The MMA thread

Conor was saying after the fight that shit is about to hit the fan. Wonder what he meant by this. Issues with the UFC over the featherweight belt? Doesn't sound like he wants to go back to 145 to fight Aldo and Dana White said McGregor will be stripped if he doesn't face Aldo.
 
Saw the fight a second time. McGregor won 1&4 Diaz won 3&5. Round 2 could have gone either way but I'd probably give it to McGregor.

Having said that, McGregor can't be going around calling himself the king after that. Running away looking at the clock was embarrassing after all the preparation he apparently did. He was pretty much hanging on in round 3, and if that round was another 10 seconds, he would have lost.

I'm getting sick and tired of the Diaz way though. This isn't Pride, they need to get together game plans to win decision victories. Can't just go gung ho. This felt like Nate's version of Nick vs. Condit.

Still epic fight, lived up to the hype.
 
As for next, he didn't seem keen on the Aldo rematch, but then said he would be pissed if he was stripped of the belt. Sorry Conor but you either have to defend that belt next or give it up and Also is number one contender

I think he is in a situation now where either he desperately doesn't want to have to make that weight again or he isn't sure if he is capable of making it

I think 155 is his new home. If he is out a while now He should challenge the winner of Ferguson vs RDA I'm November
 
Randall Flagg said:
As for next, he didn't seem keen on the Aldo rematch, but then said he would be pissed if he was stripped of the belt. Sorry Conor but you either have to defend that belt next or give it up and Also is number one contender

I think he is in a situation now where either he desperately doesn't want to have to make that weight again or he isn't sure if he is capable of making it

I think 155 is his new home. If he is out a while now He should challenge the winner of Ferguson vs RDA I'm November
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Cerrone wants to go back to 155 as he has a win over Alvarez. McGregor vs Cowboy could be awesome as a contender fight at lightweight.
 
Can someone help me out with where I can watch the highlights? Every video I find is 'Unavailable in your country'. By page 3 of Google I assume I'm not going to have any success otherwise...
 
Tom Van Persie said:
Conor was saying after the fight that shit is about to hit the fan. Wonder what he meant by this. Issues with the UFC over the featherweight belt? Doesn't sound like he wants to go back to 145 to fight Aldo and Dana White said McGregor will be stripped if he doesn't face Aldo.
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Sounds like he would like to ignore Dana's edict about defending his title. He's a bit delusional if he thinks he can duck Aldo and continue to occupy the 145 belt. The great battle ahead as I see it, and perhaps what Conor was alluding to, is the power struggle between him and Dana where Conor insists on programming his next fight against whoever he wants v what Dana wants him to do.
 
Sied said:
Can someone help me out with where I can watch the highlights? Every video I find is 'Unavailable in your country'. By page 3 of Google I assume I'm not going to have any success otherwise...
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Full fight

 
Caught most of the fight albeit it was a choppy stream...looked a good fight....knew anything close McGregor would get the win, UFC isnt passing up a huge third fight payday.....cant wait for the next one....thought McGregor was finished...looks like when Nate started to rock him he was gassing again.....Connor used a lot of kicks in this fight that we didnt see in the first....I think Nate needs to come back and as much as he loves brawling, work on taking Connor down and working on him.
 
Imo it'll be Aldo next, Nate will get a title shot at 155 so the blow off fight could be a title fight and give Conor the chance to make history.
It's a safe road to take. Conor has to beat two fighters he's already beaten before.
 
What do people think about Cerrone vs Nick Diaz next? Nick wants someone on a winning streak, stylistically it will be super fun.

I don't think the UFC will pass up on Khabib vs Alvarez as Khabib has been deserving of a shot for so long now.

So both will be available, would be an amazing addition to the NY card.
 
For all the talk of Conor's cardio issues, Diaz himself only really worked in bursts, often at the end of rounds when he got Conor against the cage.
After the barrage at the end of the third Diaz's output drops until the second half of the fifth where he goes all out in wild fashion.

Having watched the fight again I'm surprised at the third round (which I'd still definitely give to Nate). I originally took it as complete dominance from Nate bell to bell but he only really takes charge in the second half and is only genuinely dominant in the final minute. Up until then it was a tight round with Conor arguably landing the better shots (although he is noticeably fatigued throughout). I'm pretty sure Nate almost punches himself out at the end of the round and the fourth tends to reflect that.

