by Anglerphobe » Sun Jan 21, 2018 8:04 am
UFC 220 just wrapped up a few minutes ago, with neither contested belt (Heavyweight and Light Heavyweight) having left its current holder. The reaction of various MMA forums and media sights to heavyweight challenger Francis Ngannou's failure to defeat champion Stipe Miocic has been predictably terrible.
I've decided, for my own sake, to stop counting the people saying racist shit, but my main annoyance is the self congratulatory laughing about the "hype train" being "derailed" and mocking of the largely imaginary shock and disbelief of inferior "casuals". What makes it particularly annoying is how it gives people who are less insufferable about discussing the fight pause, in case we catch some of their deserved backlash.
On a happier note, Miocic executed his gameplan near perfectly to break the Heavyweight title defence record and essentially finish clearing out the division. The only men left for him to fight are the elusive Cain Velasquez and maybe Alexander Volkov EDIT: I'm so sorry, Curtis Blaydes, for forgetting to include you when I first wrote this. Stipe vs Cain would be absolutely huge if it happens. DC demolished newcomer Volkan Oezdemir in the classy but violent vintage DC way. I'm really happy for him, after all the bullshit of last year.
Amusingly, with Ngannou's defeat tonight, all three of the UFC's headlining Body Armor sponsered athletes have been beaten. Cody Garbrandt was knocked out by TJ Dillashaw, Cynthia Calvillo was UD'd by Carla Esparza, and now Ngannou has been UD'd by Miocic. The Body Armor sports drink curse is, apparently, even more powerful than Heavyweight consecutive title defence curse.
EDITED for coherence and clarity, because sleepy anglerphobe can't construct sentences, and to include what is below this line.
Namely, Rory MacDonald's capture of the Welterweight world title at Bellator 192. The Candian Psychopath defeated Douglas Lima "Bean" (not official nicknames) in a hard fought unanimous decision to take his title. It wasn't a high octane action fight, as such, but it was very exciting. It went back and forth with MacDonald just pulling it off in the final frame.
Afterwards, Rory described Lima as the toughest opponent of his career. This, coming from a man who fought insane battles against Robbie Lawler and Carlos Condit, is a tremendous accolade for the Brasilian. Accordingly, Rory left this fight in true Rory fashion - ie on a stretcher looking like a desecrated corpse. His face was pulverised, he was covered in blood and bruises, and his lead leg had a segment where it was doubly thick due to the swelling caused by Lima's kicks. The worrying thing about this is that MacDonald has been fighting professionally since the age of 16, meaning that at just 28 he has accumulated a huge amount of damage with the ferocious fights he's had. Compare Francis Ngannou, three years older, who is a toddler in the sport by comparison with no damaging fights to hinder him. Rory looks like the Portrait to Francis' Dorian Grey. I am honestly concerned for Rory's future, especially as another bout with Mr Bean is sure to be in it. There's a line you can't step back from, and at this rate Rory will find it before he reaches 30.
Last edited by
Anglerphobe on Mon Jan 22, 2018 8:42 pm, edited 1 time in total.
"Tusser, they tell me, when thou wert alive,
Thou, teaching thrift, thyselfe couldst never thrive.
So, like the whetstone, many men are wont
To sharpen others, when themselves are blunt."
Anyone who has any kind of opinion fucking disgusts me.