Johnson vs. Bader

This is the official discussion thread for Johnson vs. Bader. Let's see what you've got.

Never thought I'd say this, but I think Bader has legitimately turned a corner. Also, seeing DC take Rumble's will makes me think Bader can go half that far and frustrate him for five rounds.

Don't really see Bader having a whole lot to offer Rumble.

@skelliher That reach difference though...can Bader get close enough to Rumble where he could disrupt his offense; never mind the fact that Rumble has improved upon his wrestling, as showcased in his fight with Manuwa?

@skelli, I don't think Bader and DC's type of wrestling are of the same brand, Bader doesn't have lifty-single-leg thingy that DC has (which is his main weapon in his MMA career) and Rumble is very hard to hold down if you're not called Daniel Cormier, so I don't think that applies.

Also, even DC got walloped by a huge Rumble right and Bader is much more hittable and much much much slower than DC. He'll get hit, and unlike DC, he won't recover. 

I don't think Bader's turned any corners, the level of opposition in the top of his division has just dropped super significantly. The guys he lost to before turning alleged corner he still loses to (barring Tito, but that was an upset then too) and the ones he beat he still beats. The only guys he beat in his current streak who aren't super old and washed up are OSP (so far back grappling-wise it wasn't even fair) and Davis (who is on par wrestling-wise but is just undersized against Bader and can't strike for **** when the grappling gets cancelled out).

I think there are 4 guys in the division Bader loses to 10 times out of 10, another one (maybe 2) where it can go either way and the rest he demolishes. The perfect gatekeeper.

The thing about Bader is that he's big and has pretty solid MMA wrestling (I truly believe that in an MMA fight Gustafsson gets the better of the wrestling-based stats against him), pretty solid striking (good power, better technique than he used to have but pretty stiff and soooooo slooooooow), you more or less know exactly where he is and I don't see him getting that much better in the future.

* Edited at 11.05.2015, 5:44 AM ET *

If Bader can get him to the ground early this fight could be interesting.  I see him having some bright spots early before getting caught.  I see this looking very similar to the Texiera fight.  

If Johnson wins, would love to see him fight Teixiera.

I'm trying to be nice to Bader, guys. Stoppit! Stop the logic!

This fight will be dependent on who sets the pace. If Bader sets it he could very well walk away with a decision, but if Johnson bum rushes and gets a good combo he will prolly be looking at another contendership after UFC has Cormier face Jones of course.

Johnson by knockout. Bader could wrestle **** but he has no chin.

^

What. Bader has a chin. Are you on drugs?

That's a nutshelf.

Excited for this. Bader better not LNP if he wants to win.

Rumble fo sho

Bader will do LNP in reverse, he'll pray he doesn't get punched in the face and then lay on the ground unconscious.

Bader has surprised before so he could be a good bet. 

I just can't see even the slightest chance of Bader winning here. Bader's on the best run of his career, but Rumble is a bad, bad matchup for him. Bader seems much more like Davis who Rumble stuffed than Cormier who took Rumble down. And I don't see him having the chin to take a shot from Rumble like everyone who fights him has had to.

It's so hard to tell. Johnson had some tough early losses and I know he was green but it could still happen.

I don't think anything he did at welterweight should count, that was a long ass time ago and I'm pretty sure there are people who died of starvation who cut less weight than Rumble did to make welterweight.

i can't see bader finding a sub and the only way he wins is if he can move and frustrate rumble in order to steal a decision. just seems unlikely.