Tag: Mike Beltran

video review : Jiří Procházka versus Jamahal Hill at UFC 311

video review : Jiří Procházka versus Jamahal Hill at UFC 311

The Intuit Dome screen erroneously lists Jamahal Hill as having one loss at the start of this bout, but this is his third. That it comes via TKO after making excuses for his previous knockout; Alex Pereira’s bad sportsmanship after a confusing pause in action by Herb Dean was to blame; will only add more salt to his wounds; namely a swollen eye and busted nose.

Not that it isn’t a close fight. My score card actually favored Hill, despite his face telling a different tale, up until the ending sequence. That bit begins in Round 3 when he’s floored by a left/right combination he’s not able to recover from. Jiří Procházka fighting for a cancer patient in the crowd makes his victory, in contrast to Hill’s salt, that much sweeter.

my rating : 4 of 5

2025

video review : Gilbert Burns versus Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 273

video review : Gilbert Burns versus Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 273

The betting odds for this bout were so ridiculously in favor of Khamzat Chimaev; it seems most fans thought he’d “smash” Gilbert Burns in the very first round; that even given a hard-fought victory, his hype train takes a massive hit. It’s actually the loser (Burns) whose stock goes up as he makes what seemed like an unbeatable enigma look human.

Of course Chimaev deserves a lot of credit for proving himself against a top contender. Burns is number two under champion Kamaru Usman and, though this is a damn close fight, the winner of which could’ve went either way, Chimaev beats him by unanimous decision. That’s quite a feat for someone who’s relatively new to the world of UFC.

my rating : 4 of 5

2022

video review : Johnny Walker versus Nikita Krylov at UFC Fight Night

video review : Johnny Walker versus Nikita Krylov at UFC Fight Night

Nikita Krylov has an effective gameplan here. Johnny Walker has explosive knockout power, so Krylov smothers him with clinches and wrestles him down whenever possible. The problem with Walker seems to be his cardio as he starts to tire out in the first round. Easy decision victory for Krylov.

my rating : 3 of 5

2020

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 : 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 : UFC 241

video review : UFC 241

Before UFC fans can get over the shock of Mike Beltran’s missing mustache, Ian Heinisch kicks Derek Brunson in the head. Dominick Cruz thinks it’s an instant knockout; you can hear the crack when it lands; but Brunson, fighting smart for a change, goes on to win via decision.

Decisions also go to Paulo Costa over Yoel Romero and Nate Diaz over Anthony Pettis. The former is the best fight; their muscles are impressive and their power is extraordinary; though it’s the latter, specifically Diaz’s return after a three-year hiatus, that was most anticipated.

Stipe Miocic puts on a surprisingly lackluster performance against Daniel Cormier in their Heavyweight Championship title bout; a rematch from UFC 226. He gets punched in the face repeatedly until he finds DC’s weak spot; the liver area Anderson Silva once exploited; and knocks him out.

my rating : 4 of 5

2019

video review : Demetrious Johnson versus Henry Cejudo at UFC 227

video review : Demetrious Johnson versus Henry Cejudo at UFC 227

It’s a relatively close fight, sure, but I think Demetrious Johnson is the obvious victor. Why two of the three judges give it to Henry Cejudo is a mystery to me. The wrestler scores some impressive takedowns but doesn’t do much with them. DJ is clearly better on the feet, where most of the fight takes place.

my rating : 4 of 5

2018