Board Thread:Questions and Answers/@comment-31529160-20171103170512/@comment-32811455-20171110011820

@Nyanimations

Wow, great video link man, that is fascinating stuff. Watched it, then watched again and paused to read stuff cause I am not a fighter myself and don't know the shorthand. Most prescient part of that video was the end "Cody abandoned his guard a lot to trade with Cruz... this seems a lot riskier with TJ." Sure does! I slow-mo'ed the finish of TJ vs Cody when Cody got caught trading with him: Despite, IMHO, Cody's unmatched speed & power at 135, once he is trading it's all hooks and shovel punches which, while devastating when they land clean, take longer to get there than TJ's more efficient straighter punches. The right that TJ cracked Cody with was something of a "straight hook" if that makes sense. It's a power shot he turns with a bit, but it's very direct in how quickly it gets to Cody's face.

Not only that. But I think (perhaps in part because it gets there faster) TJ is more accurate with his strikes than Cody is. And if Conor's 13 seconds with Aldo taught us nothing else, it's that precision beats speed/power. Come to think of it, that is a similarity with Conor and TJ in their hands. Precise, but with enough power added to that precision to make a deadly combination.

All this really makes me want to see TJ vs Cruz 2. I mean, if TJ is going to say he didn't really lose that fight, and also that he only lost because he fought emotionally, he should really want to prove that, no? Money fight with Mighty Mouse first? Fine, if you really think that proves something (other than you just lost to the world's tiniest fighter if you lose), but then go show us how Cruz has no chance this time. I was pulling hard for TJ to beat Cruz, but when the judges were tallying their score sheets, something in my gut said "damn, those replay highlights sure look like Cruz edged him."