I sometimes forget just how ridiculously big NBA players are. Yoel Romero looks like mighty mouse next to him
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I sometimes forget just how ridiculously big NBA players are. Yoel Romero looks like mighty mouse next to him
I thought it was mighty mouse until I looked closely
I sometimes forget just how ridiculously big NBA players are. Yoel Romero looks like mighty mouse next to him
Just now catching up with the Prelims. Feck, khabib is such a good fighter, hope he gets a title match soon. He deserves it. Loved his comments afterwards too.
Aye, I don't agree with him that Nate is the tougher fight but I can kinda see why he might think that way as a coach. He's already gone through two Nate fights and knows how McGregor has to alter his game to beat him, whereas he probably thinks a Khabib fight is more straightforward in terms of approach as Khabib's weaknesses probably play to Connor's strengths more.
Interesting that he also picked Holloway over Aldo at featherweight.
Absolutely nobody bar maybe Cowboy would fight as much as him and against the level of fighter he does. Everybody wants to fight Conor because it makes them rich. Just because someone calls Conor out it and he doesn't fight them, it doesn't mean that he is avoiding them. He can't fight 7 times a year. People like Cub Swanson and Richardo Lamas call him out and say he is avoiding them but they don't deserve to get anywhere near Conor. Khabib and Ferguson deserve a shot. If Conor needs a break with the baby etc then they can fight to see who is the true number one contender. The featherweight title will be given up in the immediate future anyway.
I think it'll be Khabib v Ferguson and the winner will get Conor. Khabib to beat Ferguson I think.
It's funny how Khabib and Tony should fight each other to earn their LW title shot when McGregor got a shot coming off 1-1 and having never even fight at 155.
I get why UFC do it, they are a business and want to make much monies as possible but I don't understand how fans like this... surely a fan of MMA would like to see the most deserved fighters get their shots... or am I crazy thinking this?
I get why UFC do it, they are a business and want to make much monies as possible but I don't understand how fans like this... surely a fan of MMA would like to see the most deserved fighters get their shots... or am I crazy thinking this?
Yeah the Max one was odd I suppose but again he is on some streak and is looking brilliant doing it (since the Conor fight.) I'm sure part of it is him wanting them fights for Conor down the line but equally I'm sure he may genuinely think what he said as a coach. He even emphasised his opinion should have no bearing on Conor's next fight.
People won't agree with him, I don't personally, but he is entitled to an opinion and he did make it clear it was only his opinion.
McGregor is a conundrum though. I'm sure fans do want the deserved fighters getting shots but equally McGregor is hugely entertaining to watch as a fighter, personaly he's one of my favourite fighters to watch and that's excluding the media stuff. His fights always deliver. I personally don't get to wound up by the UFC match making stuff because there's nothing I can do to change it so I might as well enjoy the fights.
For example there was outrage when McGregor vs. Diaz 2 was made and it's probably the best fight in UFC for me this year. I also enjoyed Henderson vs. Bisping and that was slated. Sometimes I think life is just easier if we just enjoyed the fights that are made so personally I don't get wound up by it all.
I know what you mean, but I just want to see both fights. Ferguson vs Khabib would be great and whoever wins faces Conor in another great fight!
Personally, I want to see McGregor set up shop at lightweight and fight all three in a row, so it doesn't particularly bother me which order he fights them in. With that in mind, I can see a certain appeal in getting the third Diaz fight out of the way now and enjoying Khabib v Ferguson at the same time. Plus I have a hard time deciding which of Ferguson and Khabib deserves the title shot more anyway...
On balance though, Khabib/McGregor is the right fight to make.
I get your point but personally I'd prefer them both to get their title shots. having two deserved contenders is a great option, I don't think they should eliminate one.
He ain't wrong. Looked like either the occasion or McGregor's shots got to him cuz he certainly didn't fight smart.
A bit of both I think.Looked like a rabbit in the headlights. I was a bit shocked there was just no movement. IAnyone could see that he needed to circle round away from McGregor's left hand but he stayed plumb right in front of him. There was the closing the gap issue, with Conor's big reach advantage also. He beat RDA for crying out loud, he could and should have done better, but ultimately McGregor proved he is the master of timing and speed.
He also beat Pettis with much the same gameplan he intended to use against McGregor.
I think a lot of fighters go into fighting McGregor at a psychological disadvantage. The endless press engagements in the build up, Conor's in yer face WWE schtick at pressers, having a massive contingent of fans chanting, and then on top of everything having to actually stay mentally focused to fight Conor, who himself is completely in the zone each fight.
They're professional fighters, that's really no excuse. Maybe it makes them lose the focus from the right gameplan to tackle Connor's considerable mastery of timing and speed of counter punching as when they eventually come face to face, all they want to do is knock him the feck out.
Complete nonsense. They are human beings who are no less susceptible to the psychology of the moment than anyone else. There's no magical portal that fighters walk through where they are suddenly immune from the pressure of fighting in raucous situation against someone like McGregor.
