Mixed Martial Arts Thread (UFC and others)

[bhlloy]

A lot of people have said that Joshua is a bit of a paper tiger. Given that showing, he’s lucky he’s managed to dodge the top 2 in the division so far.

[miami_fan]

Tyson Fury. I am here for this showmanship.

[BYU 14]

Holy shit, that may have been the most perfectly timed knee I have ever seen. When you go stiff like Askren did you are completely KTFO!

[bhlloy]

In “MMA fighters are wired a little differently than your average person” news Santos fought 4+ rounds with every single ligament in his knee shredded and could (should?) have beaten the all time GOAT.

Also Askren is apparently completely fine with no lasting issues. I’d be interested to know just how close that knee came to killing him.

[BYU 14]

In “MMA fighters are wired a little differently than your average person” news Santos fought 4+ rounds with every single ligament in his knee shredded and could (should?) have beaten the all time GOAT.

Also Askren is apparently completely fine with no lasting issues. I’d be interested to know just how close that knee came to killing him.

Wow, I though it was just an ACL, he really should not have been able to stand.

[BYU 14]

Dola, Askren not even close to this territory :)

Yahoo - 400 Bad Request (https://images.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search?p=knee+to+cyborgs+head&fr=yhs-avg-fh_lsonsw&hspart=avg&hsimp=yhs-fh_lsonsw&imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fuproxx.files.wordpress.com%2F2016%2F08%2Fcyborg-skull.jpg%3Fquality%3D95%26w%3D650#id=2&iurl=https%3A%2F%2Fuproxx.files.wordpress.com%2F2016%2F08%2Fcyborg-skull.jpg%3Fquality%3D95%26w%3D650&action=click)

[thesloppy]

That's crazy. He was still planting and spinning around on it.

[CU Tiger]

Wow, I though it was just an ACL, he really should not have been able to stand.
No sh%t.
I had the same injury...at 20 years old.
It was a solid 12 hours before I could put pressure on it and not wince and didnt move as clean as him at any point before surgery.
Says a lot about his leg muscle tone and the stabilizing forces of muscle and muscle memory without connective tissue.

[molson]

There's no sport like MMA (and I guess Boxing) - where you can have this hyped up contest between two guys who hate each other and then it's just over in an instant before anyone can process that it even started. It's just an incredible thing to watch.

I'd think Masvidal was being a dick afterwards if the reputations for the two guys weren't so dramatically opposed (Everyone loves Masvidal, everyone thinks Askren is a dick.) The fact that he's barely being criticized speaks volumes.

I'm so glad Askren finally made it to the UFC though. He is dynamite at selling a fight. You're into his shtick or you want to see him get his smarmy ass kicked. And even though he's kind of boring when he just smothers a no-name guy for 3 rounds, he creates compelling match-ups with the elite guys. Great wrestler v. great striker is just classic old timey MMA stuff that you don't see anymore. I hope he can come back from this - and he probably can, obviously he's never been knocked out and I don't even think he's taken very much damage outside of his 2 UFC fights.

And it seems he's taking the "Damn, that sucked" approach to the loss rather than going full Chael Sonnen heel and saying "lucky shot," which I half expected.

[molson]

I’d be interested to know just how close that knee came to killing him.

What's crazy is it didn't even hit him flush.

If there's every one-strike MMA death, that's how it will happen.

[PilotMan]

What's crazy is it didn't even hit him flush.

If there's every one-strike MMA death, that's how it will happen.


That Evangalista Santos knee was the closest I've seen. That one was especially brutal.

[BYU 14]

What's crazy is it didn't even hit him flush.

If there's every one-strike MMA death, that's how it will happen.

It was actually pretty flush, full impact focused on at the temple, but yeah, it could have been worse. I agree, if there is a fatality from a single strike it will likely be a knee. Brutal torque when done right.

Askren was on Ariel's show yesterday (You can find it on youtube) and actually came off very well in how he is taking the loss. There is no love lost between these tow, but he gave Jorge credit and even dismissed the lucky shot talk as BS. Acknowledged that it took a lot of skill to land a knee like that.

I actually like him better then Masvidal, yeah his shtick is annoying, but as a person seems like a much more grounded and humble guy.

[PilotMan]

Man, if there was ever a stronger case to be made about weight cutting, check out the YT link to Aspen Ladd's weigh in today. She looks awful.



<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7sfaSVvUVls?start=344" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[BYU 14]

That is just disturbing, she looked near death in that video. Combat sports really need to do day of weigh ins to curb this extreme weight cutting. It would not surprise me if de Randamie destroyed her. It is pretty damn tough to get back to full strength in a day after being that emaciated.

[thesloppy]

Yeah, cutting weight to that point in the days before you fight sure seems to obviously defeat the point of whatever benefit you're supposed to be getting from being in a lower weight class.

When the issue comes up my mind always conjures up images of TJ Dillashaw looking unrecognizable before getting stomped into the ground by Cejudo.

[BYU 14]

Not shocked at the main event outcome, first significant shot he took.

[molson]

Sad to see D.C. go down like that.

But he seemed to fight a very undisciplined fight. Even his corner was getting pissed at him, like they knew what was coming.

And he was so dominant the first round with his wrestling. He could take Stipe down (even carry him around for a bit before putting him down), and also keep him down. I'm sure it's harder than it looks, but, it was disappointing to see him not to pursue take-downs the rest of the fight. Maybe he was gassed

And I hope Nate Diaz sticks around. A Masvidal fight would be fun.

[PilotMan]

Stipe deserves respect for basically being the best UFC HW Champ of all time. I don't think he diminishes DC's aura, especially at 40.

[Lathum]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">So the word is out I nearly lost my finger shooting <a href="https://twitter.com/911onFOX?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@911onfox</a>. Freak accident, first take of the day a boat door fell on my hand, I thought I just jammed my fingers so I finished the take before looking (I know… <a href="https://t.co/aqxpXtiVqi">https://t.co/aqxpXtiVqi</a></p>&mdash; Ronda Rousey (@RondaRousey) <a href="https://twitter.com/RondaRousey/status/1163890334121758720?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 20, 2019</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[PilotMan]

If anyone didn't see the reverse triangle in the Masvidal v. Imada Bellator fight you missed one of the subs of the year.

<object width="480" height="295">


<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Bpr9lPqcMDM&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="295"></object>




I would have never believed that more than 10 years ago, when Masvidal had already had a mixed bag of a career, and was trying to get it going with Bellator, he was caught in this amazing standing reverse triangle. My, my, my, how far he's come.

[molson]

Still trying to analyze Derrick Lewis' post-fight interview. Particularly the correlation between Ivanov's "booty hole on his chest", and his assertion that Ivanov "likes it raw in the ass." I know the "booty hole" is a reference to Ivanov getting stabbed, but I'm not sure how that's related to whether or not he likes it raw in the ass. There was something about Donald Trump in there too.

Streamable - free video publishing (https://streamable.com/4l2ci)

Edit: Masvidal is awesome. You just never see that in MMA - someone with double-digit losses rally back and become a real title contender.

[PilotMan]

I have a very deep and completely irrational hatred of Ben Askren, so that was a particularly tough finish for me to watch.


This must make you happy. I don't think there were many that saw this coming until the last 2 fights.



https://www.cnn.com/2019/11/18/us/ben-askren-ufc-mma-retired-trnd/index.html

[thesloppy]

Wow. Good return on that DJ "trade". Eyeroll.

[molson]

Wow. Good return on that DJ "trade". Eyeroll.

I think he did great for them, in a way, as a jobber. Three compelling fights, made Masvidal a star, pushed Maia back towards the top of the division for one or two more fights, and made the UFC look like the only promotion that matters when the guy who bragged how great he was for years comes in and can't hang at all.

DJ is great, but never relevant. He's even less of a star now than Askren was before he came in.

[thesloppy]

I think he did great for them, in a way, as a jobber. Three compelling fights, made Masvidal a star, pushed Maia back towards the top of the division for one or two more fights, and made the UFC look like the only promotion that matters when the guy who bragged who great he was for years comes in and can't hang at all.

DJ is great, but never relevant. He's even less of a star now than Askren was before he came in.

I can't argue with any of that.

[molson]

Conor McGregor will fight Cowboy Cerrone in January.

I love Cowboy, but if Conor can't win this, he's officially in the old man/freak show category where he can only fight other washed up guys, or boxers, or celebrities.

[PilotMan]

Allistar Overeem got one of the nastiest mouth tears I've ever seen. His smile will never look the same. He looks like he's coming off of TWD. I'm warning you now, this is some gnarly shit.



https://i.imgur.com/2oj6zqW.jpg

[Carman Bulldog]

Allistar Overeem got one of the nastiest mouth tears I've ever seen. His smile will never look the same. He looks like he's coming off of TWD. I'm warning you now, this is some gnarly shit.



https://i.imgur.com/2oj6zqW.jpg

I think Marvin Eastman's cut against Vitor Belfort was the worst cut that I ever saw back when I watched MMA regularly. I didn't see the Overeem fight, but his cut is definitely comparable, if not worse.

[BYU 14]

I absolutely detest the dime store WWE knockoff that is Colby Covington's persona, but he did show a lot of heart tonight fighting 2+ rounds with a broken jaw. Still glad he lost though and we did not have to be subjected to one of his inane promos if he had won. Helluva card overall, and 2 of the 3 title fights were great and even the Nunes fight was solid as she was unable to steam roll De Randamie.

[Atocep]

Well...

[Ryche]

A big part of me wonders if they paid Cowboy to take a dive. Way too much money for UFC in McGregor winning. Probably giving Cerrone too much credit though

[JonInMiddleGA]

A big part of me wonders if they paid Cowboy to take a dive. Way too much money for UFC in McGregor winning. Probably giving Cerrone too much credit though

I said beforehand that I had as much chance of winning as Cerrone at this stage of his career.

