The Rumor Was True

I didn't think it was true, and honestly I thought even in a loss he looked as good as he had ever looked. I wonder if Rashad was injured as well though, because he didn't seem like his self as much.

It was Rashad's speed and style that kept Thiago from coming forward. He knew that was suicide. But this probably does explain the lack of takedown attempts.

Link Fixed.

In light of that, this fight with a healthy Thiago may have been even closer. He sure has upped his game since the days of Thomaz Drwal and Antonio Mendez.

But it's not like he is immune to takedowns or always runs forward spinwheeling punches when healthy. Didn't Houston Alexander choke slam him? Didn't he also somewhat shy away from striking with him as well?

Imagine if he would have pulled out lol too.

That sucks cause if he couldnt train right then they could have been the cardio issues he had. I hope it wasnt a very serious injury and he was forced into the octagon by a certain bald president lol.

Hate to see that.

REMATCH!

Farmer1906 wrote:

Hate to see that.

REMATCH!

No need for it because Rashad beat him. Thiago really isn't as good as people make it seem. Rashad did what he had to to easily win this fight. I think Rashad would just do the same thing and win again.

ram_escandon wrote:

Farmer1906 wrote:

Hate to see that.

REMATCH!

No need for it because Rashad beat him. Thiago really isn't as good as people make it seem. Rashad did what he had to to easily win this fight. I think Rashad would just do the same thing and win again.

Rashad was nearly finished yet Thiago was never hurt in danger of being finished. You're crazy to thing a hurt back doesn't alter the possible outcome for this fight.

thiago had a base salary of $29,000 for each of the last two fights, but this fight he had a base salary of $55,000. no doubt dana white gave him an extra incentive for fighting hurt.

ram_escandon wrote:

Farmer1906 wrote:

Hate to see that.

REMATCH!

No need for it because Rashad beat him. Thiago really isn't as good as people make it seem. Rashad did what he had to to easily win this fight. I think Rashad would just do the same thing and win again.

What planet are you posting from? Rashad is lucky Thiago was gassed or he would've been pounded into bolivian. (in my best Tyson voice)

ram_escandon wrote:

Farmer1906 wrote:

Hate to see that.

REMATCH!

No need for it because Rashad beat him. Thiago really isn't as good as people make it seem. Rashad did what he had to to easily win this fight. I think Rashad would just do the same thing and win again.

after rashad had a clean shot at thiago in the 3rd round and saw that thiago didnt even flinched but rather put his arms down to mock rashad, that was when i saw all the confidence drained out of rashad. if this went to extra innings or overtime, rashad was as good as dead.

Perhaps you're right, but I'm just saying that Rashad would come in with the same gameplan and we'd have another boring fight. So, a rematch is not necessary.

I said it a couple days ago, Thiago wins a rematch

Bigs03 wrote:

ram_escandon wrote:

Farmer1906 wrote:

Hate to see that.

REMATCH!

No need for it because Rashad beat him. Thiago really isn't as good as people make it seem. Rashad did what he had to to easily win this fight. I think Rashad would just do the same thing and win again.

What planet are you posting from? Rashad is lucky Thiago was gassed or he would've been pounded into bolivian. (in my best Tyson voice)

You're absolutely correct IMO, but what you said doesn't dispute his point at all. You're assuming a rematch would go the same way, minus Thiago gassing, and there's nothing to base that on. When Thiago was fresh, he was getting dominated (at least on the scorecards). It was only when Rashad got off his game that the fight changed.

I agree Thiago was gassed, and I agree if not for that Rashad would have been KO'd, but Rashad wasn't the same fighter in the third round as he was in the first two. Even before Rashad got rocked in the 3rd, he wasn't doing anything. He said after the fight that he got "lazy", and I'm not a big Rashad fan but I believe it. His corner was screaming at him the whole round (again before he got rocked) to stop being lazy, stop backing up. All he did that round was whif on rangey jabs and half-assed takedown attempts. He was sandbagging knowing that as long as he didn't get knocked out, the fight was his, and doing that almost cost him. With Thiago as tired as he was, what's to say Rashad doesn't KO him if he comes out as the same Rashad he did in Round 1 and 2?

I respectfully disagree with those of you who think Thiago wins a rematch. I think Rashad would win a potential rematch because he learned his lesson here.

thessy11 wrote:

Bigs03 wrote:

ram_escandon wrote:

Farmer1906 wrote:

Hate to see that.

REMATCH!

No need for it because Rashad beat him. Thiago really isn't as good as people make it seem. Rashad did what he had to to easily win this fight. I think Rashad would just do the same thing and win again.

What planet are you posting from? Rashad is lucky Thiago was gassed or he would've been pounded into bolivian. (in my best Tyson voice)

I agree Thiago was gassed, and I agree if not for that Rashad would have been KO'd, but Rashad wasn't the same fighter in the third round as he was in the first two. Even before Rashad got rocked in the 3rd, he wasn't doing anything. He said after the fight that he got "lazy", and I'm not a big Rashad fan but I believe it. His corner was screaming at him the whole round (again before he got rocked) to stop being lazy, stop backing up. All he did that round was whif on rangey jabs and half-assed takedown attempts. He was sandbagging knowing that as long as he didn't get knocked out, the fight was his, and doing that almost cost him. With Thiago as tired as he was, what's to say Rashad doesn't KO him if he comes out as the same Rashad he did in Round 1 and 2?

he had to back up, otherwise he was going to get KTFO in the 3rd round. all the things he did in the first 2 rounds were to avoid a massive exchange with thiago in which he would surely lose. however i dont think he had enough energy in the 3rd round to takedown thiago and the exchange on the feet was inevitable. plus how much confidence did he lose when he had a clean hit against thiago and it didnt even flinched thiago in the 3rd round, however thiago's hits on him were bombs.

