Official Mixed Martial Arts Thread

[angel]

I dont think he beats woodley either, I'm just explaining what I think his plan is. If he really wants to try and bulk up..which is possible...dropping 145 is a must. I think given a year off and specific training + adding mass, he could give it a go. And if he loses, well, he was challenging above his weight class, his stock doesn't drop.

 

Nate was around 180 upwards in that 2nd fight you know Stevedave, source, himself.

[Tofu]

Yeah Woodley would kill him. I know people are high on Conor right now (and understandably so) but this fight would be brutal. Wonderboy's a bigger and more accomplished striker and he couldn't do shit to him, his distance management is also better and Woodley was still able to close the distance with him. And where are Conor's physical advantages? Unlike Eddie, Woodley is the same height as McGregor and has the same reach. Difference is he's almost 30lb's heavier come fight night. Woodley would take him down early and TKO him with GnP.

[schmojo]

Looks like GSP, Cain, Cerrone, Dillashaw, Tim Kennedy and Bjorn Rebney have come together for a big announcement tomorrow. 

 

The rumour mill seems sure that it's an MMA union, which is fantastic. Even if that bell-end Rebney is involved. 

 

That being said, it's also been highlighted that those fighters are all ripped by CCA. They're a big rival of new owners WME-IMG. Fingers crossed they're in it for the right reasons, and not just  to mess with the competition. 

[angel]

3 hours ago, Tofu said:

Yeah Woodley would kill him. I know people are high on Conor right now (and understandably so) but this fight would be brutal. Wonderboy's a bigger and more accomplished striker and he couldn't do shit to him, his distance management is also better and Woodley was still able to close the distance with him. And where are Conor's physical advantages? Unlike Eddie, Woodley is the same height as McGregor and has the same reach. Difference is he's almost 30lb's heavier come fight night. Woodley would take him down early and TKO him with GnP.

 

I dont think thats entirely true, thompsons striking is completely different to conor, karate versus boxing, and conors boxing is top of the food chain. The current woodley would indeed take him down, but a conor in 10 months time who's bulked up, you never know.

[Doomguy]

6 hours ago, angel said:

Nate was around 180 upwards in that 2nd fight you know Stevedave, source, himself.

 

That's true but nate was a blown up lightweight; all 155lbers are around that weight with no camp / weight cut. 170lbers are closer to the 200 mark and so on. 

 

Conor fighting an actual 170bler is too much of a stretch for me. I mean, Lawler fought at 205lbs. Marquardt challenged for the 185lb belt. These guys will ragdoll him. 

[angel]

I agree, he'd need a long timeout to bulk up for it, but losing to them wont harm his stock thats why I think its an angle for them.

 

Cavanagh is furious about this belt stripping, and Conor too, which you can tell by his silence on the matter. I agree, its like the UFC want to shoot the Conor cash cow for the sake of saving the incredibly thin 206 card with a meaningless interim title. Say what you will about Mac but he brings in the money like no tomorrow, but yet they're handling him in a shockingly bad way. As he said after 205, hes not even sat down with the top brass yet, where before it was him and "uncle frank" (fertitta) out the back sipping vintage whiskey.  I think he might be too big for them now and possibly approaching other avenues.  I mean..you see other articles like "so and so leads fight night purses with 50,000 dollars", Conor doesn't want to be even associated with such lowly numbers now.  They are going to need to seriously keep him sweet else he might walk.

[Doomguy]

They have just fucked themselves out of a shed load of money at 145lbs. The champ is the guy Conor KO'd in 13 seconds. The next guys inline have been smashed by Edgar who has now twice lost to Aldo. Talk about cutting your nose off to spite your face. 

[angel]

Yup, totally agree.

[Corrogate]

So fucking what? If you're so sure the prick's not going to fight at 145 again then who cares? Everyone else's desire for a title shot has had to sit back for however long because the Conor McGregor show is on. I don't think he's a champion, personally; looking back he did tear apart the competition to get there but he didn't do a thing to prove he belonged to hold the belt for the last 11 months.

[schmojo]

They missed a trick. Conor gave them eyes on the lighter, non-lucrative weights, and they didn't understand how to use them. They decided to be solely in the Conor business.

 

Still, the fact that people are talking about him, and not three former UFC champs potentially forming a union and changing the shape of the sport, says that they've probably made the appropriate choice.

 

For better or worse.

[Corrogate]

IMO, the UFC really doesn't have a lot of stars going for it at the minute.

