UFC 227: Dillashaw vs. Garbrandt 2

Alex Murphy3 said:I honestly just feel a bit bummed out that we’re seeing another TJ vs. Cody rematch so soon. It feels like they aren't even considering fighters like Moraes—or maybe Cruz, too, if you ask me—who definitely deserved a crack at a title shot. To me, it looks a lot like that Cain and JDS trilogy. Those guys went at it so frequently in such a short window, and I think it completely derailed their careers. They basically beat the life out of each other; by the end of those fights, neither of them was ever the same fighter again. It was just constant attrition, followed by injuries and performances that just weren't there anymore.

I really wouldn't want to see history repeat itself with TJ and Cody. Both of them deserve a few more years at the top of the food chain. Honestly, it feels like a massive mistake to jump straight into a rematch when there are so many other high-quality fighters on the roster just waiting for their shot.

You're absolutely right, but...

It's tough to pin down the logic here from a purely competitive standpoint, but honestly, the fairest move was giving Cody the rematch. Now, whether that's actually smart for his long-term career or the health of the division is a whole different conversation. But look, he was the champ, he lost a fight where he actually looked like the better man, and there’s just that built-in narrative behind it all.

Honestly, I feel like it would be much fairer if Stipe got his rematch immediately instead of letting Brock or Curtis take a shot first. If I’m being totally honest—and maybe this is a bit of a stretch—I’d even say a third consecutive fight between Whittaker and Romer wouldn't be such a crazy idea either. Same goes for Rosa and Joanna. In all these scenarios, there's just such a massive gap between the number one and number two contenders on those imaginary rankings. It just feels off.

Cejudo was pretty incredible, but was it actually enough to secure the win? Honestly, I’m not even sure, I probably need to go back and rewatch the whole thing. Now Cejudo is already gunning for the belt and jumping straight up to 135... 🤦which is just absolute chaos..

What an absolute rollercoaster of a round between TJ and Cody 🙏

Man, this rivalry is just incredible, isn't it? Their fights always turn into something special, but I have to say, I’m really not a huge fan of these immediate rematches. I honestly feel like this could be a dangerous move for Cody right now; his career might actually start sliding downhill if things don't go his way, and then you're left wondering when he'll ever get another shot at the belt. It probably would have made more sense for him to build up some momentum against someone else before jumping straight back into it with TJ, but hey, here we are. It reminds me of how I felt about that sudden rematch between JJ and Rose—I guess we'll just have to see if JJ ends up in a similar spot.

DJ definitely had a massive opportunity to make some serious money in a potential matchup with TJ, but honestly, it feels like that window has slammed shut now. In my opinion, trying to pair them up again just doesn't make much sense anymore; I think that whole idea is pretty much dead in the water.

Man, what a joke... Mighty Mouse has been acting like such a cheapskate for years now. He’s straight up dodging any real challengers.

Cruz VS is never gonna be healthy again. He's strictly there for the broadcast and those post-fight analyses now.

Dillashaw is insane... absolute insanity!

And just like that... another era comes to an end.

It was almost like DJ wasn't even disappointed by the loss; he looked more relieved to finally let go of that belt.
Maybe he just hit a wall, or perhaps that shoulder surgery robbed him of that extra gear and variety he used to rely on. Who knows...

As for Dillashaw and Cody, I didn't expect it to wrap up quite this fast. Cody rushed in recklessly again, and predictably, he paid the price.

Alex Murphy3 said:Cejudo was great, but was it enough to win?

No.

Alex Murphy3 said:Cejudo was great, but was it enough to actually win?

If this wasn't for a title, maybe—I mean, four rounds is a huge question mark right there—but since it was for the belt, the challenger really has to bring way more to the table than that.

What kind of logic says the challenger needs to do more?

He was just more specific and clearly better.
MMAs on the post-fight interviews didn't even mention the judges' decision.
Most MMA sites gave it to Cejudo.

What kind of logic is that? It’s basically an unwritten rule at this point—they hand out decisions to the champ just because they're wearing the belt. Take Cruz VS TJ, for example.

So is Cruz gunning for the belt now? 😵😵😵

and newwwww

Man, I totally spaced out there. Honestly, I have no idea why I was sitting here thinking that the championship belt belonged to the arena 😵

But, alright, I know what I meant. People have been talking about this unwritten rule a million times already, and I was just sitting here saying how it makes zero sense 😬

In my view, Cejudo earned that win, and I say that even as someone who roots for DJ.
Right in the first round, once Cejudo settled into that wide karate stance—especially after seeing a few of DJ's strikes and kicks land nothing but air—it was obvious this fight wasn't going according to plan for him.
A lot of guys in the UFC lean into that side-on stance, and it’s proven to be a massive headache for opponents. It feels like the evolution of the UFC is moving toward matches that resemble old-school full-contact karate tournaments, the kind where legends like Chuck Norris and Joe Lewis used to compete.

boldfox26 said:Man, it's just awful... Mighty Mouse has been acting like such a stingy gatekeeper for a few years now, basically dodging anyone actually worth fighting.

