Three Title Changes In One Night | UFC 217 Retro Review

foreign thank you for real thank you whoever you guys voted for what I think is the best UFC main card of all time maybe the best card ever I mean I'm sure I'll get comments saying what they think is the best and whatnot but this is my pick probably and I so this one is just special so today ladies and gentlemen we are going to be talking about UFC 217 the return of the greatest fighter ever George St-Pierre UFC 217 took place in Madison Square Garden in NYC just about 30 minutes away from The Shaolin lands of Staten Island they pulled a live gate of 6.2 million dollars with an attendance of just over 18 000. they also got a pay-per-view Buy rate of 875 000. fantastic numbers there so some notes for the prelims Ricardo Ramos laid out faraza Hobbies brother with a vicious spinning elbow he threw like one lands whatever and then threw another one like immediately after and got the KO the CM Punk killer himself Mickey Gall suffered his first career loss to Randy Brown OSP got a vicious KO over Corey Anderson and lastly James Vick got his second to last win in his career with a stoppage over Joe Duffy so first up on the main card we got former champion at welterweight Johnny pigrig Hendrix oh sorry big rig he's taking on the then unknown Paulo Costa and um oh okay this fight's kind of a Slaughter so Hendrix has some success with low kicks and some left hands as he's moving forward but this is a Acosta showcase fight big body kicks crash over and over when this body attack is working cost is noticing it and he's going high with a kick or he's stepping in with a power punch any attempts at grappling or clinching just stuffed instantly easy first round for Casa quickly in the second round Costa lands a big right hand timing Hendricks on the step in costs the Swarms and it does take him a while to put Hendrix down but when he does it's over violent beautiful just just how I like my fights so this fight is a it's seven and a half for me you know yeah seven and a half sounds good it's got its good technical moments as Costa has almost this Crow cop like three-pronged attack from the dominant side and it had some awesome moments of the open Guard versus the closed guard I I like I like them being both in the closed guard match up here it was also just violent and fun I liked it didn't love it but I liked it this was hendrix's last fight like I said earlier he was cut from the UFC after going one in five in his last six he went to Bare knuckle after that where he didn't have the most success Hendrix is always going to be that guy that comes up when people talk about a post-dusada drop off there's a tons of speculation there and I want to be the first to say I was a big Johnny Hendricks fan I'm a fellow Oklahoma boy myself you know I mean I gotta represent but that being said you sort of ruined him and I'm down for it I don't want cheaters in my sport that's what it is Big Time welterweight fight up next as Steven Wonderboy Thompson takes on Jorge Mosby doll George Jorge Jorge honestly I say both so heads up I apologize if it gets confusing first round good round from uses his movement this plethora of kicks to maintain range almost like a sniper as he's often described Wonderboy also is just sliding in for a shot and slips out those sniping long kicks out of nowhere at one point mosfet offers a move in for a combination and he's dropped to his butt with a hard sidekick to the body second round some success with a body kick from hospital but the big moments for him were a takedown attempt that he didn't get but he it led to a flurry Against the Cage but that this is just a you know another round snatched up by the karate or Wonder Boy Wonder Boy is making mosfid all move constantly wearing them out testing his gas tank Landing the bigger shots in the round including a beautiful slip to the right into a right straight that drops Mosby to Heart incredible round for Wonderboy third round more of the same but most people is now attacking legs but he's also being aggressive as well and this in turn has Wonder Boy Crank Up the Volume himself both dudes are landing shots showing damage on their face but it's the Wonder Boy show his slips and dips while changing stances to attack from new angles they're just a thing of beauty he gets the unanimous decision victory honestly I remember this being the worst fight on the main card and I was wrong I mean like I mean this could be some bias because I've been just binging like striking footwork lately but this fight got me hyped I loved it actually I really really liked it um I'm gonna go with an 8.5 from my rating it's great now we have the first of three title fights on this card as Joanna yonjetrack defends her strawberry title against Rose NAMI yunus so let's talk about the build for this fight because it makes it something special I think there's a good reasoning to have context before and after a fight I think it helps elevate a fight itself personally so Rose was perceived as having this insane potential but mentally struggled to make that next step to become Champion Joanna on the other hand was known for being so dominant in the best division in women's MMA Joanne was also smart she knew about this mental struggle of rose and she just went at her from the jump trying to intimidate her she was yelling stuff like the boogie woman is coming for you telling fans don't blinker they're gonna miss the whole fight but let's see it let's see the super Prospect versus the Polish striking Queen we fight it fight still has to happen right out the jump Joanna using her length trying to stay on the outside and bait a counter shot Rose is moving well showing a lot of shoulder faints and right now they're working both women are throwing combinations and Rose is doing very well in the Striking some a place where people didn't expect her to have any success in another faint Joanna bites it trying to kick it's a big counter combination that drops her they get back to the feet Joanna is throwing a lot more activity as if she's trying to get herself back into the round another faint to a right straight that leads into a big left hook Rose gets a knock down swarm of punches rain down Joanna turns over and goes to tap but before she does the ref stops it for a TKO finish what an upset 10 out of 10. no question easy the build up the story historical significance and of course the most important part the fight itself all of it are great all of it are fantastic these two would run it back immediately five months later in