The MMA Thread

[adrian jordan]

I agree on Connor. I think that there should be a rule that states how long you can hold a title without defending it. I think Dom had it for like, two years didn't he? I know he was injured and wasn't just being a prima donna, but there are people in the division who deserve to be champ if you can't be. I always thought ten or twelve months without defending, tops. That's a long time, and I think it's pretty fair.

Unfortunately a lot of my favorite MMA threads are ghost towns nowadays. I don't like big MMA-centric ones because they are so chock-full of a-holes. I like little ones like this where everybody agrees to be civil and agreeable, even in disagreement.

You know, I'm not a boxing fan, but if the Connor/Mayweather fight did do anything it did get a lot of eyes on the GGG/Canelo fight, and from what I hear it should be amazing, and I'm actually curious about it. From what Joe Rogan is saying, it should be the boxing equivalent of the Robbie Lawler/Rory MacDonald fight.

 

[TimmyBoston]

They won't strip Conor of the 155 title. He's the only star in the company. He can do whatever he wants.

I know some boxers, looking at you De la Hoya, were very critical of Mayweather/McGregor, but I feel that Canelo/GGG's numbers will be better because of the spectacle (That's what it was) that preceded it.

 

[Doc4]

I liked it better when fighters were on hot dogs and beer.

Looks like cormier had been reinstated as lhw champ.

I'd have had a match between the top two contenders ... Cormier and whomever ... to decide it. You don't get PPV sales for Dana handing a guy the belt, after all, you get them for fights.

 

[adrian jordan]

Well, congratulations to Rockhold for beating Branch, but damn is he salty. I never really payed a lot of attention to him outside of his fights before, was he always this pouty?

 

[MrLara]

He has earned the nickname luke rocksalt.

8 finishes on that card, i saw all of them on YouTube

 

[adrian jordan]

Rocksalt, hahaha, I like that.

I caught a couple of the fights. That Mike Perry guy looks and acts ridiculous, but he's got some real power.

 

[TimmyBoston]

He has earned the nickname luke rocksalt.

That's fantastic. Luke has been hanging out with a lot of celebs lately, seems to be going to his head. He's a really good fighter though. I still can't believe Bisping beat him.

 

[adrian jordan]

That was insane, did you see that? Another Von Flue choke? That's crazy awesome.

Man, Gadelha/Andrade was killer as well.

I thought Saki was about to get put out, what a rally combo.

 

[Doc4]

This thread has gone silent ... anyone interested in GSP-Bisping?

 

[adrian jordan]

I know, it sucks. Right now the UFC is such a mess that it's hard to talk about it or take it seriously, and since the UFC takes up the lion's share of the MMA universe keeping a healthy discussion alive is very difficult.

Yeah, I'm over my "He should have stayed retired" phase and am really glad to have a guy like GSP back. Both guys are great fighters, and I'm not going to pretend that it's the worst example of someone getting an unwarranted title shot.

The mess at LW is intensely frustrating, even for someone who is just a fan, and I can't image what it's like to be an actual competitor in it.

UFC 217 looks like a killer card, though. All three title bouts look amazing. I'm giving Bisping the edge due to size and wiliness. I think Cody likely wins, though I intensely hope that TJ beats him. Just cannot stand Cody in any show, interview or podcast I've seen him in. Joanna Champion vs. Rose...man, I love Rose to death, she's one of my favorite fighters, but JJ is a murderer. I like both a lot, so it's one of those happy but sad moments.

 

[MrLara]

I just got back from a two week vacation last week. So I've been out of the loop mma wise.

Agree with Jordan about some stuff. I've missed more ufc cards within the last year and a half than i ever have. Doesn't have the same excitement as it used to.

GSP doesn't strike me as a guy who's gonna half *** something, especially his comeback, but bisping isn't a spring chiken either. Tripled counted out from the silva, rockhold and hendo fight. I thought he should have lost the silva fight, and the hendo fight probably took at least 5yrs off his fighting career based on damage. But he won. Not even sure who to pick, because gsp had surgeries on both knees i think. So his takedowns may not be what they used to.

I'll forever like cody for shutting up cruz and his condescending smug face. But he does sound like a typical d-bag frat bro.

I can't even choose between rose and joanna. Both very likeable fighters who bring it every time.

 

[TimmyBoston]

I've missed more ufc cards within the last year and a half than i ever have. Doesn't have the same excitement as it used to.

.

I feel the same way. What's been with that? Once McGregor was lined up to fight Diaz, I just kinda quit caring. I think I've seen one PPV since then. It's like they killed the Golden Goose.

I doubt I'll go to the fight this weekend. I see Bisping winning. Other than his size and activeness, I don't really know why I feel that way, but GSP could also take him and lay on him for 5 rounds, too. JJ also wins. So does Cody. I think TJ lost something not training with so many other good small guys at Alpha Male. He was best when he was there and Duane was the Head Coach.

