UFC 244 Fallout/What's Next?
- Stitty Wap
- Nov 4, 2019
- 6 min read
Man, did UFC 244 live up to the hype. The match-ups were awesome, a lot of guys showed major improvements, and really the only question left unanswered is what would have happened in the 4th and 5th of the BMF Title fight. Either way, an amazing performance by Street Jesus aka Jorge Masvidal and very curious to see what's next. Speaking of which, here is a recap and what I would I want to see next out of these fights.
Gate: $6,575,996.19
Attendance: 20,143
Fight of the Night: Thompson vs. Luque
Performances of the Night: Corey Anderson Kevin Lee
Jorge Masvidal def. Nate Diaz via Doctor Stoppage Round 3
You can't make this up, you literally cannot make this up. Nate Diaz, the guy who literally bleeds when you look at him, had the fight called due to cuts. The BMF title fight was called off via doctor stoppage.
Now I get these look bad but when the fight is called the "baddest motherfucker" title you don't stop this fight. You just don't, this has to be some Roman Gladiator fight to the death type shit. Regardless, Jorge no doubt was working Diaz out Sig. Striking him 112-43 through 3 rounds. The only real question is if Jorge could keep the pace through 5, I'm not super interested in the rematch, I think Jorge was pretty dominate.
What's Next
Jorge "Gamebred" Masvidal
Skies the limit for Jorge and what is next for him. As he mentioned in the post-fight interview maybe that is the rematch with Nate
Maybe a date with Notorious one
Of course there is the winner of the "sissy belt"
Or, as per the Helwani Show, maybe even Canelo. Whatever it is it sounds like it will have to wait until at least April.
Nate Diaz
Nate didn't seem too thrilled with the Rock, or the doctor, or Dana White/UFC. In fact, I don't think Nate is happy with anyone. It sounds like Nate won't be fighting unless it's Jorge so who knows when we will see him next but here's to hoping the UFC can get him back. Maybe against a guy like Cowboy.
Darren Till def. Kevin Gastelum via Split Decision
Pretty lackluster fight for both guys in this one which is the exact opposite of what I thought would be the case. First off the judge that scored this 30-27 clearly got paid off by Ali because I thought it was clear Till was the agressor and landing the better shots. But for Till nonetheless a great win in his 185 debut and puts him right in the mix as a top contender. This is the first fight he really looked calm and composed and with that length and size can make for a fun one with Adesanya.
What's next
Darren Till
The balls on this dude cannot be talked about enough. Coming off two brutal losses, including getting baptized in front of his home crowd in London and taking on Gastelum in his first fight at 185 is what makes Till a star. While the fight kind of sucked he got the job done and now sets himself up for a number 1 contender bout. While it sounds like Romero will get the next title shot I would love a match-up with former champ Whittaker, Brunson coming off a big win, or just continue his savage ways in a fight with Cannonier.
Kelvin Gastelum
How quickly things can change. Just a few months ago Kelvin gave Adesanya all he could handle in what is sure to be the fight of the year and now he sitting with 2 straight losses. While both were very competitive you cannot afford to get behind the 8-ball in this stacked division. Ultimately, Kelvin is best served at 170 but seeing as he needed his coach to help him cheat to get to 185 I don't see that being an option. Maybe a fight with a guy live Brad Tavares might do him some good.
Stephen "Wonderboy" Thompson def. Vincente Luque via Unanimous Decision
"Fight of Night" winner and rightfully so, this was an absolute chess match and the fight I predicted to be a really sneaky good one. Luque was able to really push the pace round 1 and make Wonderboy uncomfortable landing a lot more than were used to seeing, it looked like Wonderboy might be in trouble early in this one. But, like a true vet Thompson came out round 2 utilizing his boxing very well, pushing the pace against Vincente, and really took control with a knockdown in the round. We saw much of the same in round 3 in route to a UD win.
