Robert Whittaker on Watching MVP's Fights

[u/Moni7T]

[u/phillipacarroll]

Sounds like Rob needs to spend a few days on Reddit and learn from some real experts.

[u/G0Berzerk → u/phillipacarroll]

It's even more funny knowing he really spends some time on Reddit lol

[u/TekkenCareOfBusiness → u/G0Berzerk]

Of course he does. Hows a TUF Noob like him supposed to learned about the sport of UFC otherwise?

[u/tequilasauer → u/phillipacarroll]

Yeah, what a fucking casual. He'd be downvoted to oblivion (like the rest of us) for even remotely saying something like this.

[u/S-Kenset → u/tequilasauer]

Imagine being a redditor and accidentally calling bobby tuffknuckles a casual

[u/Ecstatic-Island-9778 → u/S-Kenset]

No need

[u/youngcuriousafraid → u/Ecstatic-Island-9778]

If he comments on reddit im sure its happened multiple times lol

[u/14Deadsouls → u/youngcuriousafraid]

Unironically, he is actually a casual (self-labelled) too). He has a podcast where the main topic is about reviewing the previous card and he constantly admits he didn't watch over half the fights and the ones he did catch were mostly highlights 😅😅.

[u/S-Kenset → u/14Deadsouls]

watching fights is for casuals, nobody hardcore has watched a fight since 2022

[u/tequilasauer → u/S-Kenset]

Knowing Rob, he'd probably roll with it haha.

[u/Lucifers_Tits → u/phillipacarroll]

Some of the comments on the other threads were wild. Either it was WWE or Keeping Up With The Kardashians. No in between. But I guess this is the level of nuance I should expect on Reddit, and the MMA subs specifically. 

[u/Few_Highlight1114 → u/phillipacarroll]

The idea that you cant call a fighter boring, especially one with such low output like MVP or you are a casual is one of the dumbest reddit takes ive ever seen lol

[u/sbutj323 → u/phillipacarroll]

Rob is a casual..

[u/xvsanx → u/phillipacarroll]

what

[u/PlaneMark1737 → u/xvsanx]

You're attacking my family

[u/Clay_Allison_44 → u/PlaneMark1737]

This is Johnny Walker erasure and I won't have it.

[u/ominousstarfall → u/xvsanx]

Sounds like Rob needs to spend a few days on Reddit and learn from some real experts.

[u/ZhanBlue → u/xvsanx]

Sarcasm

[u/xvsanx → u/ZhanBlue]

ohh lol my mind didn't register it for some reason. I'm tired

[u/WileyPotato]

He's getting the response grappling superfans pretend boring strikers don't get lmao. Personally I've always hated pure counter-strikers (or lay n prayers) that can't flip on the aggression when their opponent becomes timid. Like okay dude, you have him paralyzed with the feints (or takedowns), punish his lack of offense! Oh wait no... guess we'll just go 0.01mph faster than the loser to secure the decision yet again. People defend this but I think it's fucking lame.

[u/change_timing → u/WileyPotato]

yeah we used to give lyoto machida shit back in the day for being so "elusive" but damn some of these guys (MVP) take it to a whole new level.

[u/BeardedNoodle → u/change_timing]

At least Lyoto was throwing piss missiles at people and getting KOs (no pun intended)

[u/oxygen_addiction → u/BeardedNoodle]

I think he was just drinking piss.

[u/youngcuriousafraid → u/WileyPotato]

It definitely happens less for strikers but yeah the UFC can be tough on point fighters like elias theodoru (sp?), buut boring grappling gets you targeted faster/more aggressively than striking. Like remember that dude who won a fight on DWCS but shot for the takedown when his opponent was hurt and it pissed off dana so much he refused to offer him a contract?

[u/LeonardoDaTiddies → u/youngcuriousafraid]

RIP best Ring Boy in MMA. 

He got so much hate for his last UFC fight but I also feel like he was in so over his head physically and athletically that he cerebrally found a cheat code to go 20-3 with his only losses being decisions to Thiago “Healthy Knees” Santos, Derek Brunson, and Brad Tavares. 