The second is a tight affair but it appeared to be either a draw or Conor's round. Conor put together four minutes of controlled effective striking with two knock-downs and then Diaz went on a bit of a rampage for the last minute or fifty seconds. The fact he finished the round on top makes it easier to understand why people might have given him the nod but if you imagine the round in reverse (Nate having a good opening minute and then Conor picking him apart for the next three or four) then I don't think there is much of a case for Diaz taking it.

I think the fourth was probably the closest round but would just give it to Conor for doing the cleaner work.

Cracking fight all-in-all despite my reservations about the rematch. Conor needs to go back to 145 and truly prove his dominance, a lot of fighters will take heart from his last two fights and have renewed belief in their ability to beat him. Once he has defended his title against the best contenders he can feck around with all these Hollywood fights as much as he likes. Although it would be entertaining I don't really see the point in a third fight with Diaz, Conor is the technically better fighter and the only way Diaz wins is through attrition (not a bad thing in itself but hardly the stuff of legends).

Great main card and hopefully the prelims (which I've not watched yet) are the same. Rumble is a monster, if anyone can KO Cormier (if thats even possible) then surely he is the man.
 
facund said:
For all the talk of Conor's cardio issues, Diaz himself only really worked in bursts, often at the end of rounds when he got Conor against the cage.
After the barrage at the end of the third Diaz's output drops until the second half of the fifth where he goes all out in wild fashion.

Having watched the fight again I'm surprised at the third round (which I'd still definitely give to Nate). I originally took it as complete dominance from Nate bell to bell but he only really takes charge in the second half and is only genuinely dominant in the final minute. Up until then it was a tight round with Conor arguably landing the better shots (although he is noticeably fatigued throughout). I'm pretty sure Nate almost punches himself out at the end of the round and the fourth tends to reflect that.

The second is a tight affair but it appeared to be either a draw or Conor's round. Conor put together four minutes of controlled effective striking with two knock-downs and then Diaz went on a bit of a rampage for the last minute or fifty seconds. The fact he finished the round on top makes it easier to understand why people might have given him the nod but if you imagine the round in reverse (Nate having a good opening minute and then Conor picking him apart for the next three or four) then I don't think there is much of a case for Diaz taking it.

I think the fourth was probably the closest round but would just give it to Conor for doing the cleaner work.

Cracking fight all-in-all despite my reservations about the rematch. Conor needs to go back to 145 and truly prove his dominance, a lot of fighters will take heart from his last two fights and have renewed belief in their ability to beat him. Once he has defended his title against the best contenders he can feck around with all these Hollywood fights as much as he likes. Although it would be entertaining I don't really see the point in a third fight with Diaz, Conor is the technically better fighter and the only way Diaz wins is through attrition (not a bad thing in itself but hardly the stuff of legends).

Great main card and hopefully the prelims (which I've not watched yet) are the same. Rumble is a monster, if anyone can KO Cormier (if thats even possible) then surely he is the man.
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You don't think Nate would win/highly benefit from taking Connor down and making it a ground fight? Providing that he can of course.
 
Conor is fortunate the 3rd and 5th rounds ended when they did. Another 30 seconds in either and Nate may have finished things off. That said, Conor could've probably made a good effort for his own finishes if he took full advantage after knocking Nate down three times, although he was probably more concerned about gassing if things went to the ground.
 
Pscholes18 said:
You don't think Nate would win/highly benefit from taking Connor down and making it a ground fight? Providing that he can of course.
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Nate is better on the ground without doubt. Can he get a fresh Conor to the ground? There is little to indicate that and he failed in all but one of his attempts last night and Conor should have been easy pickings from round three onward. I think it was the third knockdown when Nate spends a good while on his back desperately hoping to draw Conor in, he knows that it is his fight down there but still didn't manage to get it there until the last five seconds. I'm actually surprised he didn't try to wrestle during the first two rounds when he was being outclassed on the feet.
 
McGregor got a bit lucky but I think it was the right decision.He worked smart, did not get lured into take downs and ground battles. His cardio is still suspect, but so was nate's for a bit. for A third match though, I am not sure how I feel about that. Result got spoiled by a snapchat headline (of all things) so I have yet to watch the rest of the card tonight.
 
A great deal of Diaz' strikes were pointless taps in the clinch that did no damage, but racked up the numbers. A situation he's regularly whined about opponent doing when he loses matches by decision.
 
