Official Mixed Martial Arts Thread

[Gotters]

brilliant by Holloway - you could visibly see Aldo gas and open his mouth about halfway thru the second round and Holloway fought such an intelligent fight

 

Aldo already whining in the ring the stoppage was early which is nuts, he gave up his back, offered nothing and was getting pasted.

 

Love Cruz commentating, he called the fight so perfectly and predicts what will happen.

 

couple of great fights early on the card too before Vitor bought it back down to mediocrity

[McFly]

Aldo was lucky Big John didnr stop it earlier as Aldo was out of it. How Max didnt go for the armbar i'll never know, Max must have serious power but strategy win the day.

 

Awesome choke by Gadelha (what was her nickname?) Kinda exposed KKs weakness, she looked so cute standing against the cage cool as fuck before hand to.

 

I forgot to the Erik Silva stoppage was balls, he was going for an underhook! How is that not defending yourself?!

[Yobo Ahoy]

Great stuff. I don't have anything against Aldo but Holloway really deserves it, he's improved so much and has beaten most of the top contenders. I hope he destroys Edgar, assuming that's the next fight. Shame McGregor will never come back to FW (probably not the UFC full stop) as I'd love to see that rematch.

 

That Borrachinha is a beast, like the new Belfort! 

 

[Doomguy]

4 hours ago, Yobo Ahoy said:

Great stuff. I don't have anything against Aldo but Holloway really deserves it, he's improved so much and has beaten most of the top contenders. I hope he destroys Edgar, assuming that's the next fight. Shame McGregor will never come back to FW (probably not the UFC full stop) as I'd love to see that rematch.

 

That Borrachinha is a beast, like the new Belfort! 

 

 

I want Edgar to win. It's hard not to be a fan of his at this point. He had some boring decisions at the start of his career but he just kept his head down and kept going. He's never really been a trash talker either. 

[Yobo Ahoy]

He was quiet after Aldo 2 but I've always found him really ungracious in defeat. He works hard but I don't often enjoy his fights. I guess he's a bit more bearable now he's out of the incessant rematch cycle but I would love to see Holloway go on and dominate from here.

[schmojo]

I always enjoy watching Edgar fight - he's brilliant, but he was caught in a bit of a rematch cycle for a long while.

 

Great performance by Holloway, who seems to be legitimately the best 145lber in the world today. I can't imagine modern day Conor would have much for him if he showed the chin and variety of attack that he showed this weekend.

 

The Belfort decision was dogshit, but so was most of the fight. Brazilians gonna Brazil.

[Yobo Ahoy]

I think 2 of the judges in the Belfort fight were American actually... it was close but not a robbery by any stretch. Agreed it was a pretty terrible fight though.

[pinholestar]

6 hours ago, schmojo said:

I can't imagine modern day Conor would have much for him if he showed the chin and variety of attack that he showed this weekend.

 

I think Conor would still beat him if they rematched (they won't though). His control of range is superb & it's only Diaz, a much taller & rangier boxer who can take damage like no-one else, that's really troubled him on the feet. Holloway's improved massively since their last fight & would give Conor a sterner test these days but for a tall guy he has quite short arms & he does get hit a fair amount. Taking nothing away from Holloway's achievement because he was fantastic against Aldo but I still think a powerful wrestler who would threaten the takedown & hammer him on the ground is the most likely threat to McGregor. Guess we'll never know though because he's never going back to FW & I wouldn't be surprised if he only fights once or twice more in the UFC after the Mayweather thing.

[schmojo]

I don't think that there's only one kind of fighter who can beat McGregor.

 

Someone with a strong wrestling base like an Edgar or Nurmagomedov, sure, but Holloway's game is so much more rounded than Conor's. And he's a lot more aggressive now.

 

I have no idea how Conor would have fared in a longer Aldo fight. None of us do. But we saw how Holloway did.

 

It's all academic anyway - Conor probably doesn't fight a relevant fight again.

[McFly]

I think Conor could havr outlasted Aldo in a full 5 rounds. Against Edgar id be on the fence but id give him no chance against Khabib. Id really love to see Tony Ferguson get a shot at MacGregor but i doubt we'll ever see MacGregor in a decent MMA fight unless he gets embarrassed against Mayweather, if it happens.

[Orion]

 

2 hours ago, schmojo said:

I don't think that there's only one kind of fighter who can beat McGregor.

