@AjDuxche Justin didn’t eat it like candy. Max used kicks and movement, Charles used knees and the clinch, Dustin used smart punch combinations. Ilia fought like it was a one-round fight, with no takedown threat, no calf kicks. He abandoned what made him dangerous and gassed.
@Home_of_Fight What made Ilia’s pressure so effective was his patience and the constant threat of a takedown, both of which he failed to show against Justin. He chased the finish, ate career-ending shots, and abandoned what made him dangerous. You don’t force a KO, you create it.
@SeanSheehanBA It doesn’t matter how much better you are as a fighter if you come in with the wrong game plan. Ilia underestimated Justin, walked him down relentlessly hunting for a finish, and ate big shots doing so. A broader skill set means shit if you can’t mix it up. That’s what we saw.