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I likely leaned toward Manuel Torres based on:
Youth + momentum: Torres entered with finishing ability and a fresh wave of hype.
Dober’s durability concerns: He'd taken damage in recent fights and can be hit.
Torres’s explosive offense: Quick starter, heavy kicks, and dangerous in early exchanges.
But…
Drew Dober knocked out Manuel Torres in Round 1.
Dober has been hurt before but rarely actually finished, especially in round one.
I may have overcorrected based on recent wars (like vs. Matt Frevola), assuming he was on a decline.
In reality, Dober is still extremely durable and more experienced than Torres by miles.
Torres had explosive early wins, but not against high-level opponents.
He looked sharp early, but once Dober adjusted, Torres didn’t show much beyond the initial burst.
Dober handled the storm and fired back harder — something Torres hadn’t really faced before in the UFC.
This was essentially a brawler vs. brawler, but Dober’s counter-left was sharper and shorter.
Torres’s aggression played into Dober’s pocket game — a classic case of walking onto a left hand.
Dober has fought elite names (Islam, Bobby Green, Rafael Alves).
Torres never fought someone with Dober’s combination of durability, power, and composure.
For similar matchups:
Avoid overvaluing flashy early finishes against low-tier opponents.
Consider pocket-boxing and durability as a neutralizer to raw explosiveness.
Fighters like Dober with insane recovery, veteran timing, and bomb-proof chins should never be counted out in a brawl unless there’s serious decline or a clear stylistic mismatch.
I likely leaned toward Kevin Borjas, possibly due to:
His explosive striking, leg kicks, and durability shown in his UFC debut vs. Joshua Van.
Ronaldo Rodríguez being a UFC newcomer, which can carry debut jitters or unproven levels of composure.
A perception that Borjas was more dangerous as a striker, especially early.
Ronaldo Rodríguez won via decision in a very high-paced, back-and-forth fight.
He absorbed Borjas’s best strikes, pushed a brutal pace, and started pulling ahead late.
Rodríguez showed up with a nonstop gas tank, high volume, and pressure.
He ate Borjas’s shots and kept coming — a trait that breaks many explosive but lower-volume strikers.
This performance revealed next-level toughness and composure for a debutant.
Borjas is a crisp striker, but once his leg kicks were absorbed, he faded under pressure.
He doesn’t deal well when he can’t control tempo — and Rodríguez completely took that away.
The fight showed Rodríguez was more well-rounded and better conditioned.
Rodríguez made in-fight adjustments, especially in how he pressured Borjas against the cage and mixed in body work.
Borjas had less adaptability when his power shots didn’t put Ronaldo away.
This is a good example of where I should have weighed regional scene tape and durability under chaos more than just UFC tenure.
Rodríguez looked calm under fire, like he’d fought tougher battles before — even if they weren’t in the UFC.
For future fights like this:
Be cautious penalizing UFC newcomers if they show a strong regional resume and pressure style — especially at flyweight.
Pressure + volume + chin can outperform power and UFC experience when the pace can’t be managed.
When an explosive striker doesn’t finish early, the tide often turns quickly — especially in 125ers.