 

Someone with a strong wrestling base like an Edgar or Nurmagomedov, sure, but Holloway's game is so much more rounded than Conor's. And he's a lot more aggressive now.

 

"Holloway's game is much more well rounded"

 

Conor out wrestled Holloway on one leg.  Worked him over on the feet and took him down easily. He has got better obviously but it's not like Conor hasn't either. 

 

[schmojo]

At this point even debating it is academic. The worst part of Conor's legacy is that every conversation turns to him and it holds the sport back. 

 

They need to strip him asap or get that 155lb interim belt in play asap. But diminishing his value would be detrimental to the UFC so we'll still get Rogan spouting garbage about Conor being the 145lb GOAT just to keep his name in the daily headlines.

[Orion]

Well Conor has beat both Aldo and Max. That's the truth. I'm not sure how that is garbage.

 

[Yobo Ahoy]

39 minutes ago, Orion said:

 

 

"Holloway's game is much more well rounded"

 

Conor out wrestled Holloway on one leg.  Worked him over on the feet and took him down easily. He has got better obviously but it's not like Conor hasn't either. 

 

 

Max was only 21 and Conor had 6 fights on him last time. He is a completely different fighter now, every time we see him he is getting better. The rematch would be amazing. 

 

 

[Orion]

13 minutes ago, Yobo Ahoy said:

 

Max was only 21 and Conor had 6 fights on him last time. He is a completely different fighter now, every time we see him he is getting better. The rematch would be amazing. 

 

 

 

Aye but you could say Conor was in his second fight in the UFC and was only 24. Both were inexperienced. He is a much better fighter now but so is Conor.

 

I still think Conor has too much for anyone at 145. Be some entertaining fights if he can boil himself down there though.

 

[McFly]

All this speculation could be put to bed if Conor would just bloodyfight! But he wont  >.>

[schmojo]

3 hours ago, Orion said:

Well Conor has beat both Aldo and Max. That's the truth. I'm not sure how that is garbage.

 

 

He doesn't have a single title defense. He has an interim win followed by a win over Aldo. He was also fast-tracked to the interim belt.

 

For me, he sits in the history books as Holloway's peer. He has a (convincing) decision against a very young Max, but then Holloway has achieved more at a younger age. And has subs on his record.

 

It's hard for me to argue against Aldo as the FW GOAT for now. Holloway is looking like he could overtake that frighteningly soon though.

 

I suppose it depends on criteria, Aldo is undoubtedly past the crest of his career, but beating Silva didn't make Weidman the mw GOAT.

 

 

[Orion]

schmojo you are sounding like your typical Conor hater again.

 

He beat both of them easily.  

 

 

[McFly]

Mighy Mouse has joined the "Dana and the UFC are mistreating/bullying me" club and claims that Dana threatened to dump the 125lb division if DJ didnt didnt fight Dillashaw

 

http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2017/6/5/15740106/ufc-mma-news-interview-statement-demetrious-johnson-dana-white-flyweight-division

 

This stuff cant keep happening can it? Its horrible watching a sport that is a huge part of life and a company i admired being ruined.

 

[schmojo]

1 hour ago, Orion said:

schmojo you are sounding like your typical Conor hater again.

 

He beat both of them easily.  

 

 

 

Until he proves otherwise, the Aldo fight could've been the perfect storm of distraction and mind games, leading to a fluke win.

 

(Though Mac *is* probably the GOAT of winning fights with activities outside the cage.)

 

The Max Holloway Conor beat was a kid who got a split decision over Leonard Garcia, rather than having one of the biggest winning streaks in UFC history.

 

I'm not a big Conor fan, but I'm not the only one with a partisan view...

[Orion]

8 minutes ago, schmojo said:

 

Until he proves otherwise, the Aldo fight could've been the perfect storm of distraction and mind games, leading to a fluke win.

 

(Though Mac *is* probably the GOAT of winning fights with activities outside the cage.)

 

The Max Holloway Conor beat was a kid who got a split decision over Leonard Garcia, rather than having one of the biggest winning streaks in UFC history.

 

I'm not a big Conor fan, but I'm not the only one with a partisan view...

 

Aldo isn't the only bad loser.

 

"fluke win"

 

If Aldo had knocked out McGregor in 13 seconds. You and Aldo would have never shut up about it.

 

...but yeah Conor's the number 3 UFC Featherweight. Behind the two people he beat. LOL 

[schmojo]

Well, strictly speaking he's not a FW at all...

