UFC 280: Oliveira vs. Makhachev

The official Tapology discussion thread for the event!

I try to keep things cordial when I’m on this site but it’s one of the silliest things I’ve heard in a long time🤣😭

They definitely aren’t cans but I can see the circle of life coming full circle. Give it about 2 years and we’ll have a whole top 10 of the next generation of lightweights

I wouldn’t count out Gaethje against Gamrot, I think it be a good fight between them, I don’t think Gamrot should be a big favourite over Justin, I think it more of a 50-50 matchup

Losing to Charles and Khabib don’t make you a bad fighter 

Yep Justin being done ia top ****ake of the day after ****mypants easilly beating geof kneels.

no need for 2 years.

ok, just playing with kids feelings here, not a can, but gaethje could be a good gatekeeper to TOP15, he could def. beat Dober lol instead of dodging Fiziev

I still have no idea what exactly constitutes your rankings??? 

like all others : who beat who, winstreaks, abilities etc.

I always said Tony and Chandler were overrated, so I do not rate highly those Gaethje's wins ... and others are James Vick, Cerrone... cmon, he has zero wrestling and zero jujitsu, but yes - he is funny to watch

I think Gamrot vs Dariush  is the best fight on the card tbh, It's both a competitive fight and have no chance of really being boring, It doesn't have the meaning of the main event, But I just think it be a fun, technical brawl. 

Also, Big fans of both of them, Both are alway in great fights and Gamrot won me big  cash against Arman, Gamrot being +210 in that fight was stupid

I’d like to apologize for my Petrosyan slander a few days ago. As it turns out, he didn’t fake a fight. He was just embarrassed he crushed a can, happy to know that he didn’t fake any fights. The fight was actually on the internet so I feel like a dork now😂

Muhammad vs. Brady
Belal Muhammad, DEC
remember the desicion

I really like Justin Gaethje fighting style and the show he usually gives when he goes up in the octagon. The only things that I dislike about Gaethje is making a way before title shot talking about Oliveira being a quitter and that he would quits again (although he had a poetic ending due to his attitude) and the fact that he is that kind of top 5 fighter who prefers to fight other top fighters even though they are both on a losing streak despite the fact that top 5 fighters must also defend their spot against rising fighters, ducking call outs from fighters like Fiziev and Gamrot (although that also largely Part of it is the fault of the UFC that prefers to put their ''cash cows'' to fight each other even if they are in a two losing streak or worse before making them defend their spot against rising hungry fighters like Gamrot, Ismagulov or Tsarukyan).

But regarding the criticism of Gaethje's wrestling and grappling level: Justin is an NCAA Division I Wrestler, although he does not use his wrestling because his style is mainly based on being a powerful striker with solid wrestling defense and because he himself He has said that using a lot of wrestling kills his cardio fast (similar case to why Aldo didn't use his offensive wrestling as much with only a few exceptions like his 3rd round against Chito Vera and final rounds against Rob Font).

There is no shame in being submitted on the ground by Khabib Nurmagomedov (who, in addition to his decorated career as an MMA and Sambo fighter, was also NAGA world champion) and by Charles Oliviera (historical leader of Submission wins in the UFC and who later submitted him after a big knockdown in striking). 

Gamrot vs. Gaehtje would be an even match although most likely Gamrot could also find submission due to his chain wrestling and his ADCC level grappling, but Gaethje has very solid TDD (shown in his fights against Eddie Alvarez and Chandler who also is a NCAA Division I level Wrestler) and he has heavy hands to get Gamrot in trouble.

I respect your break down, I meant Gaethje has zero wrestling comparing to Tsarukyan, Gamrot, Islam or Oliveira.
I see them easily taking Gaethje down and choking again and again.

is part of what is called evolution in the sport: Gaethje belonged to a time where you could have a defined fighting style (be a striker or ground fighter) and have a support base to complement your style (be it boxing or muay thai fundamentals if you are a grappler or a defense wrestling base if you are a striker). 

But the new generation of fighters like Tsarukyan, Gamrot, Makhachev, Guram Kutateladze, Damir Ismagulov are dangerous on the ground and dangerous with their striking. The combination of BJJ Elite level plus some good Muay Thai work in Chute Boxe fits well for Charles DoBrox and even makes him seem like a newer fighter than he actually is (considering that Charles has been fighting in the UFC since the time that veterans like Miller and Lauzon were in their prime forms). Another fighter who continued to evolve was Dariush, who has added a powerful striking to his already strong Grappling/Wrestling with the work with Rafael Cordeiro.

Fighters like Gaethje, McGregor and Ferguson are already or will be in the past taking into account the evolution that the sport has had in recent years.

The evolution in MMA is somewhat surprising:

20 years ago the top fighters had an extremely defended style and generally the strikers had zero ground game and many of the grapplers were not able to strike standing.

10 years ago the top fighters had a defined style and had a supporting background of the style that contrasted their main fighting style.

Currently the top fighters will be those who are solid both standing and on the ground, so the top 10 of the divisions is filling up with fighters like Gamrot, Tsarukyan, Topuria, Allen, Ismagulov, Basharat, Matheus Nicolau, Umar Nurmagomedov, Shavkat. Added to fighters like Ciryl Gane who has already become an interim champion with such a versatile style that allows him to go for KO, Submission, long distance strike decisions, etc.

Great post again, nothing to add...
just sorry for my english, it's my 4th language

Sorry for my RS7, it's my 4th Audi

Charles beats Islam, Gamrot beats Beneil, Yan beats Sean, Brady beats Belal. Simple as that.

Then we gonna see Charles vs. Gamrot or Dustin in Brazil 

Yan vs. Chito

Brady vs. Colby.

Gaethje fights Tsarukyan in April, Fiziev fights Chandler who lost to Poirier, McGregor stays a twitter commentator. 

Islam beats Oliveira, Gamrot beats Beneil, Yan beats Sean, Belal beats Brady. Simple as that.

Then we gonna see Islam vs. Gamrot or Volkanovski

Yan vs. Chito

Belal vs. Colby.

Gaethje fights Twitter in April, Fiziev fights Dariush who lost to Gamrot, McGregor stays a clown.

I'm hoping that Charles beats Islam without taking any damage and turns around to fight Volk in Australia. that would be gangster