Netflix MMA Debut Delivers Chaos, Knockouts, and Questions About Matchmaking
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Some fight cards reward deep analysis. Others basically slap the betting slip out of your hand and whisper, “come on, man.” 😅 Were these outcomes elite prediction work… or were the favorites about as subtle as a Francis Ngannou overhand?
Most valuable productions kickstarted May 16th on Netflix with a banger on the prelim card alone. Several big name fighters, including Alexis Pereira, Jason Jackson, Francois Ngannou, Nate Diaz, and Ronda Rousey.
This event marks the launch of Most Valuable Promotions Netflix’s MMA streaming ventures, and the effects are already showing. Similar to the issues with paramount, many have reported drops in stream quality, just as had happened earlier in the Tyson vs Paul fight, and early paramount streams.
Alexis Pereira winning her fight against Wong, in a decision victory going the distance. Trying to put her name on level with her brother.
Jason Jackson former bellator Champion made a return to MMA. He was unfortunately featured on the prelim card and not the main event, he managed to beat out his prior knockout record of 55 seconds with a 22 second knockout against blank. Establishing that the veteran champion still has what it takes in the welterweight division.
Adriano Moraes vs Phumi Nkuta. One of the most phenomenal last minute technical submissions by Moraes, as he knocked down Nikita with a knee and quickly securing a backtake and a rear naked choke into the bell. When it was realized that Nikita was actually unconscious and out.
Dos Santos vs Despagne started off. Looking strong for Dos Santo’s but with 2 minutes and one second remaining in the first round, Despagne knocks out Dos santos with a beautiful 3 piece combo. Making this the ninth time Dos Santos has been knocked out in the ring.
Francis Nagano vs Linn opened up with Francis controlling the ring with precision striking. Linn tried to recover with some grappling but was unable to gain control. After some intense pressure from Nagano, Linn tried to respond with striking which ended the fight in 4 minutes 39 seconds with Lynn dropping to an over hand right.
Francis, Ariel Hawaiiani, and Tyron Woodley discussed the potential of Jon Jones fighting Francis Nagano. While John said he liked the idea, he expressed issues that Dana White might have with the idea and working with Nugano again and Jones is currently locked into his UFC contract making it very difficult for him to perform on any other platforms.
Perry vs Diaz opened up with a rough first round for Diaz and didn’t go any better going into the second. Diaz struggled against Perry’s striking ability while struggling to manage any takedown. Perry acknowledging the difference early on and in the second round. While Diaz’s face showing signs of scars from previous fights.
For the headliner, Gina Carano vs Ronda Rousey ended in a quick upset with Ronda Rousey submitting Gina via armbar within 17 seconds of the first round. Ronda closed with statements stating that she is going to focus on home life rather than continuing to fight after this Victory while Gina left the door for coming back a little more open. Gina had expressed that she had wished to have performed a bit better and wish that maybe have landed one or two blows.
Paul closed the event by thanking the competitors, Ronda, Carano, Diaz, Perry, Ngannou and others for making the event possible and a success.
As a viewer, I hate to walk away with some skepticism about the matchmaking, and it seems that many fans are echoing this sentiment. They are pointing out how easy it was to bet on the winner for each match of this event, which raises questions about the integrity of the competition; it almost felt planned to some, as if the outcomes were scripted rather than the result of genuine athletic prowess. Despite these concerns, I must acknowledge that overall the event was absolutely well put together, showcasing the hard work and dedication of all involved.
The production quality was top-notch, the stakes were high, and the athletes brought their A-game. This leaves us with a mixed feeling about the transparency of the process, but as for Netflix’s future with MMA, it does look bright, especially if they can address these issues and continue to produce events that engage and excite fans.
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