The MMA thread

Oggmonster

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Arguably the pound for pound greatest champion the sport has ever had who was as dominant as he was for so long going anywhere else because it's a better option for him is a disgrace and comes off the back of years of mistreatment from Dana.

He should be retiring as a legend in the UFC when his career is done, not going off to another franchise.
I think they're a bit stuck with him. They can't give him huge money really cos his fights don't draw any significant numbers. They could try marketing him more but they have in the past and it didn't really work (he got a whole series of TUF about fighting him.) I agree Dana is a twat and treats people like shit but this is a tricky situation for them to be honest.

Equally maybe DJ wants this to? Smaller fighters get paid more over there as there is more of an interest in them. HE gets to fight different people and it's a new challenge. He's still a UFC legend despite leaving.
 

Oggmonster

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But maybe they didn't draw due to MM's dominance... I guess we'll never know.
Possibly true mate. I think it was a number of factors really.

It was always seen as a 1 man division
The competition wasn't great for the large part (I'd say take away Benvadiz, Cejudo and Horiguchi the rest of MM opponents were pretty average)
They weren't promoted enough...their fights were pretty much always early prelims bar MM fights.
Smaller fighters don't draw that well
Equally it's not seen as good as the bigger guys in terms of talent. Diaz for example when in trash talk with McGregor saying he beat up midgets etc.

I think the move is best for all parties really. The UFC has been shitty to MM and the rest of that division over the years so instead of wasting anymore time on it they're best focusing their energy on something else...hopefully a 165 division!
 

Fortitude

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I think they're a bit stuck with him. They can't give him huge money really cos his fights don't draw any significant numbers. They could try marketing him more but they have in the past and it didn't really work (he got a whole series of TUF about fighting him.) I agree Dana is a twat and treats people like shit but this is a tricky situation for them to be honest.

Equally maybe DJ wants this to? Smaller fighters get paid more over there as there is more of an interest in them. HE gets to fight different people and it's a new challenge. He's still a UFC legend despite leaving.
I just think Dana didn't fancy the division or MM and thus committed very little time or budget to raising his profile over a concerted period of time.

Given what's gone on, MM going elsewhere is good on him, but it reflects terribly on the UFC.
 

George Owen

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We got fights Saturday night, finally.

Main Card (Fox Sports 1)
Light Heavyweight Volkan Oezdemir vs. Anthony Smith
Featherweight Michael Johnson vs. Artem Lobov
Light Heavyweight Misha Cirkunov vs. Patrick Cummins
Bantamweight Andre Soukhamthath vs. Jonathan Martinez
Light Heavyweight Gian Villante vs. Ed Herman
Welterweight Alex Garcia vs. Court McGee

Preliminary Card (Fox Sports 1)
Welterweight Nordine Taleb vs. Sean Strickland
Lightweight Thibault Gouti vs. Nasrat Haqparast
Featherweight Calvin Kattar vs. Chris Fishgold
Women's Bantamweight Sarah Moras vs. Talita Bernardo

Early Preliminary Card (UFC Fight Pass)
Lightweight Te'Jovan Edwards vs. Don Madge
Heavyweight Arjan Bhullar vs. Marcelo Golm
Lightweight Stevie Ray vs. Jessin Ayari
 

stevoc

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Thought the same too, but in the Helwani show he said he wasn't sure just yet at what weight-class he is fighting next. I wouldn't rule out a catchweight fight too (175 maybe?).
Anythings possible i suppose. But if Askren agreed to fight Till he'd probably want him cutting those extra 5 pounds, it's a tough cut for Till.
 

George Owen

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Anythings possible i suppose. But if Askren agreed to fight Till he'd probably want him cutting those extra 5 pounds, it's a tough cut for Till.
For sure, i would want the same.


Fair play to Lord Artem. He said earlier this week that if Johnson were to miss weight, he wouldn't take a share of his purse, in appreciation for taking the fight on short notice. (Johnson eventually missed by one pound.)
 

Dirty Schwein

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For sure, i would want the same.


Fair play to Lord Artem. He said earlier this week that if Johnson were to miss weight, he wouldn't take a share of his purse, in appreciation for taking the fight on short notice. (Johnson eventually missed by one pound.)
That's why he's the GOAT
 

Grylte

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Aparantly Khabib and Conor are banned 'indefinitely'.

I guess they'll fight again when the money's right.
 

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Just noticed this is in Moncton, about 2 hours from me... what a weird place to have a UFC event :lol:
 

George Owen

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Just noticed this is in Moncton, about 2 hours from me... what a weird place to have a UFC event :lol:
hahah do you reckon the majority on the arena is fecking stoned?

the judges surely are. (but thank mma god for that, had money on the "winner" (Stevie Ray))
 
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hahah do you reckon the majority on the arena is fecking stoned?

the judges surely are. (but thank mma god for that, had money on the "winner")
The majority of the audience will be French speaking difficult to get along with weirdos. Moncton is a special, special place
 

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He wouldn't be anywhere near the UFC if it wasn't for Conor. He's terrible. Incredible chin though.
Yeah. Does absolutely nothing except keep walking forward.
 

stevoc

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He wouldn't be anywhere near the UFC if it wasn't for Conor. He's terrible. Incredible chin though.
I don't really think he's worse than a lot of journeymen fighters that make up a large part of the UFC roster. But because of his association with McGregor he is more well known and people take more notice of him especially his losses. He's similar to fighters like Brad Pickett or Travis Browne who were kept around for years despite mostly losing.
 

Dirty Schwein

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I don't really think he's worse than a lot of journeymen fighters that make up a large part of the UFC roster. But because of his association with McGregor he is more well known and people take more notice of him especially his losses. He's similar to fighters like Brad Pickett or Travis Browne who were kept around for years despite mostly losing.
But Picket and especially Browne had huge potential. I remember when Browne broke on to the scene, he seemed a killer.

Artem simply beats the shit out of the air with his T-Rex arms.
 

stevoc

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But Picket and especially Browne had huge potential. I remember when Browne broke on to the scene, he seemed a killer.

Artem simply beats the shit out of the air with his T-Rex arms.
They did have potential yes but they they both went on awful runs for years and could have easily been cut, but both were kept around for the same reasons that Lobov is still in the UFC. They are relatively well known to help sell an event, they are entertaining enough to watch and at the end of the day you have to keep a certain amount of fighters employed to put on events every weekend. A lot of those fighters are going to be losing more than they are winning, but most aren't noticed.
 

Dirty Schwein

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They did have potential yes but they they both went on awful runs for years and could have easily been cut, but both were kept around for the same reasons that Lobov is still in the UFC. They are relatively well known to help sell an event, they are entertaining enough to watch and at the end of the day you have to keep a certain amount of fighters employed to put on events every weekend. A lot of those fighters are going to be losing more than they are winning, but most aren't noticed.
I hope you're right. I don't want Artem to get cut. You can't stop the Cyberian express. Choo Choo motherfeckers!
 

Ballache

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I don't really think he's worse than a lot of journeymen fighters that make up a large part of the UFC roster. But because of his association with McGregor he is more well known and people take more notice of him especially his losses. He's similar to fighters like Brad Pickett or Travis Browne who were kept around for years despite mostly losing.
He's lost more than he's won unlike the two fighters you've named. He's finished 6 out of 13 wins and he has 2 wins and 5 losses on the UFC.