Official Mixed Martial Arts Thread

[Yobo Ahoy]

I actually watched it on fight pass with the free trial so effectively got the US coverage. Was pretty good - added bonus of checking out older UFC/Pride/Strikeforce on the service too - might even keep it going for a while.

Did anyone see the hilarious 50/50 hammerfist exchange in the match with the Cheesecake Assassin? This needs sound

Jeez

Didn't see that, the Channel 5 coverage cut out all of the prelims. Had to download the BT version to see Luke Barnatt's fight - who looked fucking awesome by the way.

Woof.

[ckny]

That hammer fist exchange is embarrassing. I really enjoyed the C5 coverage, thought Pougatch lent a credible voice to the anchor role, even if it was obvious he'd never seen MMA before. Griffin was good in-studio, they did a good job welcoming newcomers.

[schmojo]

Surely it's time to get excited about THE NEW AGE OF THE WELTERWEIGHT DIVISION?

Robbie Lawler is in a title fight in 2014 - it's insane. I really hope he wins, but I don't give him much of a chance. He proved against Manhoef that he can withstand heavy hands, but Hendricks is on a tear right now.

Looking for Condit to beat Woodley, to set up another title fight down the line.

I can't believe Krylov made it to a main card. Hopefully they're just trying to build up OSP, but Krylov will be a big 205lb-er, no matter how rubbish.

[Silent Runner]

There was a really good fly on the wall documentary on Conor McGregor on Irish TV last night. Followed him for a year or so from his time coming into the bigger fights up to his most recent fight and injury in Boston.

I don’t know if he’s a big name in MMA but the documentary is well worth tracking down. He comes across as a good lad. I don’t follow MMA myself but he’s from the same part of Dublin that I’m from which was why I watched.

[schmojo]

He's an up-and-comer, but I suspect he'll be big news in the next year for 3 reasons:

1) He's Irish, and UFC likes having hometown boys. He'll be built up to make sure that Irish events sell out in the future.

2) He's exciting, has a very aggressive style.

3) He talks a lot of trash on Twitter. Most bigger names turn down his trolling for fights, but I'm sure he'll have his breakthrough fight with a Top 10 opponent before the year is out.

[McFly]

He's been injured a while hasnt he? He's definetly one to look out for though i agree.

Did anyone watch Glory 14 (formerly K1 i believe) on BT? There was some good action once it got going and the LW title fight was really good.

Hoping the card this weekend lives up to its billing, Lawlor and Condit ftw please. Hendricks kinda bugs me for some reason and I would rather Lawlor or Condit was the Champ.

[Gotters]

Hendricks failed to make weight first time coming in 1.5lbs over, which he later shed and made weight meaning its still a title fight

Lots of talk of him looking gaunt and shaking even before he had to cut the extra weight, I think this turns what I thought was a sure thing into something more interesting, if Lawler can avoid the bombs early Hendricks won't last 5 well.

Apparently he walks round 30lbs over welter and Mike Dolce says he expects him to move up eventually as welter is too low for him

[Yobo Ahoy]

Oof. He looks fucked. I want Robbie to win anyway so good news!

Further weight-cutting japes with Kelvin Gastelum who only made it on his third attempt:

Ariel Helwani ‏@arielhelwani 11h

According to Gastelum's mgr Shane Baldwin, Gastelum took a "miracle" #2 with 5 minutes to spare to hit 170 lbs. Enjoy your dinner, friends!

Ariel Helwani ‏@arielhelwani 11h

For the record, Baldwin didn't call it #2. He used a different word. What a fun day. What a fun sport.

Ariel Helwani ‏@arielhelwani 11h

Now Gastelum's mgr @dshanebaldwin keeps texting me "miracle poo!" I wonder if other sports reporters get texts like that?

Actually a good-looking card top to bottom, can't wait!

[Gotters]

Joe Rogan has talked a lot in the podcast about how fighters cut and then in the 24h before the fight rehydrate and can put back on huge amounts of weight - it all sounds very unhealthy and probably makes it very difficult to fight at your actual weight, as the guy opposite you will have blown up since weigh in.

Hendricks only missed by a bit but isn't good for him, bet the odds have swung, though still make him a big favourite

[McFly]

Very interesting development, the wight cutting is almost as big an issue as TRT, but its up to the fighters what the do i guess.

[Don Rosco]

He's an up-and-comer, but I suspect he'll be big news in the next year for 3 reasons:

1) He's Irish, and UFC likes having hometown boys. He'll be built up to make sure that Irish events sell out in the future.

2) He's exciting, has a very aggressive style.

3) He talks a lot of trash on Twitter. Most bigger names turn down his trolling for fights, but I'm sure he'll have his breakthrough fight with a Top 10 opponent before the year is out.

