ncbtalksmma P.S MMA interview on Topuria and MMA legends

In the ncbtalksmma P.S MMA interview, the MMA analyst told me he expects Ilia Topuria to improve after the Justin Gaethje loss discussed in our conversation, believes Jason Jackson could challenge for a UFC top-15 spot immediately, and thinks the sport’s earlier greats deserve more careful comparisons with today’s fighters. He also broke down Mike Malott against Joaquin Buckley and explained how he moved into sports journalism.

What did ncbtalksmma say about Mike Malott vs Joaquin Buckley?

ncbtalksmma thinks Mike Malott’s technical striking matches up well with Joaquin Buckley’s more explosive attacks. He sees opportunities for Malott to time Buckley’s forward bursts, though he also identified ways Buckley could catch Malott with hooks and straight punches. For him, the matchup depends on which fighter controls those exchanges.

Malott’s striking drew his attention because he can bring his hand up to block a looping hook, then come over the top with a punch of his own. ncbtalksmma said the similar-looking starts to Malott’s punches can make them difficult to read. He also thought Malott might try takedowns, pointing to his willingness to wrestle in another fight.

The danger runs both ways. ncbtalksmma said Malott can be caught by hooks when he looks to parry, and that opponents have found him with jabs and straights down the middle. Buckley, in his view, could blitz with hooks, use low kicks and test that opening with straight shots.

Malott’s best counter, he argued, would be to recognize when Buckley commits to a blitz and meet him with a timed strike. That technical contest was the UFC fight he singled out as one he particularly wanted to watch.

What did ncbtalksmma say about the Professional Fighters League matchups?

ncbtalksmma leaned toward Liz Carmouche against Jena Bishop, citing Carmouche’s strength, but he expected Bishop’s size to matter. He was also interested in Timur Khizriev against Gabriel Braga and in a potential matchup involving Shamil Musayev, whose range of skills had impressed him in the Professional Fighters League.

Liz Carmouche against Jena Bishop

He had seen less of Bishop and made his Carmouche pick cautiously. His central question was which fighter could make better use of her physical advantages: Carmouche, whom he still regarded as strong, or Bishop, whom he described as someone who uses her size.

Timur Khizriev, Gabriel Braga and Shamil Musayev

Turning to Khizriev and Braga, ncbtalksmma highlighted Braga’s punching power, forward movement and switch combinations. He had not seen a backflip escape raised during our discussion, so his assessment stayed with the skills and matchup he knew.

Musayev’s Professional Fighters League performances also stood out to him. ncbtalksmma said Musayev had been finding chances to finish fights and called him one of the best welterweights outside the UFC. He would welcome a matchup testing Musayev against another physically imposing fighter from the promotion.

How did ncbtalksmma move into MMA content creation?

ncbtalksmma changed direction after graduating in an unrelated field just before the pandemic. He decided his degree did not point toward a career he wanted long term, earned a master’s in sports journalism and began doing post-fight interviews before developing the MMA breakdowns he now makes online.

Post-fight interviews before TikTok analysis

His early interviews were for Cagezilla, a local MMA promotion, and he also covered boxing. He first posted post-fight interviews on Instagram. When he shifted toward analyzing fighters and breaking down styles, he began uploading that work to TikTok; he also uses YouTube.

That background helps explain the detail in his matchup assessments. Rather than choosing Malott solely on a prediction, for example, he described specific openings for each fighter and how their reactions to one another could change the fight.

What did ncbtalksmma say about Jason Jackson in the UFC?

ncbtalksmma would like to see Jason Jackson in the UFC and thinks he could contend for a top-15 place immediately. He based that view on Jackson’s Bellator MMA experience, conditioning and balanced skill set, saying Jackson still looked effective despite getting older.

Jackson’s ability to sustain a pace was especially important to his assessment. ncbtalksmma pointed to Jackson’s long winning run in Bellator MMA and said that experience, together with his “endless gas tank,” would present problems for UFC opponents.

He also did not treat every loss as evidence that Jackson had fallen behind. In discussing tougher outings, ncbtalksmma said Jackson had still looked good and had given a difficult fight to one of his Professional Fighters League opponents. The question for him was how those established abilities would translate to the UFC roster.

What did ncbtalksmma say about MMA legends and Dominick Cruz?

ncbtalksmma believes prime versions of earlier MMA greats would remain competitive today, even though the sport has advanced. He considers direct rankings across eras unfair because fighters once had to travel for knowledge that is now readily available online. On skill alone, he said Dominick Cruz may still be the greatest bantamweight.

Why he resists comparing eras

His argument was not that training and technique have stood still. He said the sport has evolved rapidly, particularly as information has become easier to find. Earlier fighters had to seek out small advantages in person, while today’s athletes can study a much larger body of material online. ncbtalksmma summarized his position this way:

“I don't really see comparing eras”

He preferred judging fighters within the circumstances of their own generations. He also thought a prime Chuck Liddell might be ranked at light heavyweight today, partly because he did not see that division as having evolved as rapidly as some lighter weight classes.

Dominick Cruz’s bantamweight case

Cruz is a personal reference point: the first event ncbtalksmma attended in Washington, DC, featured Cruz defending his title against Demetrius Johnson. Looking back at Cruz’s peak, he praised how smoothly Cruz could move from combinations into wrestling and said he was ahead of his time. He also named Benson Henderson as his first favorite UFC fighter.

What did ncbtalksmma say about Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje?

ncbtalksmma expects Ilia Topuria to return with a broader game after the loss to Justin Gaethje discussed in our conversation. He suggested Topuria might mix wrestling with striking more often in a rematch, while acknowledging that Gaethje can make the close-range boxing exchanges Topuria usually favors unusually difficult.

A different approach to a Gaethje rematch

Topuria has often been able to win when opponents engage him in the pocket, ncbtalksmma said. His reading of Gaethje was different: Gaethje can also land effectively there, including with hooks and uppercuts, and can attack with leg kicks as exchanges break. That made a changed plan more interesting to him than simply repeating the same exchanges.

Other matchups on his radar

He also discussed a possible UFC matchup for Akbar and proposed experienced opponents whose styles could test him. King Green appealed to him as a particularly awkward challenge because of his unusual striking approach. On a separate potential matchup, ncbtalksmma thought Carlos Prates could create problems for Islam Makhachev on the feet, but said Makhachev’s wrestling would be a major hurdle.

Who is ncbtalksmma?

ncbtalksmma is a sports commentator and the lead interviewer for Cagezilla and Champions League Boxing. He holds an MA in Sports Journalism.