Kongo vs Meathead UFC 137

whatever...just make sure you all don't ignore my post that reads "<------- called it" moments after this fight ends.

How does Kongo take this?

I think kongo has more ways to lose right now based off what I've seen of the two. But since big picture I haven't seen much of meat, to and against his credit, kongo might have a better chance finding that finish still.

This is a great fight, perfect matchup. I could see either guy taking this. Meathead is the better athlete but he is still green in the cage. Let's see if either man can hold up to a shot from the other. I can see either guy crumbling here.

Ludo wrote:

How does Kongo take this?

By brutal KO, which could by all means happen the way Meathead holds his hands and with the power that Kongo has

Ali wrote:

Kongo will take advantage of Meathead's green striking.

I have to agree this is a big fight for meat and it will be a stand up war and meat will realize what he has officially gotten himself into. Kongo late tko.

let's not forget, Kongo got knocked out twice in his last fight lol

killerofchicken wrote:

let's not forget, Kongo got knocked out twice in his last fight lol

Kongo didn't get knocked out, he got knocked down 3 times. Which is about half as many times as he knocked the current Champion down in that fight. Let's not forget Kongo came back from those knock downs to score a KO.

Kings you seem to have closed the book on critical thinking here because meat is an "OMG tuf scrub". He has been impressive against UFC level HW's since he started fighting. Everyone he fought was a UFC HW correct? The talent he has beaten relative to his position in his career is stellar. Kongo is a never was. If there is anything left worth saving on the planet, Kongo must die here. If Kongo wins via KO, I collaborate with alien invaders who wish to exterminate us.

Wolfgangsta wrote:

Kings you seem to have closed the book on critical thinking here because meat is an "OMG tuf scrub". He has been impressive against UFC level HW's since he started fighting. Everyone he fought was a UFC HW correct? The talent he has beaten relative to his position in his career is stellar. Kongo is a never was. If there is anything left worth saving on the planet, Kongo must die here. If Kongo wins via KO, I collaborate with alien invaders who wish to exterminate us.

Do you really think either man is really a smart bet in this fight? No one should be shocked by either man winning this fight. If you think one of them is on a level above the other, you are wrong.

My bad Wolf, just read your thoughts on the fight. I think you got it pinned down.

Meat needs to work on his TDD defense. If Kongo stands with him like he did with Barry I don't think he'll last the fight

bobbitt15 wrote:

Meat needs to work on his TDD defense. If Kongo stands with him like he did with Barry I don't think he'll last the fight

Well Kongo's wrestling isn't anything special, he just takes advantage of people who have absolutely zero wrestling skills. I think being the athlete Meathead is he can develop good enough wrestling defense in a short amount of time.

It looked pretty spotty against Morecraft on those few times he tried to take it to the ground

bobbitt15 wrote:

It looked pretty spotty against Morecraft on those few times he tried to take it to the ground

I'm just saying I don't think it is that big of a task for an athlete like Meathead to get his TDD at a high enough level to stop Kongo.

70/30 in Kong's favor.

I wouldn't say his defense looked spotty against Morecraft. Morecraft got shucked off with a quickness on his first three clinch/takedown attempts. On the fourth he did take Mitrione down against the fence but then just laid on him while Mitrione stood back up after it was clear Morecraft wasn't going to do anything. Morecraft kept a hold on Mitrione when he got up and took him down again but Morecraft didn't do anything but try to posture up once for a missed punch, and spend the rest of the time going to the body with short punches until they got stood up like 20 seconds after the takedown. Morecraft dives for a takedown after the standup but he's way out and ends up flopping to the ground. Seconds later he gets put down for good. I wouldn't call stuffing 4 of 6 takedown attempts "spotty" especially when they didn't lead to anything at all.

Meat used to go up against guys weighing 300 plus when he played defense in the NFL, he is very powerful, and his striking is getting better and better, we are not even talking about this fight if Barry didn't charge in hands down chin up, if Kongo gets him down I don't see him being able to hold him down, plus Kongo is giving away 20+ pounds as well, maybe more come fight night, Kongo will always be the gatekeeper

Ludo wrote:

I wouldn't say his defense looked spotty against Morecraft. Morecraft got shucked off with a quickness on his first three clinch/takedown attempts. On the fourth he did take Mitrione down against the fence but then just laid on him while Mitrione stood back up after it was clear Morecraft wasn't going to do anything. Morecraft kept a hold on Mitrione when he got up and took him down again but Morecraft didn't do anything but try to posture up once for a missed punch, and spend the rest of the time going to the body with short punches until they got stood up like 20 seconds after the takedown. Morecraft dives for a takedown after the standup but he's way out and ends up flopping to the ground. Seconds later he gets put down for good. I wouldn't call stuffing 4 of 6 takedown attempts "spotty" especially when they didn't lead to anything at all.

