UFC on ABC 5: Emmett vs. Topuria

The official Tapology discussion thread for the event!

Damn I love both these fighters...wish they didn't have to battle so soon

I love how the cards get built out 3-4 months in advance. Always something to look forward to in MMA

Taira vs. Rodrigues
Tatsuro Taira, SUB, R2
two up and coming flyweights. Hate to see them paired against each other so early in their ufc careers.

Hopefully Cruz vs Garbrandt 2 headlines

The announcement hasn’t been made yet, but Jacksonville was tagged when they announced the Barber/Ribas fight

Ribas vs. Barber
Amanda Ribas, DEC
Barber is highly suspect. Ribas by unanimous decision

Ribas vs. Barber
Amanda Ribas, DEC
Not on the Maycee hype train

Ribas vs. Barber
Amanda Ribas, DEC
Hopefully the Maycee Barber hype train ends here.

Ribas vs. Barber
Amanda Ribas, DEC
Barber should be 10-4 and 2-3 in her last 5. Ribas is gonna put it on her, she looks really good at 125. Maycee just hasn't improved

Taira vs. Rodrigues
Tatsuro Taira, SUB, R2
Rooting for kleydson but taira is just too good

Ribas vs. Barber
Amanda Ribas, DEC
Barber is 2-3 in her last 5 if we dont count those robberies against lee and maverick as wins i think ribas will get a 30-27 decision or a late submission

Emmett vs. Topuria
Josh Emmett, TKO, R1
Emmett by vicious KO

Emmett by vicious KO

Doubling down huh...I could see that happening.

@ martinegerhazy  

No, Barber gets a split after losing all three rounds.

Losing the 3 rounds, C'mon man: we all have different criteria and I think that the problem with MMA scoring is precisely that: unifiedly, there is no unified criteria to evaluate the fights. But I think it's more than defined that Laying on top, hugging from dominant position or control without damage will never again be a way to win a round if the opponent from below deals significant damage from below or has deep submission attempts.

Fight Review:
Round 1: At the beginning both Lee and Barber did not throw anything significant and most ended up in the air, Lee gets the takedown, Lee make nothing but hugging on top, Maycee catches a hand make a kind of neutral position in the scramble and lands good elbows from the bottom, both go back up connect some mean strikes and Maycee connects several good kicks (10-9 Barber).

Round 2: The round develops from the striking, Maycee lands the better shots, manages to hurt Lee and is even about to get a TKO, Lee gets the takedown, Lee laying on top, Barber connects good upkicks from below and causes the most significant damage of the round (Clear 10-9 Barber).

Round 3: They start from the striking, KGB manages to bring Maycee to the ground again, but in this round she does connect more ground and pound and improves positions in ground control (10-9 Lee).

Conclusion:
I understand the criticism of Barber for not showing real improvement since joining Team Alpha Male, the fact that she is a Dana's Golden Girl and the fact that she should not have won the decision against Maverick (Maycee won the third round and although she had her moments in the second round it's hard to win a round that could be close but you end up being backpacked at the last minute). But Lee can't win a decision by hugging on top as if her opponent is a family member of hers that she hasn't seen in years and get her face smashed by elbows and upkick for her opponent in the bottom position.

It's not a personal attack and more than all, I think that this decision was criticized by the judge who scores the fight 30-27 Barber, but that does not change the fact that only one fighter got her face smashed in the 2 first round and was a bit close to being waved in the 2nd round and that was Andrea Lee not Maycee Barber.

I also thought barber edged rd 1 & 2 on damage I'm not sure why so many people were crying robbery 

Dana is like it’s live and free on ABC.

It really is sunk or swim in the UFC. Emmett coming off a tough title fight loss to Yair and he has to fight a surging contender in Topuria next. Obviously UFC trying to get Topuria up there in title talks but is Emmett ready to let him have it. 
Maybe Josh Emmett hangs it up if he loses this.

Emmett vs. Topuria
Ilia Topuria, TKO, R2
Topuria is freakishly good at fighting