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Fortitude

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I'm glad on the bolded point, he seems a proper dick to be honest.

Gastelum is a weird fighter, strikes me as osmeone who has real poor discipline hence the constant struggles to cut weight.
Yeah, Walker started to believe the hype and played up to it, which is so disappointingly cliche. Happens so often, you'd think those following suit would take heed, but nope. Now we see the age-old-learn-a-lesson-come-back-humbled trope. Must drive trainers spare.

Yeah Gastellum seems to still be unable to handle the mental aspects, which you have to wonder whether it'll be his legacy, as it follows him one way or the other even as a mature fighter. He'll probably go on a trademark tear through a few fighters now and ultimately end up in the same loop again, as it seems to be his thing.

Hopefully, he doesn't end up like Cowboy - the ultimate fall-shorter.
 

Hernandez - BFA

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I love Walker, he’s my favourite UFC fighter at the moment. Disappointed with the result. He took the loss very modestly though which I’m happy about.

He’ll be back. It’ll be a huge learning point for him I’m sure. Decking people within the first round can only give you so much experience.

Hopefully he has another fight fixed up for Jan/Feb to get back on track.
 

poleglass red

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Dana white was pretty quick to pour cold water on a diaz v Masvidal rematch, and I 'd agree 100%. Diaz was made to look poor by Masvidal and even taking into account Diaz's latter rounds impact, which I think is overblown, I think Masvidal would have matched that and continued to pick him apart. I see some calling for Diaz to fight Wonderboy, maybe that's a fight to make
 

Fortitude

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Dana white was pretty quick to pour cold water on a diaz v Masvidal rematch, and I 'd agree 100%. Diaz was made to look poor by Masvidal and even taking into account Diaz's latter rounds impact, which I think is overblown, I think Masvidal would have matched that and continued to pick him apart. I see some calling for Diaz to fight Wonderboy, maybe that's a fight to make
Most of the godly leg kickers aren't around anymore - they are kryptonite to the Diaz's (plural) and Wonderboy would just one notch less humiliating and damaging. Would be a horrific, systematic beatdown with Nate pulped and bloody, gesticulating and calling Wonderboy a bitch whilst trapsing around the octagon completely out of ideas and options.

I'd hope that's not a fight that gets made, it's a gross mismatch.
 

poleglass red

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Most of the godly leg kickers aren't around anymore - they are kryptonite to the Diaz's (plural) and Wonderboy would just one notch less humiliating and damaging. Would be a horrific, systematic beatdown with Nate pulped and bloody, gesticulating and calling Wonderboy a bitch whilst trapsing around the octagon completely out of ideas and options.

I'd hope that's not a fight that gets made, it's a gross mismatch.
so don't give Diaz this fight because Wonderboy's kicks would be too effective. That's the fight game, not every fighters style is tailor made for each other. They are calling for it over at sherdog. Diaz is still actually above Wonderboy in the rankings, so it could be a fight that they could make. Is it a fight I'd be excited to watch, no, is it a fight UFC could make- I'd say yes. Both fighters are popular fighters. Ideally you'd like to see Thompson fight a top 4-6 fighter esp after that clinical performance, but I'm not sure white will do him any favours.
 

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I want to see Masvidal X Khabib. Welterweight, Lightweight, doesn't matter. Masvidal is the one who can beat him, not Ferguson.
 

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I want to see Masvidal X Khabib. Welterweight, Lightweight, doesn't matter. Masvidal is the one who can beat him, not Ferguson.
Assuming they were in the same weight category the advantage would still be Khabib's, since he would take him down and that would be that.
 

Luke1995

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That's the thing. I believe Masvidal would stop these takedowns and hurt Khabib on the feet. It probably won't happen anyway
 

Andersons Dietician

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I want to see Masvidal X Khabib. Welterweight, Lightweight, doesn't matter. Masvidal is the one who can beat him, not Ferguson.
It’s amazing how effectively 2 victories launched Masvidal in to some sort of mythical status. Let’s not forget Till dropped him in their fight and was pretty much in control until the jump in hook. Askren, I mean one lucky shot, brilliant as it was, but it was 1 strike.

