UFC 267: Błachowicz vs. Teixeira

The official Tapology discussion thread for the event!

Błachowicz vs. Teixeira
Jan Błachowicz, TKO, R2
Jan vs Glover: I think Glover has that Derek Brunson dynamic going on………...like he’ll do a chicken dance basically anytime someone touches him but in his 5 fight W streak he’s been able to use his grappling to get out of trouble………………..now, his last 5 opponents haven’t had great defensive grappling but still if he gets Jan down it could very well be the round……….Jan has good TDD………….his defensive grappling has improved leaps and bounds…….especially on the fence…….super hard to take down there……...strong pummel game……….fight HARD for underhooks and always makes sure his positioning on the cage is correct………….but if he does get taken down………...he doesn’t look to pop back up immediately………...he locks his guard and goes into BJJ mode………...and that’s not what he wants to do here against Glover FOR SURE……….that’s Glover’s PTV here and he knows that and he’s willing to pretty much die to get top control………... I think Jan catches him as he is coming up with a short hook or an uppercut….early in the fight.………..but if Glover survives the first two rounds and starts getting the timing on Jan’s striking patterns then I feel like the fight is going to get really close…………..If Glover wasn’t like 50 years old and his chin was so shoddy then I’d probably pick him honestly. I'm gonna bet Glover, maybe add some more after round 1/2.

Yan vs. Sandhagen
Petr Yan, DEC
I know people are joking when saying this is for the real belt but honestly these 2 are the best in the div. Sandhagen beats Sterling more often than not, if Cory didn't have a tendency to give his back up every SINGLE time, then he would've beat both Dillashaw and Sterling. Anyways, on the feet I think Sandhagen will be looking good early, using his range, maybe even taking the front foot of Yan. Yan is SUPER low volume early in fights, because he's gathering reads. I think Cory should try and attack the lead leg of Yan as much as he can. Rnd 3 I think the striking starts going in Yan's favour, he'll start upping the volume, the pressure and start to put a bit of hurt on Sandhagen. Still I expect 3,4,5 to be competitive standing. Yan has a pretty clear grappling advantage and could probably win pretty easily that way. I gotta pick Yan to win by Dec. But Yan's tendency to fall behind on volume and his unwillingness to proactively grapple makes me not want to bet him against a legit volume striker in Sandhagen. I bet Sandhagen because I think he can make it competitive on the feet and Yan probably isn't gonna grapple unless he's getting cooked on the feet I feel.

Ankalaev vs. Oezdemir
Magomed Ankalaev, TKO, R3
I’ve been sky high on Ankalaev for a while now and that Krylov fight didn’t really change my view of him really……...Krylov is awkward on the feet (good footwork which you don’t generally expect when you are facing 205ers)......BUT I thought he showed great TDD, good offensive wrestling, ability to adapt after a tough round and good fight IQ to swing by going to his wrestling when it was getting close on the feet. In regards to the striking in this one, Ankalaev has a big speed adv on the feet……...Volkan can look to level the playing field by forcing Ankalaev onto the fence but I feel like Magomed will still be too slick with his footwork and his counters……..I can see the right hook landing all fight on Volkan and I think that’s the shot that does him in. Volkan often wades into distance carelessly with his lead hand low……...facing a southpaw in Ankalaev with a mean right hook…….it’s not the best tendency to have. Ankalaev is the better kicker too……..powerful HK is open with the mirror stances. The problem with Ankalaev is that over 3 rounds…….it is possible to outwork him……..he’s generally only throwing singular shots………....like he has very good and very precise counters but we saw Nikita Krylov outland him for the first half of their fight……...and it wasn’t because Krylov was the better striker……....it just because Krylov had the greater output and was actually putting combinations together. So I believe that's the path to victory here for Volkan……..try to weasel a split decision with volume and being on the front foot. Because I feel if he comes in balls to the wall like how he used to fight……..I believe Ankalaev will put him out…….if he tries to wrestle Ankalaev I believe he would get reversed and Magomed would batter him if he gets on top. Conversely, I believe Ankalaev could comfortably wrestle his way to victory here BUT that’s not really his style. Interesting tidbit…….I was listening to Sean Strickland’s interview before his main event against Uriah……….and he was asked who was the hardest guy he’s ever sparred with…...and without hesitation he said ‘Ankalaev’.........and I only bring that up before I reckon Strickland and Oezdemir have quite a similar style……...Sean’s a bit quicker…...Volkan’s a lot more powerful……..but I just thought it interesting because he said this about Ankalaev “he’s a savage…….he’s a guy that truly frustrates me……..I find myself getting angry……...I can’t ******* hit you……...I can’t take you down……...he’s probably my toughest ever rounds…...is Ankalaev.” Ultimately I am picking Magomed…………..I literally don’t give a **** what the match up is……..I’m picking Ankalaev………..I’d pick him over any fighter at 205 rn……...nightmare match up for all of them. When they start giving Ankalaev 5 rounders…….it’s literally game over the light heavyweight division. I wouldn’t pick anyone in the division over him over 5 rounds. He is more of a 5 round fighter IMO. Anyways I think Ankalaev catches him with a right hook. All that being said I think the line is a little wide tho, Ankalaev's 5 rounder-like volume makes me not want to pay that much juice.