Rashad would win the rematch especially if Thiago broke his leg and dana payed him an extra 20 grand to fight him anyways lol. Thats a joke if it was really true.

UGGGH!!! That's why I hate these discussions. Who's to say that Thiago didn't get to train correctly? You guys are simply assuming that he didn't, and, that because of it, his cardio wasn't where it should've been and that's why he wasn't able to finish the fight. That's bullshit! When a fighter wants to finish, he finishes. He didn't even try to finish after he rocked Rashad. Joe Rogan even said, "It seems like Thiago might've given himself a little surge of adrenaline there, but that's really all he had."(Something like that.) They were both equally tired in the third round, so it's not like you can say a tired out Thiago was trying to knockout a fresh Rashad. That's not the case and Thiago is just as sucky a fighter as Rashad is for not being able to finish, as Rashad is for trying to win an easy decision and getting caught and almost knocked out for it. In the end, it all boils down to their match being the most boring one of the night.

thedarkwingduck2k50 wrote:

he had to back up, otherwise he was going to get KTFO in the 3rd round. all the things he did in the first 2 rounds were to avoid a massive exchange with thiago in which he would surely lose. however i dont think he had enough energy in the 3rd round to takedown thiago and the exchange on the feet was inevitable. plus how much confidence did he lose when he had a clean hit against thiago and it didnt even flinched thiago in the 3rd round, however thiago's hits on him were bombs.

I don't think Rashad lost much confidence because I don't think landing a haymaker KO in an exchange was really something he was expecting to do.

Maybe Rashad didn't have enough energy to do the same thing he did in the first two rounds, but even if that's correct, on what grounds would Thiago win the rematch?

*If* it's true that Rashad gassed, *if* it's true that Thiago's stamina was impacted by an injury, *if* Rashad had no unreported injuries or training problems of his own, *if* Thiago had better stamina next time, *if* Rashad did not improve his own stamina, *if* Rashad's [arguably] #1 camp didn't come up with a good gameplan, and *if* the next fight went exactly the same way and Rashad was gassed and hurt and Thiago had enough left in the tank, well then yea, I guess in that situation I'd pick Thiago to win too...

I'm not saying picking Thiago to win a potential rematch is crazy, he has a decent chance (but would be a rightful underdog again), but I don't know what happened Saturday to cause people to switch their picks for a rematch. Thiago mocking Rashad (which was hillarious btw) was the only unexpected event that occurred. Did we not know that Thiago hits hard, and that Rashad 'can' be rocked prior to watching Saturday's fight?

Thessy's comments have been right on the money.

As for the cardio issues. When has Thiago not had bad cardio late in his fights? I have seen every one of his career fights that have tape available on the internet, all but three, and he has gas problems going way back. In all honesty this was the best Thiago has ever looked late into a fight in terms of head and body movement.

It appears Rashad was somewhat gunshy due to the last knockout and knowing a slugfest isn't the best idea against a heavy handed power puncher who throws hard with every shot, but next time they fight if it happens, you'd better believe Rashad would open up more when given his chance. He has a huge speed advantage.

When both fighters were fresh, Rashad's striking and wrestling were something Thiago had no answer for. Thiago had no confidence and wasn't commiting to any of his shots, and he himself shy'd away from Rashad's speed. It was only when Rashad mailed in it and Thiago was mounting one last go for broke rally that Thiago landed the hail marry lunging punch.

Going into the fight, I felt Rashad was the better fighter for all the reasons the fight the other night showed. I don't think a rematch is needed really, but I'd be ok with one to see if Thiago's back injury prevented him from attempting any takedowns of his own. I think if the back injury has to be factored in, it has to be factored in there more than anything else.

Ultimately I don't hold this injury in the same light that I hold Nog's infection or Mir's post cycle recovery. Thiago looked about as good as he had ever looked so I find it hard to say the injury was a major factor, where as Nog and Mir looked stiff and horrible, and clearly not themselves.

Well the athletic commission didn't suspend him post fight so the injury couldn't have been that bad. He looked to be in good shape, I just can't buy these constant excuses for losses -- no one is ever 100%.

boomer sooner wrote:

Well the athletic commission didn't suspend him post fight so the injury couldn't have been that bad. He looked to be in good shape, I just can't buy these constant excuses for losses -- no one is ever 100%.

100% agree.

The bottom line for me is that Thiago should've won. He showed me that he has a ton of power and is lacking in heart. Rashad was ripe to be finished but Thiago couldn't push through the fatigue and get the job done.

Rampage's boxing is twice as good as Thiago's and he has the power to go along with it. Rashad is going to sleep when he fights Page.

Rashad will definitely get knocked out by Page. Then he needs to get his ass down to middleweight or some shit.

This isn't going to change any opinions but you can't forget Rashad's speed is twice that of Rampage and his camp is 80 times as better. Rashad is better than Forrest or Jardine and no one could dispute that, where as Page has proven to fight right at their level lately. It has been almost two and a half year since his Dan Henderson fight, the last time he really felt like a superior LHW to me, above the pack.


The main thing Rampage has going for him is his ability to take a lot of punishment, and big power early in fights. He doesn't seem to want to use his wrestling anymore and trains with a bunch of British inferior wrestlers, so I don't know how much of a real advantage he has there anymore. I know he hits hard, but he has never actually KO'd a top ten fighter outside of the first round. I question how motivated he will be to train going forward, and couple that with ring rust, the speed, age and camp advantage and it boils down to a situation where for me, favoring Rampage is very very difficult.