Brooklyn but you know I gotta be honest I'm sure I'll cover that fight one day so I'll hold off on it Shameless plug but on the main Channel there's a Joanna career retrospective go check it out it's amazing it covers her whole career beautifully now it's time for a coming event of the evening the second of three title fights on this card Cody garbrandt defending his bantamweight title against his Nemesis TJ dillashop so these guys run tough together oh my God they were constantly fighting they're just yapping yapping and then Here Comes Cody swinging a hand it's trash TV at its finest one thing too Cody garbrandt is not a great talker but I love his willingness to talk this the build up for this fight is it's like chef's kiss it's beautiful in the first round TJ is active throwing a ton of shots moving very well honestly like gorgeous footwork Cody's staying calm something that seems outlandish nowadays Cody then Goes Forth with a big flurry gets a quick Knock Down For the Rest of round he just outstrikes TJ at the very end of the round though he lands this vicious right hand clean on the chin and he looks like he's gonna get the finish right before the bell sounds second round DJ's out there little flat footing he's loaded up on these kicks but he starts getting his feet back under him and after withstanding some taunting from Cody garbrand he's putting this pace forward kind of pushing forward still not having his range but it's very similar to round one he's definitely recovered then bang out of nowhere lead leg high kick drops Cody hard Cody survives but the momentum is quickly just shifted the other way and he manages to sneak in a big combination as Cody's flat-footed and boom Another knock down TJ swarms for the Finish we have a new champion in the best division on the planet hmm 10 out of 10. two times in a row that that's insane to me but it's happening another one once again the story is incredible the moment watching this live is incredible and the fight itself is great it's almost like like it told a story in the fight itself you don't really see that too often it's a great fight fun fact though just a fun fact here it's theorized that TJ Dillashaw was on enough EPO that he could fist fight an elephant it's time for the big one guys George St-Pierre is making his return to fighting after it just uh just under a four-year retirement his opponent Michael Bisping middleweight champion of the world the matchmaking here left a lot of people conflicted on one hand we get to see the goat come back but not to the division where he ruled for so long we see him come back and take on that challenge at middleweight like we've been wanting for so long that's exciting but what is it exciting though is that this division got put on hold while we had to deal with this Michael Bisping defended his title his first title defense it's Dan Henderson a guy who wasn't even top 10. there was containers like jacqueray Yara Romero Robert Whittaker and eventually Kelvin gaslum who was rising up quick after this just waiting for a shot so I'm so I'm going to be honest here I always strongly maintain that George St Pierre is the greatest fighter ever re-watching this fight just kind of affirmed that even more for me the first round George is showing off his jab which I think is the best jab in MMA history some interesting reads though from Bisping he was using a check hook to counter the GSP jab which is a very good he's he's very good at using his shoulder to stop a cross over the top that said it's just the same period around and the Striking he won he did get a takedown briefly but props to Bisping on just getting right back up near the end of the round though George lands this incredible Superman jab and he instantly just goes into a wheel kick that slightly skims him but it does land it skims it's still gonna hurt second round though baseman takes it right back he's no longer loading up on his punches and he's much more smoother in his boxing while he's also adding kicks which I think is a big thing that helped him out here and he even gets put on his back in half guard just gets right back up great round for Bisping just to tie this one up third round it's one and one a piece George gets an early takedown lands in the guard at Bisping and bisping's winning from the bottom he's just slicing him up with elbows Tony Ferguson style when they get back to their feet George looks like he just survived a horror movie The jab is starting to become neutralized by the countering abyss being and it's making striking exchanges awkward for GSP suddenly GSP gets that read he drops the count GSP swarms with elbows this thing is now just getting smashed on he's trying to survive he goes for a scramble but like a hawk George takes his back sinks in the rare naked choke base pin goes out cold St Pierre is your new UFC middleweight champion of the world man I you know this is a hard one to judge it's a hard one to score I really want to give this a 10 out of 10. I I it deserves it right but I'm conflicted this fight was unnecessary and it was hurtful to a division that badly needed momentum but on the other hand all the reasons the last two fights got tens apply here if not more so so that being said I'm gonna go ahead I'm gonna give this one a 10 out of 10 anyways despite all the flaws surrounding this fight this this is a 10 out of 10 fight easily anyway My overall thoughts on this card they're just through the roof I honestly don't think I'm ever going to score a card this high again so I'm giving UFC 217 a 9.5 out of 10. I I doubt I'm ever going to give a whole card a 10 out of 10. like that just seems impossible for me like I don't think that's physically possible for me to say but this is as high as it gets this is practically a team because I don't think I'm ever gonna say anything's higher than this we got to see the greatest of all time in action going up in weight to challenge for the belt prospects showing their potential with another Prospect fulfilling their potential a rivalry for the ages a technical Master Class of striking philosophy this is the best card I've ever seen I think still but that's all I have today if you really miss me and you can admit you do you come check me out on the second Channel where I recap every event after it happens also if you have a suggestion for a card we should review hit up the patreon where you can donate to us for your pick we just had our first one so be prepared to see that one coming down the pipe soon and I'm Joe with the Inc thank you for watching thank you [Music]