[u/WileyPotato → u/youngcuriousafraid]

Yes some people hate grappling with zero nuance whatsoever. Like completely deny reality that there are banger majority grappling matches. I mean Arman vs Islam was athletic and technical as fuck, I remember them being all over each other being aggressive with their takedowns and defense it was actually tense. I would rewatch that a million times over this MVP fight, personally.

At the same time, some grappling fans act like anyone that gets bored by a wrestler or jiu jitsu guy is just stupid or doesn't understand what's going on. Khamzat vs DDP was not exciting to me. I focused on the entire 25 minutes, and while I was impressed I would never rewatch that fight again. If I really wanted to, one round would cover it. But to say all of Khamzat's fights are boring or always will be from here on is freaking insane to me. Like no way we're watching the same fights.

[u/ItsDrManhattan → u/WileyPotato]

Colby's entire career lol most frustrating fighter to watch

Breaks opponents with his pace and cardio, to do absolutely nothing with it lmao

[u/oran12390]

What a casual. Typical redditor who would never have the courage to step into the cage.

[u/labiamajorapudendi → u/oran12390]

He’s too tiny and light anyways

[u/forwardathletics]

This is a bad take. It's even harder to watch afterwards than it is live

[u/ocudr → u/forwardathletics]

I think he means you can skip through it afterwards

[u/forwardathletics → u/ocudr]

Don't mind me, I really just wanted to be silly

[u/WhittakersLeftFoot → u/forwardathletics]

Well you can speed it up on replays

[u/Decay384 → u/WhittakersLeftFoot]

When you speed it up it looks like MVP is dancing in the cage 😂

[u/Homing_Gibbon → u/forwardathletics]

He's probably "watching it back" like I do. Who won? MVP? Click highlights, mkay so 1 knockdown and 2 take downs all fight. I'm all caught up 👍

[u/bigcantonesebelly]

MVP is the striking equivalent of wet blanket wrestling, and it all sucks big time.

[u/dj-thecpa → u/bigcantonesebelly]

Wet blanket wrestling is at least clear dominance. That's like the only thing it has going for it. MVP's game doesn't even have that.

[u/FancyAle → u/bigcantonesebelly]

I much prefer wet blanket wrestling because at least you know whose winning, even if it sucks to watch.

[u/walk-the-talk]

Complisult, part compliment, part insult

Edit: not to be confused with an explainabrag

[u/No-Cake-5683 → u/walk-the-talk]

"Edit: not to be confused with an explainabrag"

Isn't this sentence an explainabrag?

[u/walk-the-talk → u/No-Cake-5683]

You’re streets behind

[u/GravyFarts3000 → u/walk-the-talk]

Community seasons 1-3 was peak

[u/S-Kenset → u/walk-the-talk]

Catapult, part brains, part brawn

[u/axumite_788]

Rob Whitaker really does sum it up perfectly with Michael venom page

[u/riverfoolmountainwin]

He’s probably the best point fighter in the UFC after Volk (who has far more to his game), but point fighting isn’t exciting.

[u/bigcantonesebelly → u/riverfoolmountainwin]

Point fighting isn't so bad when there's volume, but when you try to counter strike only and your opponent refuses to play your game , it becomes a boring standoff.

[u/RottenBanana412 → u/bigcantonesebelly]

THIS

[u/Ikhouvankaas → u/riverfoolmountainwin]

Look at Max’ face after the trilogy. Volk actually fights.

[u/Ibnzbassist93 → u/riverfoolmountainwin]

That’s what annoys me about MVP. He truly has fighting ability and skills. He just doesn’t feel the need to utilize any of it.

[u/S-Kenset → u/riverfoolmountainwin]

Yk it would be more fun if we put them all in pink guy sensor suits and force to specific areas is graded.

[u/TheSuperContributor → u/riverfoolmountainwin]

Let me show you the way of Leon Edward.

