Mailbag: What’s the best outcome for PFL and an early look at UFC 310

We don’t have to inform lies, it was an underwhelming week of MMA as UFC Vegas 98 was not precisely a banner occasion. However, the primary occasion between Brandon Royval and Tatsuro Taira delivered, and we acquired some fairly massive information about UFC 310. On high of that, we’re now on the street to PFL: Ngannou vs. Ferreira a.ok.a “Battle of the Giants” in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

So, with a smattering of subjects to debate this week, let’s contact on all of them.

Tatsuro Taira

“How do you suppose a struggle between Taira and Mokaev would have performed out?”

In case you missed it, Brandon Royval took a hard-fought determination over Tatsuro Taira in the primary occasion of UFC Vegas 98 this previous Saturday. The struggle was among the best of the 12 months however now that Taira has suffered his first profession loss, there’s already been some questioning of how good he’s. However that’s a bit loopy.

Taira is simply 24 years previous and he simply went hammer and tongs with the No. 1-ranked man on this planet. In nearly another state of affairs, folks could be praising the pants off him. However as a result of he was a large betting favourite heading into the struggle, as an alternative there are actually questions on how good he’s. That’s a bit foolish. Is he pretty much as good as Brandon Royval? Not fairly. However principally nobody else is both.

That’s to not say that Taira’s efficiency was above reproach. He actually confirmed quite a lot of monumental holes. Royval pieced Taira up on the ft and the Japanese fighter additionally perhaps confirmed a scarcity of cardio for 5 spherical fights. However these are issues we’d anticipate from a younger fighter who has principally by no means needed to develop a B recreation. I absolutely anticipate this to be a type of losses that’s vastly useful for Taira.

Now on to the query: I suppose Taira beats Mokaev however I’m under no circumstances sure of that. That may be a matchup of two very related fighters. Each are distinctive grapplers, Mokaev is the higher wrestler however Taira is the extra harmful finisher with just a few extra tips. In the end, I feel it comes right down to the hanging and whereas Taira is just not superb on the ft, he’s proven greater than Mokaev has at this level so I’ll favor him.

PFL’s massive night time

“I feel we will all agree in saying Ngannou vs Ferreira doesn’t go the gap, however what’s probably the most preferable end result for the PFL? Is it Ngannou knocking out Ferreira or wouldn’t it be their homegrown man knocking out the lineal UFC champion, who by no means misplaced his belt within the cage?”

Francis Ngannou takes on Renan Ferreira in the primary occasion of PFL’s newest PPV providing this Saturday and I feel it’s secure to say that is an important occasion of PFL’s existence.

Nearly two years in the past the PFL backed up the Brinks truck for Ngannou and now he’s lastly going to compete for them. Is that going to matter? Are folks going to tune in as a result of Francis Ngannou is combating, as a result of that was principally the calculus when PFL signed him: that Ngannou brings each cache and eyeballs. A 12 months in the past when Ngannou arguably ought to have crushed Tyson Fury, which may have been true. Now that Anthony Joshua put him on a stretcher? Uncertain.

Except for needing Ngannou to be a star, the PFL additionally actually wants him to win. I’m unsure if Ngannou is a PPV draw generally, however I’m sure he’s not the form of star that may springboard others to stardom off of beating him. If Ferreira comes out and sleeps Ngannou, the one factor that occurs is that the MMA world collectively says, “Nicely, Francis was gone for nearly three years and simply acquired savagely KOed. Guess Tom Aspinall actually is the highest man proper now.” Certain, Renan Ferreira could be the lineal champion, however that will probably be all however meaningless at that time limit. Nobody will care.

So yeah, the PFL wants Francis to return by means of and uppercut Ferreira out of the cage, remind folks why they have been so excited to get him within the first place and, hopefully, generate sufficient curiosity to have a profitable PPV outing.

Massive stress on Massive Francis this weekend.

Cris Cyborg and Larissa Pacheco

“What does the longer term maintain for cyborg and Pacheco after this weekend? Kayla can have no actual threats for a very long time as soon as she takes the belt from Pena.”

Genuinely I do not know. Pacheco vs. Cyborg is a high quality struggle that has two monumental points with it. First is that Cyborg is historic in struggle years. Cyborg has had a beautiful profession however frankly the one purpose it’s continued this lengthy is as a result of ladies’s featherweight isn’t an actual division, so she’s feasted on overmatched and/or underweight opposition. Pacheco is the primary lady Cyborg can have fought since Julia Budd who is definitely succesful and bodily comparable. She’s in all probability going to get her ass kicked.

