Friday's Final Word - #19
UFC 294, Catterall vs Linares & the 02 becomes York Hall...
Evening all,
It’s been an eventful week, even by combat sports standards but we made it and we are on the edge of one of the most highly anticipated UFC cards I can remember and although we lost a decent fight in Buatsi vs Azeez, boxing has got something to offer this weekend that isn’t a pair of useless celebrities…
I am not even going to comment on that s**t show!!
Lets get into it…
UFC 294 lands in Abu Dhabi…
The UFC roadshow has landed in it’s adopted home of Abu Dhabi once again and I can’t remember a card as exciting as this in a long time.
There have probably been better cards in the past but the narratives heading into this one have just taken over and the fact the two fights at the top of the card have somehow become better than the original fights is insane.
All the credit has gone to Usman and Volk for flying in with eleven days notice to save the show and rightly so but there has to be credit given on the other side of the table, too.
These two fights prove that Islam Makhachev and Khamzat Chimaev are exactly who they say they are.
The anytime, anyone, any place attitude that they have both preached in the past, that’s how they live.
These four men are all exactly why MMA and UFC in particular are growing so quick.
Warriors of the highest order.
But not only them…the full card is STACKED.
But it wouldn’t be the UFC without a little bit of an extra headline, would it?
So…
Did you hear a pop?
Unless you have been living under a rock, you will have seen the viral video of Kamaru Usman have a wrestle with Justin Gaethje at the public workout.
It’s not secret that Usman has struggled with his knees for a long time.
He is 36 now and has had such a long combat career behind him that it’s not surprise his body is breaking down a little bit.
I have to be honest, I do think something happened in the public workout.
His and Justin Gaethje’s tweets to defend and deflect also suggest to me that they are trying to push this away.
That said, I don’t think there will have been a camp in the last 3/4 years that Usman hasn’t struggled with injuries and his knees, in particular.
I never thought Usman would be 100% this weekend this is just another thing for him to deal with.
But he is a champion, he has overcome adversity before and he is capable of doing it again.
The Card
This main event is ridiculous.
After the first fight in February, we all wanted the rematch but nobody expected it to happen like this but Volk being the late replacement for Oliveira just adds to the intrigue.
The first fight is still fresh enough in our minds that we all remember how close it was and that adds to the intrigue because as things stand, this is the only 50/50 for either man.
What I mean by that is at featherweight, Volk has a lot of threats (most notably Topuria) but in terms of fans thinking he is in a true 50/50?
Islam is the only opponent.
And likewise.
Nobody at lightweight will give Islam the problems Volk will.
They need each other and I think you can see the respect between the both of them.
They know this fight on Saturday brings out the best in them.
But Islam has just had longer to prepare….
Although I say that in jest, that’s the biggest defining factor.
Islam has been training for a fight on this date for 10/12 weeks.
Volk hasn’t.
Of course, he is in unreal shape.
He always is.
He is the perfect professional but training and TRAINING are two different things.
Maybe, at 35, a unconventional camp like this might do Volk the world of good.
Maybe his gas tank just can’t live with Islam.
But the maybe’s are what make this great.
NOBODY knows the outcome of this fight and that is why it’s so elite.
These are two of the best fighters on the planet and they throw down for our pleasure for a second time.
I don’t know who wins.
I won’t even try but based on everything we have heard this week.
I don’t think it goes the distance.
Official Pick: Under 4.5 rounds
Usman vs Chimaev
I am as equally excited for this co-main event but for slightly different reasons.
As I mentioned earlier, I don’t think Usman is 100% fit so that puts him at a disadvantage straight away.
I am also not convinced the short notice is as good for him as it could potentially be for Usman.
There is no questioning the professionalism of Usman but his body doesn’t move the way it used to.
You only have to watch him walk to see that.
I think camps for him, if kept low impact allow him to slowly reach his optimum.
He hasn’t been allowed that here.
To add to his problems, he is fighting one of the most explosive and exciting UFC fighters we have seen in recent times.
Chimaev has been a revelation since joining the UFC during the pandemic and for me, it is going to take a special fighter to stop him and to be honest, he might be his own biggest rival.
We have seen him mess around at the weight at welterweight and we are yet to understand if this move to middleweight is calculated or just because he doesn’t want to make the sacrifices.
I believe he deserves a chance to prove this move is calculated and while I understand those that question his professionalism, I think he is still in the infancy of his professional career and deserves the benefit of the doubt.
When it comes to skill, it’s hard not to be impressed by Chimaev.
Whether it’s his wrestling in the Holland fight.
Or his striking.
Or his heart to come through the Burns fight.
Whatever way you look at it, Chimaev has proven he is a problem.
For everybody…in his words.
But this is without doubt his biggest test.
Kamaru Usman has got issues but he is still a phenomenal fighter.
He is still one of the greatest UFC athletes we have ever seen.
Chimaev will have to answer some questions this weekend but I am convinced he can answer them.
Official Pick: Khamzat Chimaev to win by KO/TKO.
Card Round Up
There are so many good fights on the card and Johnny Walker vs Magomed Ankalaev should catch fire at some point.
Johnny Walker is guaranteed entertainment, we don’t really need to expand on that but he is finally starting to show some progress.
He is riding a really strong three fight win streak and since his knockout to Jamahal Hill, he has rounded out his game and he could be a serious threat at light heavyweight.
But Ankalaev is a nightmare.
A genuine nightmare.
Ask Jan Blachowicz.
Sometimes the Russian is a joy to watch.
The perfect match of striking and grappling.