It doesn't appear I was wrong.

[thesloppy]

Like a lot of folks I was all-in on McGregor towards the beginning of his career but quickly soured on pretty much each and all of the parts of the things that made me cheer for him in the beginning (and Cowboy's age and/or durability does seem legitimately questionable at this point)...but I still gotta give it up to Conor for practically re-inventing a technique on the way to another sensational victory.

[thesloppy]

Also, Conor interacting with Cerone's mom was cute. Conor's family looks like some kind of Always Sunny in Ireland casting call.

[bhlloy]

Like a lot of folks I was all-in on McGregor towards the beginning of his career but quickly soured on pretty much each and all of the parts of the things that made me cheer for him in the beginning (and Cowboy's age and/or durability does seem legitimately questionable at this point)...but I still gotta give it up to Conor for practically re-inventing a technique on the way to another sensational victory.

Yeah, I completely forgot (like a lot of people it seems) how dominant and how much power Conor had when he was at his best. Given his time off, extra-curriculars and his lack of great performances in the past 4 years I had Cerrone as a slight favorite going in, even with his age and ability to bleed when looked at slightly funny, which was obviously completely and spectacularly wrong.

[PilotMan]

Cerrone is done. He's been done for the last 18 months. He was a one time contender, at the very back end of his career, with 50 fights under him. He's not going to the ground. He's not going to move a whole lot. This was a set up fight, all the way, and way to make Conor look good. There's no way this was going to be a W for him. No way.

[spleen1015]

I hoped Cerrone would win, but didn't really think he would win.

I definitely didn't see it going down like this though.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Cerrone is done. He's been done for the last 18 months. He was a one time contender, at the very back end of his career, with 50 fights under him. He's not going to the ground. He's not going to move a whole lot. This was a set up fight, all the way, and way to make Conor look good. There's no way this was going to be a W for him. No way.

This.

I do worry that he may be a good guy that doesn't know when to quit.

[thesloppy]

Yeah, Cowboy seems like the old guy who keeps working after retirement age just because he enjoys "staying busy" but that's probably not the greatest plan when your work is getting kicked in the head.

[molson]

Watching Aleksei Oleinik very slowly drag people down to hell to murder them has been one my favorite things in MMA the last few years. Too bad he's 42. Anybody can knock him out at this point with one punch but when he gets his hands on you he's still terrifying. 46 submission wins at heavyweight. Preposterous - even though many of them were against Russian no-names, balanced by the fact that many of those occurred on multi-fight nights.

Maurice Greene is probably the top of what he's able to deal with striking wise now though, and that's not a very high bar. I'd like to see him strangle Greg Hardy, but, I think Hardy would knock him out, and I don't want to see that.

Vintage Conner performance in Vegas was fun too.

I don't know of Cerone is completely done or not, but he's never been close to Conner's league, this would have been the outcome years ago too. Cerone always had a ceiling and he's been fighting guys above it lately. But he beat Iaquinta and flavor-of-the-month-prospect Alexander Hernandez (who came back and won since) in the last year, so, maybe he can still carry those Fight Night Shows in North Dakota against non-top 10 guys.

I know UFC Rankings don't mean anything, but, just as a guideline - Cerone has 12 losses in the last 10 years, and every single one of them was against a guy who is currently ranked in the top 10 of a division in UFC (though Pettis is about to fall out). Before that, there's two losses to Benson Henderson who might still be ranked if he was in the UFC, and then the only other loss of his career against a guy who's now retired. He's been incredibly active, durable, and a guy who only loses to clearly better guys.

Conner just had questions coming into this fight about his inactivity and mental health. But it was nice to see him drop the full-heel act for one show and build-up and just be a star.

[BYU 14]

Watching Aleksei Oleinik very slowly drag people down to hell to murder them has been one my favorite things in MMA the last few years.

The fact that he can submit people with an Ezekiel choke without a gi is other worldly in itself. It is one of my favorite chokes because there are so many ways to hit it with a gi, but even trying to hit it in no gi takes an incredible amount of strength and effort with no sleeve grip to gain leverage.

[molson]

In a crazy world, its somehow comforting to know that Jon Jones is still driving around drunk and negligently using firearms (he was arrested this morning).

UFC fighter Ashlee Evans-Smith and her boyfriend stole some masks and other medical supplies from a hospital donation.

And Dana White is hell-bent on going forward with Khabib/Ferguson on April 18, no matter where it has to happen. Can he get them up to the International Space Station maybe? If he can pull it off (most likely at the UFC Vegas training facility with no fans), the buy-rate will be ridiculous. I'd shell out for it for sure.

[BYU 14]

In a crazy world, its somehow comforting to know that Jon Jones is still driving around drunk and negligently using firearms (he was arrested this morning).

UFC fighter Ashlee Evans-Smith and her boyfriend stole some masks and other medical supplies from a hospital donation.

And Dana White is hell-bent on going forward with Khabib/Ferguson on April 18, no matter where it has to happen. Can he get them up to the International Space Station maybe? If he can pull it off (most likely at the UFC Vegas training facility with no fans), the buy-rate will be ridiculous. I'd shell out for it for sure.

Jones needs to be gone, fool me 2,3,4,5,6,7 times......you get it

In times like this, Smith should be gone too

Dana could give a fuck about anything but money, which is why, if it does go on I will gleefully be watching for free on my Superbox

[PilotMan]

Masvidal on 6 days notice against Usman at Gilbert tests positive for Corona... at least it's got heat to start. Decent save.

[molson]

I love when the UFC falls ass-backwards into the fight we wanted all along.

I also like how just a slight change of circumstances can change what seems like a destroyed promotion/fighter relationship. You can hate each others' guts but the second the stars align and there's money to be made and a little urgency, there's a deal.

[BYU 14]

I love when the UFC falls ass-backwards into the fight we wanted all along.

I also like how just a slight change of circumstances can change what seems like a destroyed promotion/fighter relationship. You can hate each others' guts but the second the stars align and there's money to be made and a little urgency, there's a deal.

So true and 'll be honest, I kind of enjoy Dana having to capitulate on this.

This is a really interesting fight too. Till was a huge win for Masvidal and the Askren and Diaz fights were both matchups that heavily favored him in terms of styles. Askren was severely lacking in the striking game and Masvidal is basically a mirror image of Diaz who is just that much better technically at striking than him.

Usman can match Masvidal technically keep pace with his workrate, plus is a better grappler. If Masvidal pulls this off on 6 days notice it will be quite the feather. It is also frustrating that that talent was wasted for so long by not taking the sport as seriously as he does now.

I think Usman wins a unanimous decision in a fight that will have lulls as Usman looks to grapple more than he did against Covington, but will also have some very entertaining exchanges.

[BYU 14]

Dola - Masvidal weighted 192 Saturday. 6 days to cut 22 pounds is brutal! I don't know what his normal cutting cycle is, but I can't imagine it is more than 10-12 pounds the last week before a fight, cutting 22 could play a huge role in the outcome.

[PilotMan]

Yeah, Masvidal, at the very least, gets paid, backs up his anywhere, anytime mantra, but that kind of a cut is gonna hurt him. Usman is more than capable of winning this fight against Masvidal with a FULL camp. He comes in as a solid fav imo.

[BYU 14]

Yeah, Masvidal, at the very least, gets paid, backs up his anywhere, anytime mantra, but that kind of a cut is gonna hurt him. Usman is more than capable of winning this fight against Masvidal with a FULL camp. He comes in as a solid fav imo.

Agree, and odds open at 3-1 Usman

[CU Tiger]

3-1...thats almost long enough to take a Masvidal flyer....
Even though I like Usman even if both are at full camp.

[BYU 14]

3-1...thats almost long enough to take a Masvidal flyer....
Even though I like Usman even if both are at full camp.

Masvidal has that intangible and dude genuinely loves fighting. All common sense says Usman methodically wears him down, but then you hear Ben Askren saying hold my beer and get tempted to go ahead and play those odds LOL.

[bhlloy]

Yeah, anything can happen in a Masvidal fight, plus it’s rumored he’s been training like he would be in one of the upcoming cards and he’s got nothing to lose. That’s a very attractive flyer even if he’s definitely not the favorite.

[bhlloy]

Wow... that's one of the worst decisions I can remember. Those first 3 rounds weren't particularly close.

[CU Tiger]

I could see the 3rd going either way, but i do agree I thought Holloway won, but maybe not decisively enough to overcome champ advantage

[bhlloy]

Usually I agree with champ advantage, but I just didn't see it there. Volko didn't do anything even in 4 and 5 to win that fight. I thought Max got robbed.

That was a poor fight - can't help thinking that would have been better put on the next monster card and give both fighters time to prepare. Sucks for Masvidal for that to be his shot as well, you can't think Dana will be rushing to put that particular match up back any time soon.

[BYU 14]

Usually I agree with champ advantage, but I just didn't see it there. Volko didn't do anything even in 4 and 5 to win that fight. I thought Max got robbed.

That was a poor fight - can't help thinking that would have been better put on the next monster card and give both fighters time to prepare. Sucks for Masvidal for that to be his shot as well, you can't think Dana will be rushing to put that particular match up back any time soon.

I agree, this card was good enough without Usman / Masvidal and the other two championship fights were both very good, minus the decision going to Volko (I had Holloway 48-47). The 3rd round was the decider and total strikes were close, but Max was more effective. I think Volko won the last two, his work rate was better.

I think Masvidal will get another shot by next summer, he should get fights with 2 of the following. Covington, Edwards, Diaz or McGregor and if he wins both will be back in line.

Yan is a beast but Sterling will give him a battle and the Rose / Andrade bout was special. Want to see them go at a third time.

[CU Tiger]

I don't discount Usman 's skills but he is boring to watch.
Same formula. Lay on em pin em to the cage and win points.