Before Till he’d lost two on the trot. Wonderboy and Maia and Maia pretty much controlled him for most of the fight. Before that Cerone was the only notable victory.

If he were to somehow fight Kahbib I would imagine it would be the usual Kahbib mauling because I doubt he’d be as stupid as Askren and Kahbib actually sets up his takedowns.

Anyway today I’m reading Masvidal wants to fight Canello in a boxing match. Seems like the BMF belt is already going to his head. I know it would be a massive pay day but come on. He’d get flattened within a round or 2.
 

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It’s amazing how effectively 2 victories launched Masvidal in to some sort of mythical status. Let’s not forget Till dropped him in their fight and was pretty much in control until the jump in hook. Askren, I mean one lucky shot, brilliant as it was, but it was 1 strike.

Before Till he’d lost two on the trot. Wonderboy and Maia and Maia pretty much controlled him for most of the fight. Before that Cerone was the only notable victory.

If he were to somehow fight Kahbib I would imagine it would be the usual Kahbib mauling because I doubt he’d be as stupid as Askren and Kahbib actually sets up his takedowns.

Anyway today I’m reading Masvidal wants to fight Canello in a boxing match. Seems like the BMF belt is already going to his head. I know it would be a massive pay day but come on. He’d get flattened within a round or 2.
The Canelo stuff didn't seem serious in fairness.

Whilst I agree the other points you say are valid He has looked a lot better since his lay off. I do think people are getting a tad carried away though I don't want to see him fight Khabib for example bit there's plenty of high level winnable fights for him. I hope he capitalises on this fight he's probably in the Top 3 draws in UFC at the moment
 

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That's the thing. I believe Masvidal would stop these takedowns and hurt Khabib on the feet. It probably won't happen anyway
What makes you think Masvidal's takedown defense is good enough to do that ? Khabib would simply grab ahold of his leg and not let go until he fell to the ground.
 

Andersons Dietician

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The Canelo stuff didn't seem serious in fairness.

Whilst I agree the other points you say are valid He has looked a lot better since his lay off. I do think people are getting a tad carried away though I don't want to see him fight Khabib for example bit there's plenty of high level winnable fights for him. I hope he capitalises on this fight he's probably in the Top 3 draws in UFC at the moment
To be fair this is really the only fight where he has shown what he can do since that lay off. He did look very impressive mind. In a way he is probably the new Nate Diaz. Had a bit of a cult underground following based on his mentality, personality and fighting style and 1 fight really brought him to the attentions of the masses and like you say has probably made him a drop draw now in the company.

Personally I think Edwards is the more interesting fight. Diaz if they want to run it back surely isn’t going to be ready till early March/ April with that cut. Needs to let it heal properly and Usman Colby I really couldn’t give two turds about but if it has to be one of them then hopefully Colby. Maybe a rematch with Wonderboy.
 

Oggmonster

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To be fair this is really the only fight where he has shown what he can do since that lay off. He did look very impressive mind. In a way he is probably the new Nate Diaz. Had a bit of a cult underground following based on his mentality, personality and fighting style and 1 fight really brought him to the attentions of the masses and like you say has probably made him a drop draw now in the company.

Personally I think Edwards is the more interesting fight. Diaz if they want to run it back surely isn’t going to be ready till early March/ April with that cut. Needs to let it heal properly and Usman Colby I really couldn’t give two turds about but if it has to be one of them then hopefully Colby. Maybe a rematch with Wonderboy.
He looked good vs. Till after the early knock down, the Askren one is obviously mental and is what got him noticed massively and probably the fight vs. Diaz. I think he's more well rounded than Diaz as a fighter to be honest, I don't think he's beating Khabib or anything (and I don't think he beats Colby) but he has had a good career comeback with his last 3 fights.

