WWK/WWL - UGP #9
- Toussaint Harper
- Mar 30, 2019
- 6 min read
WWK/WWL...tired of writing it out. You guys already know. It went down and it was big here's what I gathered from the legendary night in Vegas. Lets see how the fans picks went against mine as well as a look at the rankings as of now. Few comments. Not much. ;)
“START THE NIGHT RIGHT”
My pick result: 1-0 is a good start. Get used to this part going up if you didn't see my picks and hits.
WHAT WE KNOW
- Fan poll voted 75% for Clem to win. Good start guys 1-0.
- Ford returns to the weight class after murder by Takeuchi
- Clem running the win streak looking to make it continue.
WHAT WE LEARNED
- Clem is a legit middleweight contender.
- Ford looked way better here to me. Should stay at middle.
- Well fought battle on the feet and ground showing the well balanced skill of both fighters.
“MOB TIES. MOB MIND”
My pick result: My powers back at work again. I don't pick Donnie, he wins. A 1-1 I'm more than willing to take.
WHAT WE KNOW
- Fan poll voted 70% for Calabrese to win. You guys beating me 2-0, for now.
- Calabrese looking to make a statement that gets him back into climbing back for contention.
- Pacitti looking for the win that would definitely leap him into title talks.
- Pacitti has that way about him to make the heavyweight fights run long.
WHAT WE LEARNED
- Calabrese is a big man and I'm not meaning that in size I mean heart. It's hard not to root for the man.
- Calabrese worked that ground game to battle with Pacitti who is one of the most efficient in the division. Must give credit to him and his camp for the showing.
- Cardio was an issue but not enough to take Calabrese away from a win.
“RIP”
My pick result: 2-1. I'll say it again. Get used to this.
WHAT WE KNOW
- Fan poll voted 52% for DeMeans to win. 3-0. Nice looking fan numbers so far.
- Moore is coming off a great win over Jojo Holder.
- Misty DeMeans comes in undefeated.
WHAT WE LEARNED
- Misty can be hit but still not stopped.
- Moore has improved in a lot of ways just ran into the buzzsaw that is DeMeans.
- The deepest division in Union GP gets even deeper. Contenders everywhere.
MIDDLEWEIGHT BOUT Byron McCall (0-0) VS #7 Adegoke Muller (0-3)
“CALL ON MCCALL”
My pick result: 3-1. It continues.
WHAT WE KNOW
- Fan poll voted 94% for McCall to win. I don’t give you guys credit for this one it was too easy. 4-0.
- Adegoke Muller = winless.
- Byron McCall. Former Champ. First Champ. Accolades abundant.
WHAT WE LEARNED
- Adegoke Muller = winless.
- Muller might want to head back to the smaller circuits just to get his feet back under him and return. The potential has not panned out as such.
- Byron McCall has still got it for those with any questions.
“DOUBLE D...DOUBLE DOWN.”
My pick result: 4-1. Hard to question Harpy.
WHAT WE KNOW
- Fan poll voted 65% for Parker-Kane to win. Sorry guys, Harpy knows better. Now the decline begins. 4-1.
- Delaney Donovan comes into this fight undefeated.
- Former Lightweight Champion JPK comes in looking to regain what he lost.
WHAT WE LEARNED
- Delaney Donovan is next up. My honest opinion. He’s shown too much in all facets not for it to be on Dante’s mind.
- JPK is still a game opponent with a great skillset, he’ll be back. Although the fight to fight contract makes me wonder the level of dedication to do so.
- It’s a deal unless I’m wrong (rarely ever) beating the former champion is something to note.
“WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE”
My pick result: 5-1. Keep it going Harp.
WHAT WE KNOW
- Fan poll voted 58% for Reed to win. Bonanno obviously didn't care. 4-2 for fans.
- Aries Reed comes in with an undefeated streak of dominance.
- Bonanno looks to return to the title he lost against Robert Guilliman.
WHAT WE LEARNED
- Bonanno is out for blood.
- Reed will definitely learn from this he's too skilled a fighter not to. He does have a strikers mode but he will want to work on the well rounded aspect beyond the G&P.
- Bonanno is not going anywhere.
“NO RELOAD”
My pick result: 6-1. You guys been missing, what's wrong?
WHAT WE KNOW
- Fan poll voted 59% for Fisk to win. Yep, about that. 4-3.
- They've met before with Fisk getting a KO win.
- The winner challenges Champion Roscoe Robinson.