Aldo is a warrior, but that should have been stopped at least 20 seconds earlier.

Holloway got robbed, but I get it.

Thug v Andrade was fight of the night for my money.

PVZ...doesn't deserve a main card spot again

[bhlloy]

I think Masvidal will get another shot by next summer, he should get fights with 2 of the following. Covington, Edwards, Diaz or McGregor and if he wins both will be back in line.



I think he loses at least two of those, FWIW and probably doesn't get another shot. He's an absolute warrior but Covington smothers and neutralizes him like Usman did tonight and he's not good enough to beat Conor.

[BYU 14]

I think he loses at least two of those, FWIW and probably doesn't get another shot. He's an absolute warrior but Covington smothers and neutralizes him like Usman did tonight and he's not good enough to beat Conor.

Covington is a rough matchup for him, but if Colby stands he will piece him up, Diaz he destroys again and I give him a better chance against McGregor than most because he can take Conor's shots and pressure him, and wear him down much like Diaz did. Right now Edwards is probably the toughest fight for him, along with Burns, who I left out only because he will get the next shot against Usman.

[CU Tiger]

McGregor is a shell of a joker of o what he once was

[miami_fan]

I was not familiar with Miranda Atkins previous work but she looked like she was absolutely terrified.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="ca" dir="ltr">A seven-second KO for Seniesa Estrada. <a href="https://t.co/hD0DqHVedo">pic.twitter.com/hD0DqHVedo</a></p>&mdash; DAZN USA (@DAZN_USA) <a href="https://twitter.com/DAZN_USA/status/1286841432440016897?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 25, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[BYU 14]

Wow, well her 4 previous opponents, all KO/TKO wins had a combined record of 0-2 (one she beat twice) and this is one issue I have with women's boxing. 4-0 vs 18-0 may look okay on paper, but where those wins come from needs to be looked at. She was like a lamb going to slaughter.

[bhlloy]

Herb Dean is a great ref (and somebody who is a friend of a friend) but WTF was he playing at there? That's a guy who was so out of it and he lets him get three more shots to the face?

Terrible, and that's how the first UFC fatality happens. Hopefully the kid is OK. Dana is going to lose his god damn mind.

[molson]

I was not familiar with Miranda Atkins previous work but she looked like she was absolutely terrified.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="ca" dir="ltr">A seven-second KO for Seniesa Estrada. <a href="https://t.co/hD0DqHVedo">pic.twitter.com/hD0DqHVedo</a></p>&mdash; DAZN USA (@DAZN_USA) <a href="https://twitter.com/DAZN_USA/status/1286841432440016897?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 25, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Here's a highlight KO from the loser of that fight, against someone who was even worse than her.

Elena Saveleva vs Tatiana Williams Full Fight 15-02-2019 - video dailymotion (https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x7u7ahs)

If you're a woman who takes boxing, you can apparently get on TV or an internet stream immediately. If you win a fight or two, you can be a champion, as this lady was (she is or was the Women's International Boxing Association International Light Fly Title holder.

Edit:. Sorry, that video featured one of Atkins' prior opponents that she defeated getting knocked out. It still depicts the state of lower level women's boxing and how someone like Atkins got a few wins and became a champion

[CU Tiger]

Who's ya got in the rubber match?

Hoping to see DC pull it off but not very confident in that outcome.

[bhlloy]

Agree. I’d love to see DC go out on top, but I think Stipe is going to be too much for him again. If he’s going to win the fight has to go a very specific way.

[BYU 14]

The thirds was really a brilliant chess match with neither willing to over-commit to things that got them stopped in the first two. Maybe not the most exciting fight, but fin to watch for the strategy and props to the adjustment Stipe made to grabbing that right hand to stop those short overhand shots that DC landed consistently when they would dis-engage in the first two.

Hats off to both guys. though I do wonder why DC didn't change levels more and go for more take downs, at least to give Stipe something to think about.

[bhlloy]

Yeah, I dunno. I see a lot of similar sentiment but honestly, it was a very middling fight. The biggest thing that happened outside of Stipe catching him in round 2 (and if that round had been 30 seconds longer that would have been it) were the two eye pokes. Strategy is great and I can respect that both fighters made a ton of adjustments but ultimately, not a great fight to watch.

And with that out of the way, what a shitty, shitty card. Yes, O'Malley getting injured sucked but even then, he's a way overhyped fighter who got a co-main event because of Snoop Dog and his colorful hair. There have been legit higher ranked prospects who have looked great in Fight Nights and have been way further down the card than that. There's no way that should be co-main event in a $65 PPV. Rosenstruik - Dos Santos was a good fight and UFC gets credit for that match (although how hard is it really to put 5 vs 6) but I waffled on buying this, ended up buying it for sentimental reasons and really wish I hadn't. UFC 253 looks to be more of the same.

[BYU 14]

And with that out of the way, what a shitty, shitty card. Yes, O'Malley getting injured sucked but even then, he's a way overhyped fighter who got a co-main event because of Snoop Dog and his colorful hair. There have been legit higher ranked prospects who have looked great in Fight Nights and have been way further down the card than that. There's no way that should be co-main event in a $65 PPV. Rosenstruik - Dos Santos was a good fight and UFC gets credit for that match (although how hard is it really to put 5 vs 6) but I waffled on buying this, ended up buying it for sentimental reasons and really wish I hadn't. UFC 253 looks to be more of the same.

Yeah, not that great outside of the main for sure, though O'Malley is legit and he will be fine. But this is the second time this has happened. He needs to get it fixed. He will be a top guy in that division and would have handled Vera without the injury, just not his time yet.

The next card has a very exciting match up in the main, but the rest is so-so and I am glad I have that Superbox because I would not pay for it. I think UFC is paying now for the glut of cards they have had lately, the roster is just not deep enough to run weekly fight nights and then put on a top pay per view on top of it.

[thesloppy]

That card suuuucked. I tend to watch these events a day late, so when I see this thread get bumped I get excited thinking it's going to be a hot card.....or a very cold one.

[molson]

Disappointing that Cormier wasn't able to use his wrestling. I remember him picking Stipe up, carrying him around for a bit, and slamming him down in the second fight. It was quite the visual. They were on the feet exclusively after that and Stipe is just better there and can outlast Cormier and eventually pick him apart as he did again. People are freaking out about the eye poke, but, this is MMA, you get at least two free instances of each foul before any consequences. And Cormier shouldn't complain too much after this fight was delayed by the damage caused to Stipe's eye by Cormier's pokes.

I really don't get the O'Malley hype. Not his talent (though he hasn't beaten anyone yet), but his personality and star-power. That pre-fight package was kind of cringey. He sounded like an awkward teenager fantasizing about being an A-list celebrity and being "bigger than Conner". But with zero charisma or showmanship or presence. But, he has multi-colored hair.

[thesloppy]

That pre-fight package was kind of cringey. He sounded like an awkward teenager fantasizing about being an A-list celebrity and being "bigger than Conner". But with zero charisma or showmanship or presence. But, he has multi-colored hair.

He just casually tossed Ali and Jordan in there too! I had practically the same reaction and ironically I imagine dude actually lost a significant amount of fans by mischaracterizing himself & his appeal.

...and yeah, dudes ranked 14th and 15th shouldn't be co-headlining a pay-per view.

[PilotMan]

Getting caught up on my Bellator DVR and omg, I saw the saddest thing I have ever seen in MMA, and that included that Kimbo Slice/Dadda 5000 fight.

Bellator 245 video: Raymond Daniels lands one of the worst low blows ever, leaves Peter Stanonik crying - MMAmania.com (https://www.mmamania.com/2020/9/11/21433470/bellator-245-video-worst-low-blow-of-all-time-raymond-daniels-stanonik-dazn-highlights-paramount-mma)

The first one was pretty awful. Dude took the full 5 minutes, but the second one, not even 30 seconds later.......it was the worst one ever. No kidding. Ever. It's hard to watch a grown man, all alone in a quiet cage, just sobbing and crying as everyone watches in stunned silence.

He was carried off on a stretcher.

[BYU 14]

Oh fuck, that was cringey.

Among the worst feelings I have ever felt was taking a foul ball in the nuts when I was bright enough to be playing catcher without a cup. I was crying too.....after I was able to breath again.

[molson]

Oh fuck, that was cringey.

Among the worst feelings I have ever felt was taking a foul ball in the nuts when I was bright enough to be playing catcher without a cup. I was crying too.....after I was able to breath again.

I haven't seen what you're talking about today, but there was a Bellator fight over the weekend where one guy kicked a guy directly in the balls twice within about a minute, he couldn't continue, and it's a no context.

Edit: Ah, I see it's the one Pilotman linked.

To me its the most ridiculous thing about MMA. Why can't part of the sport be be fighting within the rules? As in, that being a desirable and rewarded thing to do? We don't worry about intent in most fouls in most other sports for a reason. The announcers and ref are always so fast to jump in and yell that the ball shot was unintentional (like every eye poke), but, how would they even know? An intentional ball shot or eye poke would look exactly the same as one that isn't. Why not just penalize both, perhaps with an enhanced penalty/immediate DQ in the million-in-one fight where you have a Roddy Piper-esque blatantly intentional foul (which I don't think I've actually ever seen in MMA).

So those two guys in Bellator will fight again I guess, stalling their careers, having to have a whole new camp and all that expense - and the two guys are in exactly the same position as they were before - despite the fact that one was skilled enough to fight within the rules of MMA, and the other was demonstrably not. Should have been a DQ.

Sidenote, I heard Bill Simmons say that MMA is the best sport without fans, and that is definitely true. Even though it's a little more unsettling now. You hear all the pain and agony and thrill of victory and everything else.