Which is all nicely and good for Pacheco, who is a superb fighter, however that results in drawback two: there may be nothing else for Pacheco to do after this. I’m truthfully a bit stunned that Cyborg didn’t simply retire from MMA as an alternative of take this struggle nevertheless it’s nice for Pacheco she didn’t. No less than Pacheco will get this one struggle for the resume, however after this Pacheco then simply strikes into the identical place Cyborg spent most of her profession: having nobody to struggle.

My greatest guess is that if/when Pacheco wins, they only run again one other match subsequent 12 months and he or she competes in it as a result of she makes a bundle of cash and it’s not just like the promotion has actual “superfights” to supply her. And as for Cyborg, I believe that is it for her MMA profession and she will be able to transfer again on to pursuing boxing.

UFC 310

“Now that they introduced Shavkat vs. Belal I can consider a number of thrilling matchups on the high of the 170 lb division. Is that this the most effective the division has regarded within the final decade? Are you able to fee the divisions by expertise?”

In case you missed it, the massive fights for UFC 310 acquired introduced this week and the occasion will probably be headlined by a welterweight title struggle between Belal Muhammad and Shavkat Rakhmonov. Purpose received out and it’s going to rule. Both Belal pulls off the upset and really proves himself to be among the best fighters on this planet proper now, or Shavkat lastly receives his crown and welterweight has a no-doubt-about-it thrilling champion for the primary time since Robbie Lawler. Win-win.

As for the state of the welterweight division, perhaps? It’s true that for the previous couple of years the welterweight division has fallen off some, notably as compared with weight lessons like 155 of 135; and now we do have this crop of recent names coming by means of and making issues attention-grabbing, which is thrilling, however a decade is a very long time.

The golden age of welterweight (so far) was in all probability Georges St-Pierre’s preliminary years as champion when the whole top-10 have been a few of the greatest fighters alive. However in case you look again to 2016, that’s a reasonably good crop of fighters as nicely. Tyron Woodley is champion, Stephen Thompson is on the peak of his powers, Demian Maia remains to be hanging round, Usman and Colby Covington are on the come-up, together with Leon Edwards and Gilbert Burns. It’s solely the previous few years the place issues have felt stagnant as a result of the previous guard retains hanging round. So no, I don’t suppose it’s the most effective of the previous decade nevertheless it’s trending in a superb route.

And for rankings:

1. Light-weight
2. Bantamweight
3. Featherweight
4. Flyweight
5. Middleweight
6. Welterweight
7. Womens’ Flyweight
8. Ladies’s Strawweight
9. Mild Heavyweight
10. Heavyweight
11. Ladies’s bantamweight

And really the underside three are interchangeably horrible.

Nick Diaz returns

“What ought to we anticipate out of Nick Diaz? One other unhappy efficiency? Or do you suppose he’s going to take this one critical?”

Additionally lined up for UFC 310 is the return of Nick Diaz, who will tackle Vicente Luque. It’s a struggle that was initially scheduled for UFC Abu Dhabi this 12 months till “journey points” popped up for Diaz (a.ok.a. someone lastly remembered the very strict guidelines the UAE has surrounding marijuana). And I gotta let you know, it’s going to be horrible.

The difficulty is just not “whether or not Nick takes this struggle severely,” it’s that Nick Diaz doesn’t have it anymore. To paraphrase the poet and scholar Cutty Clever, the sport ain’t in him no extra.

Nick is 41 years previous. That alone is almost disqualifying. On high of that, he’s solely fought twice this decade: as soon as in a farce of a bout with Anderson Silva and the opposite in a tough to look at beatdown in opposition to Robbie Lawler. The final time Nick Diaz received a struggle, Barack Obama was barely into his first time period as president. This isn’t a matter of need, it’s a matter of functionality.

I have no idea why Nick Diaz is coming again. I hope it’s not as a result of he has to however principally I hope he will get out of this struggle as unscathed as potential. The truth that Luque additionally appears to be like to be on the well-done facet of cooked makes this not less than extra tolerable than the Lawler matchup, however barely.

Perhaps I’m mistaken and Nick comes again and appears unimaginable, however I’m anticipating this to be one of many worst components of MMA this 12 months. I suppose we’ll see.

Thanks for studying, and thanks for everybody who despatched in tweets (Xs?)! Do you have got any burning questions on issues not less than considerably associated to fight sports activities? You then’re in luck, as a result of you’ll be able to ship your tweets to me, @JedKMeshew, and I’ll reply my favourite ones! Doesn’t matter in the event that they’re topical or insane, simply as long as they’re good. Thanks once more, and see y’all subsequent week.