 

Ferguson and Khabib are getting a good shout for lightweight standings, indiscriminate of whether Conor's there or not (though certainly done them some favours), featherweight is looking okay, but who's in the running there? Woodley and Thompson for a rematch, Cerrone making some moves (NEEDS to fight Lawler IMO), Cruz hasn't done a lot, Dillashaw's last fight was 200, same as Aldo.

 

It might just be we've had a good year and things have slowed up, and I think I made a bit of a post like this before, but all I see potentially is Cain Velasquez's rise back to the belt (100% going to happen), Conor hopefully taking on both Khabib and Ferguson (at different times lololol), Garbrandt and Dillashaw, Thompson Vs. Woodley. Maybe that's enough? I dunno.

[Orion]

Thats all you see for 2017 ?

 

If Ronda beats Nunes she has a Holm rematch and Cyborg on the cards. Both would be fucking massive.

Conor vs anyone will be huge. If its Khabib and they do an Aldo style world tour build up it would be amazing.

Jones is back. I think Cormier is still champ at that point. The bad blood between them makes a killer rematch.

The shark pool at middleweight and how long Bisping can remain champ there. Loads of great fights to make with that top 5.

GSP is probably back, so will be the Diaz bros, Anderson Silva vs Belfort 2 maybe in Brazil.

 

Thats all just main event stuff too. Divisions like Welterweight are stacked outside Woodley/Wonderboy. You got Lawler, Maia, Condit, Cerrone, Stun Gun, Gunner etc.

 

We have been spoilt by some huge cards lately but there is tons on the horizon.

[Corrogate]

Just lost a big whiny post. Okay.

 

Ronda gets beat by Nunes, is she doesn't, meh, limited appeal.

Conor I've already addressed.

Jones, I could not be more excited for. Big time.

Middleweight is exciting but I see Bisping losing to one of the roiders. Yoel holds no interest for me because he's a fucking cheat, people have been flapping their gums about Jacare for ages but where does he stand? Very limited appeal.

GSP, until he gets a date, can seriously fucking do one. Don't want to hear any more about the guy.

Silva and Belfort, they're on there way out the door - the very mention makes me yawn.

 

Welterweight is interesting for Lawler Vs. Condit rematch potential I guess. Even with Condit as arguably one of the most dynamic and exciting strikers in the org' he's fighting the same old competition, however, I have just entertained the idea of Cerrone Vs. Conditt and goddamn if that's not an exciting match.

 

What else? That's about it. Hopefully Dillashaw tools up Gargrandt and can get another run at Cruz.

[Orion]

You lost me at "limited appeal" for Rousey vs Cyborg tbh. That would be fucking huge world wide.

 

I see alot of promise for 2017. Theres been some seriously stacked cards lately as well. The UFC is doing alright in my books atm. Theres been far bleaker times.

[angel]

3 hours ago, Corrogate said:

So fucking what? If you're so sure the prick's not going to fight at 145 again then who cares? Everyone else's desire for a title shot has had to sit back for however long because the Conor McGregor show is on. I don't think he's a champion, personally; looking back he did tear apart the competition to get there but he didn't do a thing to prove he belonged to hold the belt for the last 11 months.

 

Why are you so angry, I'm not the one who stripped him or making out he wont be back to 145, the UFC did it, its been all over the news sites since the start of the week. The UFC have seriously under utilised conor for the sake of some power battle, first 200, now this.  They should have let him keep both belts for longer than a fortnight. 145 is effectively dead now, PPV wise for sure.

[Corrogate]

Sorry angel, wasn't meant to seem directed at you.

[angel]

Ah ok, ta, I thought you meant conor never fighting at 145 was my insistence rather than the UFC mucking it all up.

[Doomguy]

To be fair, Conor or Ronda not fighting wouldn't be such a big deal had the UFC not been sold. If they don't fight and draw the new 'owners' (who've already made a clusterfuck of decisions) will run the company into the ground. Conor clearly knows this, ergo his demand, and Ronda doesn't care - she has her film deals. I think the new owners need to get rid of the reebok deal sharpish as it's becoming a sinking ship.

 

How many fighters are now waiting out their contracts btw?

 

Bendo did.

Rory did. 

Sonnen opted to sign with Bellator. 

Mitrione.

Ryan Bader has.

Miller is fighting out his last fight. 

 

Those aren't scrubs those are all top 10 fighters jumping ship.

 

 

[Tofu]

 

 

 

Out now.