ive changed my picks over 20 times now 

* Edited at 10.30.2021, 2:58 AM ET *

..that Hu was wearing shoes during staredowns while Petroski was bearfoot, if that matters to anyone.   I'm annoyed picking this fight..  can't find much footage on Hu lol

Decided to take Michal over Gamzatov.

Made a huge error underestimating Michal's edge in striking. Unless Gamzatov wants to keep wresting, he could be in trouble.

Ulanbekov vs. Nascimento
Tagir Ulanbekov, DEC
Both seem about the same size despite what the measurements say and have about the same reach. Nascimento has better volume striking but Ulanbekov has a chin and has never been KOd. Also Nascimento has very poor take down defence and is not very good getting up off his back. I think he will be able to defend submissions but concede time on his back. Ulenbekov by decision

Li vs. Chimaev
Khamzat Chimaev, TKO, R1
This one just looks like a fight between two Supervillains from a post-WWII comic book featuring good racist and anti-coummunist stereotypes : The Leech vs Borz. Apart from that and from a more serious point of view, this must the fight I've been waiting for the longest time. I agree with the fact that Chimaev comes as a favorite in this fight but I think +425 is not respectful of the Leech as he's got serious knockout power and good counters as he's shown it last time against Ponzinibbio and -600 is also too much for a guy that never had to dig deep and that has never been tested against a top level opponent. Once again I agree with Chimaev's win but I think this fight is a pure combination of a fighter that has built a huge hype thanks to spectacular wins and a fighter that flies under the radar. To conclude, I think and hope Borz will meet all the expectations that have been placed on him and I think he will once again win in a spectacular fashion but I also think there might be an upset in this one.

was quite confident on petroski at first glance, 0-2 chinese fighter who hasn't fought in 3 years. vs strong wrestler with recent finish.

problem is, the longer i look at this fight the closer it gets.

the first thing that struck me was the height different. granted yaozong was wearing shoes and petroski isnt - it was still more than a head in difference. yaozong also looked in the best shape he's been in compared to his past fights. 

yaozong lost to rashad coulter in 2018 at LHW, a unianimous dec - but i was surprised watching the tape that yao didn't get finished in the first. he was taking absolute bombs to the face in r1 and was still in the fight till the very end. the gas tank was especially good considering the punishment he took. varied striking with leg kicks and an okay clinch game. he was definitely coming on stronger towards the end.

compare this to petroski, who had trouble putting away a regional level fighter in gilmore who was should've been wiped in the first round. the gas tank is definitely an issue. petroski's striking is basic, i don't like it at all, he was getting tagged by gilmore qutie easily despite his fast twitch movements

yaozong did get kind of ragdolled by asker in his debut, but i think he was severely undersized for HW and i'll give him a pass untill i saw him at MW with his frame. 

would i be suprised that petroski won? probably not, but i think its a closer fight, a fight which i previously thought was a lock for petroski.

Volkov vs. Tybura
Alexander Volkov, TKO, R3
Drago is not the spectacular kind of fighter, but he is quite efficient and I think he will pound Tybura all night. Ok Tybura is on a good winning streak, but let's be honest, he's only been winning to veterans and decent fighters for the best. So I think Drago will plainly strike from the range and grind Tybura the better to finish him.

Makhachev vs. Hooker
Islam Makhachev, DEC
Can't pick Hooker on that one and even more on short notice as he will spend the night on the ground. I don't really like Makhachev's style but it is damn efficient, and he will certainly stick to it as he will not stand up against such a good striker as Hooker and I think also think Hooker is skilled enough on the ground not to be finished. A flawless 30-27 UD for Makhachev for me.

