Another day, another Suga show for us all to enjoy. The fights in Miami on Saturday night lived up to the hype.. and I can’t stop thinking about it all.
As opposed to breaking down each and every fight, I want to talk about all the fighters in then main card and what I think the results mean for them. Did they have an octogon callout after thier fight? Or are they left at the mercy of the matchmaking gods?
Without further ado, let’s get into it.
Petr Yan
He looked sharp in this one, which is a little surprising because he may have hurt his leg in round one (according to Dr Volkanovski)
He is well on his way to righting the ship and getting back into title contention.
For his next fight...the division is a little tied up at the top. It seems O’Malley will fight Merab, Cory Sandhagen may fight Umar Nurmagomedov, Aljamain Sterling fighting at featherweight, etc.
He’s probably one more win away from a title shot, so anyone available in the top 10 would do for his next fight.
Song Yadong
In this loss - he continued to show his toughness and high level boxing. He is still a great fighter, but he seems to have hit a barrier when trying to break into the top of the division. Lets me honest it’s completely stacked with talent at 135.
He is a young fighter and still has plenty of time and ability to stack together a few wins and rise to the top.
For his next fight... I think it would make sense for Song to take on another fighter coming off a loss. If Henry Cejudo stays at bantamweight, that fight might make sense.. or even perhaps Chito.
Jack Della Meddalena
So, this fight confirms what knew - he’s an excellent boxer, but has some work to do on his ground game. Then again, who needs a ground game when you can just knock people out with a knee when they shoot for a takedown?
Seriously though, you do not want to be trapped between this man and the cage. You’re likely to eat a vicious combination or two.
For his next fight... well I guess he wants Shavkat Rakhmonov per his octogon callout.. it’s his funeral. Just kidding - this is a great fight and a perfect way to earn your way to the top of the division. Let’s hope the UFC obliges him.
Gilbert Burns
Tough loss for Gilbert here - clearly emotional after the fight. After being on the edge of becoming champion, he is now on the outside looking in, and he knows it. Still - he is championship caliber, he just needs to wash the stink of the last few losses off him.
For his next fight... if only there was another man coming off a loss on the edge of a championship, who also once called Brazil a dump…
Micheal “Venom” Page
MVP Undertaker Style Entrance Video
He can fight, he can dance.. the UFC has a new showman. He came down to Undertaker’s theme song, remixed. It would have been cooler, but I’m not sure if he recalls Izzy doing this a few years back.. so it kind of felt weird watching it. Only for that reason though, otherwise I was amazing.
It was interesting to watch him fight - he’s so rangy, but is able to get his strikes in quick. Even Holland said in between rounds he’s faster than they thought. Even when Holland tried to engage, he always seemed suprised by some unorthatdox attack that would put him off balance.
Big win for him - he has proved that he belongs in the UFC and likely has many big fights ahead. His style is unique and I for one can’t wait.
For his next fight... Wonderboy would be the most fun fight I could think of. Steven Thompson is coming off a loss too, and this fight might be exciting enough for him to take. The fight I really want though is Ian Garry - MVPs style seems like it could be a foil to Ian Garry’s unbeaten tactic of staying on the outside.. and wouldn't we all like to see him lose.
Kevin Holland
He keeps taking tough fight after tough fight. His stock doesn’t really fall that much from this loss I don’t think - he will hang around #11 - #15 in the division unless he can string together a couple wins
For his next fight... no preference from me - knowing him he will fight again on short notice as needed in the next month or two. I think he could fight someone in the top ten still, so he will probably take whoever is willing and able.
Dustin Poirier
Dustin the god damn Diamond Poirier, you beautiful son of a bitch. I wish you nailed one of those guillotines, but we here are Jump the Gilly applaud the 4 or 5 attempts. That is commitment.
Dustin continues to add to an already legendary resume. One of the best fighters in the game shows why experience matters. He gets one point for the old guard.. and money for all of us who bet on his rediculous +185 betting line.
For his next fight... title shot seems within the realm of possibility- at least Islam’s camp approves.
I think at this point he has to see what happens with Gaethje and Holloway, and if Max goes back to 145 or not. Either way, this man will be back in the main event next time out.
Benoit Saint Denis
He showed in this fight he definitely belongs with the top of the division, as he had Poirier in trouble at some points during this fight.
Questions were raised before the fight when fans noticed he had a suspicious mark on his forehead that everyone thought was a staff infection… turns out it was. He confirmed he was on antibiotics and his gas tank was impacted as a result.
The God of War will be back with a vengeance, you can count on it.
For his next fight... I like Beneil Dariush. He’s coming off a loss to Tsarukyan, and probably was the level BSD should have gone to before Dustin anyway. We will have to see if the matchmakers have a different idea in mind, but something like a #7-#10 ranked guy makes sense to me.
Sean O'Malley
Aaaand STIIIILLLL!
In a fight that was cherry picked for him to succeed, Sean aces the challenge. Now don’t get me wrong Chito is no slouch - but O’Malley made him look like he doesn’t belong in the cage with him.
Sean kept Chito at range, landed shots at will, and kept him guessing with all kinds of different looks and feints. He could have danced around for the last couple rounds to keep things safe, but he kept going in for the kill till the final bell. He didn’t get the “highlight” win, but an absolute dismantling showed us even more about how good Suga Sean actually is.
For his next fight... Suga wants Ilia Tuporia. The Ilia octagon callout is what it is - he doesn’t want to deal with 49 takedown attempts or whatever Merab has planned for him.
It’s obvious he wants to put that off as long as possible. I don’t think even the UFC machine and Dana White privilege can save him from Merab Dvalishvili
Chito Vera
Chito’s biggest W came before the first punch was thrown, when he was overwhelmed with support from Ecuadorians local and abroad. He has a strong following and he should be very proud.
Chito Fans Show All of Ecuador Is Behind Him
Also, he may have the best chin I have ever seen. Look at this brutal knee - how does this not put him out?
For his next fight... he probably has to string together some wins if he ever wants “O’Malley vs Vera 3”. Maybe “Vera vs Song Yadong 2” is a good place to start?
Other Thoughts
What kind of casual is Donald Trump showing up after the fights on the main card started? The Kid Rock American Badass entrance music never fails to amuse me, at least for a former president/presidential candidate.
Maycee Barber is good looking, but her fight was pretty boring. “Everything is ugly in the Maycee Barber fight, except her” - Joe Rogan.
Custom shorts - we in on these? I liked Sean O’Malley pink trunks, would be cool if he rocked those again. I say let them have it as long as it doesn’t look too ridiculous. Dustin has a custom shorts request that look pretty cool.
(Image via Championship Rounds)
Is Sean O’Malley as big of a superstar as he thinks he is? No - he is not “bigger than the belt” or anywhere close to Connor McGregor. He may not have even been the main draw tonight as people really wanted to see Dustin vs BSD. However, he is a big star and people like to see him fight. The hair, the fight style, and how he appeals to a young audience gives him room to grow into that superstar he wants to be.
Well there you have it. We are now officially on the road to UFC 300 and that should be nothing short of spectacular next month. There are a couple of somewhat watered down fight cards between now and then, but after the stacked 299, I’m not complaining if 300 lives up the the hype.