. In the second I thought Oliveira had to be in survival mode, but if anything he had fully recovered and it was Chandler that was in trouble, getting immediately dropped with Oliveira's punch and the GnP that followed was the...

I've been unusually excited for this card... don't know why, I mean it's a good card but not the greatest of the year... either way, definitely looking forward to the fights. Main Event: Charles Oliveira vs. Michael Chandler There is some unknowns to discuss in this fight, but let's start with the obvious - neither should be a very big favorite regardless of how you feel the fight would go. Chandler is a big KO threat always and that gives you a chance to win a fight even if you get dominated in all ranges. Not that I expect that to happen, Hooker is a good striker and Chandler didn't have much trouble taking him out. At the same time there is a reason Oliveira has the most submissions in UFC history, he is extremely dangerous when gets a hold of you. It's sad that Khabib is retired cause both of these guys would have posed an interesting, different challenge to him. Not saying I would favor either against Khabib, but they would certainly make for an interesting...

The pacing on these 9 fight events is brutal. ESPN is much better than Fox was in that regard, but this few fights still has not reason to take like five hours. Almost makes me wish I was just watching the fights after the event and skipping the in-between parts... Anyway let's talk about the fights. Main Card I give it to Waterson, she has some skill and is definitely tough... but the main event was never really competitive. Waterson really struggled with the size disadvantage and only started to grapple too late, getting some decent top control in round four, but it was too little too late as the much bigger girl had laid a beating on her for most of the 25 minutes.  It still looks to me like any good wrestler will beat Rodriguez, but there won't be much 115ers who will outstrike her. Joanna v Rodriguez would be fun violence.  The co-main was just a sad event. I guess in hindsight Morono by KO would have been great bet, Cowboy just didn't look great by any chance and he n...

Nice and short 10 fight card to preview this time, let's get right to it. Main Event: Marina Rodriguez vs. Michelle Waterson Waterson has to grapple, her low volume shadowboxing from one kilometer away won't cut it with Rodriguez. Waterson is small strawweight, Rodriguez a big one. There will be a distinct strength advantage, but Waterson at least is technical in her grappling so can win rounds through that or even get a submission. Still with the distinct size difference you have to lean on Rodriguez here. He cracks unusually hard for a woman of her size. Then again, lot of grapplers had made it a tight fight against her so you can't be highly confident of her winning it either. Still got a gut feeling that she gets Waterson quite hurt at some point of the fight.  I mean I don't know, I see reasonably good chance for Waterson here, but don't wanna pick her cause she is just so unreliable. Not to forget she is already 35. Prediction: Marina Rodriguez Confidence in w...

I did it again, I fucking did it again. Always the same pattern, I get steady right picks in the early going, run up to a small profit, stay on winning side most of the night, only to piss it away in the main card. This time I was breaking even until main event, but again got the pick wrong and ended up at a loss. Main Card What can I say? I was right Jiri's defence is suspect, but it doesn't matter cause offence is best defence. He doesn't measure his cardio, he doesn't mind getting hit, he just keeps blasting at you until you go down. Honestly Reyes did well to last as long as he did, but at the same time I got the feeling he was only few explosions away from actually gutting it out to the point where he could take over the fight.  This sport is cruel though, and instead of him turning the tide for a legendary comeback victory in a war, he got badly KOd and probably washes out from top contender talks. Back-to-back KOs is not a good look for anyone's durability.  ...