#bryce mitchell

Also, I was THIS close to posting a version with a third axis labelled: "Do I think they're a fundamentally good person, like in real life." Though I run my account for light-hearted fun, I kinda do think it's important to have subtle reminders that stuff like fanfiction is rooted in fantasy, which is distinct from appreciating MMA as a sport, and more importantly, is distinct from what we think about a fighter's politics/morality. Those three things sometimes mix in ways we can't always control... (Like I can't help it, I want these conservative fighters from Dagestan so bad even when they sometimes chat such mad shit 😭) But I hope we feel empowered to call out fighters on their bullshit while giving each other the permission to explore fantasy without shame.

I hope this post actually makes some of you more comfortable reading my stuff. Like, you now know I'm not some weird apologist for far-right views, AND I'm also quite happy to write about fighters that give you tingly feelings!

That said, my controversial takes on this compass might be:

Usman Nurmagomedov: Yeah, I just saw him against Paul Hughes and I think he didn't look impressive against a well-rounded, well-prepared fighter who wasn't afraid to push forward. The UFC is a whole different league in terms of quality, and many champions have struggled to make the transition. I think Usman would struggle ESPECIALLY in the UFC's hyper-competitive lightweight division.

Umar Nurmagomedov and Merab Dvalishvili: I know there are a lot of Merab haters out there – but you cannot deny that he has an insane record. Umar broke his hand and that sucks, but breaking your hand in a fight is still on you, man. But I would totally watch the Hell out of a rematch! (I also don't care what anyone says. Maxxing your skill points in conditioning IS a valid MMA strategy.)

Shara Magomedov: A super entertaining fighter, for sure. But the MVP fight showed that he deals quite poorly with a skilled fighter who pushes forward. They fed him a can in the recent Abu Dhabi card, and he still got his nose absolutely destroyed.

Sean Strickland: Yeah I know that he's a former champion but he has shown little to no willingness to evolve his strategy in any way, even for the DDP fight. Like teep kicking and the Philly shell might have worked in previous years, but people have developed responses to it now, and Strickland has stubbornly refused to acknowledge that. I also think his style makes for terrible watching – when it works, it makes BOTH fighters look quite bad.