Ismyal Sillakh

[El Kabong]

So Izzy got TKO'd in 8 after looking quite good on FNF vs a favorite he comes in as a favorite and gets stopped badly. I think its good this loss has happened when it did #1 Izzy is young, he'll regroup #2 There's a log jam of title holders right now and it could take time for that to clear up.

Sillakh has plenty to work on, what do you guys think of him now?

[Rantcatrat]

First, I eat crow, as I thought the Black Russian was perhaps the best in the division.

I'm not giving up on him yet. I believe he still has a future in the sport. He was fighting a puncher, and got caught when he had a momentary lapse in judgment. It happens. Hopefully, he uses it as a learning tool, and it wakes him up to a few things he could improve on.

He should take an immediate rematch with Grachev and knock him out too.

On the other hand, Grachev makes for fun fights. He could be matched with a Rosinksy, Bellew type, and we would have a barn burner. Here's what Grachev said after the fight:


"I would love to fight the winner of Dawson and Hopkins." "I am not a technical fighter, but I can break any man in boxing. I wouldn't outbox a legend like Hopkins or a former Champion like Dawson, but I promise I would break their spirit and eventually knock them out. That's what I do...I break my opponents."

Damn Russians

[killersheep]

He was absolutely dominating that fight and he got caught. It happens, this is one of those crossroads events that can crush a fighter's confidence. It will be interesting to see how he recovers, I won't make any judgements on how he does going forward until I see him in another fight.

[p4pking]

He was dominating as far as points, but not really trying to get his man out of there. He also tired quite clearly by the mid rounds and was almost spent before he got caught it seems. It should also be said that you could use Fed Ex to deliver a punch and it would get there before Gorchevs. He telegraphs everything horribly and seeing as he'd really landed nothing to soften Sillakh up before the end it doesn't bode to well for the guy imo.

[El Kabong]

Cloud vs Gorchev? That would be fun huh?

[killersheep]

He was dominating as far as points, but not really trying to get his man out of there. He also tired quite clearly by the mid rounds and was almost spent before he got caught it seems. It should also be said that you could use Fed Ex to deliver a punch and it would get there before Gorchevs. He telegraphs everything horribly and seeing as he'd really landed nothing to soften Sillakh up before the end it doesn't bode to well for the guy imo.

He's a volume guy, most volume guys don't punch that hard although he was puffing earlier than usual.

[TigerFan]

He can still bounce back, he just needs to work on his defense. Although I hate when fighters change/blame their trainers for a loss I wouldn't mind he if hired somebody like Steward. Manny would get him to fight tall and protect his chin....might make him boring to watch but it's better than getting ktfo.

Full credit to Grachev. Didn't think it would be him to expose Ismayl' weaknesses. I figured it would take Cloud or Pascal to beat Sillakh. Since he's US based I'm sure they could make a Shumenov fight soon.

[p4pking]

He was dominating as far as points, but not really trying to get his man out of there. He also tired quite clearly by the mid rounds and was almost spent before he got caught it seems. It should also be said that you could use Fed Ex to deliver a punch and it would get there before Gorchevs. He telegraphs everything horribly and seeing as he'd really landed nothing to soften Sillakh up before the end it doesn't bode to well for the guy imo.

He's a volume guy, most volume guys don't punch that hard although he was puffing earlier than usual.

I though he got pretty lazy after the 3rd of 4th round, and looked tired towards the end. Considering he didn't take any punishment early this would suggest his stamina isn't going to let him be a volume guy. He reminds me a lot of Campillo when he punches and its great to watch, but he may just have that aesthetic appeal and lack basically everything else. Gorchev had awful technique and no workrate to speak of. He himself probably had no high hopes of winning the fight until he saw his chance.

[Hulk]

First, I eat crow, as I thought the Black Russian was perhaps the best in the division.

I'm not giving up on him yet. I believe he still has a future in the sport. He was fighting a puncher, and got caught when he had a momentary lapse in judgment. It happens. Hopefully, he uses it as a learning tool, and it wakes him up to a few things he could improve on.

He should take an immediate rematch with Grachev and knock him out too.

On the other hand, Grachev makes for fun fights. He could be matched with a Rosinksy, Bellew type, and we would have a barn burner. Here's what Grachev said after the fight:


"I would love to fight the winner of Dawson and Hopkins." "I am not a technical fighter, but I can break any man in boxing. I wouldn't outbox a legend like Hopkins or a former Champion like Dawson, but I promise I would break their spirit and eventually knock them out. That's what I do...I break my opponents."

Damn Russians

I gurantee Tavoris Cloud would break him inside two rounds.

Silakh was looking smooth til he got caught with his hands down, like Lyle says he'll learn from it and be back.

The guy can box, he just needs to learn not to be lazy in there and to FINISH HIS OPPONENT !

[Galaxy]

He needs to stay active for starters & learn to keep those hands up. I think he looked bored, & he paid for it

[DavilaJones]

Yeah he did look bored, he was landing at will but god why didn't he just finish the guy off? Or at least put the hurt on him so he'll wilt instead of coming forward. I really have high hopes for Sillakh. I don't think a KO loss is all that bad.

Champs lose fights, its more important that they learn the errors of their ways than to get gift decisions or fight soft opposition. He needs to land that left hook to the body more often and if he's gonna go out with his left hand down and least go out on an angle.

[Galaxy]

I think he can regroup after this loss.

The loss does not necessarily matter if he improves & comes back strong from here

[Tam Seddon]

I thought he was pretty unlucky because he was clearly winning the fight. Credit for grachev though for continuing to press the action to get the stoppage. He had to go for it and it paid off.

I think that both men will make progress in the weight class and I wouldn't mind seeing a rematch further down the line.

[Hulk]

I thought he was pretty unlucky because he was clearly winning the fight. Credit for grachev though for continuing to press the action to get the stoppage. He had to go for it and it paid off.

I think that both men will make progress in the weight class and I wouldn't mind seeing a rematch further down the line.

I agree.

It was eerily similar to Brian Vera vs. Andy Lee I.

[p4pking]

I thought he was pretty unlucky because he was clearly winning the fight. Credit for grachev though for continuing to press the action to get the stoppage. He had to go for it and it paid off.

I think that both men will make progress in the weight class and I wouldn't mind seeing a rematch further down the line.

I agree.

It was eerily similar to Brian Vera vs. Andy Lee I.

I'd have to re-watch that one, just remember seeing in live on FNF. I seem to remember Vera starting to get back into the fight for quite a bit before he really hurt Lee though, with some given and take even before then Maybe it was more sudden than I remember. Sillakh basically just had a heavy bag in front of him but got tired and stopped thinking then was taken out with one of the same telegraphed shots he'd been seeing all night. I don't have high hopes for him anymore but mostly because I don't think Gorchev is anything at all.