UFC Fight Night 144 Live Discussion - 2/2/19

[regular john]

Story, Fitch, and Sonnen were all solid wrestlers. Demian's never been a hail mary shooter and has worked his wrestling religiously since at least 2007. It's just in some fights like Woodley, Rory, or Colby, their distance management and footwork is very very good so Demian ends up looking like a middle school wrestler.

Yeah I'm not gonna go out of my way to say he isn't a good wrestler. although I do believe his wrestling isn't anything to write home about which is how this debate started. he does have some good qualities to it like the takedown-chain he does once he does get a hold of someone but if he can't secure the takedown early he tends to becomes harmless. Soon we'll be splitting hairs but isn't the takedown against Sonnen a judo move? Anyway I liked the term "hail mary shooter" and I do believe it applies to him sometimes.

 

[Sheepdog]

Story, Fitch, and Sonnen were all solid wrestlers. Demian's never been a hail mary shooter and has worked his wrestling religiously since at least 2007. It's just in some fights like Woodley, Rory, or Colby, their distance management and footwork is very very good so Demian ends up looking like a middle school wrestler.

Maia's gas tank saved Rory in that fight, not Rory's wrestling. Maia took him down and beat the piss out of him in round 1 (only time Maia's GnP has looked effective). And Maia scored a big takedown in round 3, but Rory's ground game was good enough. For some reason Maia was already tired in round 2 despite controlling top position in round 1.

Obviously guys like Tyron, Usman and Colby have proven Maia hasn't got his wrestling up to the truly elite level, but the latter two are an example of what Maia's real problem is - inconsistent cardio. He beat both of them on the feet quite easily in round 1.