Agreed on 2 & 3 for sure, but there's a bit more to it than that. I know he needs to move up the ranks, but he's got huge potential. I mean, i'm delighted to see him do well as a fellow dubliner, but i'm more interested in him as an MMA fan. He's so good to watch. And outside of the trash talking on twitter, he gives great press. He can talk shite for Ireland. A curious mix of widsom and madness and waffle.

1 is just nonsense though. UFC would sell out in Dublin with any kind of card, they don't need mcgregor.

[Kingpin]

^ agree with that. Any shitty card here would sell out in minutes. I'd say it's more likely that he's a good draw for the Irish Americans? Who cares anyway, he's a beast who lives in SBG HQ. He's a solid purple belt too which was only hinted at in the Max Holloway fight (where he had torn his ACL). I think he has only recently gotten the all clear to go back to grappling though he has been back striking for a few months now. I'm obviously biased though as I'm a lowly white belt in the same gym.

I can't wait to see him moving up the ranks, hope he goes all the way. Lot of other guys waiting to follow him into the UFC too - Pendred, Mulpeter, Daly, Holohan & Fields are safe bets for the Dublin card. Add in Parke, Seery and the other Team Ryano fighters and it's an exciting time for the sport in Ireland.

Anyway - tonight. What a bizarre scenario that tonight could have been if he couldn't lose those lbs - Lawler would have been eligible to win the belt while Hendricks was not. Hoping for Lawler but expecting JH to win a decision, despite the weight issues.

[schmojo]

It's entirely transparent that the UFC wants hometown fighters, and is willing to give them an easier ride as a result. Look at Tie Quan Zhang, Hyun Gyu Lim, Ilir Latifi, and so many more.

It's not just to sell out single events, but to establish a connection with the market that leads to merch sales and PPV purchases. You see plenty of new fighters being thrown against the wall to try and replace Bisping's commercial appeal over here. MacGregor's marketable, and that's more important to Dana than the fact that he's skilled, otherwise you'd still see Fitch and Okami in the UFC.

171 Stuff:

Some surprising results, my picks were a shambles! Poor Condit - he was just getting his game going when the injury happened. I don't want to take anything away from Woodley - he landed some bombs - but I certainly didn't come away thinking that he was the better fighter. Whenever he was in top position, Condit looked very dangerous from the bottom.

Even though he's an Olympic judoka, I didn't expect Lombard to nullify Shields so effectively. Terrible top game, but definitely outclassed him - surprising stuff.

The main event was a cracker - great fight that went up the 5th. They slowed to a glacial pace at times, and hands were all over the place, but it made for some good entertainment. When Lawler became basically inanimated in the 5th, I was yelling at him in frustration - really looked like it might happen for him up until then. Hendricks is doing a lot to round out his game, and it is impressive, but watching them both fight for the title, neither looked transcendently good. I wonder if Hendricks ended up looking more vulnerable than usual because he didn't have the Southpaw advantage this time?

[Yobo Ahoy]

Really good main event. Hard not to feel sympathy for Robbie when Hendricks was laying on him with a minute to go, he clearly had nothing left to give.

Feel terrible for Condit. Like you say he was just getting going when it happened, I think he would have won easily had the fight gone the distance.

Either way, the WW division is looking pretty open at the moment. Good times!

[Gotters]

great main event and for once a close scorecard that gets it right (for the most part, one guy had a couple of wonky round scores)

guess the concerns about Hendricks making weight didn't have the expected effect, though I think his gut check in the 5th was forged against GSP, when he cruised the last thinking it was in the bag

good to see Jake Shields get pasted too, a boring fighter who is bit like the make weight teams in the premier league - every now and then capable of an upset but really just making up the numbers

[Yobo Ahoy]

Shogun/Hendo 2 on Sunday! Can't believe their first fight was 2 and a half years ago, seems like yesterday. Can't see this one going 5 rounds though.

[McFly]

good to see Jake Shields get pasted too, a boring fighter who is bit like the make weight teams in the premier league - every now and then capable of an upset but really just making up the numbers

Yeah he didnt offer very much at all, the guillotine at the end apart, it would have been a robbery if he had won with that, a credible comeback. but robbery still.

Agree with you Gotters about Hendricks coming strong in the 5th, when he coasted against GSP costing him the fight last time out. Gutted for Condit i hope he'll be back this year, to fight either MacDonald or Woodley again or maybe Lawlor, there is so many exciting matches possible!

Looking forward to tonight and Hendo/Shogun 2, Rua with a 3rd round KO this time.

[Corrogate]

Wow!

[schmojo]

I don't know how I feel about Hendo anymore...