UFC267 Prelims Prediction 

After nearly 2 weeks of a 14 page break down I have come up with this short prediction and odds by points bet Australia . And ill share my parlay bets at the end I will be beting most fight because im a Degenerate  

Ulanbekov vs Nascimento 

Ulanbekov DEC . Won’t be betting hard on this . 

Yaozong vs Petroski

Petroski DEC . I had Petroski by SUB all web but the more I watch his last fight and how he struggled with a guy he should have made light work out of I think Yaozong is trash but he could have made decent improvement in his time off .Petroski wins by Yaozong will come home strong in the last round late .Petroski DEC $4

Amirkhani vs Murphy 

Murphy KO 3rd . Amirkhani chin is no good and I like Murphys boxing and how well round he looks and he has come into the ufc with a real tough draw and handled it with class . I think he should make easy work if he keeps this standing and think he has the ability to keep it there .I have Murphy H2H in a few parlays but im taking a shot on Murphy by SUB on the day he has been attacking a few SUBS and I really think he wants one and who better to do it to I think he could drop Amirkhani and maybe try choke him out instead of rushing with punches its paying $21 a $50 bonus bet will give me $1000

Gamzatov vs Oleksiejczuk

Gamzatov DEC . I don’t like Oleksiejczuk at all in this fight ya just never know if he is going to show up and Gamzatov looked good on the scales today .there is some good money if Gamzatov can get the finish here will look to bet on the day 

Zaleski vs Saint Denis 

Saint Denis SUB . He should clearly have and advantage on the ground his heaps younger I think his going to get hurt and have to finish this fight but there giving stupid odds on the SUB so ill be betting this as a single

Duraev vs Kopylov

Duraev SUB. I think Duraev should get this one done after being how easy Kopylov gave his back in his last fight against someone who isn’t even close to Duraevs submission game. Duraev Rd 2 SUB I think Kopylov can survive a round  that’s paying $7.50

Ramos vs Tukhugov 

Ramos DEC . There is just a few numbers I can’t get past and I think Tukhugov is a bit over rated . I don’t think Tukhugov can finish him in the first and Ramos hasn’t lost a fight where he has seen a second round and he also hasn’t lost a fight in the ufc as a underdog . I also might predict that he gets robbed 

Ribas vs Jandiroba

Ribas DEC . Not to much to say I hate woman MMA I think Jandiroba is trash nd think Ribas should be the more well rounded fighter I know Jandiroba has done Thai but its trash 

Yan vs. Sandhagen
Petr Yan, TKO, R2
Love both fighters but Yan is a goddamn machine, a world-class striker, and man he brings violence when he enters the octogon. I agree with some comments I've seen that Yan will certainly be regarded as one of the best Bantamweights of all time and Sandhagen is just an obstacle on his way back to the belt that does certainly not belong to that fraud of Aljamain.

Makhachev vs. Hooker
Islam Makhachev, DEC
Islam faces a great challenge in Dan Hooker who is a striker with a height and reach advantage as well as having a fighting style where he knows how to take advantage of these aspects mentioned. Yes, the odds are disproportionate to the reality that a Hooker knee can change everything and these odds are mostly based on the idea that Makhachev may be the new Khabib (Hype). Hooker showed great wresling against Haqparast, but it's anyone's guess how such defense could be against an aggressive wrestler like Makhachev. I see Islam winning a decision in a competitive fight, but for a +450 underdog it is clear that Hooker is not far from being able to give the upset.

Li vs. Chimaev
Khamzat Chimaev, SUB, R1
I saw every one of Jingliang's fights within the UFC as Pre-UFC 267 and can conclude that although he has been knocked down several times, none of the fighters have been able to get a TKO on him, so I can easily describe him as a durable fighter. The Leech possesses considerable KO power and is clearly the most dangerous opponent Chimaev has faced in the UFC thus far. The issue of Chimaev's weigh-in, added to his subsequent recovery and his strong case of COVID in the past, cast doubt on Khamzat's endurance or stamina. But what is clear is that '' The Wolf '' is a very intelligent fighter, so in his first fights we saw strategies such as slamming his opponents taking them to his corner and being able to listen to the strategies directly from his Coaches at the Allstar Training Center In addition to against GM3 he decided to fight from striking thus avoiding the dangerous grappling of Meerschaert. So I can conclude that Chimaev will avoid the exchange of shots, take Li to the ground, work with a high volume of ground strikes and then secure a D'arce Choke or Anaconda Choke.