What's Next
Stephen "Wonderboy" Thompson
Another clinic on the feet turned in by Wonderboy. This dude is the point-fighting king and really has given the who's who of 170 a run for their $$. Unfortunately, he broke both of his hands and will need time for them to heal up. If Leon Scott Edwards is unable to get that Woodley fight that would be an unreal technical fight for the hardcores. If not, Lawler is another fun fight that has been talked about in the past.
Vincente Luque
What a great fight and heart by Luque. The dude has been on an absolute tear in the division and should not hang jis head against a guy like Wonderboy. We probably would not see the Robbie Lawler fight since they are teammates but RDA is good potential match.
Derrick Lewis def. Blagoy Ivanov via Split Decision
Another sneaky good fight on the PPV. This was a beautiful HW fight for the fans. A lot of absolute bombs (not sure how Ivanov survived), falling over on take-down attempts, and Derrick Lewis stealing the show with a classic interview about the "bootyhole" on Ivanov's chest. All-in-all the slim "Black Beast" looked better than ever and with that power could be looking at another top contender fight soon.
What's Next
Derrick "Black Beast" Lewis
This one is pretty tough to call. According to Lewis he was offered the Alistair Overeem fight in a couple of weeks but that spot was already filled. The only one in the top 5 he hasn't faced is Curtis Blaydes which would be a good one for some clarity but I personally want to see him and Ngannou run it back and actually throw punches this time. If by some luck Greg Hardy gets the win this weekend that is possible too.
Blagoy Ivanov
A good fight for Ivanov would be Volkov following the Greg Hardy fight. Both are coming off losses to Lewis and should be ready to go again in a similar time-frame.
Kevin Lee def. Gregor Gillespie via KO Round 1 (2:47)
A picture (or GIF) is worth a thousand words but that KO by Kevin Lee left me speechless. I thought he caught a body Saturday night and it would appear that move to TriStar was a huge success. Kevin Lee has all the talent in the world and could be a real force at 55. He just took out a guy everyone was fast tracking to Khabib in brutal fashion and put himself right back in the mix as a top contender.
What's Next
Kevin Lee
MMA is so funny sometimes. Kevin Lee looked to be at a crossroads in his career comin off 2 losses in a row. But credit to him for not only calling his shot but delivering and now he is in position to get right back in the title conversation with another win or 2. I'd like to see him fight a guy like Dan Hooker, Paul Felder, or even Cowboy but it sounds like there is a lot of interest in the Islam Makhachev bout from both sides.
Gregor Gillespie
Not ideal. A guy that looked well on his way for a potential title shot within the next couple of fights. That is not to say a guy who just suffered his first loss should be counted to out but in a division where Tony was held up for a Title shot this definitely cost him time. The Anthony Pettis fight makes a lot of sense.
Corey Anderson def. Johnny Walker via KO (Round 1, 2:06)
Not sure what was more shocking the absolute ass-whipping by Corey Anderson or the absolute rampage he went on after the fight. Definitely understandable for a guy that was denied a titleshot since he "wasn't" a needle mover, someone everyone (including myself) picked to get highlight reel KO'd, and a guy that felt the UFC was trying to let a rising-star in Walker make a name off (they were). But wow, that's a way to shove it up their ass and get your name out there. Good for Corey Anderson and the 815.
What's Next
Corey Anderson
After the storming of the octagon and nearly taking the refs head off moments after the fight, I think everyone really knows what Corey wants. Uncle Dana said Dominic Reyes is next so it looks like Corey will either be released or take a fight with someone like Anthony Smith who called him out on Twitter.
Johnny Walker
Well, that was pretty much worse case scenario for the UFC and Walker's hype train. He ran into a pissed off Corey Anderson and the goofy antics in the octagon finally caught up to him. The guy is still uber-talented and definitely has the confidence to bounce back from this loss, maybe just don't give him a guy that wanted to eat Dana White's heart for dinner in his next fight.
Comments