[PilotMan]

I haven't seen what you're talking about today, but there was a Bellator fight over the weekend where one guy kicked a guy directly in the balls twice within about a minute, he couldn't continue, and it's a no context.

Edit: Ah, I see it's the one Pilotman linked.

To me its the most ridiculous thing about MMA. Why can't part of the sport be be fighting within the rules? As in, that being a desirable and rewarded thing to do? We don't worry about intent in most fouls in most other sports for a reason. The announcers and ref are always so fast to jump in and yell that the ball shot was unintentional (like every eye poke), but, how would they even know? An intentional ball shot or eye poke would look exactly the same as one that isn't. Why not just penalize both, perhaps with an enhanced penalty/immediate DQ in the million-in-one fight where you have a Roddy Piper-esque blatantly intentional foul (which I don't think I've actually ever seen in MMA).

So those two guys in Bellator will fight again I guess, stalling their careers, having to have a whole new camp and all that expense - and the two guys are in exactly the same position as they were before - despite the fact that one was skilled enough to fight within the rules of MMA, and the other was demonstrably not. Should have been a DQ.

Sidenote, I heard Bill Simmons say that MMA is the best sport without fans, and that is definitely true. Even though it's a little more unsettling now. You hear all the pain and agony and thrill of victory and everything else.

If you would have listened to this guys sobbing, as an empathic person, I was like "someone go get his momma He NEEDS his MOMMA RIGHT NOW!"

[molson]

If you would have listened to this guys sobbing, as an empathic person, I was like "someone go get his momma He NEEDS his MOMMA RIGHT NOW!"

Poor guy deserved the win money. AND his Momma.

[bhlloy]

Dear Lord... Adesanya just took Costa apart. The guy who was supposed to be the most dangerous striker in the UFC and he didn't even get close to touching him. I'm trying to think the last time we saw that kind of dominant in what was supposed to be close to a toss up title fight...

Great secondary title fight as well. Feel really sorry for Reyes, but he feels like the kind of guy who will be just short of good enough to win a title his whole career.

[Edward64]

I wish they would go back to the early days where there was no weight limits and multiple fights & rounds until there is a winner. Things have obviously changed since the Gracie days and there's a lot more money now.

MMA as a "martial art" will likely dominate (especially against those with a weak ground game) but it would be cool to see other martial arts compete close-to-no-holds-barred against each other like back in the early 90s.

[PilotMan]

So I'm kind of excited about today's matchup. I really think that Gaethje has a legit chance to finish Kahbib. So I look at the other fights on the card to see what will make this fight worth the $65 if I want to buy it. I know we've discussed before that the UFC just doesn't put great money cards together anymore. This one is more of the same. Its got a great top heavy fight, the co-main (Whitaker v. Cannonier) is a solid undercard fight, the feature bout (Volkov v. Harris) would be a good opener fight, but that's is. The other main card fights are nothing more than prelim fights. There's simply not enough to make it worth it. I really miss the cards from like 10-12 years ago.

[dubb93]

I’m not saying Khabib is going to lose as he has earned his rep as one of the very best in UFC, but he looked absolutely terrible at weigh in. He had to strip down all the way and needed to grab onto the guys holding his towel to even step up into the scale. Dude looked absolutely horrible. He also probably didn’t even make weight if you listen to the people covering the weigh in.

[PilotMan]

Yep, I saw that. Some controversy over whether the official said he was good before the scale was fully balanced. Clearly one of the best all time. Absolutely, but it's hard to stay on top too. He's got some great skills, but he has looked fallible at times. Gaethje is a wreaking machine, and his stature being smaller and undoubtedly physical, he isn't a tall, lanky fighter, he just presents some unique challenges that Khabib might have a more difficult time with. His power is off the charts, and he'll need all of it in order to win.

[Edward64]

I check out the Fight Commentary Breakdowns once in a while. Some different styles going at it, definitely a MMA slant but sometimes non-MMA also.

Fight Commentary Breakdowns - YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAzXqFoW1Y7KDqwZ1x5m9EA)

[bhlloy]

Ok, I was excited about this PPV until I realized it was early afternoon. I assume that’s to show it at a decent time in Russia but yeah... that seems a counterproductive decision from the UFC. Am I missing something?

[dubb93]

It’s probably at a reasonable time in Abu Dhabi where I believe it is taking place.

[bhlloy]

The others at fight island have been US time though, and I don’t think there are fans still? Considering the vast majority of fighters are flying in from the US I’m not sure that’s the reason.

[JonInMiddleGA]

From a Yahoo article
The reasons are two-fold, according to UFC COO Lawrence Epstein. First, UFC was hoping to host a select number of fans at the event, which won’t end up happening. Second, and more importantly, UFC is satisfying its local broadcast partners in Europe, Asia and North Africa, which would obviously prefer to have a fight of this magnitude start in their evening, as opposed to the middle of the night.

Basically they needed to throw a bone to the other global time zones. It's expected to cost them roughly 1/3rd of their usual PPV take so keeping 'em happy ain't cheap.

[bhlloy]

Thanks Jon. And yeah I’m surprised it’s only 1/3rd although if they are making it up elsewhere globally it makes sense. I have zero interest in watching a PPV UFC card at 1pm in the afternoon, and I don’t have other commitments, just not how I want to watch.

[thesloppy]

As a West Coaster, I actually prefer this to the usual 9pm (Eastern) start.

[PilotMan]

All I'm gonna say about that is that the man is a sublime fighter.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Thanks Jon. And yeah I’m surprised it’s only 1/3rd although if they are making it up elsewhere globally it makes sense. I have zero interest in watching a PPV UFC card at 1pm in the afternoon, and I don’t have other commitments, just not how I want to watch.

I think the math is that it's because their numbers have been up so much.

(around 700k buys instead of a more recently normal 500k). The article had an estimate that they might top out around 500k this afternoon because there was some previous card that was run at an off time and it managed to do that. Or that was the gist of it.

I think the attitude is one of "consider this card a loss leader, one for the bigger picture"

[cartman]

All I'm gonna say about that is that the man is a sublime fighter.

Nurmagomedov is incredible. Gaethje knew that the takedown was coming, and there wasn't a damn thing he could do about it.

[molson]

I don't believe most MMA retirements, but Khabib saying he promised his mother that he would honor his late father by making this his last fight has more credibility than most retirement announcements.

Still....I think we'll see him fighting again.

[PilotMan]

Hey, with enough money, even GSP came back. I'll be more impressed if he stays retired.

[spleen1015]

Can there be a bigger promise than one you make to your mother? I don't think he comes back.

[molson]

I'm sure Khabib is fully loyal to his mother, but, I don't think he necessarily has to be 100% honest to us (and especially Dana White) about his promises to his mother.

He was talking 3-4 days ago about fighting GSP next, and how it was his father's dream that he have that fight. That seems to be a pretty common tactic with the top guys who are set for life and use retirement as a sincere and legitimate leverage - hype up a fight, retire immediately after your next fight, keep promoting fight possibilities on social media.

I wouldn't be surprised if he stayed out, but, I also wouldn't be surprised if he starts talking about GSP again in the next few weeks.

[PilotMan]

Why would GSP take that fight? He is clearly past his prime, and he fought at 185 last, which he said he wouldn't do anymore, but George surely isn't anything like the George of old, not even where he was for Bisping. That was THREE years ago.

[molson]

Why would GSP take that fight? He is clearly past his prime, and he fought at 185 last, which he said he wouldn't do anymore, but George surely isn't anything like the George of old, not even where he was for Bisping. That was THREE years ago.

I don't understand the GSP stuff at all, but he's never shut it down. There were reports he wanted it last year but UFC wanted to go in other directions.

Even after last night, GSP is still talking about that fight maybe happening.

GSP on Khabib fight: ‘If he wants it, our managers will talk’ - MMAmania.com (https://www.mmamania.com/2020/10/25/21532844/georges-st-pierre-khabib-fight-if-he-wants-to-come-back-and-do-it-our-managers-will-talk)

Maybe he just likes the attention. There's been SO many rumored fights for this guy over the years, and he came back one time - a hand-picked relatively safe fight that he'd be the big favorite in.

Edit: I think maybe they'd like to do it outside the UFC as their own thing. Khabib has something specific in his contract about a GSP fight, so maybe there's wiggle room if the UFC won't make that fight if they don't think it's worth the $20 million or whatever it would cost to put together.

[molson]

Jake Hager is no Brock Lesnar. If he can't immediately overpower say, an auto mechanic moonlighting as a fighter, he really struggles.

[PilotMan]

I first read that as 'auto mechanic moonlighting as a fire fighter" and I was like, "yeah, I guess that dude probably doesn't have time to train, but it's a pretty odd reference. On the other hand, firefighters can be some pretty ripped, tough dudes, so maybe he's got some innate advantages?"

:p

[molson]

I first read that as 'auto mechanic moonlighting as a fire fighter" and I was like, "yeah, I guess that dude probably doesn't have time to train, but it's a pretty odd reference. On the other hand, firefighters can be some pretty ripped, tough dudes, so maybe he's got some innate advantages?"

:p

After what I saw tonight, I'm pretty sure most fire-fighters could kick Jake Hager's ass. :)

[molson]

Mike Tyson looked pretty good tonight. It went to a phony baloney draw per weird commission rules for an "exhibition," but, I wouldn't be surprised if he gets a payday and fights again, if he needs the money.

Nate Robinson did not do as well and was easily handled by Jake Paul.

Jake Paul vs. Nate Robinson FULL FIGHT - YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n08UPUVfqFs)

[Lathum]

apparently Paul actually has some boxing experience or training from what I saw.

[BYU 14]

apparently Paul actually has some boxing experience or training from what I saw.