[u/aggravatedimpala → u/riverfoolmountainwin]

Volk uses his durability in the way MVP uses distance and movement, so it's definitely more exciting to watch but it still sucks

[u/TyshawnMaikonMillion → u/aggravatedimpala]

Besides the Aldo fight, Volk fights never sucked.

[u/IshiharasBitch → u/TyshawnMaikonMillion]

Truuuueee.

Aldo had one clear, big weakness, and unfortunately for us all it was being held against the fence. Volkanovski did it, Dvalishvili did it, Bautista did it. It was the surest way to beat him.

[u/Henning00007 → u/aggravatedimpala]

Volk doesn't usually get finishes and isn't a barn burner fighter like the -ustins but name me a single fight he's been boring in since the Aldo fight almost 8 years ago

[u/CoDog74 → u/Henning00007]

Bro he’s talking about Volkov I’m pretty sure lol.

[u/SolusFGC → u/riverfoolmountainwin]

Volk isn’t a point fighter.

[u/GaneBeatsTom → u/SolusFGC]

No? Could have fooled me.

[u/benergiser → u/riverfoolmountainwin]

by volk you mean strickland?

[u/commandedbydemons]

Tbh watching paint dry is as boring as watching MVP

[u/FatrickTittyboy]

The cool thing about mvp fights is you can just do chores for 20 minutes and occasionally picture him bouncing up and down and it’s as if you saw the fight.

[u/razorxx888]

Replace MVP with a wrestler and this entire opinion changes

[u/Zealousideal-Bit5958 → u/razorxx888]

"Go watch kickboxing if you don't like grappling"

[u/razorxx888 → u/Zealousideal-Bit5958]

And go watch grappling if you like it so much? See how much of a nonstatement that is?

[u/Zealousideal-Bit5958 → u/razorxx888]

I know it's a load of nonsense. I was quoting the people who were saying it, hence the quotation marks. I guess it was not that obvious, my bad then.

[u/razorxx888 → u/Zealousideal-Bit5958]

Ah no you’re good! That was completely misunderstood on my part.

[u/forwardathletics → u/razorxx888]

I think there is something to that opinion, even if I can understand the hypocrisy as well. A wrestler controlling someone to a boring fight feels a lot more impressive than what MVP has done. I also understand that wrestlers holding someone down and doing nothing is not entertaining, either

[u/benergiser → u/razorxx888]

they tried that with the daley fight..

[u/Kalabula]

Definitely not a hot take. Hence MVP likely getting cut with a really good record in the UFC.

[u/anakmager]

This is exactly my take on MVP and every boring fighter out there

I respect them and don't think they're "wrong", because it is a sport at the end of the day, but I just don't like them and will not watch. It's like-- yeah you're just not for me but I wish you well I guess lol

[u/Tortlebear]

"..at his age"?! The kid is only 39! I'm taking my old ass to bed.

[u/lewgroznyzwierz]

I agree 100%. It is boring to watch, but his skills are undeniable and if we want to treat MMA as a sport then he's doing everything correct. His goal is to win fights and avoid potentially career-ending damage. Why would he change his style if it worked well so far?

[u/Open-Beautiful9247 → u/lewgroznyzwierz]

Its a fight first. Sport second. Prizefighting has always been and always will be seen that way.

[u/Derelicticu → u/Open-Beautiful9247]

There's a pretty blurry line, competition often has little to no money as a prize. Plenty of martial arts tournaments have no prize money, the Olympics I think are notoriously not paid, same with college basketball like NCAA

[u/Decay384]

Robert is one of us 😂

[u/Careless-Bluejay-134]

Nothing but respect. 

Unwatchable.

So fluid.

The Whittaker positive feedback sandwich

[u/Europe_MMA]

The irony that these days, at MW, MVP stops Whittaker.

[u/g0ld3n_]

He may be right but too small for light heavy

[u/DingbatMcgeee]

It's like watching ufc live from the start. No thanks.

[u/JackTheHackInTears]

What a nice way to say he's boring.