Morecraft is fat and out of shape. Regardless when he actually got a hold of Meat as he did on the first takedown attempt, there wasn't a whole lot of resistance there

Morecraft probably has takedowns on par with Kongo. Lets not forget Kongo is not some kind of takedown whiz, most of the guys he took down(with the exception of a very inexperienced Velasquez at the time who was rocked by punches several times) he's mostly been taking guys down who have little to no wrestling to their name. Conversely Mitrione know how to shuck a guy off, and Kongo will have a decent weight disadvantage here. He weighed in at 234 for the Barry fight I believe, Mitrione weighed in at 261 for that same event. I can't see him being able to outmuscle a guy 27lbs bigger than him who has alot of experience pushing guys around.

Wolfgangsta wrote:

Kings you seem to have closed the book on critical thinking here because meat is an "OMG tuf scrub". He has been impressive against UFC level HW's since he started fighting. Everyone he fought was a UFC HW correct? The talent he has beaten relative to his position in his career is stellar. Kongo is a never was. If there is anything left worth saving on the planet, Kongo must die here. If Kongo wins via KO, I collaborate with alien invaders who wish to exterminate us.

I guess. Kimbo and Jones. UFC Level HW. I guess technically, if you put on the gloves you are a UFC level HW...but none of them will be for long and UFC signs their fair share of scrubs as well. Which they have to, if they are going to build prospects like Mit...they need scrubs to feed them. You can't throw a guy to the wolves right away and Mit has done well with what they have given him...but it's when people act like thats something when he's fought nobody and has not been exactly dominant in the process. Kongo was killin off guys like Morecraft in emphatic fashion for a long time.

I said nothing of Mitrione being on the ultimate fighter and i don't dislike Mitrione or wish failure on him. However, so far all i see is a technically challenged agressive, athletic, brawler with knockout power and all he has beaten are poverty stricken man versions of him. Kongo on the other hand, is a technically sound(relative to most HW and ESPECIALLY Matt Mitrione) and will not play into Mitriones game of "throw your hands like an angry drunk and let the best man win". Sure Mit can land one and hurt Kongo to set up a TKO or even a pure KO because he hits very hard but Kongo going in there and picking him apart by simply being the more skilled, experienced, and likely more powerful striker with a threat of a takedown and brutal GnP seems more likely. Not to mention Kongo will look to takedown and GnP if his opponent is not a threat on the mat, which Mit is not. I saw Ludo say Kongo and Morecraft are equal on the takedowns with zero to base that on. Morecraft has been here for a couple losses and a cup of coffee and somehow because Mitrione was able to stay off the mat with him then he'll be able to with Kongo. Maybe he could, but that claim of equal takedowns is silly. Kongo is not a takedown "wiz" but he has taken plenty of strikers with no ground game down and beat the living piss out of them in the past. Morecraft, not from what i've seen. I think this thinking is a tad more critical than "Mitrione is for real yet Kongo aint shit for reasons undefined". Kongo failed to beat any elite HW..thats the story of his career. He's been killing guys like Mitrione for years and Mitrione has not shown any reason to believe he's the type of guy Kongo has trouble with. Hell...Pat Barry lost to Kongo because he started sloppily throwing his hands and not covering up at Kongo like a Matt Mitrione would..and Kongo was hurt. Mitrione will go in there agressive and get hurt, or go in there cautious and get hurt...anything else would be a huge mark in improvement for a guy that has not really improved much in level of competition or performance his last three fights.

Very good fight. I lean towards Kongo winning but I also picked Morecraft to beat Meathead also.

Kings you're tremendously underrating Mitrione's improvements in foot work and ability to slip punches. Kongo is getting worse and Meat better and better all the time. Morecraft is a freaking ground fighter by trade. He is probably a better takedown artist than Kongo or at least as good. Let's not forget Kongo has worked on upgrading his wrestling in response to his fading chin more than anything else. Kongo is a good HW, but he is another stepping stone.

I don't think you're truly looking at these fighters for what they are right now. Wins four years ago over Dan Evenson and Mustapha Al Turk mean exactly shit.

Im rolling Mitrione.


Im agreeing with Ali that Kongo's chin is on shakey ground, and imo it has effected his striking wich looks to me to be fairly stiff of late. Mitrione has been very confident and fluid inside the cage. I think he'll be able to tag Kongo up pretty good.