UFC Fight Night: Rozenstruik vs. Gane

The official Tapology discussion thread for the event!

Rozenstruik vs. Gane
Ciryl Gane, SUB, R2
This one i am excited for!! Ciryl Gane is a very talented all round fighter with bags of potential and still young for the heavyweight division at just 30 years old. He is coming off an impressive win over JDS who granted definitely has his best days behind him but is still nontheless a big name to have a win over on your resume. Rozenstruik Also has a win over JDS so both have passed the test of overcoming the challenge of fighting a veteran of the sport. Rozenstruik is a fantastic expereinced kickboxer with mad power that he has shown in 4 out of his 5 fights in the UFC so i dont think it is exactly out there to assume his game plan, he seems to know exactly where is strengths are and will want to keep the fight standing for aslong as he can to show off his kickboxing skills. Gane on the other hand doesnt appear to have one single overwhelming strength like Rozenstriuk but he does seem to be very highly skilled in all areas, i am yet to see him truly struggle or have to really grind out a win. His fight against tanner boser was maybe slightly more reserved than i would have liked to have seen but by no means did he look in any trouble for even a moment and he clearly cruised to the win in that fight. I think straight off of the bat that this fight favours Gane as he has more avenues to victory, as he has shown to be able to win fights every way possible (KO, SUBMISSION AND DECISION). Given that Rozenstruik`s fight against overeem was heading to what would probably have been a 50-45 unanimous score card for overeem atleast before the last second questionable KO, i would say the blueprint to beat Rozenstriuk was pretty clearly written, his takedown defense is seriously lacking and clearly doesnt fight well off of his back. This is quite clear to see the most obvious gameplan that Gane`s team should be putting together for him, it also favours him to show off his submission game as he has demonstrated in the past. if this was a kickboxing bout then i would say it would be a lot closer and Rozenstriuk would probably hold the advantage with his experience aswell as his KO power but its not. Its MMA and for that reason i will confidently pick Gane to keep his undefeated record and continue his climb up the Heavyweight rankings. With another win under his belt this weekend i think Gane has to be right up their in the Top 5 maybe 1 win away from Title contention. (i say 1 more win away because we still have stipe vs Ngannou 2 and jon jones`s imminent heavyweight debut to come)

Krylov vs. Ankalaev
Magomed Ankalaev, TKO, R2
i am very high on Magomed Ankalaev! The bloke is legit and in my opinion a future title challenger for sure with potential to be a champ! He has bricks in his hands and can finish fights with his kicks aswell. His last 2 fights (Ignoring the controversial 1st fight with Cutelaba) has been finished with a clean KO from punches on Cutelaba and a disgusting front kick to Lungiambula head which rumour has it is sitll being searched for.... people are Questioning the submission defence which is solely down to the paul craig last second loss which i achkowledge but dont look much into, he clearly was going to win that fight until literally the very last second, that fight could be run back 50 times and that outcome would not happen again... simple as that. Krylov has submissions and can be dangerous on the mat but Ankalaev is no slouch either... He comes from Dagestan, Russia and is trained in russian Sambo so to base a prediction off of the fact he was submitted in a complete hail mary last second Triangle choke against paul craig is pretty stupid if you ask me.... He really is someone to keep an eye on and should he get past Krylov i think he needs to be pushing for a top 5 opponent maybe the loser of Santos vs Rakic. He of course needs to get through Krylov first but i see him getting the finish in the 2nd round but could well be another 1st round KO.

Menifield vs. Knight
William Knight, TKO, R2
I think it is pretty safe to say that this fight does not go to the judges, both are absolute animals with vicious Knockout power, either one of them could be going to sleep! if you had asked me a year ago about menifield i would of said the bloke is a savage and has serious potential if he continues the way he is going however sadly in just 2 fights hes gone from hot prospect to mid tier at best. Aside from his solid power (for 1 round) the bloke is very lacking just about everywhere else.... after 1 and a half rounds he is simply exhausted.... his take down defense leaves a lot to be desired, his fight IQ is questionable as mentioned before his gas tank is far from impressive. William Knight on the other hand has a lot more going for him, Being 5 ft 10 and having a reach of just 73" is for sure going to hold him back unfortunately but he does know this and plays to his strengths as he manages to close distance quite well and has good strong take downs where he then unleashes his ground and pound. He also has crazy KO power but unlike Menifield he can carry it into later rounds as he has shown by having KO finishes in fights as late as 4 minutes and 34 seconds into round 3. Overall with both there size, power and at this weight category i really cannot see this fight going the distance and given the more routes to victory being in favour of Knight along with the fact menifield is now on a 2 fight losing streak most recently getting KO by an ageing OSP...I would expect his confidence is pretty low and therefore i see Knight taking this opportunity with both hands. Given these fighters awareness of eachothers power and both having been on the recieving end of a KO losses in the past i expect a bit of a nervy start from the pair witha few big punches thrown towards the end of the first round but then as the second round starts its Knight that takes control with a takedown and ultimately lands the finishing blow to get the W. This could also not even make it out of the first round.... but if menifield does lose again, question marks will certainly be surrounding  if this is the end of Menifield in the UFC after 3 losses on the bounce and dana making cuts......