Raoul said:
Sounds like he would like to ignore Dana's edict about defending his title. He's a bit delusional if he thinks he can duck Aldo and continue to occupy the 145 belt. The great battle ahead as I see it, and perhaps what Conor was alluding to, is the power struggle between him and Dana where Conor insists on programming his next fight against whoever he wants v what Dana wants him to do.
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Yeah it seems that way. Despite what Conor and Dana have said recently, I don't think they are on good terms. At the weigh ins Conor just walked straight past Dana didn't shake his hand or acknowledge him in anyway. Sensed a bit of tension there. It's going to be interesting to see who McGregor faces next. McGregor is going to want a shot against Alvarez for the lightweight title but I think Dana will say no to that.
 
facund said:
Nate is better on the ground without doubt. Can he get a fresh Conor to the ground? There is little to indicate that and he failed in all but one of his attempts last night and Conor should have been easy pickings from round three onward. I think it was the third knockdown when Nate spends a good while on his back desperately hoping to draw Conor in, he knows that it is his fight down there but still didn't manage to get it there until the last five seconds. I'm actually surprised he didn't try to wrestle during the first two rounds when he was being outclassed on the feet.
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There was one part where he was scooting forward towards McGregor on his butt, hoping he'd engage, only getting up when it was clear McGregor was having none of it.
 
TBH, it really was a tough fight to judge. It wasnt clear cut and neither man could complain had they lost as they left it in the hands of other people.
A third fight has to happen. Some people are saying they dont want to see it, but 1-1, and the second fight being as close as it was, I would be surprised if UFC dont push for it.

I do think Conor needs to also defend his title.
 
kidbob said:
Great response watch it again conor beat him up. Knocked him down 3 times and didn't get rocked himself. He beat him clearly.
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He was on the verge of the fight getting stopped at the end of the 3rd. If the round was 10 seconds longer I'm positive it would've been.
 
Sylar said:
TBH, it really was a tough fight to judge. It wasnt clear cut and neither man could complain had they lost as they left it in the hands of other people.
A third fight has to happen. Some people are saying they dont want to see it, but 1-1, and the second fight being as close as it was, I would be surprised if UFC dont push for it.

I do think Conor needs to also defend his title.
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Problem is how do you get people excited about that fight now.
 
Paolo Di Canio said:
Problem is how do you get people excited about that fight now.
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Most UFC fans bar a small contingent of Conor fans in Ireland would be excited about it. The first result was a one off similar to Weidman-Silva 1, Miocic-Werdum, and more recently Bisping-Rockhold - to where you just know a rematch would likely yield a different result. Aldo looked back to his best against Edgar and given his long reign prior to last December, a rematch is essential.
 
Raoul said:
Most UFC fans bar a small contingent of Conor fans in Ireland would be excited about it. The first result was a one off similar to Weidman-Silva 1, Miocic-Werdum, and more recently Bisping-Rockhold - to where you just know a rematch would likely yield a different result. Aldo looked back to his best against Edgar and given his long reign prior to last December, a rematch is essential.
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I have no doubt how much of a world class athlete Jose Aldo is, but from the way Conor is talking, I think it is the Mayweather fight next for him and possibly dropping the title and returning when he sees a proper challenger for himself.

The bigger names are in the higher divisions. Even if he beats Aldo again, who can he face after that? Edgar? Holloway? I just dont see it.
 
Paolo Di Canio said:
I have no doubt how much of a world class athlete Jose Aldo is, but from the way Conor is talking, I think it is the Mayweather fight next for him and possibly dropping the title and returning when he sees a proper challenger for himself.

The bigger names are in the higher divisions. Even if he beats Aldo again, who can he face after that? Edgar? Holloway? I just dont see it.
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The concern for Conor is what would happen if Aldo beats him. There would then be calls for a rematch to resolve the 1-1 draw which would then complicate things for both a third Nate fight, as well as any other fights Conor might want to do at 155. This is going to be a fight between Dana and Conor and I'm pretty sure Dana will win. The best case scenario would be for Conor to fight Aldo to prove the first fight was not a fluke and then move up to 155 where can fight Nate again and proceed from there.
 
