Blaydes vs Pavlovich: Defining the new HW division?

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Lee_

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It seems this fight will show us a lot in terms of where the HW division is going.

Does Pavlovich have a real grappling game, or is he more like another Gane? His striking is more suited to MMA as he is more of a KO artist and less of a skill/point fighter then Gane; but he will not hold the title without some serious grappling.

I sincerely hope Pav will be tested by Blaydes' wrestling, and it isn't some quick KO where we don't really see Pav grapple much. Then we are right back where we started from, not knowing until he fights Aspinall or Jones.

I see Aspinall and Pavlovich as being the two best HWs, but I am not sure how well-rounded Pav is, and if he is for real. He has looked impressive with all these first round KOs, but that is easier to do against lesser opponents, especially at HW. You have to beat the best to be the best, and the best is going to have to be well-rounded.

Discuss.
 
The problem is Blaydes has fallen in love with his hands recently. I hope he goes wrestling heavy because thats his best shot at winning, and because it's gonna test Pavlovich's TDD at the same time
 
Lee_ said:
Does Pavlovich have a real grappling game, or is he more like another Gane? His striking is more suited to MMA as he is more of a KO artist and less of a skill/point fighter then Gane; but he will not hold the title without some serious grappling.
Click to expand...

Gane lost by submission while Sergei got physically overpowered and brutalized by Overeem's hands (TKO)... a 38 years old Overeem.

It's not only about his ground game, it's also about his physical strength and his chin...
 
Cpt Migraine said:
Everyone beat him? If he was this beast grappler he would have been champ a long time ago..
Click to expand...
I actually still have no idea what you are saying. I think you are misinterpreting the OP.
 
Yellowcrab said:
Gane lost by submission while Sergei got physically overpowered and brutalized by Overeem's hands (TKO)... a 38 years old Overeem.

It's not only about his ground game, it's also about his physical strength and his chin...
Click to expand...
That fight was 5 years ago, you do realize fighting skill and ability isn't static, right? Do you realize that in the 5 years since, he has knocked all his opponents out in the first round, right?

It actually is about his grappling if he is going to be the champ and beat Jones or Aspinall because they will test him on the ground. I already like his chances striking, but not so sure about grappling.
 
No, no it isn't these are simply the dregs left because more talented HWs of golden eras are all ancient or no longer fighting. I hope more LHW move up to try and purge the division with speed and skill. Maybe its the afternoon everclear but fuck these mediocre ass goon HWs, I hope Jones, Jailton and even Jan or Jiri or Pereira move up and cull this lumbering herd of offal that is the "new generation". Its like everyone has seemingly fought everyone already this division needs new blood to replace the new blood.
 
Lee_ said:
That fight was 5 years ago, you do realize fighting skill and ability isn't static, right? Do you realize that in the 5 years since, he has knocked all his opponents out in the first round, right?
Click to expand...

You do realize that Overeem was completely washed out, coming from the worst KO of his career against Ngannou and still brutalized a MUCH younger Sergei, right ?

Actually, before destroying Sergei he was on a losing streak of 2 fights : one terrible KO and one TKO.

You do realize that he also beat a declining Lewis and a Tai that took his fight way too soon after his war against Gane ?

Timestamped :



Wtf is that ? Physically overpowered by a 38 old washed out fighter when you're in your physical prime (Sergei was 26 years old in this fight).

I'm not saying he's bad but he still has a lot to prove and we will see what happens against Blaydes.
 
Yellowcrab said:
You do realize that Overeem was completely washed out, coming from the worst KO of his career against Ngannou and still brutalized a MUCH younger Sergei, right ?

Actually, before destroying Sergei he was on a losing streak of 2 fights : one terrible KO and one TKO.

You do realize that he also beat a declining Lewis and a Tai that took his fight way too soon after his war against Gane ?

Timestamped :



Wtf is that ? Physically overpowered by a 38 old washed out fighter when you're in your physical prime (Sergei was 26 years old in this fight).