Lawrence vs. Cachero
Ronnie Lawrence, DEC
This is a perfect example of a fighter that just simply does not deserve to be fighting in the UFC.... Vince Cachero is 1-3 in his last 4 fights, if he was already in the ufc everyone would be talking about how he should be cut from the company so why is he getting signed by them, its delusional.... im not saying that Ronnie Lawrence is world class by any means but atleast the bloke is actually winning recently, this just looks to me like a fight put together to make up numbers and give the guy with more potential a pretty easy win, im saying Lawrence gets it done by decision. so excited for this one.....

* Edited at 02.23.2021, 5:29 AM ET *

Calling roz a “more technical Derrick Lewis” isn’t true at all lol. Maybe because they are both bald? 

I think Hernandez is a pretty exceptional fighter, and having losses to Dober and Cerrone is nothing to be ashamed of. Cerrone is one of the most decorated fighters in the sport and Drew Dober has looked unstoppable since coming off his loss to Dariush. It’s true that Gruetzemacher doesn’t exactly rise to that level of competition, but Hernandez did exactly what he should have done by obliterating him to show that (cliché incoming) there are levels to this sport. Hernandez has very fast hands and throws straight punches down the middle. He stays busy and typically doesn’t let his opponents get comfortable. He’s also very explosive with a good variety of strikes, and he has good single leg takedowns if he needs to get the fight to mat (though he probably won’t want to do that against Moisés). His biggest issues that I can see are that he gets frustrated when his opponents stay in his face (Dober) and exceed his output (Cerrone). This causes him to make mistakes and become more one-dimensional. The flip side is that Moisés is tough as hell, and he’s never been finished in 18 pro fights. He’s also probably the biggest submission threat that Hernandez has faced aside from Dariush. Moisés doesn’t move forward as much as Hernandez, but he throws big combinations when people come in on him. His hooks aren’t looping either, so it’s tough to see them coming in bunches. He also keeps his opponents guessing by throwing kicks to the legs and occasionally to the head. All of this is on top of his solid takedowns and submission game, too. In this fight, I think Hernandez will have the speed advantage, and he’ll be the more dynamic fighter, at least in the beginning. He’s not going to let Moisés get comfortable, and I don’t think Moisés will be able to match the pressure of Dober or the output of Cerrone. Hernandez is fast enough to get in, do some damage, and get out before eating big shots, so Moisés will likely want to get it to the ground early. Hernandez is explosive, though, and I think he’ll be hard to keep on the mat (he’s never lost by sub). If Moisés can’t keep him on the ground, I see Hernandez running away with it in the striking. Like I mentioned earlier, Moisés has never been finished, so I think it’s likely that this one goes the distance. Hernandez is 5-1 with decisions, but Moisés is 5-4. The percentages favor Hernandez if the fight goes 15 minutes, and I think I do too. Hernandez by dec.

U guys have some beautiful breakdowns!  I always appreciate the work.

You got me re-thinking my Menifield/Knight pick. I feel like I saw improvements in Menifield's cardio against OSP, and I think it was OSP's reach and southpaw stance that did him in. Knight won't have those weapons. Menifield was also able to negate most of Clark's fence pressure (and employ some of his own) before his gas tank ran out in the second. I was also unimpressed with Knight's performance against Camur. Though he undoubtedly won that fight, I didn't see much that would make me think he's a top-level guy. Damn, this one is tough for me.

Yeah for sure i agree that there was some improvements in the OSP fight but i just didnt see enough to make me think that he is still a problem, i cant help but see him as being exposed for being to one dimentional... other than his heavy hands which of course are a very impressive when they connect clean. But what happens when they dont... whats his plan B? he doesnt really have one where as if Knight isnt having success in the striking then he has good takedowns and top control where he takes away any reach disadvantage he may be struggling with. I just cant see much more of Menifields game that will cause knight a problem. This isnt to say the menifield doesnt have a chance, he really does if he was to fight a perfect sensible fight but i just wasnt overly impressed by the minimal improvements made by Menifield in his last showing and dont see him as an intelligent enough fighter to utilise the height and reach advantages he will have over Knight and in my opinion there is a lot more to favour in knights game than there is Menifield. Both have power in there hands, but other than that Knight will be the stronger in the grappling, have a lower centre of gravity, better balance, better takedowns and ground and pound and without a doubt a better gas tank. I just seen Knight as the safer and more logical pick when you break it down. Of course this is MMA and anything can happen but im siding with Knight in this one.

