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I& #39;ve rewatched now after the ACA stream went down hill for me WB/Pettis and WB/Luque.
He did pretty much what he always does against Pettis fighting long and with the wide stance.
He hit him with some petty patty outside leg kicks to gauge the distance.
He did pretty much what he always does against Pettis fighting long and with the wide stance.
He hit him with some petty patty outside leg kicks to gauge the distance.
Pettis began to work his body with some hard round house kicks and started to set up his leg kicks, mostly after when WB kicked. He hit Pettis also with some nice bodykicks because Pettis was mainly focused to defend his upper body with his guard high up. What left his body open
WB had also success with his blitzes and started to bust up Pettis.
It was Pettis who continously chopped his legs while WB throw occasionally a high kick or spinning sidekick when Pettis was too committed working his leg.
That continued for the rest of the round.
It was Pettis who continously chopped his legs while WB throw occasionally a high kick or spinning sidekick when Pettis was too committed working his leg.
That continued for the rest of the round.
Pettis started to gauge the distance also with some crosses and hit him later on multiple times in the chest. After 2 minutes in the 2nd round WB started to visibly slow down, the leg kicks showed its effect and Pettis was a bit more willing to go into boxing exchanges with him.
What is interesting is that the end sequence was basically what happened in the first round when Pettis occasionally exploded and tried to cover this way the distance between him and WB. WB throw a sidekick, Pettis was pushed back against the fence and used this opportunity
To set up a superman punch from the fence what caught WB off balance.
So it was definitely no fluke landing this exact shot. Pettis was looking for it the whole time and the initial plan to compromise WB& #39;s movement via leg kicks was a success.
So it was definitely no fluke landing this exact shot. Pettis was looking for it the whole time and the initial plan to compromise WB& #39;s movement via leg kicks was a success.
Luque opened up immediately with leg kicks and they exchanged some but Luque hit him harder and cleaner, he also feinted to set up his entries and caught him with a good head to body combinations against the fence. WB showed more initiative after that open with a fake td.
To set up a left hand over the shoulder. Luque doesn& #39;t stop chopping his leg and has good success with it.
Luque gets more aggressive and pressures WB against the cage and some wild pocket exchanges begin where WB holds more than good his own ground.
Luque gets more aggressive and pressures WB against the cage and some wild pocket exchanges begin where WB holds more than good his own ground.
He basically takes one to give two. He times him also better when Luque just explodes towards him, he doesn& #39;t stay to long in the pocket and circles immediately on the right side out away from Luque& #39;s power hand.
Luque was willing to take some hard shots to land some on his own.
Luque was willing to take some hard shots to land some on his own.
WB had his range figured out and landed some good 1-2 right at the beginning. The second round is basically WBs round with some highlights for Luque when he countered WB who got a little bit too predictable in his entries. The pocket exchanges proves more what I always thought.
If WB can hit you, you can hit him also effortlessly at times. He doesn& #39;t block or parry and relies on his speed and headmovement but his hands are so fast. He can be a dawg in those fights and proved that against Luque here when they cracked each other with some good shots.
Luque basically just started to stop leg kicking and was too reactive this round, trying to counter WB and eat some kicks because of it. His chin is pretty crazy there was one head body combination where Stephen ended the exchange with a headkick which almost landed flush.
The 3rd round was a wash up where WB put a beating on Luque and cracked him multiple times with some moments here and there but the corner of Luque should& #39;ve thrown in the towel.
Pettis had the right answer in constantly attacking the legs and slowing him down.
Pettis had the right answer in constantly attacking the legs and slowing him down.
Luque had also success but just disabonended that after trying to counter Thompson more what wasn& #39;t the best idea.
WB can be a dawg in those fights and I agree with @CodexMma that he would& #39;ve had more success in being able to lead but I doubt he can do that with his current style
WB can be a dawg in those fights and I agree with @CodexMma that he would& #39;ve had more success in being able to lead but I doubt he can do that with his current style
Without making drastic changes what could be a bad idea in general for him. His defense isn& #39;t really layered, he shows some good reactive headmovement here and there but keeps his hands to low to stay in the pocket too long. He& #39;s a very good fighter but his weaknesses are obvious
-Kick his legs and limit his movements
-Be aggressive and enforce a pace would be another way to go it
-Or make him to lead the dance and counter him on the entries while slowing him down with leg kicks
That& #39;s not easy to do but someone like Leon should be able to do that
-Be aggressive and enforce a pace would be another way to go it
-Or make him to lead the dance and counter him on the entries while slowing him down with leg kicks
That& #39;s not easy to do but someone like Leon should be able to do that
