Outside Source
Considered one of the most agressive strikers in UFC heavyweight history, Rizzo spoke with Sherdog.com about the co-main event of UFC White House, when Pereira was knocked out by Ciryl Gane in the second round.
Advertisement
Rizzo revealed that he tabbed “Poatan” as favorite before the fight. In his opinion, the weight gain weight was not the problem for Brazilian.
“The primary issue, in my opinion, was the loss of reach advantage,” Rizzo said. “Alex is too tall for middleweights and light heavyweights, and he lost that advantage at heavyweight.”
The finishing sequence made Rizzo recall another famous heavyweight fight.
“Whenever I see a southpaw knocking down a right hander with a counter jab, it reminds me of Fedor [Emelianenko’s] fight with Matt Mitrione, which, by the way, was a very similar move to this one with ‘Poatan’ and in exactly the same circumstances: The right hander not stepping outside and the southpaw’s lead hand landing first. Against a southpaw, the right hander always has to step outside and get their head out of the line of the strike, otherwise you’re faced with a counter jab. I posted a video on my Instagram comparing both finishes, and you can see that both Fedor and ‘Poatan’ did exactly the same.”
Dean Controversy
Regarding Pereira’s complaints about illegal strikes, Rizzo acknowledged that referee Herb Dean made a mistake. However, he also recognized the complexity of the situation, especially considering the speed of the action and the fact that Gane’s initial strikes were legal.
“Undoubtedly there were some illegal strikes in the whole sequence, but it’s difficult to say that it influenced the final result of the fight,” Rizzo said. “In a barrage of punches, if one lands on the back of the neck it’s difficult to stop, but if there were more, Herb Dean should have followed the rules and stopped, called attention to the situation and restarted.”
Rebounding from Defeat
With the experience of having fought for the UFC heavyweight belt on three occasions (once against Kevin Randleman and twice against Randy Couture) and having faced all the greatest heavyweight grapplers of his generation, Rizzo believes “Poatan” has an excellent opportunity to rebound.
“He arrived at an excellent time for his style, where most fighters are strikers. In my time, I didn’t have that freedom to impose my stand-up game, since I faced the greatest generation of heavy wrestlers and grapplers in UFC history,” Rizzo said. “I fought Severn, Randleman, Coleman, Barnett, Couture twice. I still believe that ‘Poatan’ is the greatest striker in MMA today. I would like to see an immediate rematch. I still think that on a normal day he will knock out Gane.”
This article first appeared at Recent News on Sherdog.com
Help support MMACrazies.com when you shop Amazon by starting your online Amazon shopping at MMACrazies.com/recommends/amazon. You are not charged extra, but we receive a small and very helpful commission on everything you purchase. Thanks for thinking of us every time you shop at Amazon.