Raoul said:
The concern for Conor is what would happen if Aldo beats him. There would then be calls for a rematch to resolve the 1-1 draw which would then complicate things for both a third Nate fight, as well as any other fights Conor might want to do at 155. This is going to be a fight between Dana and Conor and I'm pretty sure Dana will win. The best case scenario would be for Conor to fight Aldo to prove the first fight was not a fluke and then move up to 155 where can fight Nate again and proceed from there.
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I suppose but in my honest opinion what does he do after that fight that gains interest in that division? Do you think a rematch with Aldo will be his last fight at 145?
 
Raoul said:
The concern for Conor is what would happen if Aldo beats him. There would then be calls for a rematch to resolve the 1-1 draw which would then complicate things for both a third Nate fight, as well as any other fights Conor might want to do at 155. This is going to be a fight between Dana and Conor and I'm pretty sure Dana will win. The best case scenario would be for Conor to fight Aldo to prove the first fight was not a fluke and then move up to 155 where can fight Nate again and proceed from there.
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I guess McGregor would prefer to fight Alvarez for the 155 before fighting Aldo. That way, win or lose, he can still return to 155 to defend his belt against Diaz. It would take a bit of pressure off him for the Aldo fight, or any subsequent third fight between them.

Has to be McGregor v Aldo next though imo. Having three fights at other weights before defending his title would be pretty ridiculous really.
 
Pink Moon said:
He was on the verge of the fight getting stopped at the end of the 3rd. If the round was 10 seconds longer I'm positive it would've been.
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But it didn't go longer. Look nate fought well and he's a great athlete. However conor knocked him down 3 times and beat him in the striking. Most of nate's shots recorded were from the clinch and ineffective. Conor won the fight hands down. No way you can give nate the 2nd round when he got knocked down twice. Close fight and 2 great fighters bur the result was clear in my opinion.
 
kidbob said:
But it didn't go longer. Look nate fought well and he's a great athlete. However conor knocked him down 3 times and beat him in the striking. Most of nate's shots recorded were from the clinch and ineffective. Conor won the fight hands down. No way you can give nate the 2nd round when he got knocked down twice. Close fight and 2 great fighters bur the result was clear in my opinion.
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If it were a hands down victory then surely it would've been a unanimous decision, not a majority decision. Nate outstruck Conor significantly and its irrelevant whether or not many of those shots were in the clinch or not - they all count the same. Conor did knock Nate down three times, but you could make a pretty good argument that he was scared to attempt a ground and pound finish for fear of getting on the ground and submitted by Nate. It was a very close fight that came down to a difference of opinion of who won the 2nd round.
 
What a match.

Was it actually confirmed that Conor broke his leg?
 
Nate's bank manager would have been pleased with the outcome. If Diaz had won, his next fight would probably be against someone like Edson Barbosa and he'd earn 1/10th of what he'll make in a 3rd against Conor.
 
duffer said:
Nate's bank manager would have been pleased with the outcome. If Diaz had won, his next fight would probably be against someone like Edson Barbosa and he'd earn 1/10th of what he'll make in a 3rd against Conor.
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True - he would be best off taking a bit of time off and waiting for Conor than potentially fighting a LW and losing, which may jeopardize the next Conor fight.
 
Some stats:

330: Combined significant strikes landed by McGregor (166) and Diaz (164), the second most significant strikes landed by two fighters in a UFC bout. The most? Diaz and Donald Cerrone combined to land 334 significant strikes at UFC 141.

252: Total strikes landed by Diaz. By comparison, McGregor landed 197. Diaz outlanded his foe 51 to 36 in round two, 79 to 37 in round three and 49 to 34 in round five. McGregor, meanwhile, outlanded Diaz 34 to 25 in round one and 56 to 48 in round four.

3: Knockdowns landed by McGregor in the first two stanzas. The Irishman floored his foe once in the opening frame and twice in round two.

50: Significant strikes to the body landed by Diaz. McGregor landed 26.

40: Significant leg strikes landed by McGregor. By comparison, Diaz landed nine.

77: Significant strikes in the clinch landed by Diaz. McGregor, meanwhile, landed 27.

137: Significant strikes at distance for McGregor. Diaz landed 88 significant strikes at range.
 
The Black Pearl said:
Conor will go down and beat Aldo at 145, Diaz will beat Alvarez at 155 and we'll have a title fight next summer to finish up the Trilogy.
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Diaz is not beating Alvarez... Diaz isn't beating any of the top lightweights. He beat Cerrone 5 years ago and that's about it for top wins. I think Cowboy would be a heavy favourite if they were to do it again.
 
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