I think he fights the winner of Usman vs. Colby. It's only them 2 and Woodley ranked above him. There's no point him rematching Thompson who is a bad style match up and is ranked way below him. I think Colby and Masvidal know this is the case and are milking all this "beef" to generate some interest.
 

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If he, yet again, opts to use his opponent's strength and attempts to box with Reyes, he will lose; if he fights properly, and takes the guy seriously, he will win, easily.

I think he'll go in underestimating Reyes and wake up latterly taking the remainder of the bout or straight submitting him.

Jones has one of the best chins in UFC, which will be the saving grace to his initial dicking around that will invariably see him get clipped a few times.

Just cannot see him going into this fight with the intensity and focus needed for him not to be bailed out once or twice by his ability to withstand hits to the head and then recalibrate and get his man out of there in a more conventional manner.

If Reyes has the accuracy, there's potential for him to win this in the 1st or 2nd round before Jones even takes him seriously. I wouldn't bet against Jones, but if I were to, this is the bout I'd do it for by early 'upset' K.O.

Exciting fight - now that Jones has called out Reyes, it has legs and will be a hell of a headline event. What odds Dana tries to get Conor on the same card?
 

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If he, yet again, opts to use his opponent's strength and attempts to box with Reyes, he will lose; if he fights properly, and takes the guy seriously, he will win, easily.

I think he'll go in underestimating Reyes and wake up latterly taking the remainder of the bout or straight submitting him.

Jones has one of the best chins in UFC, which will be the saving grace to his initial dicking around that will invariably see him get clipped a few times.

Just cannot see him going into this fight with the intensity and focus needed for him not to be bailed out once or twice by his ability to withstand hits to the head and then recalibrate and get his man out of there in a more conventional manner.

If Reyes has the accuracy, there's potential for him to win this in the 1st or 2nd round before Jones even takes him seriously. I wouldn't bet against Jones, but if I were to, this is the bout I'd do it for by early 'upset' K.O.

Exciting fight - now that Jones has called out Reyes, it has legs and will be a hell of a headline event. What odds Dana tries to get Conor on the same card?
Reyes is a quality fighter but Jones has dispatched better during his reign. Since he rarely takes his opponents lightly, I expect him to be fully prepared and use his strengths to wear Reyes down over 5.
 

Fortitude

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Reyes is a quality fighter but Jones has dispatched better during his reign. Since he rarely takes his opponents lightly, I expect him to be fully prepared and use his strengths to wear Reyes down over 5.
Jones has been dossing in the ring for nigh on the majority of his return. 'Having fun' i.e. decimating opponents in their own style, not his own, just because he can. If he does that with Reyes, the early K.O. is there for Reyes before Jones actually resets and fights as he should (in his own style, being respectful).

I think it's a non-contest if Jones goes in there dead serious from the outset, but I am pretty sure he won't do that.
 

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Jones has been dossing in the ring for nigh on the majority of his return. 'Having fun' i.e. decimating opponents in their own style, not his own, just because he can. If he does that with Reyes, the early K.O. is there for Reyes before Jones actually resets and fights as he should (in his own style, being respectful).

I think it's a non-contest if Jones goes in there dead serious from the outset, but I am pretty sure he won't do that.
I see Reyes in the Anthony Smith/Volkan Oezdimir class of fighters. Anything can happen but the odds of any of these guys beating Jones is fairly low. Jones is intuitive enough to know when to clown around and when to raise his game.
 

Pat_Mustard

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A never-nude? I thought he just liked cut-offs.
Co-main.

That's why I mentioned it in the first place. Wins all round for the £££ men.
I expect that they'd rather spread their two biggest PPV draws across separate cards rather than just one event. Conor has regularly attracted 1m+ buys for events he has headlined anyway, so is Jones really going to add many buys on top of that? Probably better to have Jones on a different event and hope for 0.5m +.
 