He was a good athlete in school and has been training for over 2 years now, so there is that, but it won't ever translate to more than these 'celebrity' matchups and eventually I think someone will get hurt in one of these. There is just too much of a disparity in ability between someone who has been in the ring and someone who at 36 decides to try it out. It reminded me of the Danny Bonaduce / Barry Williams "fight"

You look at the fighter that Badou Jack fought (McKernan) and how easily he handled him. McKernan would absolutely destroy Paul and it is a travesty that a world class fighter like Badou fights an 8 rounder underneath Paul on the card. But, I get it, it was more a night of entertainment and overall it was fun.

Tyson and Jones showed glimpses of their youth and gave a good effort. I was particularly impressed with Tyson's conditioning and hand speed. I compare my hand speed now when I work out on the bags to when I boxed through my teens and an 18 year old me could outland a 58 year old me 6-7 punches to 3, but Tyson in short bursts retained quite a bit of his hand speed and at times looked impressive. Obviously not sustainable against a current top HW, but the fight overall exceeded my expectations and Snoop was gold on the commentary team.

[AlexB]

And that wasn’t the worst matchup this weekend...

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/mNAIWPBcOII" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[BYU 14]

Oh Jesus, who sanctioned that debacle?

[thesloppy]

That reminds me of the Fight Circus shows that also had an event this week featuring fights like "1 trained fighter vs. 3 untrained guys", "leg wrestling" and "only spinning shit", and prizes like: a wooden axe. A bong. A painting of Bill Clinton in a dress.



Fight Circus 2 videos: 3 vs 1 bout steals the (freak)show, Bob Sapp attacks promoter - Bloody Elbow (https://www.bloodyelbow.com/2020/11/22/21589528/fight-circus-2-videos-3-vs-1-bout-steals-the-freak-show-bob-sapp-attacks-promoter)

[molson]

Russia has taken over Japan's traditional role as world capital of freak show combat sports fights.

I admit I can't help but watch them when I come across them.

[SirFozzie]

Russia has taken over Japan's traditional role as world capital of freak show combat sports fights.

I admit I can't help but watch them when I come across them.

russia was the one who had team MMA too (as in multi man vs multi man) fights

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XaNCD54QS9Y

[Atocep]

Tyson looked fantastic for 54 and Jones more or less admitted in the post fight that he took a beating. It was great to see both in the ring again and having fun with it though.

[molson]

russia was the one who had team MMA too (as in multi man vs multi man) fights

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XaNCD54QS9Y

And chess boxing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZTcsWmkYg68

[thesloppy]

And slapping contests. In a jail.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5DhR1G6BJI

[BYU 14]

Tyson just revealed he smoked weed before the the Jones exhibition, which makes his performance even more impressive if you have ever partaken and then tried to do anything that involves reaction/athletic movement :D

[molson]

Logan Paul is going to fight Floyd Mayweather in February. It is a "super exhibition", which I think means that both will get paid a lot without having to try very hard.

[BYU 14]

Logan Paul is going to fight Floyd Mayweather in February. It is a "super exhibition", which I think means that both will get paid a lot without having to try very hard.

Seriously this is so stupid, I wish people would stop paying for this nonsense, either you're in and you are a boxer, or your not and you can put up your boxing "super exhibitions" with Mayweather, Butterbean or Bob the dancing Bear on your Youtube channel. Boxing doesn't need to be made a mockery of again when it almost seems like the sport is trying to get it's shit together, with top level free fights and top guys facing each other.

[BYU 14]

Not something I think anyone would sanction or promote, but I would seriously spend money to watch Nunes dust him up.

Amanda Nunes wants to fight Jake Paul in a boxing match (https://www.yahoo.com/news/amanda-nunes-wants-to-fight-jake-paul-in-a-boxing-match-200508962.html)

[PilotMan]

Greg Hardy getting pounded out this year is a very good thing.

[thesloppy]

Anybody gonna watch this McGregor card tonight? I forgot about it entirely until yesterday. I'mma track down a stream somewhere.

[PilotMan]

Certainly not paying for it.

[BYU 14]

Watching it, glad I have the Superbox, not a payment worthy card overall

[PilotMan]

I'm not sure that there are really any cards anymore that are worth paying for. When you go back 10-12 years ago, and compare the prices, it's not really even close. Maybe one card per year, maybe two.

[bhlloy]

Personally I’m glad I paid for it - better value than many of the “big” cards over the years and what a seismic ending.

With that being said, definitely can’t disagree that nothing comes close to some of the cards that were being put together back in the day and the value for money involved.

[thesloppy]

The talent pool is just too diluted now, and with events running seemingly weekly sometime and like 30 million regional TUFs for awhile & web-only shit it's just impossible to keep up.

[molson]

Every McGregor fight is entertaining, I hope he sticks around, the UFC has a serious star problem. And he looked great tonight, until the end.

Poirier has been excellent for 5 years, but, I don't know if he can carry a big UFC event. I don't know what you can do with him now, he's smashed everyone except Khabib, who he can't beat. McGregor/Poirier 3 probably makes the most sense, and then you try to talk Khabib into fighting the winner of that I guess.

I understand and have accepted why the UFC needs to run shows so often as opposed to the 5 times a year they used to do. It's just a different world. And there's almost always entertaining stuff on all of those shows. But that big time MMA feel, there's not a lot of guys who can bring that anymore. McGregor, Khabib, a handful of others based on the opponent. It is harder to keep up with, and I've lapsed a bit over the last year, but I got randomly into the last 2 UFC shows or so and they were both very entertaining. I do miss that big championship fight feel though. To me, team sports just can't compare to the epic 1-on-1 confrontation you can get when the stars align in MMA.

[Coffee Warlord]

Watched it at a neighbor's.

The most amusing part was who was over there with us - the bass player from Steel Panther (basically a modern 80's glam rock band), who was a riot.

[BYU 14]

Watched it at a neighbor's.

The most amusing part was who was over there with us - the bass player from Steel Panther (basically a modern 80's glam rock band), who was a riot.

Wait a minute, you watched UFC with Lexxi Foxx, and casually mention it? LOL, how does your neighbor know him?

[JonInMiddleGA]

Watched it at a neighbor's.

The most amusing part was who was over there with us - the bass player from Steel Panther (basically a modern 80's glam rock band), who was a riot.

LEXXI !!!!
(okay, probably Travis in that setting, but still)


Okay, NOW I'm fucking jealous of something that an FOFC'er did.

[Coffee Warlord]

Wait a minute, you watched UFC with Lexxi Foxx, and casually mention it? LOL, how does your neighbor know him?

His mom (Travis's mom, that is) is the sales manager for one of the developers in our neighborhood. My neighbor has known her for a long time, and thus, they've hung out together on many occasions - he lives right around here. Happened to be able to show up last night, so yeah.

And I got to hear stories about how Larry King thought he was gay, and wanted to wear his wig during an interview with him and the band. Along with how he used to live next door to Burt Young (Paulie from Rocky) when he was in LA. Lexxi does a PERFECT Paulie impression.

edit: And yes, he introduced himself as Travis. :)

[PilotMan]

So as much crap as I've said about Scott Coker, he finally looks like he's learned from his failure at Strikeforce. I've been a Bellator fan since they started and Bjorn Rebney was running things with their tournaments. Their fights have generally been enjoyable, even if their prospects have had mostly poor success at the UFC level (Volkov who just KOed Overeem washed out in Bellator). That doesn't really matter. I've always been fond of the second level product and the stars that are made there.

Their continued success at bringing in guys who have left UFC, coupled with the personalities they've developed on their own has actually improved the product. They've got a new deal with Showtime and today they announced an official and transparent ranking system. It's a nice departure from the struggles and drama of the UFC. UFC still has a superior product, but their cards get weaker and weaker, they can't seem to develop their fighters because it's simply too big. They need a new developmental like WEC again. They could be doing that with Legacy, but they aren't.

[BYU 14]

So as much crap as I've said about Scott Coker, he finally looks like he's learned from his failure at Strikeforce. I've been a Bellator fan since they started and Bjorn Rebney was running things with their tournaments. Their fights have generally been enjoyable, even if their prospects have had mostly poor success at the UFC level (Volkov who just KOed Overeem washed out in Bellator). That doesn't really matter. I've always been fond of the second level product and the stars that are made there.

Their continued success at bringing in guys who have left UFC, coupled with the personalities they've developed on their own has actually improved the product. They've got a new deal with Showtime and today they announced an official and transparent ranking system. It's a nice departure from the struggles and drama of the UFC. UFC still has a superior product, but their cards get weaker and weaker, they can't seem to develop their fighters because it's simply too big. They need a new developmental like WEC again. They could be doing that with Legacy, but they aren't.

I often find Bellator more enjoyable now than the oversaturated UFC product, despite the difference in skill level. Seems Coker cares more about his fighters too. Half the time it seems Dana White thinks it is all about him.

[molson]

I was worried about Bellator for a second, they have been dark for months with no TV deal and still only have 6 fights scheduled total in the future across a few different planned shows. But I guess with the Showtime deal they will carry on.

Though being exclusive to Showtime is going to limit new eyeballs a lot. It costs twice as much as ESPN+. Though I guess they will be easier to follow now that they're not across Paramount, and PPV, and CBS Sports, and their Youtube channel, and DAZN or whatever.

[thesloppy]

Tonight's card is actually pretty loaded.

[bhlloy]

Yeah, this is a hell of a card. Was leaning towards not buying it until seeing just how deep it was.

[PilotMan]

I broke down and bought the card too. I've been watching for 4 hours already. There hasn't been a card this deep in at least 3-4 years. It's been at least that long since I bought a PPV.

[molson]

I'm in Oregon and managed to place a small parlay via the new state online betting app for shits and giggles. Cruz/Nunes/Adesanya/women's basketball teams in Russia and Japan that are bigger favorites than Nunes tonight. About a 3-1 payoff, with Cruz the biggest wild card by far, and that one's in the bank. If I win, I may let it all ride tomorrow on something stupid.

