The MMA thread

Actually a very interesting call out. You would think that Colby can't risk taking him down and would be a stand up fight (but Colby's TDD isn't stellar). I imagine Colby would drown him with volume and win but Burns is dangerous. Not a mismatch in my mind.
 
Hard round to score, Lee landed some strikes but you can't say he was ever in control on the ground.
 
Another hard round to score but I think Charles took it, better on the feet and took little damage on the ground with Lee just holding position.
 
Lee is such a disappointment. All that ability and poor end product.

A bit cheeky but I'd love to see what Olivera can do against Khabib. Stylistically, it would be a spectacle to see both of them going at it on the ground.
 
Unfortunately for Olivera Khabib can take him down and have very little problem with him on the ground, Ferguson just destroys him on the feet and cardio wise and if he can't take Conor down (I don't think he can) then he gets knocked out very early. Great fighter though. God the top of LW is crazy to get into and that's wothout mentioning Poirer and Gaethje. In my opinion Khabib beats Conor 9/10 times, Ferguson has a 3/10 chance against Khabib and Conor beats Ferguson 7/10 times too. A really crazy division.
 
Oliveira is really coming into his own. Happy to see it as he always puts on great fights. He already has the UFC submission record and he's got many years left in him!
 
Paul Felder is the logical choice for Oliveira next. There's a loss there to avenge and Felder is appropriately placed in the rankings. It would also be a good test for him because he still looks as vulnerable now as he did then to takedowns and ground and pound. Lee looked tired and was inactive but Felder would be more than ready to test him there again.
 
Paul Felder is the logical choice for Oliveira next. There's a loss there to avenge and Felder is appropriately placed in the rankings. It would also be a good test for him because he still looks as vulnerable now as he did then to takedowns and ground and pound. Lee looked tired and was inactive but Felder would be more than ready to test him there again.

I'd like to see him fight someone better than Felder (who just lost his last fight). He's won his last 7 fights by submission or KO/TKO and is one fight away from getting a title shot imo. So to validate that, he should probably fight someone like Poirier . If he clears that hurdle then he will be in the mix for a title shot.
 
I'd like to see him fight someone better than Felder (who just lost his last fight). He's won his last 7 fights by submission or KO/TKO and is one fight away from getting a title shot imo. So to validate that, he should probably fight someone like Poirier . If he clears that hurdle then he will be in the mix for a title shot.

Poirier will fight Hooker next apparently. Conor wouldn't take a fight with Charles.

That leaves only Gaethje for Oliveira. (Sick fight)

Gaethje already rejected a fight with Oliveira (Brasilia) but now he has no choice. He needs to fight or he will get leapfrogged.
 
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I'd like to see him fight someone better than Felder (who just lost his last fight). He's won his last 7 fights by submission or KO/TKO and is one fight away from getting a title shot imo. So to validate that, he should probably fight someone like Poirier . If he clears that hurdle then he will be in the mix for a title shot.

I'd agree if Felder hadn't finished him three years ago. In that fight, he was easily taken down and beaten up, something a better opponent than Lee would have taken advantage of last night. It's perfectly acceptable for him to fight a name like Felder in the meantime because that's just how it works sometimes - some are coming off wins and some are coming off losses when they meet.

The win streak needs to be put into perspective. It's against decent opponents (Lee, Miller, Guida) but it's not a murderers' row. In fact, out of all those he's beaten, only Lee is ranked in the top 15. They can catapult him up the rankings for a showdown with Gaethje but finding out why the rankings exist would be much better for him first.

A title shot - particularly against Khabib - wouldn't go well for him.
 
Oliviera wouldn't fare well against anyone in top 5 IMO. Easy on the eye style of fighting but lacks ferocity. Poirier and Gaethje would smash him. Ferguson would obliterate him and Khabib would sniff his crotch into oblivion.
 
Since the Oliveia vs felder fight, Felder has gone 2-2 in the UFC. Oliveira has gone 7-0, with all finishes vs solid opponents (Teymur being his best win in my book).

