The MMA thread
- Thread starter Fortitude
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Bisping..Live
Really enjoyed this. Bisping comes across really well these days. I am really glad he got to win the title and can't say I'm bothered he held up a division really, glad he got the big money fight and that closure on his career. He seems happy with life now without fighting which is good.
Cruz should call it a day now, to many injuries. Shame but again had a good career.
Max is a savage, such a genuine fighter that doesn't need any bullshit to hype his fights. On Max vs Conor though I still believe Conor beats him. Conor should have taken a warm up fight before fighting his kryptonite but even then Khabib could land on him because of the take down threat and Max won't have that. Nobody in 145 or 155 beats Conor on the feet unless they can threaten the takedown enough to throw him off his game or take the shots Nate did. Conor is a better striker than anyone in both weight classes and unless Max has a Diaz chin then he gets hit too much to survive the shots he will take. It would be a more interesting fight now though because Conor wouldn't outclass him the same way as the first. Conor would have knocked out Ortega at 145 unless he was caught in a hail-mary submission.
This is all assuming a Conor that is still as motivated as he was for the first few years, however I'm prone to thinking that his head is no longer in the game and he hasn't been anywhere near as driven since the Mayweather money. No point looking at the Khabib performance when history shows that the best wrestlers (and Khabib is the best of all time in that regard) beat the best strikers 9/10 times (unless your Aldo with the best TDD of all time). Sonnen cracked Silva a bunch of times but doesn't mean that Anderson wasn't miles ahead of other strikers on the feet.
Side note on the last point: Izzy beats Anderson on the feet 9/10 times even when both in their primes.
@Oggmonster yeah Cruz should just let it go. He beat TJ while suffering foot problems and coming back from a long lay off (although it was super close), he has nothing else to prove and should protect his body for the future. I like him as an analyst and commentator (underhooks!) so he should be sorted for money. Great fighter at his peak and definite GOAT contender at 135.
Also yes to Bisping on commentary and his Rogan appearance was gold. Never has a fighter changed my mind on them as much as he has the past few years.
This is all assuming a Conor that is still as motivated as he was for the first few years, however I'm prone to thinking that his head is no longer in the game and he hasn't been anywhere near as driven since the Mayweather money. No point looking at the Khabib performance when history shows that the best wrestlers (and Khabib is the best of all time in that regard) beat the best strikers 9/10 times (unless your Aldo with the best TDD of all time). Sonnen cracked Silva a bunch of times but doesn't mean that Anderson wasn't miles ahead of other strikers on the feet.
Side note on the last point: Izzy beats Anderson on the feet 9/10 times even when both in their primes.
@Oggmonster yeah Cruz should just let it go. He beat TJ while suffering foot problems and coming back from a long lay off (although it was super close), he has nothing else to prove and should protect his body for the future. I like him as an analyst and commentator (underhooks!) so he should be sorted for money. Great fighter at his peak and definite GOAT contender at 135.
Also yes to Bisping on commentary and his Rogan appearance was gold. Never has a fighter changed my mind on them as much as he has the past few years.
That's good news on the BT front. With the way MMA is growing in popularity I'm sure BT will be delighted to retain it too.
On the subject of sources of MMA content, I browse r/mma, listen to Co-Main Event (by far the best general weekly podcast imo) and JRE MMA shows depending on the guest. The other good one is Chael Sonnen's YouTube channel. He always has a bit of a different, but interesting take on things and covers the general mma news quite well too while doing it. Helwani gets the good guests, but all the best get spread around anyway and I could never actually sit down and absorb it in full.
On the subject of sources of MMA content, I browse r/mma, listen to Co-Main Event (by far the best general weekly podcast imo) and JRE MMA shows depending on the guest. The other good one is Chael Sonnen's YouTube channel. He always has a bit of a different, but interesting take on things and covers the general mma news quite well too while doing it. Helwani gets the good guests, but all the best get spread around anyway and I could never actually sit down and absorb it in full.
YES! Get BT as a part of my internet deal. Only reason I keep it is because of the UFC. Anyone know if Eleven are going bust already? Seen certain reports to suggest it. Is BT affected by the move from Fox to ESPN or should we still expect to be able to get all the events in this part of the World?
I hate Colby but he had the better wins and deserved it. Either way both of them get smashed by Woodley. Rory is his worst match up but is in Bellator.
Yeah Bisping's an interesting, engaging character. Respect the guy and find him funny. Luckily we'll get to see him doing commentary and the like.
I think you're right about Cruz but would be a shame for him (and us) not to see him go on one last streak if his body can manage it. Maybe he trains too hard and needs to modify that. Love rewatching his past fights during his incredible run as champ. He really was something else.
This sort of thing confuses me, if the champion Woodley is fit to fight in the new year and the interim champion is fit to fight why would either of them fight anyone else?
Probably because Dana does what he wants and its also known that he is a notorious Woodley hater, so maybe that factored into his logic.
You're probably right but i think just it's strange, if the Champ is defending his title then i don't see the point of having an interim champion.
FAO Irish MMA fans.
Nice shorts!
Nice shorts!
Not a fan of Usman vs. Woodley.