[thesloppy]

:(

[BYU 14]

Man what a bad ending to a great fight. Interesting hearing the aftermath that Yan's corner apparently directed that kick, but Yan should have been aware he was still grounded and the referee was very clear Sterling was down.

Bad decision by Yan and even worse by his corner, especially with him taking control of the fight like he was..

[molson]

Well that's a first, for the UFC at least

Somewhere in my head I was still expecting Jack Tunney to come out and explain that the belt can't change hands on a DQ.

[BYU 14]

Well that's a first, for the UFC at least

Somewhere in my head I was still expecting Jack Tunney to come out and explain that the belt can't change hands on a DQ.

Rogan sounded like he was going for that angle, but at least that should secure your parley.

[bhlloy]

Figures that a great looking card has been such a dud so far. Hopefully these 2 fights can redeem it. This is an interesting fight for Nunes and I have no idea what to expect in the main event.

[thesloppy]

This card just fell apart.

[bhlloy]

Narrator - this was not an interesting fight for Amanda Nunes.

Only the main event can save us now

[PilotMan]

It's an interesting fight card mostly because of the main event, but in terms of fighters on this card, it was thick. I don't regret it. Hell, they had poor Dominick Cruz headlining the prelim card. He really should have been on the main.

Nunes was only ever going to win. Would have liked a bit more interesting fight for her, but she's beaten everyone. There's nobody for her to fight, that's not her fault.

[bhlloy]

Big meh. I’d love to see this be the impetuous for the UFC going away from these gimmick fights.

[BYU 14]

49-45 maybe a bit off, but great closing two rounds by Blachowicz. I think the threat of that power kept Adesanya a bit more conservative than he usually is.

Props to him for moving up, cause it sucks carrying someone 20-25 pounds heavier than you on the ground in half guard or under side control.

[PilotMan]

Yeah, it wasn't an exciting fight really, but it was a very good technical fight. I had no problem with it at all. Blachowicz raised his stock substantially (49-45 was clearly off), but he won, and even with the L, Adesanya doesn't lose much luster, if he lost any at all.

[molson]

Well I'm glad I blew my parlay with a badass elite polish MMA fighter coming through, and not by any failures of the women's basketball teams in Russia and Japan, who both delivered.

Until that last round, I thought Adesanya overlooked Blachowicz and didn't take him seriously, but then it was apparent that Blachowicz was just too big and skilled.

One of my pet peeves in MMA how it's a "problem" when there's a dominant MMA champion who clears out the division. There's like 15 divisions now between the men and the women in the UFC, it's OK if there's a few dominant champions who just come out and kick someone's ass a few times a year. I don't see any problem with Amanda Nunes destroying challengers indefinitely. It's great TV. Probably the most culturally-relevant combat sports run of all time is Mike Tyson dispatching lesser fighters in short order. Amada Nunes is the greatest of all time and I just love watching her prove that over and over again. Megan Anderson is a good fighter and she was just terrified in there.

[molson]

I still hate that if you get warned that your technique is risking an eye poke, then you poke a guy in the eye anyway, literally make his eyeball bleed, the fight is over, and somehow that's a no-contest.

I don't know what it would ever take for an eye poke to be deemed "intentional", or why that should even matter. It'd have to be a Roddy Piper-like heel setup where they comically telegraph it, I guess.

You basically get two free pokes per round without penalty. In theory it's a rule that you can't poke people in the eye, but it just doesn't matter if you're negligent, reckless, or unskilled enough to break that rule. Pisses me off every time.

And Leon Edwards just complained afterwards that the fight was "taken away from him" and he wants a title shot.

[PilotMan]

Well the good news is that I don't think that Dana gives him one, but he has done dumber things before. I think if the fight had been in the 3rd round, because it was unintentional, and he hadn't yet been penalized they would have gone to the scorecards. The one that got me was the illegal knee, that wasn't anywhere near as blatant as the other night but still, they're making the fighter decide if he wants to continue. That one is gonna come to a head at some point.

[molson]

Now that Francis Ngannou has taken his rightful place and scariest fighter in the world, there's an interesting financial scenario playing out. Jones/Ngannou is probably the biggest money fight the UFC has now. But because of their deal with ESPN, they get the same money per PPV regardless of how many buys it generates. They make more of a gate for a bigger fight, and they should be back to full Vegas shows in a few months in time for Ngannou's next fight, but, the range on that isn't as big as the range between different buyrates. So for the UFC, it actually makes sense to do Ngannou/Derrick Lewis next, because that will cost them a lot less money, and they'll make just about the same amount from either fight.

I kind of want to see Ngannou kill a few people first before we get Ngannou/Jones. I know long-term booking doesn't work in in MMA, something will go wrong. But I'm kind of bored of super-fights. There's so many weight divisions now, I don't know why it's so terrible to maybe have some dominant champions who just run through people for a while. But it seems like after 1 or 2 title defense, or in Ngannou's case, before he even gets to that, there's an impatience and a sentiment of "he's cleared out the division!", and people start talking fights involving other weight classes, etc.

[bhlloy]

Now that Francis Ngannou has taken his rightful place and scariest fighter in the world, there's an interesting financial scenario playing out. Jones/Ngannou is probably the biggest money fight the UFC has now. But because of their deal with ESPN, they get the same money per PPV regardless of how many buys it generates. They make more of a gate for a bigger fight, and they should be back to full Vegas shows in a few months in time for Ngannou's next fight, but, the range on that isn't as big as the range between different buyrates. So for the UFC, it actually makes sense to do Ngannou/Derrick Lewis next, because that will cost them a lot less money, and they'll make just about the same amount from either fight.

I kind of want to see Ngannou kill a few people first before we get Ngannou/Jones. I know long-term booking doesn't work in in MMA, something will go wrong. But I'm kind of bored of super-fights. There's so many weight divisions now, I don't know why it's so terrible to maybe have some dominant champions who just run through people for a while. But it seems like after 1 or 2 title defense, or in Ngannou's case, before he even gets to that, there's an impatience and a sentiment of "he's cleared out the division!", and people start talking fights involving other weight classes, etc.

Very well said, this is the exact same sentiment that was nagging me before Adesanya stepped up and was strengthened by how bad that card was and how he clearly wasn't a light heavy.

And yeah I know he "earned it" and had run through his division already, and it wasn't the scenario you were actually describing, but in general I'm on board with less super fights and people jumping around weight classes and going back to what IMO made the UFC great 10 or so years ago, which was an organization that genuinely gave the best fighters a shot at winning a title. Not guys jumping 4 or 5 in line because they are a big name or fancy a shot at a different weight class and the UFC can make a ton of money off it.

[molson]

I know the idea was that Adesanya could go back to middleweight like nothing happened, but I think that fight hurt his mystique. There's a big difference between 20-0 and 20-1. And now we'll probably go a year between middleweight title fights.

Edit: And even if won, the scenario still kind of sucks. His plan was to go back to Middleweight. Then Blackowicz fights Glover Teixeira in the most depressing LHW title fight in history.

[bhlloy]

Yeah, that's the other thing about those cross division fights is that two divisions get held up. I know in this situation both divisions the guys at the top are veterans and have had some shots already, but still. Somebody can tear an ACL and never get another shot because of a fight that in retrospect shouldn't have been scheduled (and honestly Israel didn't take seriously enough).

I know these fights have worked in the past, but it has to be the right guy and situation. The exception rather than the rule, and it seems like the UFC is starting to look in the other direction.

[molson]

The two top heavyweight challengers and their varying approaches to contract negotiations, and perhaps, to life as well.

https://i.redd.it/n0ybbi2q5eq61.jpg

[BYU 14]

Derrick Lewis is one of my favorite fighters, 100% genuine dude

[Ryche]

All for Lewis getting his shot, don't know if Jones is worth it for UFC. All he has been is drama for quite awhile and it just gets worse if he wins.

[molson]

And Lewis already has beaten Ngannou - though in one of the worst fights in UFC history. Ngannou clearly respected Lewis' power. It would be fascinating to see his approach a second time around.

[PilotMan]

Solid debut for Bellator on Showtime tonight.

Patricio Pitbull is like the only guy who has been on the roster since Bellator started, which is an incredible feat. He's developed into a two division champion.

Also, that was one of the absolute worst refereeing jobs in the main I've ever seen. When you can't tell that the guy is out cold AND the other fighter is telling you he's out, AND you still don't believe it, AND you shake the other dude's arm to see if he's out NOT ONCE, but TWICE, before you finally call it. You might want to move on and try a different career. Dude was out like 15-20 seconds.

[Edward64]

Somewhat related.

Talk shit, get hit. (https://www.reddit.com/r/fightporn/)

[Toddzilla]

I'm surprised no one is talking about the guy who kept fighting AFTER ONE OF HIS FINGERS GOT RIPPED OFF.

hxxps://www.espn.com/mma/story/_/id/31180731/khetag-pliev-suffers-severed-finger-match-undergoes-emergency-surgery

[Toddzilla]

"Damn!"

- Ronnie Lott

[molson]

My favorite part was how the fans in attendance were asked to look around for the severed finger, as it may have flown in the crowd.

(But it was eventually found in his glove).

Edit: CM Punk and the other announcer trying to make sense of it in the aftermath. Basically, the other fighter was illegally going inside his opponents glove and manipulating his fingers, bending them back and forth. Because this is MMA, that somehow means that the cheating fighter wins.

MMA fighter’s finger falls off mid fight - YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7po_iBja_8o)

[BYU 14]

My buddy Al and I interviewed former WIBA World Champ Keisher McLeod this morning, give it a listen if you have an hour to kill. She was a great guest and offered some good insight into women's boxing and other things going on in her life.