Sometimes he can be so safe it looks boring to the casual fan.
You don’t really know which version will show up.
But both styles are just so hard to beat.
My worry for Johnny Walker here is that he will get ;'bored’ and trade and if he does, it doesn’t end well for him.
Ankalaev is so patient and I think he will find a gap to end this.
Official Pick: Magomed Ankalaev to win by KO/TKO.
For home interest, we have London’s Nathaniel Wood taking on Muhammadjon Naimov as he continues to build his reputation at featherweight.
This is a fight that I expect Wood to come through but he has to respect Naimov otherwise he will pay a big price.
Another fighter to look out for is Sharabutdin Magomedov who makes his UFC debut.
I am not going to pretend I have watched his entire career, but he is making a lot of noise in fight week and this could be a debut to remember!
THE fight To Keep An Eye On
This fight between Mohammed Mokaev and Tim Elliot has my attention for many reasons.
Mokaev, in my opinion, is a future world champion but he does divide opinion and he is outspoken.
He makes no attempt to hide his opinion on others, neither does he hide his ambition to become the youngest ever UFC champion.
He is up against time for that (next March) but if he keeps progressing, he can really make his presence felt in this flyweight division and this fight with Tim Elliot is exactly what he has been asking for.
It’s also exceptionally dangerous.
Tim Elliott is no mug. He has derailed multiple ‘hype’ trains.
I am sure he thinks he will do the same here and he won’t be overawed by fighting a young potential superstar.
He has made a career out of it.
If Mokaev is as special as I think he is, this will be the moment he announces himself to the UFC wider audience.
He has to win.
But it has to be in style.
Official Pick: Mohammed Mokaev by submission
Linares Lands in Liverpool
UFC takes all the headlines this weekend but we do have some boxing to concentrate with Jack Catterall taking on Jorge Linares in Liverpool.
Obviously, Linares is a legend.
A future hall of famer.
But the brutal truth is he is no longer the fighter he once was.
With 55 fights under his belt, it’s impossible to be.
He is riding a three fight losing streak and now steps up to 140lb for the first time.
When you consider he has been stopped at lower weight classes than this…it doesn’t look good.
But it does for Jack Catterall.
As the man who should be walking around as the undisputed super lightweight champion, he needs a big performance this weekend to remind people he actually exists.
He SHOULD be the man in this division.
The reality is…he isn’t.
In fact, he is the outcast.
Nobody wants to fight him…or mention his name.
And why would you?
He is tough, a southpaw and he can whack.
Jack Catterall is a nightmare for anybody in this weight class. Anybody.
Nobody, including his own promoter by the looks of it, is going to hand another chance at a world title on a plate to Catterall.
He is going to have to bang down every door possible.
Starting this weekend.
I am a huge Jorge Linares fan but he is nothing but an opponent this weekend.
I expect Catterall to win and win well.
Official pick: Jack Catterall to win in rounds 1-6
The undercard actually features some decent fights.
The best fight for me is between Aqib Fiaz and Reece Bellotti for the commonwealth super featherweight title.
Fiaz is finally shaking his ‘prospect’ tag and steps into the first real test of his career and Bellotti is a fighter who has seen it all.
He has been the prospect.
It didn’t work out and he is now 16-5 but he is experienced…and he can punch.
Bellotti might not reach the heights people once thought but he will give everything this weekend and I hope Aqib Fiaz is prepared for that.
Fiaz will have to answer quetions this weekend and go to places he has never gone before.
A great fight!
Another fighter we are all excited about is Peter McGrail.
It’s been a steady start to his career but there is no doubting the talent McGrail progresses and this matchup looks like a good step up for him.
It’s always good to see fighters early in their career take on fellow undefeated fighters and I think this is a test McGrail will relish.
He is a brilliant talent, that is easy to see but he will need to prove he can mix it in the pro game this weekend.
Fran Mendoza (17-0) is an unknown quantity but he brings an undefeated mindset and that’s always dangerous.
I don’t see anything in his skillset that McGrail won’t have seen before but he won’t give in easy and I think this will be a big learning fight for the scouser.
Official Pick: Peter McGrail by decision.
The 02 Becomes York Hall…
Finding out we lost the fight between Joshua Buatsi and Dan Azeez earlier this week was a bitter blow as it was a fight that many of us were really excited about.
Since the call off, there have been suggestions it was pulled because they had only sold 1500 tickets in a 20,000 ticket arena but I don’t think thats true….I don’t think.
It does surprise me that York Hall was miraculously available on a Saturday night and it’s almost as if Boxxer had it booked as a back up but who knows!?
What we do know is the show goes on and the main event is actually a really good contest.
Isaac Chamberlain is a solid fighter and he has only lost to world champions so the fact he is facing a 17-0 undefeated fighter makes you sit up and take notice.
Mikael Lawal is 17-0 but he hasn’t been outside of his comfort zone…yet.
He can clearly punch but this is a big step up against a very experienced campaigner in Chamberlain.
The antics during fight week have shown that these guys have a genuine dislike towards each other and that adds a bit more spice to an already good fight.
I slightly favour Chamberlain because experience is invaluable but I think the safer option is to take both sides and bank on it not going the distance.
Official Pick: Fight to NOT go the distance.
WOW…that was easily the longest edition yet so apologies it is out slightly but I appreciate everyone who keeps coming back week on week.
We seen 34 new subscribers last week which was brilliant so welcome to all the new people and thanks to the original crowd who continue to spread the word.
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Brilliant read mate 👍🏼