[angel]

1 hour ago, Stevedave said:

To be fair, Conor or Ronda not fighting wouldn't be such a big deal had the UFC not been sold. If they don't fight and draw the new 'owners' (who've already made a clusterfuck of decisions) will run the company into the ground. Conor clearly knows this, ergo his demand, and Ronda doesn't care - she has her film deals. I think the new owners need to get rid of the reebok deal sharpish as it's becoming a sinking ship.

 

How many fighters are now waiting out their contracts btw?

 

Bendo did.

Rory did. 

Sonnen opted to sign with Bellator. 

Mitrione.

Ryan Bader has.

Miller is fighting out his last fight. 

 

Those aren't scrubs those are all top 10 fighters jumping ship.

 

 

 

I would argue they are all fighters on the back end of their careers, rory hit a wall, baders not a huge draw and falls at the last hurdle, bendo cant win a fight, none are real seriously big names. Agree, WME IMG have been hopeless so far and i bet they double down on reebok.

[Yobo Ahoy]

Yet they all headlined UFC events regularly (Mitrione aside).

 

Anyway it looks like Rory is in the middle of taking a year off (him vs Lima in July is being mooted) which is probably a good thing, his face took way too much of a beating in his last few UFC fights. 

[angel]

True but you're not arguing that any of them have significant star power are you? I that list a lot as individuals, but they're not needle movers.

[angel]

Mac just got a California state boxing license. Could be leverage, could be time for him to make 100mil from that fight then retire.   As much as I love seeing him fight, I think I'd enjoy seeing him flipping 2 fingers to the UFC , dropping the mic and leaving.   Their value would plummet, 206 is going to absolutely tank PPV wise, maybe they might start to realise what they might lose.

[Yobo Ahoy]

I dunno, Bendo had a lot of exposure on Fox in his UFC run and his PPV numbers weren't too horrific. 

 

Sonnen, as much as I can't stand him, is a big draw. Coincidentally the night of his Bellator debut, UFC have a PPV running on the same night in the same town (pretty much).

[angel]

Bendo is serious damaged goods now, blasted at 170, keeps losing, and he was always borderline anyway (draw wise). Sonnen is just entering the Bellator freakshow market now, I don't agree that he is a draw. I think the UFC will be delighted how they have all fared since leaving. Bader is staying by the way, he said as much as soon as he beat little nog.

[Doomguy]

They all stack up well against the current crop. Sonnen aside,  age wise they are all in their prime too. Add GSP potentially being in the mix and you have another Strikeforce/Pride situation on the cards very soon, only this time the UFC don't have the cash to buy out the competition. Reebok and the buyout are two the worst business decisions in mma history imo. They are now running at a net loss with each event. That's fucked. 

[Yobo Ahoy]

3 hours ago, angel said:

Bendo is serious damaged goods now, blasted at 170, keeps losing, and he was always borderline anyway (draw wise). Sonnen is just entering the Bellator freakshow market now, I don't agree that he is a draw. I think the UFC will be delighted how they have all fared since leaving. Bader is staying by the way, he said as much as soon as he beat little nog.

 

I doubt UFC are reading too much into it. Bendo losing title fights in Bellator legitamises them if anything, the likes of Chandler and Koreshkov are UFC calibre fighters and this confirms it. If he was running through everyone, we'd be all 'well it's just an Indian casino bush league anyway, he bloody well should be winning'. 

[angel]

I agree that Reebok is laughable but they'll never get rid of it now, too much pride at stake. I think the UFC will be delighted Ben is losing over at Bellator as they are quite petty, and Bellator look good because it legitimises their roster. I think the UFC are in for some rocky years, I said it before...thats why the Fertittas bailed. This fighters union, Ronda retiring if she loses, Mac debating crossing over to WWE or boxing, the Reebok fiasco, unreliable big name fighters (the AKA glass fighters, Jones, weight missers, etc etc)...I think some leaner times are coming. 206 is going to tank for a start.

[schmojo]

The main names involved in the Reebok deal aren't involved now. 

 

Surely from a pride point of view, it's the perfect time to say: "Hey, it was worth a try, and a great idea. But it wasn't our idea, so we're getting rid"?

 

Not that I think they will, but it would be a good (presumably inexpensive) morale win for the new bosses if they did. And I'm sure Reebok would still be interested in producing licensed gear in a less all-encompassing deal, as this deal has embarrassed them a few times. 

[Gotters]

Jon Jones doing Rogan podcast today - could be interesting.

 

Rogan can sometimes get a little starstruck with fighters (the Cerrone podcast was awful) and Jones tend to be very fake in interviews, trying to come across as all god fearing and reformed.

 

Could be interesting if he opens up and Rogan isn't lobbing him underarm softballs.