I mean, the truly awful part to me is that he hasn't even secured a belt in his current division yet, but he's already out there calling out champions in a higher weight class. 🤦I really don't care for that move, and honestly, he isn't the only one doing it—it seems like this has just become standard practice lately. Every fighter should defend their own belt in their own division. I can totally get why DC or Miočić would make moves like that in divisions where there's a glaring lack of decent contenders, but in bantamweight? There are plenty of people ready to step up. So why is Cejudo trying to squeeze himself in there and snatch someone else's spot? Logically, TJ vs. Moraes makes way more sense right now. And given their reputations and how that first fight went, you could easily throw Cruz into the mix with TJ too, since enough time has passed since that bout which, if I'm being honest, probably could have gone either way.

As for MM, I could never bring myself to say anything that nasty about him; the guy is incredibly close to GOAT status, and if some people can't see that or just choose not to, well, that's their problem. Especially when you look back at that finish against Borg, it was nothing short of miraculous. 🙏

Susan Sullivan6 said:But, hey, I know what you mean. That unwritten rule has been brought up a million times, and I've always felt the same way—that it just doesn't make logical sense.😬

Of course that unwritten rule exists; it’s always been that way. 👍It's actually pretty wild that Cejudo managed to snag that belt via a split decision; I think that might be the only other time we've seen Lawler pull something like that against Hendricks in their second fight.

Nicholas Nguyen said:It almost looked like DJ wasn't even disappointed by the loss, like he actually felt a sense of relief once the belt was off his waist.
Maybe he just hit a wall, or maybe that shoulder surgery took away a bit of his versatility and power, who knows...

That's a great point, I was thinking the exact same thing. 🙏Plus, with his third kid arriving, maybe he really did just reach a point of total burnout. It can't be easy to stay motivated and go through that level of preparation over and over again after defending a title so many times.

Alex Murphy3 said:I honestly think that was pretty much the only thing that actually worked for Lawler during his second outing against Hendricks.

And don't even get me started on that Cruz vs. TJ fight. 😬

Cody has once again demonstrated his lack of intellect. He acts like a common bully despite having such mediocre technique; it’s a shame. Hats off to TJ—the undisputed bantamweight GOAT.

The next matchup will likely be Cruz VS TJ 2 if DJ recovers quickly. Dana will push for that rematch immediately, regardless of this nonsense or any rumors about him not liking DJ. However, if DJ actually faces serious issues with his knee or foot that linger, we might see TJ vs Cejudo at bantamweight instead.

Kudos to Holland. Thiago really should have dismantled him, but it wasn't quite that simple, especially on just two weeks' notice. Even Dana gave him some props afterward. The kid was on Contender Series and got brushed off before because he couldn't keep his mouth shut during fights.

Women's fighting is an absolute disaster right now; they've completely embarrassed themselves. And Vian? Lord help us, her striking is a total catastrophe.

And #feedRenato

He absolutely ate Cuba. Honestly, Renato reminds me a bit of RDA.

The fights were solid, and if you ask me, Cejudo took a clear win there. DJ didn't really do much—honestly, he barely even participated in the fight. He showed flashes of his usual class, sure, but for most of the bout, he just wasn't on his level.
That loss might actually be a good thing for him, if I can say that; maybe now he can find some fresh motivation to hunt down a rematch. I have a feeling this run of title defenses just put him into a bit of a lull.

I really thought Cody would play it a bit smarter, but he ended up taking unnecessary risks again and paid the price. TJ was top-tier, obviously; the way he handles those exchanges makes him incredibly dangerous.

Moicano was what I expected, though I still thought the fight might stretch out for a few more rounds.

Tiago had a much harder time than I anticipated, and I have to say, Holland is proving to be a pretty interesting fighter to watch.

Demetrious was clearly hampered toward the end of the fight because he was dealing with a busted foot and an ACL injury in his knee as well.

Honestly, I didn't even catch that. What was going on with Cejudo's foot at the start of the fight when he kept stepping wrong a few times? The commentators hinted it might be something with his knee, but they didn't really give us any specifics.

He mentioned "nerves" during the press conference later, if I recall correctly, claiming it wasn't anything serious.
That's what Joe Rogan pointed out, since Henry was immediately applying ice to his knee from behind after the first round, though DC suggested he might have just "tripped" on the cage floor because it’s rough and slightly uneven.

No one really realized it was an issue for DJ; I was the only one who noted it at the press conference when he walked up limping.