If Rockhold can´t take Whittaker to the ground, is he gonna lose? Or can he beat him on the feet?

[Kung Fu bb]

definitely. Rockhold has been a top MW for much of the last decade. he's good at most everything.

but his bread and butter is to eventually get the fight to the ground. because he's just so utterly fucking dominant there. the way he handled Weidman was like me doing the typewriter while in full mount to my redheaded stepbrother. and Weidman was supposed to be a grappler extraordinaire....

Rockhold beat Jacare standing, half a lifetime ago. with kicks. for obvious reasons he didn't try to take that to the ground.

but i think Whittaker has more options, standing. except for kicks from distance, he has more power, control, and quickness. i also think he has better footwork, slips better, has better timing, and counters better. and so far - i could be wrong, but - i don't think he's really gotten hurt at 185 yet.

it's a fucking hell of a fight. and we deserve a hell of a fight after the last two years of horseshit, so i'm glad we're finally getting one.

Hall was able to hurt him, but Whittaker weathered the storm and got the UD.

 

[TriangleMonkey]

Lukes flaw is that he fights with his hands down a lot, he likes to use his height/reach to just “fade” back and move his head back instead of both hands up tight

Bobby will touch Lukes face, Bobby has a crispy counter left hook

 

[SeattleFightFan]

Hall was able to hurt him, but Whittaker weathered the storm and got the UD.

oh shit that's right. thank you. gotta go watch that now

EDIT: ya, don't think i saw that fight. Whittaker was up 20-18, Hall poured it on in the 3rd and landed some fucking killer power punches, kicks and knees. Whittaker was dazed but stayed calm, and even gave some back toward the end of the round.

what really surprised me was how much more patient Whittaker was against Romero compared to Hall. obviously some of this is to avoid Romero's one shot KO power, but i think it also shows that his overall game has grown a lot in 3 years.

 

[bootsy]

I’m thinking Rockhold takes it either way.

 

[Kung Fu bb]

oh shit that's right. thank you. gotta go watch that now

Sure, m8. After you watch, please tell me what were your thoughts on the fight, ok?

 

[Towerworld]

Why don't know why people are counting Rockhold out of a stand up fight.

Like he's so bad, or Robert is some boxing legend.

Compared to luke he is a boxing legend.

Saltberg has the best kicks in the UFC but he's a cocky asshole with no strike defense whatsoever.

 

[Relentless chase]

Rockhold has a huge advantage on the ground. The problem is that Whittaker is very hard to be taken down.
Does anybody think Rockhold can beat Whittaker only on the feet, if the fight doesn´t go to the ground?

If he keeps that chin tucked in, he should be good. I've noticed, Rockhold keeps his chin up a lil too much when exchanging. he tries to mimick Anderson Silva too with all that hands down and trying to slip 'n bob and weave. If Branch would've had heavy hands, he would've easily KO'd Rockhold. I've often said though, skill wise, I think he's the best in the middleweight division. can Whittaker knock him out? yes he very well can, but if Rockhold goes out and fights instead of going out to showboat, he can win.

 

[tm8747a]

Why don't know why people are counting Rockhold out of a stand up fight.

Like he's so bad, or Robert is some boxing legend.

I think lately Rockhold's standup defense has been pretty atrocious. So it's not so much that his standup is shit or anything, it's more that he's fighting a guy who was able to TKO Jacaré and Brunson (among others) while he got TKO'd by Bisping and was in a bit of trouble against Branch for a while. He just tends to get tagged easily. Machida was able to hit him until it went to the ground. So Rockhold relies on being able to eventually get guys to the ground, where he demolishes them. But Whitaker has been tough to take down even for a guy like Romero, so Rockhold, who doesn't really have explosive takedowns, may struggle to do it.

 

[SeattleFightFan]

Sure, m8. After you watch, please tell me what were your thoughts on the fight, ok?

yep, just did by editing my last post. cheers.

 

[VitorBelfoTRT]

Luke better pick him apart from the inside and not let him close the distance. Better kick that liver too.

 

[sprucelees]

he may need to try and keep the distance

 

[JohnMandick]

I don't dislike Rockhold.

But him losing and turning into RockSalt is hilarious.

And Whitaker is one of my favs right now.

So

#WarBobbyKnuckles

It's fun when Rockhold loses.

I get dehydrated just looking at it.

 

[rurouni]

rockhold would lose in devastating fashion in that case

 

[mmacasualviewer]

Whitaker hasn't fought a top-5-of-the-decade-MW.

 

[Cold Front]

Rockhold's striking defense in his last two fights has been pathetic. If he continues to keep his hands down and lead with his chin, it will be a short night's work for Whittaker.

 

[andrikkis7]

My grandmother probably has better boxing than Rockhold. Bobby's chin is also pretty solid so the only way I see Rockhold winning is by taking him and keeping him down. Romero wasn't able to do it however and Bobby was on one knee during most of that fight.

It will be a great fight but I'm gonna have to go with Whittaker. Rockhold's chin is weak and Bobby's hands will prove too much for him.

 

[NotoriousMillions]

Rockhold has a huge advantage on the ground. The problem is that Whittaker is very hard to be taken down.
Does anybody think Rockhold can beat Whittaker only on the feet, if the fight doesn´t go to the ground?

I doubt it, unless he gets an early knockout with one of his kicks. They are great, buts it's all he really has. I expect Whittaker to slice through that range rahter easily and bulldoze that man unless he can get it to the ground.

 

[IsNormal]

Luke would win if he gets to fight his fight - meaning he gets to push forward and decide the distance.

But I think Whittaker could put the puressure on, and throw Luke off.
He's faster than Luke and quite good at distance management.

 

[LittleSmokey]

Rockhold's offense isn't questionable. His defense is straight shit. He gets tagged in every fight. Bisping KO'd him. He has a solid chin but uses his body to bully himself into an strong offensive position.

 

[SeattleFightFan]

Luke would win if he gets to fight his fight - meaning he gets to push forward and decide the distance.

But I think Whittaker could put the puressure on, and throw Luke off.
He's faster than Luke and quite good at distance management.

to elaborate on this thought...

both fighters are better when moving forward. but i'm with you - Whittaker is better at dictating distance. he moves forward patiently and consistently, whereas Luke's forward motion is from setting up and then kicking. Whittaker also cuts off the octagon as good as anyone.

if Whittaker can keep Luke on his heels instead of setting up, he takes away Luke's biggest strength.

OTOH, Whittaker doesn't *close* distance in the same way Branch did. Branch ran in there to close distance; Whittaker does so using slight but constant forward pressure.

Luke may need to use a front kick more than ever before, instead of rely on his roundhouse.