 

[adrian jordan]

I'm not sure when my semi-malaise started with MMA, but the Connor/Diaz rematch is as good a point as any. It's just...I'm super glad that a fighter has gotten to the point where even the owners of the UFC now have to consider his opinion, as that is not the case with 99.9% of other fighters, I'm just disappointed that it was a guy like Connor. Not him personally, but the way he conducts himself and the fact that he uses his power in kind of crappy ways, and other fighters are now emulating those crappy elements to try and make it themselves. I'm obviously not one of the people who love the way Connor acts, and he's at least pretty good at it, but watching guys try to do it and fumbling it badly is even more painful. Despite what anybody says, though, I still think that Chael was 10x the talker Connor is.

Add all that to the fact that the UFC has turned their contender system into a popularity contest and it makes it really difficult for me to be invested. I still get really hyped up when it's a fight that features people I like, but I don't watch every second I can get my hands on anymore. That's really not fair of me, though, since there are a ton of top-notch fighters that I don't ever see just because I'm not content with things that aren't their fault, and that's another bad thing about the Connor show: it draws eyes away from other very deserving competitors. When he's not fighting the shows get about ten seconds of attention.

Lastly on that particular tangent(sorry I'm rambling on so long, I've been saving it up, hahaha) is the fact that while I find it borderline deplorable right now, it's not really Connor's fault. Sure, he could choose to be the way that I want him to be, but that wouldn't line his pockets, and MMA is notoriously horrible to its retired or aging/worn out fighters. No retirement, no money, no support, broken body, nothing. I cannot blame him for wanting to make sure he's set and his family is set. It's frustrating now, but in the long run I hope that his having pushed his influence so far and shown that a fighter really can take the reigns of his career will lead to better treatment and options for fighters.

Alpha Male was sooo much better with Duane, and in TJ's case, the opposite also holds true. Look at the jump in performances after Duane started and while he was there. It really sucks that it didn't work out, because Alpha Male plus Duane Ludwig was concentrated magic sauce.

 

[MrLara]

Very well said sir.

 

[adrian jordan]

I was sorry to see a few of my long time favorites fall short this last show. Machida, Miller and Maia. Maia looked good at first with his striking, but after that he looked like he fell off a big step. Same with Machida, though his success wasn't as prolonged as Maia's. That was a real bad KO.

Covington is a good example of what I mentioned before. He's trying to use that pro wrestling approach that Chael did so well, but just being terrible and offensive rather than attempting any kind of subtlety, humor, or adding anything redeemable to it at all. I also think it's kind of odd that he called out Woodley. Even though fighters have to have a healthy ego and self image and a lot of self belief, I don't see how he can think he'd beat Woodley right now. I'm not Woodley's biggest fan, but I think that he'd take Covington apart right now.

Love Miller. I think he's started to crest a bit a while ago, though. Still a great, gritty fighter who can win, but I don't foresee him going on another tear like he did before. I do still hope him and Dan(and Dan's family) the best.

 

[MrLara]

agree 100% with you.

i just watched both fights, maia and lyotos. couldn't find millers. maybe i can find it on youtube this week. But that was heartbreaking, lyoto got popped for DHEA didn't he? you can find that on GNC/vitamin shop. Not sure why he got so much time suspended. Hate seeing good guys like him lose. And Maia... from title challenger to getting battered by a prospect.

 

[adrian jordan]

It was tough. Even on the ground Miller didn't look fantastic. Not knocking Trinaldo's ground game, but it's not up there with Miller's and Jim should have been able to at least keep up.

Looks like Khabib is fighting Edson Barboza. That should be great, if it happens. Khabib got tagged a few good times during the Michael Johnson fight, so I hope he's tightened up his defense a little(lot) because Edson isn't a guy you want tagging you at all. I think it's a really dangerous fight if Khabib doesn't get it down quick. Edson is so fast and dynamic on his feet, really one of my favorite strikers in the division.

 

[adrian jordan]

Oh, man. I'm sooo regretting not saving up and buying this card.

 

[MrLara]

GSP is the MMA G.O.A.T without question.

leaves the sport a champ, takes 4yrs off. comes back to challenge the champ at a higher weight class. And finished a guy who is notoriously hard to finish.

He was swinging with bad intentions, and was getting the better of bisping in most of the exchanges. If he doesn't get cut with those elbows from the bottom, he probably gets out unscathed.

But he did slow down in the second, I'll attribute that to the ring rust, but he showed heart. What a fight.

 

[adrian jordan]

Really kind of took me back to when MMA was really random and exciting. It all feels so scripted and forced these days, the show at least if not the fights, but tonight showed that it can still blindside you if you sleep on it.