I'm not saying he's bad but he still has a lot to prove and we will see what happens against Blaydes.
Click to expand...

Physical strength is like the one thing that stays with ageing fighters. Also he's being outgrappled. It's a matter of technique
 
Yellowcrab said:
You do realize that Overeem was completely washed out, coming from the worst KO of his career against Ngannou and still brutalized a MUCH younger Sergei, right ?

Actually, before destroying Sergei he was on a losing streak of 2 fights : one terrible KO and one TKO.

You do realize that he also beat a declining Lewis and a Tai that took his fight way too soon after his war against Gane ?

Timestamped :



Wtf is that ? Physically overpowered by a 38 old washed out fighter when you're in your physical prime (Sergei was 26 years old in this fight).

I'm not saying he's bad but he still has a lot to prove and we will see what happens against Blaydes.
Click to expand...


The reason Overeem has lasted so long in this sport is because when he loses fights a certain way, he steps back and adapts to fight with a different strategy.
He had just gotten knocked out indeed, so Serg had to deal with a grappling heavy Overeem who always had a strong top game and one of the best clinches in the game. His raw physical strength is also something very tough to deal with.

I see Jones doing the same to him. But Pavlovich is likely much further along with his grappling since that Overeem fight.
 
McGeezle said:
Physical strength is like the one thing that stays with ageing fighters. Also he's being outgrappled. It's a matter of technique
Click to expand...

It's the first round, nobody is tired and they're standing.

He got overpowered even if technique can matter, he's still 26 years old and fresh in the first round.

Also :

58c9aacb6ff8011a008b52dc


People have to stop with made up legends : you're physically weaker at 38 years old.

https://www.sciencealert.com/here-are-the-ages-you-peak-at-everything-throughout-life
 
Yellowcrab said:
You do realize that Overeem was completely washed out, coming from the worst KO of his career against Ngannou and still brutalized a MUCH younger Sergei, right ?

Actually, before destroying Sergei he was on a losing streak of 2 fights : one terrible KO and one TKO.

You do realize that he also beat a declining Lewis and a Tai that took his fight way too soon after his war against Gane ?

Timestamped :



Wtf is that ? Physically overpowered by a 38 old washed out fighter when you're in your physical prime (Sergei was 26 years old in this fight).

I'm not saying he's bad but he still has a lot to prove and we will see what happens against Blaydes.
Click to expand...

That is actually 100% irrelevant, sorry. As my post said, fighters are not static, they improve and decline. You cannot flash back 5 years and talk about something as if it were yesterday.

Look at Anderson 5 years before he was so great, he was getting finished by small mediocre Japanese fighters in Pride.

5 years is easily long enough to become a totally different fighter, as Pav's fights after that would suggest.

It was amazing that we walked on the moon, but we are past that now. Times change, and so do fighters.
 
Lee_ said:
Look at Anderson 5 years before he was so great, he was getting finished by small mediocre Japanese fighters in Pride.
Click to expand...

It's not comparable, we're not in the infancy of MMA anymore, now everybody knows how MMA works... also we don't know if Anderson juiced like probably most of the other fighters in Japan.

Also, even in Japan he never lost against washed out fighters while being 12 years younger, it simply never happened.

I'm not saying Sergei can't improve, but he has to be tested a little more to begin a real hype.
 
Yellowcrab said:
It's not comparable, we're not in the infancy of MMA anymore, now everybody knows how MMA works... also we don't know if Anderson juiced like probably most of the other fighters in Japan.

Also, even in Japan he never lost against washed out fighters while being 12 years younger, it simply never happened.

I'm not saying Sergei can't improve, but he has to be tested a little more to begin a real hype.
Click to expand...
lol OK
 
Blaydes has always been around the top.

I had him as the legit number 1 contender at one point, but the Champion was already scheduled to fight someone else.

He's already pretty close to a title shot, so it's only a matter of time, as long as he keeps doing what he's doing.
 
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