He's abandoned his wrestling (except for some defensive work), has very few combinations, stands flat-footed and survives based on his legendary chin.

When Shogun dropped him twice, I thought that Belfort had been the one to break Hendo, but his chin obviously still saw him through the fight tonight.

He was outclassed for the entire fight - he looked slow, lazy, and his timing seemed to be amiss. But then, he's Hendo, so it can turn around in the blink of an eye.

Does anyone think that he's better than Shogun after last night? Has he become the walking embodiment of a puncher's chance, doing nothing of any quality until he hits his one trick?

[Gotters]

Couple of great fights on the bill, loved the slightly flabby looking brazilian spanking the chiseled american guy (volente ?)

Credit hendo at 43 for surviving Rua's best then splattering his nose all over his face like that. He may not be top class any more but that was a very entertaining main event.

[Corrogate]

hard to say on Hendo. Could have just been super conservative in those earlier rounds, as he claims. he defense was great, i thought it was over in those first rounds - sure Rua didn't expect him to come back like that.

[schmojo]

His fight IQ is incredibly low these days. He's a right hand and a granite chin, but not much else. For a former Olympian (I know, he doesn't wrestle anymore...), his first round TD attempt was embarrassing.

[Corrogate]

Whatever the case, he is old for the fight game. Taking damage at that age can't be good, especially considering that head kick from Belfort.

I think the same for Rua though, who's only 32. I see 'em in the cage and I'm just thinking, let it go... Vitor's a different story mind, and then you've gotta consider the implications of TRT... and then you've gotta go back to Hendo. And then you're like wut?

[McFly]

Some KO by the lad Pepe. I guess i got it it half right when isaid 3rd Round KO for Shogun, it looked on the cards, then boom Hendo got him.

[schmojo]

Fights tonight, after what seemed like forever!

Nelson vs Nogueira is an excellent fight on paper - both excellent chins, both excellent BJJ, both best by Frank Mir.

Interested in seeing more of LaFlare too, but not too thrilled about the rest of the card otherwise.

BUT... Browne v Werdum next week.

I don't actually like either guy, but I'd like to see Browne silenced. He claims to be the 'new breed'solely on the evidence of having a wide base because of his long legs. Still, his loss against Bigfoot was harsh and undeserved.

[Yobo Ahoy]

Fights tonight, after what seemed like forever!

Yeah man. They do tend to have nothing for about 3 weeks then cram about 7 events into a month, really weird. In the meantime I'm stuck watching Cheick Kongo stinking up the place on Bellator on a Saturday night.

[McFly]

I remember the first time i saw Guida fight, years ago, i thought, wow this guy is amazing. All his leaping all over the place, switching stances, crazy movement, i genuinely thought he was going to be great. And he had some great fights back then, but now, jesus what happened to him. Havent seen him in a good fight in so long i cant even remember

Just to bring this up again, i just watched his fight from tonight/friday just now, i dont get his thinking at all. he floors the guy with a punch in the first 10 seconds or so, then he barely throws a punch and just clinches the rest of the fight. I dont understand the strategy/mentality behind that at all.

Pretty good few fights tonight, gotta say a big "great googley moogley" over the main event though, crazy power.

[Gotters]

I love watching Roy Nelson fight - just something about watching a fat bloke who you know people, and possibly opponents, take lightly because of the gut. He's never going to be top contender or belt holder class (even if he dropped to LH) but that power and better tekkers than many think mean he's also going to be capable of taking most people out.

Not sure plastering Nog to the canvas means what it would a few years back but a good performance.

For me Guida is one of those guys who's suffered most at the crazy speed of change and improvement in skills of MMA fighters - he used to be good for the odd tear up on the undercard of first fight of a main event, and that was enough a few years back - nowadays it'll get you a few fight nights before being cut, the skill levels have increased massively.

[schmojo]

Hooray! Jon Jones is using the 'phone got hacked' excuse for homophobic comments made on Instagram. He's a snotty, overly pious, drink-driving homophobe, and he wonders why people don't warm to him?

On another note - Bisping/Kennedy tonight. In theory, Bisping should put on a clinic and be out of his league, but if Kennedy manages to get it to ground it's a different story. I think that Bisping's scramble can deal with Kennedy's top control, but it's certainly not cut and dried. I dislike Kennedy immensely though, so I'd quite like to see him actually put away. He's basically impossible to stop, but decision wins are Bisping's specialty.

Noons/Stout should be a bit of a war though - looking forward to that.

[McFly]

Fucking hell, what a twat.

http://deadspin.com/why-did-jon-joness-instagram-account-go-on-a-homophobic-1564439301

If homosexuality is a sin, he certainly has it on his mind a lot (or the alleged haXX0r does).