Chat with Al and Friends - Keisher Fire McLeod Boxer Actress and Model - YouTube (https://youtu.be/ew_4K9S6yLw)

[BYU 14]

Is anyone watching Ben Askren vs Jake Paul? I plan to only because I can watch it free, and I really want to see Paul get his ass handed to him. Askren, who was not good as a striker in MMA seems like a safe choice, but Paul has yet to be hit by a fighter. It is for sure a trainwreck type fight card, and Paul can get respect as a boxer, when he fights a real boxer, but what the hell.

[thesloppy]

I'd most like to see Askren immediately fuck the rules, throw off his gloves, shoot on Paul and smother him to sleep. What's the risk, getting banned from the youtube boxing league?

[BYU 14]

I'd most like to see Askren immediately fuck the rules, throw off his gloves, shoot on Paul and smother him to sleep. What's the risk, getting banned from the youtube boxing league?

That would be sweet and apparently it is in the forefront of someone's mind, because there is a clause in the contract that states Askren forfeits his purse if he uses MMA tactics. :)

[thesloppy]

That would be sweet and apparently it is in the forefront of someone's mind, because there is a clause in the contract that states Askren forfeits his purse if he uses MMA tactics. :)


That's a shame. I imagine that one of these days one of the competitors in these celebrity circus fights is going to figure that an immediate kick to their opponent's nuts is more entertaining/endearing than three rounds of amateurs boxing & worth the loss of the purse.

[BYU 14]

That's a shame. I imagine that one of these days one of the competitors in these celebrity circus fights is going to figure that an immediate kick to their opponent's nuts is more entertaining/endearing than three rounds of amateurs boxing & worth the loss of the purse.

Or we can just wait for him to pick a Diaz brother and enjoy his dismantling.

[thesloppy]

I would definitely watch that! There still seems to be a lot of space between the repeated hype about Paul maybe-possibly having some real passion for boxing and the very careful selection of opponents that have absolutely no passion for boxing.

[molson]

Paul is a -175 favorite.

Quite a statement of the perception of Askren's boxing ineptness and Paul taking this seriously for several years now. And maybe teenage girls learning how to gamble.

[PilotMan]

Is anyone watching Ben Askren vs Jake Paul? I plan to only because I can watch it free, and I really want to see Paul get his ass handed to him. Askren, who was not good as a striker in MMA seems like a safe choice, but Paul has yet to be hit by a fighter. It is for sure a trainwreck type fight card, and Paul can get respect as a boxer, when he fights a real boxer, but what the hell.

I seriously question the decision of Freddie Roach to get involved in this entire thing. Askren is not the person I'd have hitched my reputation to.

[BYU 14]

I seriously question the decision of Freddie Roach to get involved in this entire thing. Askren is not the person I'd have hitched my reputation to.

No, he may be the weakest high level MMA striker ever, though his last workout looked serviceable, still, I dread him getting caught early which just makes boxing look like a clown show once again. Especially when there is as much young talent in the as there has been in many years.

I only hope Askren gets him into the 4th, 5th rounds, gasses him out and makes him quit. The one thing that gives me hope there is Paul will come in super amped, which in term will make him tight and increase how fast he fatigues. Boxing is not a sport fought with emotion, if you can't relax you can't survive 8 rounds with someone pressing you that at least knows what a real high level fight is like.

[molson]

If there were long odds for a draw, I think I'd bet that.

I could see it just being boring and awful and ending in a pointless draw. I see a lot of people liking Paul by decision at 6-1 odds for kind of the same reason. He may pace himself and just look smoother than Askren which might steal him few early rounds before he gets tired.

And I know Askren has never had an impressive physique, but...

https://www.sportbible.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=720,quality=70,format=webp,fit=pad,dpr=1/https%3A%2F%2Fs3-images.sportbible.com%2Fs3%2Fcontent%2Fa2aa50a9607a4d3ec60137d5d7b337c1.png

[thesloppy]

And I know Askren has never had an impressive physique, but...

https://www.sportbible.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=720,quality=70,format=webp,fit=pad,dpr=1/https%3A%2F%2Fs3-images.sportbible.com%2Fs3%2Fcontent%2Fa2aa50a9607a4d3ec60137d5d7b337c1.png


On Reddit I saw this photo captioned as "when you're next on the waterslide".

[PilotMan]

I wonder if Askren has fixed his tendency to lift his chin when he throws punches?

Probably not.

[BYU 14]

Well fuck, Paul 1st round KO...

Credit, he actually looked like a boxer, Askren looked like a wrestler trying to box, chin high, no head movement.

But now, fight a fucking boxer and quit this bum of the month club shit

[molson]

One of those fights where 30 seconds into it it seems like the outcome should have been obvious in retrospect.

[BYU 14]

Pretty much

[thesloppy]

I didn't bother to watch, but doesn't sound like I missed much.

[BYU 14]

I didn't bother to watch, but doesn't sound like I missed much.

You didn't and even the one legit Boxing match was sketchy. I watched for free and felt ripped off LOL

[thesloppy]

You didn't and even the one legit Boxing match was sketchy. I watched for free and felt ripped off LOL


:lol:

[JonInMiddleGA]

I didn't bother to watch, but doesn't sound like I missed much.

You missed Ric Flair refereeing a slap fight.

[thesloppy]

You missed Ric Flair refereeing a slap fight.


OK, that actually sounds like something I would enjoy.

[JonInMiddleGA]

OK, that actually sounds like something I would enjoy.

Twitter was pretty .. amused, bemused, entertained, agog, aghast... all at the same time lol

[BYU 14]

Dola hasn't been the same since they left this board.

[PilotMan]

Anyone else think Masvidal finally gets his clock cleaned tonight?

[BYU 14]

I think it might be another snoozefest, as i am not sure Usman wants to stand with him for 5 rounds. He made it work against Covington because Covington is a volume striker. Masvidal is much more technical and I see Usman testing the waters, but ultimately playing a lot of clinch game.

I think the best fight on the card is Weili vs The Rose, should be a war.

[thesloppy]

One-armed choke! The earlies & prelims have been good tonight, the crowd probably makes a difference. Hopefully it carries over to the main card.

[cartman]

total dead leg for the Aussie. No way he could continue

[thesloppy]

:(

[cartman]

DAMN

that shin just broke in half

[thesloppy]

This card has been Thunderdome

[cartman]

THUG ROSE

[thesloppy]

:thumbsup:

[cartman]

Usman is a beast

[thesloppy]

That was a fun card.

[cartman]

Yeah, a great night of fights

[Coffee Warlord]

Needed more "Fuck Jake Paul."

The leg melting was horrific. Lordy. Good news is, they said surgery tomorrow, not emergency right now surgery, so hopefully he comes back.

[BYU 14]

that was a fun card, outside of Weidman's leg injury and Usman proved me wrong by standing most of the time. He is an impressive fighter and I can't wait for him to break Covington's jaw again.

[cartman]

Jiri Prochazka is a bad man. That spinning elbow to finish Dominic Reyes was brutal

[thesloppy]

Yeah, he looked good! There was some pretty good fights tonight.

[BYU 14]

Watched the Ruiz / Arreola fight instead and it was a very entertaining fight, but Arreola needs to think about hanging up the gloves. Still as tough as any HW Boxer in the world, but his deteriorating speed and reflexes showed as the fight wore on.

I would like to see Andy Ruiz against Dillian Whyte next.

[PilotMan]

Is anyone else following this Diego Sanchez/ UFC saga?

Was supposed to have a final fight against Cerrone, imo, both should have retired a couple years ago, at least. But the fight was canceled and Sanchez was cut from the company.

Then this comes out from Sanchez and it looks like our revolves around medical liability. Could Diego Sanchez be the first neuro battle that MMA will have to deal with? After 16 years, and his fighting style he would be a prime candidate.

Diego Sanchez: UFC overreacted to medical records request (https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/2021/05/ufc-news-diego-sanchez-medical-records-request-overreaction)

[thesloppy]

Saw that video of his coach chasing fighters around the octagon with a knife, I dunno how he has anybody in his camp.

[molson]

Sanchez's manager was trying to bait UFC into creating liability for a lawsuit and the UFC smartly just called him on the bluff and cut him. The manager posted that recorded phone call with the UFC, I guess not realizing it makes him look bad.

You don't get to say, "UFC is risking my health by letting me fight" and then fight for them. Same as Mark Hunt.

[thesloppy]

UFC has been pretty nuts for the last month. Maybe not quite a high-point, considering all the horrific exploding limbs, but consistently entertaining for many events, which they certainly were not for a while.

[thesloppy]

UFC just stringing together a historic run of mutilated joints right now.

[bhlloy]

So that’s a first. A fighter just deciding not to finish somebody and lose by clear UD instead.

[Coffee Warlord]

All in all, not the best fight night. Diaz with that last minute shot was interesting, but really ... meh fights.

Ref for the Craig fight is gonna get bitched at for not stopping that earlier, though.

[bhlloy]

I dunno... Moreno was a good fight with a great stoppage, I enjoyed the whole Diaz fight but the Adesanya conundrum is something that Dana is going to have to deal with at some point though (and maybe I was way too harsh criticizing him upthread after the Blacho fight) because there's nobody at Middleweight who can touch him.

[thesloppy]

Apparently dude's arm was just disconnected and he popped it back in??

[Coffee Warlord]

Any of you remember MMA Tycoon? We had a small FOFC contingent like 12 years ago. Apparently it's still kicking. I re-joined on a whim.

[molson]

So that's three consecutive UFC PPVs since fans came back where we had a broken or dislocated limb.

And with 12 UFC divisions now, I still think it's OK that you have 1-2 with a dominant champion. The company and fans seem to get so antsy when a guy makes 3 or 4 title defenses.

Never played MMA Tycoon, or World of Mixed Martial Arts from Grey Dog, though I always meant to.

