Tag: Jon Anik

video review : Israel Adesanya versus Yoel Romero at UFC 248

video review : Israel Adesanya versus Yoel Romero at UFC 248

You can hardly blame Israel Adesanya for being tentative early, especially after taking a big shot to the face. He takes another in round 2. Yoel Romero is a beast, but his explosiveness comes in spurts, so the gaps are filled with tension. He begins this fight standing nearly still and it’s scary.

Intimidation only goes so far though and he doesn’t offer much beyond it. Adesanya, while cautious, is more offensive, especially with his leg kicks. Romero blames Adesanya’s “running” for his own inactivity during his interview with Joe Rogan, but he’s full of shit. No, I won’t say that to his face.

my rating : 3 of 5

2020

video review : Robert Whittaker versus Israel Adesanya at UFC 243

video review : Robert Whittaker versus Israel Adesanya at UFC 243

Israel Adesanya’s antics may be annoying; he comes to The Octagon as if he’s about to compete in a dance-off; but his MMA skills can’t be denied. While not a blow-out; Robert Whittaker is also an elite fighter; he does in two rounds what Yoel Romero couldn’t in ten.

Not only is Robert Whittaker defeated, he’s knocked senseless with a hook to the face, making Israel Adesanya the new Middleweight Champion. Next up is Paulo Costa, the “heavy-ass Ricky Martin wannabe”, who’s standing in the crowd with a Vida Loca shirt on.

my rating : 3 of 5

2019

video review : Valentina Shevchenko versus Katlyn Chookagian at UFC 247

video review : Valentina Shevchenko versus Katlyn Chookagian at UFC 247

Katlyn Chookagian looks good when it comes to her fighting skills; her face looks like a young Jamie Lee Curtis; but Valentina Shevchenko is on a higher level. Watch as the Bullet slices her open with a “nice” elbow in the first round and nearly KOs her with a spinning back kick in the second.

my rating : 4 of 5

2020

video review : Jon Jones versus Dominick Reyes at UFC 247

video review : Jon Jones versus Dominick Reyes at UFC 247

This is like the first Floyd Mayweather versus Marcos Maidana fight when Maidana (Reyes) bettered Mayweather (Jones) early but got outskilled, or perhaps just tired, as the match progressed. Still it’s a close bout, one in which the decision could’ve went either way.

I think Jon Jones should’ve lost his previous fight with Thiago Santos. It’s tougher to disagree with the judges on this one. Dominick Reyes displays more effective striking in the first three rounds, but the pressure of Jones has him on the backfoot for most of the bout.

my rating : 4 of 5

2020

video review : Valentina Shevchenko versus Jessica Eye at UFC 238

video review : Valentina Shevchenko versus Jessica Eye at UFC 238

Round 1 looks like lesbian rape; Valentina Shevchenko is on top; but it’s not the best part of the bout. That comes later in Round 2 when Shevchenko knocks Jessica Eye out (“cold”) with a head kick from a leg Joe Rogan just two seconds before compared to a baseball bat.

my rating : 3 of 5

2019 June 08

video review : Jon Jones versus Alexander Gustafsson at UFC 232

video review : Jon Jones versus Alexander Gustafsson at UFC 232

Fans of their epic UFC 165 bout; the closest Jon Jones has ever come to losing a fight aside from his fluke DQ to Matt Hamill; will be disappointed by this sequel. Jones seems up for a replay. It’s Gustafsson who comes up short.

Gustafsson doesn’t look bad here. He actually manages to land some notable strikes. It’s just that he’s not able to stay pass the kicking range of his opponent. Jones ends it in Round 3 by taking him down and pummeling him.

my rating : 3 of 5

2018

video review : Conor McGregor versus Donald Cerrone at UFC 246

video review : Conor McGregor versus Donald Cerrone at UFC 246

Nevermind Conor McGregor. The victory here goes to Dana White. His most popular UFC draw is back; the Notorious one took an extended hiatus after losing to Khabib Nurmagomedov at 229; and apparently in fine form. The cash cow beats the Cowboy in less than a minute via a brutal TKO that starts with; get this; shoulder strikes to the nose.

my rating : 3 of 5

2020

video review : Tyron Woodley versus Kamaru Usman at UFC 235

video review : Tyron Woodley versus Kamaru Usman at UFC 235

Dominick Cruz is right. Tyron Woodley doesn’t seem to be awake here. Not in the sense he needs to be to beat a monster like Kamaru Usman, who almost completely dominates him in this fight.

There’s a vicious striking exchange near the end of the fourth Round, but it’s the constant pressure of Usman’s wrestling that ultimately costs Woodley his Welterweight Championship title.

my rating : 4 of 5

2019

video review : Jan Błachowicz versus Luke Rockhold at UFC 239

video review : Jan Błachowicz versus Luke Rockhold at UFC 239

From the looks of it, Luke lives up to his name in this Light Heavyweight debut. He’s 205 pounds of Rockhard muscle compared to his opponent, but that extra weight seems to slow his defenses. Jan Błachowicz lands several strikes during the first couple of Rounds before dropping him with a surprise left-hand bomb to the chin.

my rating : 3 of 5

2019

video review : Misha Cirkunov versus Johnny Walker at UFC 235

video review : Misha Cirkunov versus Johnny Walker at UFC 235

Johnny Walker looks like a peak Anderson Silva in this UFC 235 fight, which isn’t much of a fight. Misha Cirkunov throws a left hook out of range, then a left kick. Walker returns with multiple fakes, then boom; a flying knee to the chin. Fight’s over.

What’s unusual about this bout is what happens immediately after. Walker does a miltary salute, presumably to himself, purposely falls facedown on the floor, attempts to do one of his signature dance moves and injures himself in the process.

my rating : 3 of 5

2019

video review : Nate Diaz versus Anthony Pettis at UFC 241

video review : Nate Diaz versus Anthony Pettis at UFC 241

Despite Jon Anik’s claim that Nate Diaz is “supremely conditioned as usual”, he seems a little rusty to me. Anthony Pettis, who lands some solid head shots in Round 1, looks better on the feet. Still Diaz manages to outfight him, mostly due to his constant pressure.

my rating : 3 of 5

2019

video review : UFC 241

video review : Israel Adesanya versus Kelvin Gastelum at UFC 236

video review : Israel Adesanya versus Kelvin Gastelum at UFC 236

There’s a point in Round 4 in which Gastelum has Adesanya hurt bad. He lands a kick to the face followed by a jab and another jab. Adesanya retreats and stumbles against the fence, but instead of another strike, Gastelum goes for a takedown and gets it stuffed.

It was a boneheaded decision; a move, perhaps brought on by fatigue, that might’ve cost him the victory. It was either man’s fight going into the final round, but it’s Israel Adesanya who rises to the occasion, knocking Gastelum down and nearly out by the end.

my rating : 4 of 5

2019