MMA news updates

Instead of spamming the boards everytime I see some cool news, I’ll post it here. I’ll also keep track of prospects I like, new signings to ufc/dwcs/Bellator/etc.

* Edited at 05.02.2022, 4:44 PM ET *

Hope Luke does well his career is over at elite levels get some easy checks retire healthy.
He has given the MMA world some great fights mostly years back but still entertaining.

There's been a lot of prodigies, none quite like Pico but plenty like Clayton Carpenter or better. Gunnar Nelson was one I was huge on back in the day, he was like 24 and a Renzo black belt who had beaten Jeff Monson in the open weight ADCCs, he was also a multiple time karate champion in Goju Ryu, he just looked the part even had way better than average wrestling for an elite BJJ guy and fluid striking. Still shocked how poorly that panned out. 

Kyler Phillips is another somewhat prodigy. He was a BJJ blue belt world champion, Judo black belt and California state champion, and a SoCal highschool wrestling champion. He also started BJJ at like 6 and had his first amateur fight at 16. Dudes a natural athlete who styled in Yadong a bit standing at 26.

To be honest a lot of guys have these kinds of backgrounds, look at Gabriel Bonfim legit BJJ black belt and amateur boxing Brazilian national champion, 5-0 pro boxer and 14-0 pro MMA fighter at 25. 

Saidyokub Kakhramonov was a US Under 20 Judo champion, a Sambo world games Bronze Medalist (same event where Merab got silver) and was a nationally ranked Greco Roman wrestler all by like 23. He also gave Umar a very competitive fight in the PFL. 

A lot of the central Asians ans Russians grow up wrestling and if they don't stand out at the Cadet level branch out into Sambo, Judo, Boxing, Sanda, Hand to Hand etc and then in their late teens begin focusing very seriously on MMA. Oddly all that info on Saidyokub was unknown for whatever reason so I put a good chunk at + money on him to beat Ronnie Lawrence. 

@baremaras agree. I find it hilarious you compared him to carpenter because Clayton has a kneebar win over pico in parnkration. I’m very high on carpenter 

@khanate I’ve heard stories about saidyokub schooling people in stateside tourneys in wrestling. He’s a freak athelte 

Saidyokub is very good, that guillotine sequence needs to be a learning experience, he had so many opportunities to get out of it. Against the cage when Said had the arm over the back of the neck he ignored it and went for the takedown, after the takedown the choke got tight and Saidyokub was in on a leg, he could finish the takedown or address the choke...he finished the takedown then got tapped out for it, clearly he was very confident but God damn. 

Yeah, I know Merab and Aljo do well in those stateside tournaments too but they aren't wrestling in anything major so I'm not sure how much it matters. Its great that theyre staying active and competing still though. If it's not D1 or D2, a qualifier for worlds/pan ams/Olympics or a US nationals I'm not actually sure of the competition I dont follow wrestling insanely close to know, I do know in Judo there's a points system and tournaments that get you to qualify to compete in the qualifiers for worlds and the Olympics but wrestling feels fairly streamlined through the training center, D1 standouts, US national champs etc or just farming elite guys out of highschool like Cejudo and Pico. 

Gavin Leath beat Aljo in a Long Island tournament and I believe he was a Junior college national champ, looks like he's going the MMA route instead of the D1 route so he's definitely a guy to look out for, just doing amateurs right now I think. I hope Roman Bravo Young comes over to MMA in 2024 too, I know he trains with Cruz and talks about doing MMA. 

Bravo young is almost a lock to do mma. He’s already signed with a big manager and trains with Dom Cruz. Another guy I really want to see do mma is Spencer lee. Kid is a stud wrestler he would be great

* Edited at 01.23.2023, 6:53 PM ET *

The catch is if Bravo decides to do freestyle or the Olympics first, that greatly effects the potential he does or doesn't have in MMA. Time is a valuable asset. I know he signed with a MMA manager, I'm still waiting to see him take a fight or make an announcement though.  Spencer Lee is amazing but he's also 24, if he plans on doing the 2024 Olympic Trials first and then MMA, again it greatly impacts his potential and ceiling in MMA. Jacobe Smith is one to keep an eye on he trains with Nick Piccininni, he's a hard hitting, athletic beast of a WW. I don't know if he was all American at the D1 level or not but I know he wrestled D1 and was a serious standout but had some issues with injures, also a Junior college national champ like Leath and Blaydes. 

https://www.mmaweekly.com/sage-northcutt-books-mma-return-4-years-after-brutal-ko

* Edited at 01.23.2023, 7:08 PM ET *

Speaking of saidyokub, he said he’s moving weight classes this year. I hope he goes to flyweight and not fw

Jesus Flyweight would be hard but he could do it, he gave some size up to Umar for sure. I hope it's not Featherweight too. 

I don’t think he needs to change weight classes either. Kind of a weird move 

* Edited at 01.23.2023, 7:57 PM ET *

Chris Curtis vs Kelvin gastelum ufc 287

Wow

Chris Curtis FTW

2 lazy fighters. lets see

Chris will pull off the zzzness *** DEC

Hate seeing that Rockhold is exploring options of fighting again. He has one of the best retirements from the sport while taking an L in the fight result, he gained respect from so many fans after they've been clowning on him for over 6 years straight. Now he's opened himself up just to be a meme again while risking more concussions. Unless he needs the money, this move makes no sense. 

Are they actually related? I’ve never looked into that. I think they just have the same name although they do look somewhat alike. Aliaskhab is a beast only issue is he never fights