WHAT WE LEARNED
- Nathan Lucas takes previous losses to heart and comes back like a hurricane.
- Both fighters have the technical background to grind it out. Lucas obviously moreso than Fisk.
- Lucas has the chance at redeeming another loss with Roscoe in his sights.
HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP © Derrick La'Bell (5-1) VS #1 Brock Quarry (3-1) “HE DID IT FOR THE ROCK”
My pick result: 7-1. #Hard2QuestionHarpy
WHAT WE KNOW
- Fan poll voted 54% for La'Bell to win. I know you guys tickets probably went straight to hell with the Co-Mains and Main Event bets. Ha. 4-4 for fans.
- La'Bell longest reigning UGP champion.
- Quarry has been on the up with a 3 fight win streak.
WHAT WE LEARNED
- The Rock takes punishment with a smile and comes back for more.
- This Heavyweight division is now shifted on its axis. New champions always brings new opportunities
- La'Bell was a champion of respect. Can't discount what he's done for the division.
FINAL RESULT ---
My picks: 7-1 (I’ll say it again, #Hard2QuestionHarpy)
Public: 4-4 (Yikes.)
YEAR TOTAL (since Boss Fight 7) ---
My picks: 12-4
Public: 9-7
You guys are still batting over .500. Pat yourselves on the back but you aren’t Harpy. *snicker*
Also to add the official nights awards were given out and Harpy has his thoughts.
FIGHT OF THE NIGHT
Cristian Bonanno vs Aries Reed
- Of course I was right here. A good old fashioned fight with a powerful ending. Glad to see the higher ups felt the same.
PERFORMANCE OF THE NIGHT
Misty DeMeans, Brock Quarry
- Although I do agree with the picks but at the same time I think the performances of the night stands upon a dominant performance. The most dominant performance of the night to me was from McCall. Stating that with note he was the only first round finish. Of course that is the Harper opinion.
RANKINGS
Now lets talk about the rankings. I’ll keep it short and sweet. My thoughts are endorsed by being the best analyst in MMA period. Thank you, thank you. Lets start from the behemoths and work the way down. These rankings are as of March 15, 2019.
HEAVYWEIGHTS
I look at this and I can’t say I have any complaints. I think Amani Crawford has a claim off of history with the champ but it’s still up to him to prove it that it has foundation behind it. Bobbi London is a wonderful story if she can play it right she’s not too far away from it. The former Champion Derrick La’Bell isn’t dropped from it all with one big win he can get right back in the mix. As always I’m rooting for the man Donnie. Glad to see numbers gaining within the division. Waiting to hear news from Shotgun Koa.
CRUISERWEIGHTS
The champion Roscoe Robinson standing tall with Nathan Lucas at the ready. Drop Daniel Fisk to like the very bottom to be honest. Wasting heavy company money with that contract. Anyway, #3-9 I don’t really have any complaints. What the greatest hell is KVD at #10? It is a valid question here guys. Feel free to at me. Volkov is a free agent, I’m definitely waiting for news on that endeavor.
MIDDLEWEIGHTS
Robbie G at the top can he do what was considered the impossible one more time? Bonanno and him have a date set and ready. Rest of the field makes overall proper sense to me I would love to see Aries Reed and Talon Clem battle. There’s a lot of new blood currently not ranked that will definitely give the Middleweight division more flavor. In time this division will be just as muddy as the rest I can assure you that just from how things look. Too many numbers not to see change.
LIGHTWEIGHTS
This is a ridiculous amount of fighters in one division but I'm loving it at the same time. Are the rumors about an expansion true or just whispers? I'm not for sure. I’m a reporter who states facts. If it isn’t facts I’m not reporting it. Anyway, Takeshi Kato is the king. Blockbuster on the horizon with his first defense against Hanako Takeuchi. JPK is a little high for my taste. No dismissal to his skill it’s just like I always said when you drop you should drop. Delaney Donovan will be waiting in the wings for whoever is comes out of the battle of Kato vs Takeuchi. People might be paying attention but Zari Aliyah vs Saffron Harris will be a deciding factor in the next up beyond the obvious #1-5. What people don’t tend to understand is anyone at the top can have the up next it doesn’t primarily have to be the person standing at #1. Just depends on what happens inside that cage. That’s the fight game. The new blood will definitely look to shake things up. It will be interesting to see how all the divisions come to play.
Complaints, compliments, etc...you know where to find me. Next article coming up -- Picks and Hits for Boss Fight VIII. @HarperTUGP
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