Get a grip people. The sports has to move on.

Oliviera has to fight a top 5 opponent next because he earned it. Nice way to see his current level.

Gaethje should be the fight to make (with Conor and Dustin out of the picture). Worse case scenario he should fight Cowboy (somehow still ranked 6).
 
Oliviera wouldn't fare well against anyone in top 5 IMO. Easy on the eye style of fighting but lacks ferocity. Poirier and Gaethje would smash him. Ferguson would obliterate him and Khabib would sniff his crotch into oblivion.

Agreed.

If somebody is convinced he'd fare well against any of the top 5, I'd like to hear why beyond "he's on a win streak" and know what his path to victory is. Also, has he actually filled the holes in his game since his loss to Felder. The entire point of him fighting a name between now and then is that it would be for his own good i.e. he experiences the gulf in class as he moves up the rankings.
 
I don't think the UFC will want to squander Olivera's momentum on yet another mid table type. 7 wins on the trot, irrespective of who (after all its the UFC who sets the fights up in the first place), is too much momentum to squander against a generic fighter like Felder. If he won his last fight then there may be a faint bit of interest in making the fight, but at this stage, Olivera has earned a shot at a better opponent. The fact that Felder and Olivera fought years ago when both were in different stages of their careers is irrelevant, just as making a Max v Conor 2nd fight would be pointless. Everyone has moved on and are now in different phases of the fight game.
 
Oliviera wouldn't fare well against anyone in top 5 IMO. Easy on the eye style of fighting but lacks ferocity. Poirier and Gaethje would smash him. Ferguson would obliterate him and Khabib would sniff his crotch into oblivion.
:lol:
 
None of this answers the question of how Oliveira fares against any of the top five. There are certain holes in his game that can't be overlooked. For example, how does he hold up if a better opponent takes him down and controls top position like Lee did? Does his standup match that of Poirier or Gaethje?

There's too glaring a chasm in quality of opponents to be hyping up a streak that includes names like Jared Gordon and Nick Lentz as any kind of answer to those questions.

Felder is retired anyway.

He isn't.
 
It seems, because Edwards and his team have families, they have to let a shot to greatness slip away.

Never mind, hopefully Colby saves the show.



 
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He isn't.

Oh I thought he announced it after his latest loss? That's good news I like his fights. Maybe not next for Oliveira, I think he deserves a top opponent, but if he drops one it would be an interesting rematch for sure. I also agree that Oliveira probably comes up short at the very top. A great top 10 gatekeeper though, kind of like Dariush.
 
Oh I thought he announced it after his latest loss? That's good news I like his fights. Maybe not next for Oliveira, I think he deserves a top opponent, but if he drops one it would be an interesting rematch for sure. I also agree that Oliveira probably comes up short at the very top. A great top 10 gatekeeper though, kind of like Dariush.

Just emotional after a very close, hard-fought fight. Despite not rating him as a top contender, I obviously still do like Oliveira's fights. The lightweight division's depth is preposterous but it's a shame how Khabib-Tony has become so drawn-out that any lingering doubts about who is the top of that mountain haven't been dispelled. A global pandemic now looking to scupper it for the umpteenth time. It's absurd.

If Colby steps in against Woodley, that would be another odd twist. Sadly, it's more likely that Colby just wanted a bit of attention. Here's hoping.
 
‘Put the camera, turn on pay-per-view, and all of us can make money. Everyone can fight.’

khabib losing respect here
 
‘Put the camera, turn on pay-per-view, and all of us can make money. Everyone can fight.’

khabib losing respect here
Interestingly, if they do get a venue and the fight goes ahead, they're going to make an absolute fortune and make a lotttt of people happy by giving them the distraction of 'sport' at a time when everything is looking so apocalyptic.

The PR spin on that angle will be tremendous.
 
Presuming that Khabib vs Ferguson is delayed/suspended/cancelled?

These two are destined never to fight each other!!!!
 
Dana must be bricking right about now. All that revenue lost through multiple PPV events and the weekly ESPN events. This will be very bad for the UFC.