 

But, by your logic, not only is Weidman MW GOAT, but Fabio Maldonado was almost the HW GOAT too.

 

Any quick KO early in the fight can be questioned as a fluke. I don't think Marquardt is better than Maia, but you saw what happened there...

 

Hell, even flash KOs late in the fight can be too. Like Manhoef/Lawler or Barry/Kongo.

 

 

[Yobo Ahoy]

1 hour ago, McFly said:

Mighy Mouse has joined the "Dana and the UFC are mistreating/bullying me" club and claims that Dana threatened to dump the 125lb division if DJ didnt didnt fight Dillashaw

 

http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2017/6/5/15740106/ufc-mma-news-interview-statement-demetrious-johnson-dana-white-flyweight-division

 

This stuff cant keep happening can it? Its horrible watching a sport that is a huge part of life and a company i admired being ruined.

 

 

This is a fucking great read.  Turns out DJ is as precise with a pen as he is with his fists. I reckon his account is 100% true as well.

[schmojo]

The tragic thing is that they could cut DJ - the P4P number 1 - and probably not suffer at all. Meanwhile, he'd never get a platform as big as he has now.

 

It's a shame that MMA 'fighters alliance' died on it's arse, because the UFC is treating fighters with as little respect as ever. And the fighter reactions to it are getting worse.

 

DJ doesn't help his case much by referring to Sergio Pettis as a money fight whilst turning down TJ though. I understand his reasons, but breaking the record over an on-weight TJ would mean a lot more than a win over Pettis. Obviously neither would mean as much as a Cody fight, but that doesn't appear to be on the table.

[Orion]

 

15 minutes ago, schmojo said:

Well, strictly speaking he's not a FW at all...

 

But, by your logic, not only is Weidman MW GOAT, but Fabio Maldonado was almost the HW GOAT too.

 

Any quick KO early in the fight can be questioned as a fluke. I don't think Marquardt is better than Maia, but you saw what happened there...

 

Hell, even flash KOs late in the fight can be too. Like Manhoef/Lawler or Barry/Kongo.

 

 

So when a big KO artist gets a  KO punch in a championship fight it must always be because sheer fluke.

 

 

Calling Conor a fluke got embarrassing a long time ago. 

[schmojo]

It depends on how we define fluke, I suppose. If you know that a fighter can get his arse kicked for 3 rounds, but then lands one haymaker, does that make him the better fighter?

 

HW is a quagmire of low skill but, as they always say: "Don't blink, it could end any second". And they're not usually talking about because of a skillful finishing sequence.

 

I'm not embarrassed by wanting to see Conor answer some questions. I'm just bored by him dominating conversation and having no interest in providing those answers.

[Orion]

What Holloway did at the end of the 2nd round vs Aldo when he got his timing down showed what a longer Conor/Aldo fight would have looked like. Clowned him whilst slamming lead lefts in his face over and over again. Conor is faster, harder hitting and a far better stand up fighter than Holloway. I'd pick Eddie Alvarez and Nate Diaz to beat both Max and Aldo if they stepped upto 155 to be honest.

 

[schmojo]

Fingers crossed we'll get to see those fights for real one day and see how they play. 

 

Age is a big factor, and I picture Aldo, Diaz and Alvarez losing more than they win at high levels at this point.

 

Aldo's a weird one. In some ways, it looked like McGregor had broken him, as happens to many fighters. But then he put on a clinic against Edgar, who is amazing. But then against Holloway he didn't work his leg kicks and looked like grappling had long since left him.

 

I'd love to see Holloway make 2 or 3 defenses then step up - just for the dream fights. But wisely, and as he's so young, he seems to have his sights set on being an active champ and clearing out the division. He's got years left for 155lb+.

 

Maybe if the 155lb logjam continues some of those guys might try to come down anyway.

[Orion]

I really don't like what Tony Ferguson or Khabib would do to Holloway unless he fills out more as he gets older. I think he needs to stay at his weight a few years. He seems to get "IT" in UFC terms, he will trash talk and promote. I think the US public will get behind him. Hawaii will love him.

 

Shame UFC/Hawaii relationship still seems a mess. 

[skittles]

Now he's the champ surely he has to get his dream fight in hawaii. All the best to him.

 

Aldo looked incredible in those first two rounds, two in the books for sure but again not a single leg kick! Does he not rate his BJJ?