[PilotMan]

WMMA is still fantastic. The latest one, 5, is the cream of the crop.

[Lathum]

I don't know if anyone listens to Unfiltered with Jim Norton, but if they do at the 23:45 mark this week he talks about a wedding he went to this weekend and how great the band was. One of my best friends is the drummer. The band is called The Amish Outlaws. They are already very successful, but it was really cool to get that kind of shout out.

[thesloppy]

another absurd breakage for the UFC. Crazy.

[Galaril]

another absurd breakage for the UFC. Crazy.

What happened?

[thesloppy]

https://fark-usrimg-850.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com/a/aM/fark_aMKgtdwNK1LzaNPBltzcrxflvRk.jpg?AWSAccessKeyId=HBAYEKZHGUB4NAYQBVSQ&Expires=1626667200&Signature=CcMxVbRkP3Qfh8DwfKCP6YRlfGQ%3D

[Galaril]

Thanks.

[molson]

Conner's trashiness somehow comes off differently when he's interviewed lying on the ground after he gets his ass kicked again, and while insulting his opponent's wife.

[molson]

Greg Hardy also got knocked out, that was fun.

[JonInMiddleGA]

That's one of the most horrifying things I've seen in a long time.

And by "that", I'm talking about Jared Leto's outfit.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Conner's trashiness somehow comes off differently when he's interviewed lying on the ground after he gets his ass kicked again, and while insulting his opponent's wife.

I loathe the guy, but I gotta respect the marketing game of that move.

He isn't sure when he'll walk again but he's already angling for a 4th fight.

[molson]

He can make $30 million or whatever fighting anybody, he should target someone down at his ability level.

Edit: but White says rematch after Poirer gets title shot. Not a lot of guys have lost 3 times to the same guy. Ortiz/Shamrock, i'm not sure who else

[PilotMan]

Good to see Porier win again. Anyone saying it was just a freak accident doesn't understand the concept of defending leg kicks. Sure it doesn't always happen, but it's a well known risk of using the technique.

[cartman]

Look back, it is pretty clear that one of Poirier's checks started the chain of events towards the broken leg. McGregor I don't think threw another leg kick after the first minute or so after kicking constantly in the first 60 seconds.

[molson]

Boxing freak show update.

48-year old Oscar de La Hoya had to pull out of his boxing match with 44-year old Vitor Belfort (who has one career boxing match) beacuse he's in the hospital with COVID, but don't worry, 58-year old Evander Holyfield is stepping in. Belfort v. Holyfield is on. California would not license this, so, they did the obvious thing and moved the fight to Florida.

This is all with the Triller Fight Club promotion, where Jake Paul soundly defeated Tyrone Woodley by decision last week (it was a split decision, but it sounds like Paul clearly won). Woodley did connect with one good punch, but Paul worked past it and won. Paul will give Woodley a rematch if Woodley gets an "I love Jake Paul" tattoo on his leg. Woodley has not ruled this out. Online betting sites have Woodley the favorite to be his next opponent, with Conner McGregor the next most likely. Paul also did announce his retirement from boxing, but nobody believes him.

[BYU 14]

Boxing freak show update.

48-year old Oscar de La Hoya had to pull out of his boxing match with 44-year old Vitor Belfort (who has one career boxing match) beacuse he's in the hospital with COVID, but don't worry, 58-year old Evander Holyfield is stepping in. Belfort v. Holyfield is on. California would not license this, so, they did the obvious thing and moved the fight to Florida.

This is all with the Triller Fight Club promotion, where Jake Paul soundly defeated Tyrone Woodley by decision last week (it was a split decision, but it sounds like Paul clearly won). Woodley did connect with one good punch, but Paul worked past it and won. Paul will give Woodley a rematch if Woodley gets an "I love Jake Paul" tattoo on his leg. Woodley has not ruled this out. Online betting sites have Woodley the favorite to be his next opponent, with Conner McGregor the next most likely. Paul also did announce his retirement from boxing, but nobody believes him.

To be fair to Triller, Showtime is now responsible for the abortion that is Jake Paul's "career" in the ring.

[spleen1015]

I think Paul came out of retirement the next day....

Too much money to be made for him to retire.

[dubb93]

I’m not buying any of this, but if it was on TV I’d watch all the Triller freak show fights for sure.

[molson]

I got you covered for the finishes of the two big Triller freak show fights tonight. I won't spoiler them, except to say both were finishes: Tito Ortiz v. Anderson Silva, and then Evander Holyfield v. Vitor Belfort:

Streamable Video (https://streamable.com/l6obql)

Streamable Video (https://streamable.com/umw8jl)

(Featuring Donald Trump on commentary in the second fight)

[BYU 14]

Tito looks like he is boxing underwater, and Evander is my age for gods sake, nuff said and Trump on commentary is the perfect cherry on this shit show

[Edward64]

FWIW, to my uneducated eyes, looked like they ended the Holyfield fight early?

[dubb93]

FWIW, to my uneducated eyes, looked like they ended the Holyfield fight early?

He’s a 60 year old man with CTE who had already been knocked down twice (1 was ruled a slip) and was just trying to cover up at that point. Stopping the fight the day after it was announced wouldn’t have been too early. :lol:

[Edward64]

He’s a 60 year old man with CTE who had already been knocked down twice (1 was ruled a slip) and was just trying to cover up at that point. Stopping the fight the day after it was announced wouldn’t have been too early. :lol:

Seemed as if he was covering up okay and then the ref stepped in.

[BYU 14]

Seemed as if he was covering up okay and then the ref stepped in.

He was not right and was going to get hurt, they did the right thing and as dubb said it should have been stopped in the dressing room, just cringe.

I am in great shape for 58, still hit the bags regularly and there is no way in hell I would spar against someone of decent skill 15-20 years younger than me. My speed and reflexes have declined remarkedly since my mid 40's, when even then I was a shell of me as a teen/20 something when I actually fought.

Ref did him a huge favor, that the promotors should have done by never making the fight, I don't care how much he spars in the gym still.

[BYU 14]

And McGregor now getting into scraps with MGK at the VMA's. Dude probably needs to go away. His once comical and somewhat endearing act has long since jumped the shark and he is becoming the Irish Colby Covington

[molson]

It always takes me a couple of days to get through one of these shows but UFC 266 was awesome. Volkanovski dominating Ortega except for the 3-4 times he got caught with submissions and turned purple before escaping. Shevchenko making a a top contender look like an awkward soccer mom. And Diaz/Lawler was the best old man fight I ever saw. They were both slower, but still super aggressive and durable enough to give us a few rounds. Curtis Blaydes looked great. Lots of fun stuff on the undercard too.

Oh and Jon Jones gets arrested again for domestic battery.

[Atocep]

If Fury and Wilder are the best the heavyweight division can put out there right now then boxing is in as bad of shape as it's made out to be.

[tarcone]

If Fury and Wilder are the best the heavyweight division can put out there right now then boxing is in as bad of shape as it's made out to be.

What happened?

[Atocep]

What happened?

Fury won an entertaining, but sloppy fight. Sloppy is being really kind.

[BYU 14]

Fury won an entertaining, but sloppy fight. Sloppy is being really kind.

Fury is always sloppy, this was not going to be another Hearns / Leonard, but Fury has a very high ring IQ and exceptional instincts. He is just very unorthodox, but it was a very entertaining fight.

Wilder showed some new tricks, was not straight up/straight in and out, actually showed decent lateral movement and used more than just a straight 1-2. He made a mistake bulking up and it cost him as the rounds went on, fatigue wise. And when he tired he resorted back to what he has done in the past.

They are the best, along with Usyk and the HW division has certainly been in worse shape. Sloppy or not fight was a classic and there were a few subtle things both of them did that isn't always apparent to everyone watching.

[molson]

So it looks like Cain Velasquez killed a guy.

Edit: just shot. Phew.

[thesloppy]

So it looks like Cain Velasquez killed a guy.

Edit: just shot. Phew.


When I saw that this thread had been bumped on a weekday my brain immediately went to "Jon Jones shot himself"

[Carman Bulldog]

Cain Velasquez May Have Been Trying to Shoot Man Accused of Abusing Family Member: Sources – NBC Bay Area (https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/cain-velasquez-may-have-been-targeting-man-suspected-of-abusing-family-member-sources/2826054/)

New Report Suggests Possible Motive For Cain Velasquez Shooting (https://www.wrestlinginc.com/news/2022/03/new-report-suggests-possible-motive-for-cain-velasquez-shooting/)

[dubb93]

Cain Velasquez May Have Been Trying to Shoot Man Accused of Abusing Family Member: Sources – NBC Bay Area (https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/cain-velasquez-may-have-been-targeting-man-suspected-of-abusing-family-member-sources/2826054/)

New Report Suggests Possible Motive For Cain Velasquez Shooting (https://www.wrestlinginc.com/news/2022/03/new-report-suggests-possible-motive-for-cain-velasquez-shooting/)

Bad for him that he shot the wrong guy. A jury may have been sympathetic if he shot the molester. I will say there is probably a bunch of information we don’t know so I could be totally off here.

[miami_fan]

Colby Covington Says Jorge Masvidal Punched Him Twice & Broke His Tooth In Attack (https://www.tmz.com/2022/03/22/colby-covington-jorge-masvidal-punched-him-twice-and-fractured-his-tooth/)

[BYU 14]

Not that I don't enjoy seeing Covington get cracked, but genius Masvidal just ended his UFC career and may get some jail time as well.

[dubb93]

Masvidal just ended his UFC career

Really? You really think if they think he can sell a PPV that they are cutting him over this? This company will book anyone they think they can pop a buy rate from. They have no behavioral standard at this point. They basically encourage controversy.

[thesloppy]

It's a felony charge for someone that already has a record, what the UFC wants may not figure into it.