“Zute” for Thought: MMA Edition

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By Anthony “Zute” George

Alistair Overeem and Augusto Sakai competed in a great fight Saturday night. It was a tremendous treat for fight fans and just what that fight card needed that was heavily compromised because of cancellations. A heavyweight battle that appeared to be even-steven on the feet; okay, Sakai had an edge there. Overeem would probably be the first to concede to that advantage, precisely why he took the fight to the ground. When on the canvas, it was clear that Sakai has a gigantic deficiency there, which led to his demise. Augusto Sakai needs to work on his takedown and ground defense if he wants a legitimate shot against top-five competition. I realize that this declaration is not exactly cracking the Da Vinci Code. Still, sometimes the obvious needs to be stated.

Speaking of Alistair Overeem, his next fight must be against a top-five heavyweight. Indeed, this is not exactly breaking news. However, what is up in the air is who will Overeem be matched up against next? Derrick Lewis appears to be the frontrunner. If that happens, it is a fight that would bring plenty of eyeballs to the set, however, my personal preference would be Overeem Vs Jairzinho Rozenstruik, sometime in November.

Speaking of the heavyweight division, am I the only one not excited about a potential Jon Jones Vs Brock Lesnar heavyweight fight? Indeed, if I were Dana White, I would be very enthusiastic about this match because it would generate a massive amount of pay per view buys. Probably close to two million. But as a fan, it is nothing more than a circus act to me. Similar to the potential Mike Tyson and Roy Jones fiasco in boxing. Unlike that fight, Jon Jones is still a real fighter who is a legitimate threat to be the UFC heavyweight champion. Therefore, he should fight an opponent just as legitimate in his first heavyweight fight. With that said, money talks, and if both parties are interested in fighting, it will happen. Probably in December.

Speaking of ground fighting, has anyone been better than Khabib Nurmagomedov? While there is some debate about whether or not Khabib is a boring MMA fighter, there can be no debate that every lightweight on the planet would rather face Diablo in the pits of hell than go to the ground with The Eagle. Personally, I think Khabib is a joy to watch. Perhaps a fight or two of his was not exactly a cure for insomnia, but, for the most part, his dominance on the ground has been thrilling to watch. Perhaps there is a biased against fights that take place on the ground. Granted, some of those fights can be a challenge to stay awake for; however, there are plenty of stand-up fights that have been very dull. Has anyone tried to watch the dreadful fight between Adesanya and Romero a second time?

Speaking of stand-up fighters, there are not many mixed martial artists I have rooted for more than Ruthless Robbie Lawler. Which is why it pains me to see this version of him. I think it is clear that he is done. This declaration is based on more than just him losing his last four fights. His lack of offensive output in these fights, especially his previous two, tells me his tank is near empty. He just cannot let his hands go anymore the way he needs to in order to beat the best in the UFC. With that being said, it is always up to the fighter to retire themselves, and if Robbie thinks he can still compete, he will. The real question is if the UFC will even have an interest in him anymore? If not, can you say Bellator?

Speaking of Bellator, they have a robust schedule for next weekend that should be worth the time of all fight fans. I am looking for the Juan Archuleta and Patchy Mix bantamweight title fight to be a showstopper. And a new champion to be crowned. One to keep an eye on will be heavyweight prospect Davion Franklin. While he is still as green as a Shamrock as far as MMA is concerned, Davion has all the ingredients to move the needle if he keeps winning impressively.

Speaking of winning impressively, how can you not be ecstatic for Ovince Saint Preux? His one-punch knockout victory was against a real guy, on the rise, in Alonzo Menifield. Currently, OSP is not ranked in the top fifteen at light heavyweight. However, that reflects on how deep that division is, rather than the ability of OSP. He should get a fight against a top fifteen guy next time out.

Speaking of the light heavyweight division, I am leaning towards Jan Blachowicz over Dominick Reyes early on. Indeed, I need to do more homework before making a full commitment to a prediction, so take my declaration with a grain of salt right now.

Speaking of a grain of salt, what did it ever do to be considered so unimportant?

Stay tuned…

Anthony “Zute” George is the Author of Tough Man: The Greg Haugen Story, a new boxing book that covers the skilled champion from Auburn, Washington, as well as the scope of the times during his days of pugilism.

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