It's all part of the sport, it's just that McGregor uses it to his advantage, as opposed to his opponents who seem to fall into the trap of getting distracted. It's not Connor's problem. Obviously he is just able to protect himself from the 'pressure of fighting in a raucous situation' against other fighters. It's fair game and not an inherent disadavantage for his opponents- the pre fight build up-it's the same for both fighters for crying out loud. If they don't fight to their potential or don't stick to their game plan then it's no one's fault but their own.
Again complete nonsense. Other fighters face an uphill slog when having to deal with things most that most other fighters who don't fight Conor don't. The pressure on them must be immense. It's like being a Tennis player and playing in front of a one sidedly raucous Davis Cup crowd. That sort of thing effects even the best of the best. If you go into a fight with that sort of pressure, its not hard to completely not deploy your original strategy in favor of winging it based purely on emotion.
Bollocks. The psychological aspect of the sport is immense and very much part of the sport. Keeping it cool, remaining focused under pressure is a skill. Some clearly are better at it than others. Mate, honestly, you're the one who's talking nonsense.
So you're saying the pressure of fighting on a fight pass undercard is the same as fighting McGregor in the last fight of the night at MSG ? What steaming pile of bullshit.
Don't put words into my mouth. I'm saying that the pressure of fighting is the same for both fighters. You could turn it the other way round and say that Conor puts himself under massive pressure with all his mouthing before fights. The fact he handles it and fights to his gameplan is a credit to his confidence and self-belief, which themselves are massive qualities to have as a top quality fighter.
The main point is that Conor is a cut above everyone else in terms of the pressure. He relishes it and goes into each fight with loads of people chanting, the Sinead song, etc etc. Other fighters who come in to face him under those conditions are not entering your average run of the mill UFC fight atmosphere that happens on the fight-pass or FS1 fights. The decks are psychologically stacked against them before they even step into the Octagon. That is not normal for a vast majority of fights.
And dealing with pressure is part of the game. That Conor is better than most at that aspect is a quality to be celebrated. The way you put it almost suggests like he has an unfair advantage. It's not unfair. I think we should agree to disagree.
It is an obvious advantage. Not sure how or why anyone would possibly want to deny that.
An obvious advantage because it's something he's clearly better at - dealing with pressure - than most. It's not unfair though as it's an inherent part of being a fighter - dealing with the psychological aspects of a fight is one area where he stands out, as much as his speed and timing. I think i've been pretty clear in my posts as to what I mean and I'm not going to go round in circles just to watch u try and dig yourself out of that hole.
Goodnight mate!An obvious advantage because it's something he's clearly better at dealing with pressure than most. It's not unfair though as it's an inherent part of being a fighter. - and it dealing with the psychological aspects of a fight is one area where he stands out, as much as his speed and timing. I think i've been pretty clear in my posts as to what I mean and I'm not going to go round in circles just to watch u try and dig yourself out of that hole.
Its an inherent part of being a fighter to walk into a massive arena where thousands of drunken spectators are booing you and cheering on your opponent ? That's news to me. The facts are pretty obvious - when a fighter is psychologically destabilized before entering the Octagon they are less likely to be able to deploy their strategy. This is not exclusively down to McGregor, it is down to the situation of going into the atmosphere of a McGregor fight.
I don't know what either of you two are arguing about. go to sleep, both of you
Second Captains are usually great but that particular piece of coverage was jarringly ill-informed and biased against the sport. Just goes to show how MMA is still viewed by some...
Obviously the McGregor/Ali comparison is insanely wrong too but that's just an extra dose of stupid.
Nate Diaz certainly coped with the pressure of facing McGregor. Two things play a big part in that I think-the Diaz brothers have their own cult following (not on the same scale perhaps) and Nate strikes me as one of those 'too stupid to care/feel pressure' types.
Chad Mendes if memory serves me correctly didn't exactly crack, he just got gassed by lack of a camp/McGregor's kicks. Certainly not like Aldo who was visibly rattled. Or Alvarez abandoning his game plan.
Ultimately though McGregor having support comes from his exposure, which you may say grows out of the platform UFC give him. However he's only been given that platform because of himself and his amazing ability to draw. So it all comes back to him. It's like a small team complaining of having to play in front of big crowds at Old Trafford. Sure it might tip the scales in favour of one team (or fighter) but there's a reason all those people came to see United, and it's United. Likewise with McGregor, if anyone else was able to be that man they'd be the one who was the star and likely the one getting the huge support. But they're not so they aren't.
Chad Mendes if memory serves me correctly didn't exactly crack, he just got gassed by lack of a camp/McGregor's kicks. Certainly not like Aldo who was visibly rattled. Or Alvarez abandoning his game plan.
Ultimately though McGregor having support comes from his exposure, which you may say grows out of the platform UFC give him. However he's only been given that platform because of himself and his amazing ability to draw. So it all comes back to him. It's like a small team complaining of having to play in front of big crowds at Old Trafford. Sure it might tip the scales in favour of one team (or fighter) but there's a reason all those people came to see United, and it's United. Likewise with McGregor, if anyone else was able to be that man they'd be the one who was the star and likely the one getting the huge support. But they're not so they aren't.
The only thing Conor needs to do is to start having a go at Donald Trump. At that point, he would be on par with Ali.