Don't like Colby but like him or hate him, he is the interim champion and will be ready for the new year so he should be the next in line. Plus there's a storyline there and that fight can also finally get the crowd fully behind Woodley. If Woodley gets a decent fanbase (which the Colby fight can get him), he can be a real bankable star for the UFC.
Usman and Ponzinibio should battle on the same card and that way, one of them can fill in if Colby pulls out or if he doesnt pull out, then we'll have the next contender and setup the nexxt fight on a similar timescale.
Makes too much sense so UFC won't do that.
Don't like Colby but like him or hate him, he is the interim champion and will be ready for the new year so he should be the next in line. Plus there's a storyline there and that fight can also finally get the crowd fully behind Woodley. If Woodley gets a decent fanbase (which the Colby fight can get him), he can be a real bankable star for the UFC.
Usman and Ponzinibio should battle on the same card and that way, one of them can fill in if Colby pulls out or if he doesnt pull out, then we'll have the next contender and setup the nexxt fight on a similar timescale.
Makes too much sense so UFC won't do that.
I think Woodley and Covington sabotaged that fight themselves. The fight was obviously offered, but probably both guys came back with excuses, money this, i injury that, blah blah.
Usman on the other side, is a no nonsense guy who will fight whomever they put in front of him without making a fuzz, and might be getting rewarded for that.
Anyway...
what a fight, steel meets steel. But how rusty is Cain though? 36 years old, over 2.5 years since his last fight.
Gonna be violent for sure. The winner might end up being the interim champ and take over after DC fights Lesnar/retires.
If Cain is Cain, N'Gannou doesn't stand a chance.
This is the true HW champ. None beat a fit Cain.
Having said that, the man's a crock, so it makes for an interesting bout.
This is the true HW champ. None beat a fit Cain.
Having said that, the man's a crock, so it makes for an interesting bout.
https://sport.bt.com/ufc/bt-sport-t...ing-new-broadcast-rights-deal-S11364317648897
Further info on it there. Seems everything included in subscription so hopefully no PPV for nany card I was worried they may put big cards on BT Sport PPV
I don't think Cain will make it to be honest, cynical I know but just seems inevitable.
Yep. Felt the same way about Cruz.
That's a bit like saying if Anderson Silva is Anderson Silva then he will destroy Adesanya. The truth is that these guys are well beyond their prime years and so we aren't likely to ever see them at their best again.
I'm still not sure I'm convinced Cain is the greatest Heavyweight ever. After beating Lesnar (who was ill as feck at the time and shouldn't have been fighting), he had a 5 year period where he fought only two guys in JDS and Big Foot. I think the potential was there to be in the argument for the greatest (and some may argue still that he is) but personally I think the time out from injuries stopped us from ever knowing just how good he was. I'd loved to have seen a prime Cain against the likes of Miocic, Ngannou, Cormier to find out.
I don't expect him to make it either, tbh.
Cain doesn't rely on the explosive tools or agility Anderson did. He's a huge engine, relentless wrestler and mauler with a natural reservoir of stamina. Even losing a bit off the top, his engine would be peerless in the H/W division. His sparring partner, at 40? Is showing what these kind of fighters can do well past sell by. Cain's enemy is his body - I don't think there's a heavyweight out there who can beat him, especially so if he and Cormier keep their pact.
who you got for tomorrow? The Motown Phenom or Iaquinta to win again?
Also, Hooker vs Barboza should be a cracking fight for the fans. Hooker is a man on a mission.
@George Owen I think Lee will do the business, although stranger things have happened. Iaquinta is as tough as they come and can whack.
As an aside:
https://sport.bt.com/ufc/bt-sport-t...ing-new-broadcast-rights-deal-S11364317648897
Tremendous news for all UK/Irish fans. Best case scenario, in my opinion.
As an aside:
https://sport.bt.com/ufc/bt-sport-t...ing-new-broadcast-rights-deal-S11364317648897
Tremendous news for all UK/Irish fans. Best case scenario, in my opinion.
I like Lee and think he has a bright future but have a feeling Al might do it again.
early prelims started already. Two tired heavyweights running rolling around right now.
Juan Adams (he used the towel to make weight) eventually getting the TKO in the third round. Good learning experience for him.
Juan Adams (he used the towel to make weight) eventually getting the TKO in the third round. Good learning experience for him.
Decent fight so far to kick off the prelims, think Ige could've finished it in the first but good come back got Griffin in the 2nd.
Hooker is a fecking warrior, that needed stopping earlier.
Ref should've stopped that a bit earlier.
Great job between the doctor and Hooker's corner.
Got it 3-2 Lee but if they went another minute Iaquinta would've got the KO
Hooker Barboza looked horrifying honestly, how the feck did the ref let it go on that long
And of course Iaquinta gets a unanimous decision and one of the judges gave him 4 roundsmust have slept through the third i guess
And of course Iaquinta gets a unanimous decision and one of the judges gave him 4 rounds
must have slept through the third i guessI thought Lee won the first 3 rounds but it was a close fight, could have gone to anyone, specially with Iaquinta finishing that strong.
Agree. Just no way Iaquinta won 4 rounds
Thought Iaquinta nicked it but it was definitely close. Lee has no one but himself to blame for leaving it to the judges.