* Edited at 02.23.2021, 9:35 AM ET *

Not a whole lot to disagree with there. 

Hernandez looked so much better in his last fight than his previous ones, he said that the cerrone loss had humbled him, to be fair he was a ******** to Donald the legend in the build-up but I feel like now with his new mindset he will start performing miles better

Menifield struggles with anyone taller or a longer reach, he also gassed out against Devon Clark which is another downfall to him, if he could improve his cardio he would be much more dangerous 

Yeah agree knight is the much more safer option 

@ Tie    I got my dog on  Elcosa3ff Snipcaps - Omega 3 

I don’t break them open, he eats them whole.  He likes when they pop in his mouth.
Ha.. he’s funny!  Thinks it’s a treat.

Haha that's dope. Your dog probably has great hair lol!

Caceres vs. Croom
Alex Caceres, DEC
Dog or pass croom is a good grappler

Davis vs. Mazo
Sabina Mazo, DEC
This line is way off research further

Lawrence vs. Cachero
Ronnie Lawrence, DEC
Closer that appears

Any fight with Krylov is fun to watch. The dude is always moving, throwing wild punches and pushing for takedowns. He’s a finishing machine (only one of his wins has come by decision) and has good instincts when a submission presents itself. It’s remarkable to me that none of his 7 losses have come by way of T/KO, especially since his striking and defense can sometimes be a bit sloppy. I attribute this to his constant movement. There’s hardly a time when Krylov is a stationary target. He’s also very active on the ground, controlling his opponents and reversing position when they get on top. While he’s good on the ground, he also tends to get careless and leaves himself open to submissions that he really ought to be able to avoid (arm triangle chokes account for three of his five losses by sub). Ankalaev has looked pretty sharp so far, save for the one second he let his guard down and allowed Craig to put up a fight-ending triangle (seriously, who saw that **** coming?). Ankalaev really does look solid everywhere; fast hands, straight punches, good check-hook combos (KO’d Cutelaba this way), takedowns, ground control…The guy seems to have it all. The one skill that he hasn’t displayed are his submissions, but so far, he hasn’t really needed them. For this fight, I think Krylov tries to get it to the ground early. I don’t think he’ll succeed though with Ankalaev’s takedown defense being as good as it is. If it does go to the ground, I think it’s more likely that Ankalaev ends up on top where he’ll control the fight and tire out his opponent. Once they do get back to the feet, Krylov’s striking, while fun to watch, will get sloppy enough for Ankalaev to penetrate with more significant shots. While I’m a Krylov fan and love what he brings to each of his fights, I think Ankalaev has the tools to nullify his strengths. He may even be the first to finish Krylov by T/KO with one of those check-hook combinations. I think a grueling decision win is more likely, though. Ankalaev by dec. (I'll be rooting for Krylov.)

Rozenstruik vs. Gane
Ciryl Gane, TKO, R3
Ciryl has the Cardio to out last Rozenstruik, and has the ground game to make sure that he does

Krylov vs. Ankalaev
Magomed Ankalaev, TKO, R3
Ankalaev is a killer dude

De La Rosa vs. Bueno Silva
Mayra Bueno Silva, DEC
I mostly made this pick because I thought Rosa was on a 3 fight losing streak, I might have gotten her confused with her Husband so now I don't know why I picked Mayra... I now understand why my mom walked out.

Hernandez vs. Moisés
Thiago Moisés, SUB, R3
I don't like Hernandez, and just because he's a massive ass, but also his torso freaks me out.

Anyone else have a lot of decision picks for this card?

@RangerJW





Ha ha ha 

@Aric123 I'm Saying this because he losing and kinda **** until he get the KO. He got Schooled by Alistair and was lossing to Junior and the Diaper man Albani before sleeping them. Tell me that not a more technical Derrick Lewis

Ramazan Kuramagomedov steps in to fight Cowboy Oliviera... Ramazan beat Jordan Williams on Contender Series, but was never awarded a contract. Interesting stylistic match-up, massive step up for Kurmagomedov. 

How many of us pick the rusian guy because he have agomedov in is name?