UFC 228: Woodley vs. Till

Yair has messed things up with Zabit again; at this point, nobody knows if we'll see a replacement or if Zabit is even going to fight.

I honestly can't tell what's going on with Yair lately. Is he actually dialed in, or is he just hitting a wall? Honestly, Zabit’s style might actually be a perfect matchup for him if they ever lined up. ☕

I'm really hoping Till manages to knock out Woodley, though I've gotta admit, I'm not the biggest fan of Till's fighting style.

It’s such a bummer for Yair, honestly, because I was actually looking forward to that fight quite a bit. 😢 Plus, the whole situation with him is just bizarre; first, there’s this rumor he got let go because he wouldn't take the fight, and now suddenly he’s "injured"... hmm... and who on earth is going to step up against Zabit by next weekend if everyone is apparently dodging him?

Woodley vs. Till, huh. I have to say, I’m pretty disappointed that Colby isn't the one stepping up, because he’d know right away if this was going to be an absolute war. This matchup might work, but it could easily turn into a total snooze fest. I guess maybe I’d rather see Woodley pull off the win just so we can catch him fighting Colby down the road.

Anyway, Kamaru Usman is training like everything is totally fine and he's definitely slated for this fight—I suppose the UFC told him he’s good to go, and apparently, he’ll even be doing the official weigh-in. It’s all a bit risky, though, especially if Till misses weight again or if Woodley ends up pulling out due to some injury.

Lineker offered himself up to Zabit, but the UFC turned him down.🙏

Alex Murphy3 said:It’s a shame about Yair; I was actually looking forward to that fight. 😢 His situation is suspicious—first there were rumors he was let go for refusing a match, and now suddenly he’s "injured." It makes you wonder who they'll even find to face Zabit by next weekend if everyone is supposedly avoiding him.

Woodley vs. Till, huh. To be honest, I'm disappointed Colby isn't stepping up; he would have known immediately if this was going to be a classic. This matchup could go either way, or just end up being a total bore. Personally, I might prefer seeing Woodley take the win so we can set up a clash with Colby down the road.

Meanwhile, Kamaru Usman is training like everything is business as usual, presumably because the UFC told him to prepare as if he's fighting. They likely want him ready for official weigh-ins. It's a risky setup, though, especially if Till misses weight again or Woodley pulls out due to injury.

I agree; it feels like Yair is playing games to get back at the UFC after they dropped him for turning down this bout. 😁

I hope this turns out to be Till's last Welter division fight if he doesn't pull off the win. He once mentioned his biggest struggle isn't Woodley, but rather the weight cut. Given his history with making weight, they should probably ban him from the Welter division entirely.

Moving Usman in is a smart move. I hope the odds stay better than 30% if he ends up stepping in. 😁

Woodley went on record saying he’s down to face Till regardless of any weight issues, making it clear that Usman isn't even on his radar.

Nicholas Nguyen said:Meanwhile, Woodley mentioned he’d take on Till even if he misses weight, making it clear Usman isn't an option.

Right, I forgot about that. 🙏 He likely won't even claim that 25% penalty usually handed to an opponent when someone misses weight.

I recall when Woodley declined the 25% from Kevin Gastelum after Kevin missed weight; it was a class act. Woodley is a man of character, 🙏 even if some find him irritating.

We have a change in the lineup; apparently, Brandon Davis is stepping in against Zabit.

https://twitter.com/mma_kings/status...71294438764545

It’s a bummer, but maybe this guy will pull an upset. Personally, Zabit just didn't click for me—I'm not really a fan of those flashy fighters who get hyped up to the moon. I'd much rather see someone with a rock-solid foundation and elite fundamental skills (think DC, Conor, GSP, Romero...) instead of being what they call a "Jack of all trades, master of none." Felt the same way about Pettison, Vannat, and Diakiese. To me, that legendary leg trip SteroidJones pulled after hitting DC with a high kick was pure genius—way better than some flashy spinning wheel kick.

It’s a bummer, but maybe this guy will surprise me—honestly, Zabit just hasn't clicked for me. I'm not really into those flashy fighters who get hyped up to the moon; I'd much rather see a rock-solid base and top-tier fundamental skills—think guys like DC, Conor, GSP, or Romero. I can't stand the whole "Jack of all trades, master of none" vibe. It was the same story with Pettison, Vannat, and Diakiese. For me, that legendary leg trip SteroidJones pulled after that high kick on DC was pure genius—way better than some flashy spinning wheel kick.

Hmm... Zabit strikes me as the real deal, though we won't know for sure until he actually faces elite competition.

Out of everyone you mentioned—including the recent hype surrounding O'Malley and Adesanya—Zabit seems like the most legitimate contender for greatness.

Zabit is seriously leveling up with every fight he puts on. Honestly, he used to be way too flashy—all those wild moves without enough actual damage behind them—and that kind of thing could have really cost him against the elite guys. But lately, he’s cutting back on the unnecessary acrobatics, and I genuinely think he could go all the way if he keeps this up. 🎉

It’s honestly great they managed to find a replacement for Zabit 👍 though, if I'm being totally honest, I think he's a legitimate prospect. He feels like one of those serious contenders who could actually threaten the top 10, so we'll just have to wait and see. I don't think he's one of those guys where you get hyped up and then end up disappointed, like I did with Fili, for instance. Actually, the one who really let me down was Erik Silva; I thought he had so much potential, but hey, life happens...

Yeah, yeah, I definitely remember that story about Woodley when he told Gastelum he didn't want to take his money since he hadn't even dropped the weight yet—it was a pretty class move, I guess 🙂 though, I can't say I'm exactly a huge fan of Woodley, especially considering how passive and frankly boring those title defenses were. Still, I kind of want to see him pull off a win here 🤔 maybe after this fight with Till, he should move up to middleweight, and then maybe we can finally get Colby set up to face Woodley 🙏

Woodley looks like he's actually in shape—fingers crossed he brings that energy so he can hit Colby like he's calling out Tillsbury Doughboy in the middle of a fight. 😁

I haven't actually managed to sit down and watch any of that yet, though I'll probably get around to it eventually 👍

Here is that other countdown timer as well:

Hardyev's breakdown of the main event:

And just a few minutes ago, the first episode of the series dropped, so we can see what the fighters have been up to lately and kind of get a feel for how they're "breathing" heading into the fight:

Darren Till Nicco Montaño 169: 😁

Looks like Montaño vs Valentina Shevchenko is officially off the schedule.

Anyone got the weather forecast for UFC 228? 🤔

Yeah, looks like we all drifted off for a bit. 😁

Man, this little bulldog is just tearing through everyone in his path—Rose doesn't stand a chance here...