Fortitude

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"Co-main" is a nonsense term they use to make someone on the undercard feel better. Whoever goes on last is the headliner.
Meh! Was thinking it would add some legitimacy to Conor's return to put him in a serious, title-contending event. There needs to be some professionalism and class to Conor's return, so unless they're going to go silly with the WWE style playing up to the 'notorious' malarky, what better way to do it than putting him on a serious card?
I see Reyes in the Anthony Smith/Volkan Oezdimir class of fighters. Anything can happen but the odds of any of these guys beating Jones is fairly low. Jones is intuitive enough to know when to clown around and when to raise his game.
That's a lowly rank to give him, in all honesty, as that's a tier with very limited/linear fighters - I think he's better than that in relative terms, it's just that no other division has the best of all time in there as the prize/penalty who has a penchant for humiliating challengers - if there were no Jon Jones, someone like Reyes could be a champion, especially so with Cormier's rank being a phantom one now given he'll never fight at LHW again.

Jones is intuitive, of course he is, but my point with the potential for him losing this one is that Reyes has the kind of power that could mean taking him lightly mightn't give the chance for restitution after the fact - I don't think it matters whether Reyes goes in there in the form of his life as it only comes down to whether Jones goes in there with the intention of taking the guy out and showing his utter dominance from the beginning, or whether, as I suspect, he'll go in there trying to meet fists with fists. Jones' boxing is by far the weakest aspect of his skilset; outside of outright power, perhaps his only genuine weakness, and I think if he is ever to lose in his prime, it will be because he's tried to outbox a better boxer and got himself sparked (for no good reason) trying to best a boxer at their own game.

Apart from Cormier (any time, ever) and the rematch with Gustafsson, Jones hasn't gone out there to really put as damaging a beatdown on someone as he could and I don't think he'll be going out there with that kind of intensity vs. Reyes as there's no evidence to the contrary Jones will change track, for Reyes, from what he's been doing (fighting people in their own style) when he finds it so entertaining.

An early, flash KO. in this one wouldn't be a surprise if Jones goes in there intent on trying to box and gets hit flush. Apart from that, I'd call a walkover for Jones.
 

Fortitude

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I expect that they'd rather spread their two biggest PPV draws across separate cards rather than just one event. Conor has regularly attracted 1m+ buys for events he has headlined anyway, so is Jones really going to add many buys on top of that? Probably better to have Jones on a different event and hope for 0.5m +.
Fair point.
 

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Meh! Was thinking it would add some legitimacy to Conor's return to put him in a serious, title-contending event. There needs to be some professionalism and class to Conor's return, so unless they're going to go silly with the WWE style playing up to the 'notorious' malarky, what better way to do it than putting him on a serious card?
He's not had much of that in his entire MMA career, why start now!
 

Fortitude

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He's not had much of that in his entire MMA career, why start now!
Because the allegations surrounding him are now really serious and gone beyond pantomime; I think it's a pretty important return for his image, this.

The stones on him if he comes back playing up to what he's been classed of as late - think it'd be pretty appalling, tbh.
 

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Meh! Was thinking it would add some legitimacy to Conor's return to put him in a serious, title-contending event. There needs to be some professionalism and class to Conor's return, so unless they're going to go silly with the WWE style playing up to the 'notorious' malarky, what better way to do it than putting him on a serious card?
That's a lowly rank to give him, in all honesty, as that's a tier with very limited/linear fighters - I think he's better than that in relative terms, it's just that no other division has the best of all time in there as the prize/penalty who has a penchant for humiliating challengers - if there were no Jon Jones, someone like Reyes could be a champion, especially so with Cormier's rank being a phantom one now given he'll never fight at LHW again.

