Desperate people desperate measurescan someone tell me why cub decided to cut down to 135?
Cub has looked great against Elkins and Pineda, but that's Elkins and Pineda. Both old, both at the end of their careers, Elkins is so beat up, so slow, so washed, that was a complete mismatch - I bet Cub big there and his KO line and KO 1. Pineda off the juice has lost what was getting him wins in the PFL, strength, cardio, physicality in the grappling. He still lit Cub's calf up with kicks to the point Cub was switching stances.
I don't think Cub is washed but he's not going to have a speed advance here, he's going to get kicked to the calf and body, he's playing a game of speed and reflexes against a younger man who's on a roll in a faster devision.
The weight cut may be easy for Cub, but how many 38 to 40 year old bantamweight are winning fights and looking good? People are pointing to Aldo making the drop and having success - Aldo was 33 at the time, Cub is one month away from 39. Aldo was fighting and competing with top tier fighters before he made the drop, he was still a top 5-3 fighter, Cub is fighting washed up old men or he's losing
I'm not betting Cub but hard pass on Martinez too. Paying decent juice on guys who can't or won't finish anyone decent is a long term losing strategy. There are spots to do it, this isn't one of them imo.
I believe Martinez gets the finish. You have to go back 10 years to see a quality win on Cub's record, going to decision with Artem Lobov is a recent decade highlight
I believe Martinez gets the finish. You have to go back 10 years to see a quality win on Cub's record, going to decision with Artem Lobov is a recent decade highlight
Davis got by against Costa purely on his toughness though, and he faced a similar matchup for his UFC return against Daana and wound up getting ran over without putting too much of a fight, so he might be falling off. Think he came in injured for that one, but still, didn't like that look for him.Fading Mana Martinez against Brandon Davis looks like a really easy decision.
I don't think much of Brandon Davis, but he caused Giga Chikadze problems years ago courtesy of his wrestling, and has beaten bums like Randy Costa and Steve 'Ocho' Peterson prior to that, so his baseline is obviously not as low as some are assuming. The fact he's made it back to the UFC with a dreadful numerical record is creditable. I think overall, he's much better than his record suggests. The dude has lost to monsters, but the problem is, he lost to them before he established himself. A game dude, reasonable wrestling, very tough for his calibre. There's real Alex Caceres vibes, here, where I'm seeing a guy who will be unfairly overlooked pretty constantly.
Mana Martinez struggled horribly with Ronnie Lawrence's wrestling, and lost on Contender Series to a very mediocre Drako Rodriguez. His striking is pretty good, and when he's got confidence, he's a challenge - but this looks like a horrible stylistic match for him.
I'd be interested in Brandon Davis + Jacob Malkoun, and I'd probably be more worried about Malkoun coming through a very technical challenge against Maximov - but one I think he can win, given Maximov doesn't finish at this level and Malkoun is far too pressure heavy for him from what I've seen.
Davis got by against Costa purely on his toughness though, and he faced a similar matchup for his UFC return against Daana and wound up getting ran over without putting too much of a fight, so he might be falling off. Think he came in injured for that one, but still, didn't like that look for him.
He has been fighting with no ACL on the regionals and his UFC debut. That explains why he looked so much worse and less athletic. He has had surgery on it after the Danna fight, so surely some improvements are to be seen. Mana has the same faults as Davis, both aren't very athletic or explosive. Guido at his age looked way quicker and stronger, as did Danna against Davis. They have a lot of similarities actually, but Mana does possess more one-punch power. Dog or pass for me but a tough fight to get a read on.Davis got by against Costa purely on his toughness though, and he faced a similar matchup for his UFC return against Daana and wound up getting ran over without putting too much of a fight, so he might be falling off. Think he came in injured for that one, but still, didn't like that look for him.
Fading Mana Martinez against Brandon Davis looks like a really easy decision.
I don't think much of Brandon Davis, but he caused Giga Chikadze problems years ago courtesy of his wrestling, and has beaten bums like Randy Costa and Steve 'Ocho' Peterson prior to that, so his baseline is obviously not as low as some are assuming. The fact he's made it back to the UFC with a dreadful numerical record is creditable. I think overall, he's much better than his record suggests. The dude has lost to monsters, but the problem is, he lost to them before he established himself. A game dude, reasonable wrestling, very tough for his calibre. There's real Alex Caceres vibes, here, where I'm seeing a guy who will be unfairly overlooked pretty constantly.
Mana Martinez struggled horribly with Ronnie Lawrence's wrestling, and lost on Contender Series to a very mediocre Drako Rodriguez. His striking is pretty good, and when he's got confidence, he's a challenge - but this looks like a horrible stylistic match for him.
I'd be interested in Brandon Davis + Jacob Malkoun, and I'd probably be more worried about Malkoun coming through a very technical challenge against Maximov - but one I think he can win, given Maximov doesn't finish at this level and Malkoun is far too pressure heavy for him from what I've seen.
davis has some wrestling pedigree in his arsenal, watch the giga fightNot sure I agree with this. Davis tends to get hit a lot and Mana has one punch KO power which he carries late into the fight.
davis has some wrestling pedigree in his arsenal, watch the giga fight
pass for both