And who from the two should get the title shot, if we are to pick one? And then, why would that be fair on the other? The chips have fallen pretty much perfectly for the UFC in that they can let the fighters determine who gets the right for the title shot themselves.
How Conor gets his foot in the door is obviously an outlier, and it is unfair on others, but at the same time, he makes the company, and his opponent, so much more money than anyone else can that he circumvents natural order. It's no different to boxing in that aspect where the bouts are set up with the most profitable over the most worthy. It's not an element people want to see in UFC, but it's not going away anytime soon, and Conor is not the first and won't be the last to benefit in this manner. Anytime a potential box office fighter comes along, they'll be fast-tracked in the exact same way as Brock and Conor have been.
Your gripe should be with the industry here, not individual fighters.
You do realise Conor has shown the exact same susceptibility in his fights with Diaz, right? The right combination of bad blood and atmosphere can rile almost any fighter. They all know better, but in the heat of the moment against someone, or crowd, who has truly gotten under their skin, game-plans get tossed aside momentarily either to the benefit or chagrin of the fighter.An obvious advantage because it's something he's clearly better at - dealing with pressure - than most. It's not unfair though as it's an inherent part of being a fighter - dealing with the psychological aspects of a fight is one area where he stands out, as much as his speed and timing. I think i've been pretty clear in my posts as to what I mean and I'm not going to go round in circles just to watch u try and dig yourself out of that hole.
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@Niall can we set it up so that 'Connor' autocorrects to Conor.
There have been many times where there's two deserving contenders, e.g. very recently with Maia and Wonderboy. The ufc should do what they did there, pick the one who is calling for the shot more, has a narrative with McGregor and had the most impressive latest victory. Personally, I feel that is Khabib. Give Tony the next shot. However, you can make them fight each other if McGregor decides to defend the 145 title, which will probably not happen. Nate, however, should be nowhere near title shot.
As for the second part of my post, you've completely missed my point. I'm not annoyed at McGregor, he has done what 90% of fighters would love to do. I don't begrudge the company either. It's been a record breaking few years for them. What I don't get is how a fan of mma is ok with the direction ufc is going. Yeah it's fun to have entertaining conferences and a huge character like McGregor around but it's becoming too much. It feels more WWE than ever. I as a long time fan of mma am getting sick and tired of watching worthy contenders being overlooked for the money fights, but alas that's the direction the 'sport' is heading so I guess I'd better just accept it and roll with it...
I'd like the see the Khabib fight cos it's something different but even as an MMA fan I'd genuinely enjoy to see a Diaz fight again and it wouldn't annoy me if it was next. Maybe it is short term thinking or whatever but might as well make hay well the sun shines, the 2nd fight for me was fight of the year. I can't see Khabib vs. Conor being all that brilliant to be honest, it either ends in a first round KO or Khabib wrestles him to the ground.
For what it's worth according to MMA journos on Twitter this didn't break the all time PPV record so I wouldn't be surprised if it was Nate again as that would do the most numbers really.
For what it's worth according to MMA journos on Twitter this didn't break the all time PPV record so I wouldn't be surprised if it was Nate again as that would do the most numbers really.
If you follow the context of the 'discussion' in my posts above, your point is one that I was pretty much getting at.
Maia is why there shouldn't be 'Two' number 1 contenders. Now Thompson is getting a rematch and rumours of Conor getting the shot there after, Maia could be inactive for over a year.
What happens if Woodley loses via stupidly close decision v Wonderboy in a fight of the year? How would they not do a trilogy?
The rematch is happening because it was a draw, a very rare thing in MMA. Giving McGregor a shot at Tyron and preventing Maia further is like pouring salt onto your own wound then complaining it hurts... if done right, they should give wonderboy rematch then the next shot it's maia but if wonderboy is too banged up, maia should get next shot whilst he recovers as Woodley is ready to fight. There is simple solution here abd if there is a problem, it would be a problem created by the ufc themselves.
If anything, I guess he's more like Prince Nassem.
Flashy fighters and strikers are always favoured over grapplers and maulers, are they not? A grappler would have to bring a massive fan-base with him to ever get a direct shot in a 'tied' scenario and that's a fault within the company and also with what fans want to see. Rankings don't mean much in the UFC and that's the aspect that is farcical, so I still don't get how your gripe isn't with the system that allows for bonkers title shots like this one does.
But you can't have one without the other. It's the nature of the beast and a template that is mirroring boxing and will continue to do so as star power in the UFC grows. Conor is almost the Mayweather of the UFC now and is calling the shots accordingly. If fans want these stars, they have to accept what comes with them.
Worth to the UFC is quite literal and someone like Khabib is going to find himself at the back of the queue because he can't generate the numbers, so he'll have to work like a dog to get the title shot.
How so? Conor looks mentally strong etc up to a point, but it seems pretty clear the right personality type and setting can rile him up just as much as anyone else - I didn't get that gist from your posts? Or have I read it wrong? It cost him the first fight with Nate, for my money, and I wouldn't entirely rule it out of having a say in their next bout either, as both will be trying to definitively settle things in and out of the octagon very probably abandoning what their corners are telling them to do, yet again.