Jones is intuitive, of course he is, but my point with the potential for him losing this one is that Reyes has the kind of power that could mean taking him lightly mightn't give the chance for restitution after the fact - I don't think it matters whether Reyes goes in there in the form of his life as it only comes down to whether Jones goes in there with the intention of taking the guy out and showing his utter dominance from the beginning, or whether, as I suspect, he'll go in there trying to meet fists with fists. Jones' boxing is by far the weakest aspect of his skilset; outside of outright power, perhaps his only genuine weakness, and I think if he is ever to lose in his prime, it will be because he's tried to outbox a better boxer and got himself sparked (for no good reason) trying to best a boxer at their own game.

Apart from Cormier (any time, ever) and the rematch with Gustafsson, Jones hasn't gone out there to really put as damaging a beatdown on someone as he could and I don't think he'll be going out there with that kind of intensity vs. Reyes as there's no evidence to the contrary Jones will change track, for Reyes, from what he's been doing (fighting people in their own style) when he finds it so entertaining.

An early, flash KO. in this one wouldn't be a surprise if Jones goes in there intent on trying to box and gets hit flush. Apart from that, I'd call a walkover for Jones.
Smith and Oezdimir are very good fighters who were mowing down the division until they ran into a brick wall once they hit the top tier. Reyes comes across as being in a similar category. He’s not nearly as good as a peak Gustaffson, who was imo the only person who gave Jones significant problems.
 

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Smith and Oezdimir are very good fighters who were mowing down the division until they ran into a brick wall once they hit the top tier. Reyes comes across as being in a similar category. He’s not nearly as good as a peak Gustaffson, who was imo the only person who gave Jones significant problems.
I can see Reyes giving Jones problems. He's a very smart and calculated fighter. Jones will probably win but I don't see him finishing Reyes somehow.
 

Fortitude

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Smith and Oezdimir are very good fighters who were mowing down the division until they ran into a brick wall once they hit the top tier. Reyes comes across as being in a similar category. He’s not nearly as good as a peak Gustaffson, who was imo the only person who gave Jones significant problems.
Oezdimir is a heavy-handed, but one-dimensional fighter (outboxed by Cormier!) and Smith has his limitations. Reyes looks more rounded than both, with more power, to boot. In a Jones-less division, I would be less surprised to see someone like Reyes as a champion than the other two, who, I think fall in line with the pack of hopefuls who have to fight amongst themselves until one remains who looks like a legitimate challenger.

Reyes is also still improving - this fight might even be too early for him, whereas I think we've seen the apexes of the other two. We'll see about that in March.

The cavaet for Gustafsson was that Jones didn't take him seriously in prep for the first fight (surprise, surprise), but made sure to back those words by pulping him in the re-match to the point Gus accepted the gulf between them. That second fight broke Gus as a fighter, which is what Jones will do to anyone who he takes seriously from the outset.
 

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It’s amazing how effectively 2 victories launched Masvidal in to some sort of mythical status. Let’s not forget Till dropped him in their fight and was pretty much in control until the jump in hook. Askren, I mean one lucky shot, brilliant as it was, but it was 1 strike.

Before Till he’d lost two on the trot. Wonderboy and Maia and Maia pretty much controlled him for most of the fight. Before that Cerone was the only notable victory.

If he were to somehow fight Kahbib I would imagine it would be the usual Kahbib mauling because I doubt he’d be as stupid as Askren and Kahbib actually sets up his takedowns.

Anyway today I’m reading Masvidal wants to fight Canello in a boxing match. Seems like the BMF belt is already going to his head. I know it would be a massive pay day but come on. He’d get flattened within a round or 2.
Big fan of Masvidal I see... :rolleyes:

The guy has 35 pro wins, he's been finished only 3 times in 48 fights, one of which was a bullshit early stoppage, he's been on the end of some of the worst split decision losses in the history of the sport. He could easily have over 40 wins and just 6-7 losses if it weren't for horrible judging. Put some respect on the guys name, he's had a hell of a career, and he'd offer Khabib problems.