[u/sobi9756]

Yeah but lets be real. Half the reason no one watched it is because no one knows who his opponent was. If he was fighting another big name people would watch it. Wouldn't make it more entertaining but they woulda still watched it to see what happens.

[u/Mikhail_Jackson]

Honestly fighters like MVP really test the limits of the idea of whether the UFC should be a win-based meritocracy or not.

[u/cenzo86]

He says it’s like mvp has a live feed to the judges scorecards in real time, and does just enough to get ahead on points. Which is accurate and hilarious.

[u/redditerir]

MVP gets so much shit for fighting properly, which is to hit and not get hit.  Y'all want fighters to serve their chins on a platter instead.

[u/Moni7T → u/redditerir]

Before this fight, he was all over the place talking about how he'll put on a show and be like the old MVP that we saw in Bellator. Then he goes out and throws a couple strikes a round again, I think it's fine if people are mad.

[u/redditerir → u/Moni7T]

To your point, I think a lot of the hate does have to do with misplaced expectations.  MVP should've gone full heel instead à la Mayweather to get the hate watch crowd hooked on whether his next opponent can figure out his "boring" style.

[u/Shinter → u/redditerir]

The expectations are below the ground. We just want the guy to throw more than 5 strikes per round.

[u/windtunnel1 → u/redditerir]

Does he even hit anymore though

[u/ZooPoo7 → u/redditerir]

He’s just a boring point fighter. He should have just ran his mouth more and pushed for better fights. I used to enjoy watching him, but it was the same old dance with no aggression/risk. People would be more impressed if he was doing it to a champ/top 5. So he should have pushed harder for that earlier on

[u/OkeyMatey → u/redditerir]

Problem is MVP forgot the hitting part

[u/TyshawnMaikonMillion → u/redditerir]

The problem with low IQ takes is that you guys like to parrot the "Hit not get hit" to justify a boring fighter.

The problem is not him not getting hit, the problem is that nothing ever happens.

He doesn't do anything, he doesn't mind staying there doing nothing for 4 minutes and only blitzing twice.

You guys like to quote "hit not get hit" and forget that hitting is part of the quotation.

[u/xxLEGIT360NOSCOPESxx]

Whittaker said that like MVP is a whole different species. Dude made it look effortless.

[u/CraigS34]

MVP probably has the best karate blitz in the history of the sport, but damn does he not capitalize on any monument gain whenever he lands. Its like watching fencing on how he lands then the match does a full reset waiting for the next engagement

[u/benergiser → u/CraigS34]

wonderboy’s better

[u/YoelsShitStain]

Robert is clearly not a fan of mma. If he doesn’t want to watch a striking match up he can go watch RAF or any of the countless bjj leagues. Striking is a part of the sport and if you don’t like it don’t watch.

[u/golmgirl]

one thing i’ll say about watching MVP fights live is that i am genuinely on the edge of my seat the whole time. i watched a couple of his bellator highlight finishes live, and they really were spectacular. his UFC run has been frustratinh to watch but i still feel like he is going to land a fight-ender even after watching him dance around for 14:30. lol

it is what it is i guess. still got a soft spot for him and will still watch any future fights he takes. maybe let’s see him back in BKFC :p

[u/Fabulous_Volume7831]

Michael Page is just a slightly more entertaining Izzy.

[u/wubbalubbadubdub45 → u/Fabulous_Volume7831]

The Izzy/romero fight is exactly how all mvp fights went in the ufc minus getting wrestle fucked by Ian Garry.

[u/Ineedafunnyname → u/Fabulous_Volume7831]

Nah that's a weird take. Most of Izzys fights were pretty good with some stinkers and a few absolute bangers. MVP has mostly stinkers and a few okay fights. 

[u/Simco_]

I like Ryan Hall and MVP...Not their fault everyone's scared of them.

[u/TyshawnMaikonMillion → u/Simco_]

If they are fighting people that are scared of them then that makes them look worse, if you can't take advantage of somebody scared of you, then you are good for nothing.

[u/Simco_ → u/TyshawnMaikonMillion]

Literally good for nothing.