Volume VI: Tank Keeps Rolling
Davis defeats late replacement Isaac Cruz and Jose Aldo's still elite.
The combat sports landscape this weekend showcased fighters on opposite ends of their career. In MMA Jose Aldo added another name to his resume, improving his case as one of the greatest UFC fighters of all time. On the boxing side of things two young lightweights, Gervonta “Tank” Davis and Devin Haney, each recorded wins that bolstered their cases as one of the most promising young stars in the sport.
I plan to do a film breakdown of Oliveira vs. Chandler and Poirier vs. Holloway ahead of UFC 269, so keep an eye on your inboxes on Friday!
Gervonta Davis (26-0, 24 KOs) defeated Isaac Cruz (22-2-1) in what was only his second professional fight to go to decision. Cruz stepped in on late notice after Davis’ original opponent was removed from the PPV amidst multiple accusations of sexual assault. Despite coming in late, Cruz had been in camp for another fight on the card and was in great shape. He was a very live dog, but in the end came short.
Cruz put the pressure on Davis early; Davis is a relatively slow starter; he’s the type announcers love to say “takes it slow and downloads the data” on his opponent. In this fight, however, he didn’t have time as “Pitbull” brought out the dog in Tank early. With his come-forward style and high output, Cruz looked great in the opening round. Davis quickly adjusted and was able to win a back-and-forth contest.
In the 11th round Davis seemed to badly injure his rear left hand. In the final round he didn’t throw it a single time. After the fight Davis was questioned about it and mentioned hurting it in the 5th or 6th round, but later clarified that they’d been fighting off a hand injury during the entire training camp.
In the end the number of punches landed by each fighter were pretty similar, which highlights how effective Tank’s head movement and defense were; Cruz had to throw nearly twice as many punches to get comparable raw numbers. Cruz’s defense was strong in its own right, though. Davis typically connects on closer to 45-50% of power punches, while Cruz held him to 39.6%.
One thing worth noting is the dirty fighting that occurred in the clinch. Both fighters partook, but Davis in particular had more than his fair share of extracurriculars. During at least two separate exchanges Davis threw a shoulder to Cruz’s face. Neither looked accidental. It wasn’t as if he was trying to shake his arm loose. Both were obvious and occurred right in front of the referee, but there wasn’t so much as a warning given.
What’s next for each fighter?
Isaac Cruz proved he’s one of the best fighters in the division. He’s tough, has good output, and many viewers had him winning the fight. He’ll be a player in the division moving forward, especially at only 23 years old.
Gervonta Davis overcame strong opposition to cement himself as one of the brightest young stars in the sport. Unfortunately for Davis, he’s facing multiple criminal charges stemming from a hit-and-run that left multiple people injured. If convicted, he could be sentenced to multiple years in prison. The trial was recently pushed to March 2022.
If he does not spend time in prison, Tank’s future is bright. Even if he isn’t the best fighter in the 130-140 range, which is possible, he’s the biggest draw and is a burgeoning PPV star. He’ll be a cash cow for the foreseeable future and will be able to pick and choose opponents as a result. Newly minted unified 135 lb. champion George Kambosos is the best combination of risk and reward, in my opinion, and where Tank should focus.
Other thoughts:
My hot take of the weekend is that from what I saw out of each fighter (and have seen in their recent fights) Isaac Cruz would defeat Devin Haney. Haney’s size would cause some trouble for Cruz, but I’ve seen more reason for concern out of Haney than I have out of Cruz in their more recent fights.
Another takeaway I had from the Davis vs. Cruz matchup is that Tank needs to be careful with his leaping lead hook. It was a spot of vulnerability in his last fight against Mario Barrios and was an opening here as well. As he jumps forward with the hook he’s a perfect target for a counter lead uppercut. Shawn Porter was doing the same thing against Crawford and paid the price when Crawford dropped him with the uppercut. Davis is leaving himself open to the same shot, and a larger fighter might punish him for that mistake.
Other Notable Results
Sebastian Fondura defeats Sergio Garcia (UD)
Sergiy Derevyanchenko upset by Carlos Adames (MD)
Devin Haney defeats Joseph (Jojo) Diaz (UD)
Jose Aldo defeats Rob Font (UD)
Rafael Fiziev defeats Brad Riddell (TKO 3)
Jamahal Hill defeats Jimmy Crute (TKO 1)
Tommy Fury (7-0, 4 KOs) half-brother of heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, withdrew from his December 18 matchup with YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul (4-0, 3 KOs) citing rib injuries and illness. Former UFC champion Tyron Woodley (0-1 as a boxer) has accepted a rematch including a $500k KO clause should he be able to finish Paul.
GGG vs Ryota Murata has been postponed due to the Japanese government’s concerns over the Omicron variant of Covid-19.
Boxing
Vasyl Lomachenko vs. Richard Commey, Saturday 12/11, 8:00PM (EST)
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MMA
UFC 269: Oliveira vs. Poirier, Saturday 12/11, 10:00PM (EST)
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