Ankalaev vs. Oezdemir
Magomed Ankalaev, DEC
Ankalaev showed in his fight against Krylov that beyond being interested in 50k bonus, he is interested in winning and continuing to climb in search of a title shot. Oezdemir is a good starter and will likely establish dominance in the first round with his kickboxing, then in the second and third rounds Ankalaev could take advantage of the combination of his powerful striking and his level of sambo. As I said initially, Oezdemir is a good starter and has great KO Power, so an Upset KO would not be unreasonable.

Zaleski vs. Saint-Denis
Elizeu Zaleski, TKO, R2
Benoit had an interesting track record at BRAVE FC, but Elizeu Zaleski is a proven and even underrated veteran who has faced all kinds of opposition in the UFC. I see Saint-Dennis took the initiative initially but being caught in the second round by a flying knee or spinning wheel kick from Elizeu Capoiera ending the fight in a TKO Stoppage by the follow up of Ground and Pound in favor of the Brazilian.

Amirkhani vs. Murphy
Lerone Murphy, DEC
Mr. Finland is not out of the picture this matchup and can take it if he gets a quick submission, but generally Amirkhani tends to get considerably tired from the second round. In case of early troubles I see Murphy surviving like he did against Tukhugov at the start of the first round or as he also did against Ramos reversing the situation when Ramos wanted to take him to the ground to get his way to finish the fight. Amirkhani has a decent striking but Murphy is superior in that category, being considerably tired I would not be surprised if Murphy achieves a late finish on Amirkhani, but I would consider that there is more chance of a 29-28 or 29-27 decision.

Błachowicz vs. Teixeira
Jan Błachowicz, TKO, R4
Jan all day! I have a lot of respect for Glover and his career and I'm happy he eventually got a shot but Jan is impressive. We all know what power Jan's got in his hands and how he can punish the mid section with his kicks and I doubt Glover can withstand that. I hope for a 4th round TKO for Jan.

* Edited at 10.30.2021, 9:16 AM ET *

UFC 267 MAIN CARD PREDICTION 

After nearly 2 weeks of a 14 page break down I have come up with this short prediction and odds by points bet Australia . And ill share my parlay bets at the end I will be beting most fight because im a Degenerate  

Magomed Ankalaev vs Volkan Oezdemir

Ankalaev by KO . After his last KO I wonder how Oezdemirs chin will be and Ankalaev has bombs he hasn’t fought someone as good as Oezdemir so this may go the distance but I personally have high hopes for this man and this fight will show where his at . Ankalaev RD 2 KO

Jingliang vs Chimaev 

Chimaev KO . This is one of my top fights on the card it could get fight of the night but im on the Khamzat train simple I think he gets this on. Ankalaev to Win in the 2nd SUB or KO is paying $6.20 paying more then just a KO idk what there thinking so if your in Australia jump on it 

Volkov vs Tybura

Volkov Dec . I think the reach will be to much and Volkov has to many ways to win this fight I love Tybura and his won me some great money as of late but I think he will need to catch Volkov early as his warming into it . Volkov DEC $3  

Makhachev vs Hooker

Hooker KO. I can’t back against my man from across the ditch . Hooker has fought some gun wrestlers he had a wild fight with the uncrowned King of the division in Dustin 90% takedown defence and if this gets stuck on the feet dan hooker should piece him up . His can push a awesome pace over 3rd . Hooker to win in RD 3 or DEC $7.50 

Yan vs Sandhagen 

Yan DEC . I think this is the fight we wanted to see in the division anyway maybe it would have been nice to see Yan and TJ but I think sandhagens in this fight should be very tight I just think Yans shorter sharper punches will be more effective I think Sandhagen will throw less kicks swell to avoid getting taken down . I think this will be a 3 round war and should be a pick em so I have Yan in Parlays but betting the Sandhagen side on the night . Judges should swing in Yans favour and its hard to bet against him 

Blachowic vs Teixeira 

Blachowic KO . i think Yan is on the decline but I was impressed with how he made izzy look on the feet he was near out boxing izzy .I think he should have a hand  speed advantage and glover gets hit way to much . I think Yan gets this done in the 1st but if Glover gets top position and can take Yan down he could get the SUB and I would love to see it but I just think Yan looks ready to come out Guns blazing . Blachowic RD 1 KO $4

Zaleski vs. Saint-Denis
Elizeu Zaleski, TKO, R2
wooo!!

Hush, little baby, don't say a word
And never mind that noise you heard
It's just the beasts under your bed
In your closet, in your head


Exit light
Enter night
Grain of sand
We're off to never-never land, yeah

* Edited at 10.30.2021, 7:18 AM ET *

Haha. Baldric, just remember your bucket of steam next time. 

Have you been snorting glue again? 

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