UFC 196 Champion v. Champion

[Nash Diesel]

http://www.benchwarmers.ie/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Untitled-1-copy-copy-copy-61-640x300.jpg

UFC 196
March 5, 2016
MGM Grand Arena Las Vegas, NV, USA

Main Event
UFC Lightweight Title Fight
Rafael dos Anjos (Champion) v. Conor McGregor (Challenger-Current Featherweight Champion)

Co-Main Event
UFC Women's Bantamweight Title Fight
Holly Holm (Champion) v. Miesha Tate (Challenger)

The entire card has not yet been finalized and it's a month away which is odd. I just read BJ Penn saying he will for sure be fighting at this ppv, more than likely against Denis Siver (awesome). Here's the link to the rest of the card via Wikipedia since the UFC's website is still showing Tony Ferguson v. Michael Johnson which as we know Johnson is out and Tony is now fighting Khabib at UFC on Fox 19 April 16th.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UFC_196

I am so excited for this card. I love the idea of RDA winning, I dig the idea of Conor being a double champion-first time in UFC history. Holm v. Tate is very interesting. Holm's only big win of her MMA career was against the most dominant female fighter in MMA history. Tate is probably the toughest female fighter in the UFC and I am leaning toward her winning the belt.

[Spedizzo]

Very pumped for this fight, less than a month away, infact, its a little over 3 weeks away

but am I the only one who feels like there isn't much buzz at all for it? well, not as much buzz as it deserves? maybe it's just me.

[Hero!]

but am I the only one who feels like there isn't much buzz at all for it? well, not as much buzz as it deserves? maybe it's just me.

Yupp. I'm actually hyped for this because A) The women's fight has a lot of potential and B) The McGregor fight will either make him a legend and shatter a lot of the public perception around how great he is.

i think the hype for this is being buried beneath the return of Jon Jones, the card for 199 and the spectacle of 200. I also feel like people are looking over Dos Anjos' ability and already chalking it up as another McGregor win.

[Spedizzo]

That would be silly for people to chalk this up as a McGregor win. So many variables at play. McGregor moving up a weight class, facing an absolute monster, oddsmakers opened Dos Anjos up as the betting favorite with lines fluctuating between to the two as the public pounds McGregor. Complete toss-up in my opinion. Anyone who thinks they know who will win is talking about of their ass.

Dos Anjos is definitely stronger and more aggressive, but he has shown that he can be temperamental and can get knocked out... although that seems light years ago since he has been on this new tear. He also has some wicked takedowns and while Conor has shown those who doubt him that he can hold his own against elite takedowns, it is still definitely one of his weaker areas. I would, however, say that Conor probably has a edge on the technical striking. I will also speculate that Conor has a better gas tank than Dos Anjos if Conor can get it into the later rounds.

I think Dos Anjos is easily capable of knocking Conor out or subbing him, but I think Conor is just as easily capable of knocking out Dos Anjos. No prediction at all on this fight!



As for Miesha and Holly.... sorry Miesha. I don't think you will get Holly to the ground, and if you had a tough time striking with Ronda I don't think you will strike well with Holly. It may not be one sided, but I think at the very least Holly will outscore for a decision. I predict Holly Holm wins by unanimous decision.

[Nash Diesel]

I kind of agree, it does feel like for one of the top 2-3 UFC stars in McGregor, the hype is just not there. The build isn't there like you would expect. I'm hoping McGregor loses, I think he has a good chance at winning, but I don't like the idea of him being a 2 division champ and I'm pretty sure he could sweet talk Uncle Dana into booking him against Lawler at UFC 200 if he does walk away with the title. I don't like the idea of divisions being held up so Dana can play Vince McMahon.

[Spedizzo]

I haven't seen any advertisements for this fight anywhere (on NON-UFC related channels, I haven't watched any UFC on Fox cards as of late... so since the last UFC PPV I would consider myself a "casual/out of the loop fan") and he is the biggest draw in the company. It's almost as if Dana White and company wants this PPV to be a bust so they can tell McGregor to sit the fuck down because the guy is trying to become his own promotion ala Mayweather.

For Aldo/McGregor, I don't think I could turn to a sports related channel that didn't constantly spam their commercials in the month or so preceding the fight.

We still have 3 weeks and things could change, so who knows. But this card also has the woman who knocked out Ronda Rousey, FFS!

[Nash Diesel]

I agree. You have 2 huge fights and minimal promotion. The main event is probably the biggest fight in years in terms of what a win for McGregor could mean for the landscape of the UFC. Then you have Holm v. Tate, Holm with her big win over Rousey, Tate easily the 2nd most popular female MMA fighter out there under Ronda.

[Fanny Batter]

You don't want people to burn out on McGregor. He's so active that if they did World Tours and Primetimes for every fight he would never be off the telly. I'm sure the fortnight of the fight will give us the hype we need, Press Conference, Embedded, extended promos on the FS1 and Fight Pass cards, while giving everybody enough time since the initial press conference to crave a bit of Conor. Especially when (if he wins) he'll be diving straight into a fight at the biggest show of the year 4 months later.

On the fight, as it gets closer I'm getting confident in Conor. Particularly after seeing how Eddie Alvarez stifled Pettis (though obviously not as impressively) which made me think more that Pettis' flaws were exploited rather than RDA being the second coming of Terminator. He smartly went to the body early against a weak bodied slow starter. So he's got fight IQ but I don't think he's done anything world class technically. Conor McGregor starched Jose Aldo with a counter left in 13 seconds. He works angles superbly, great reflexes, and will be the more effective striker as his straight punches are more accurate. If Dos Anjos can drag it to the ground he can make it difficult but a black belt doesn't make him Demian Maia. He has ways to win but Conor is different, special, and I see him getting it done within 2 rounds.

[Eddie Brock]

Credit when it's due this is a proper superfight where two champions are fighting each other. Dos Anjos has looked great, but I see some holes, and after seeing how good McGregor's timing is, combined with his power, I think he could give RDA some trouble.

[Nash Diesel]

I'm just waiting for the Penn-Siver fight to be announced. BJ has stated a few times he's fighting on this card.

[Eddie Brock]

Penn/Siver expected to be moved to UFC 197. Point for Lentz who predicted that Penn wouldn't be ready this soon.

I wonder if Dos Anjos will bull rush McGregor the way he rushed Cerrone? If so, I expect McGregor to land some counter shots that could end the fight quickly.

[Nash Diesel]

Penn/Siver expected to be moved to UFC 197. Point for Lentz who predicted that Penn wouldn't be ready this soon.

I wonder if Dos Anjos will bull rush McGregor the way he rushed Cerrone? If so, I expect McGregor to land some counter shots that could end the fight quickly.

Was this Penn not being ready or the UFC wanting to stack up UFC 197 which really only has 1 fight people will care about, Jones v. DC....I know DJ is fighting on this card, but man when will 125 get some momentum and be a draw? I'm just glad it's not the headliner.

[Dream-Evil]

http://www.mmafighting.com/2016/2/23/11098398/rafael-dos-anjos-injured-out-of-ufc-196-main-event-fight-against

Just put this in the main UFC thread, but it makes sense to have it here too. RDA has a broken foot, fight is off. UFC looking for a replacement for McGregor.

[Honey_Badger]

That fucking blows.

[Nash Diesel]

Ah man totally fucking gutted!! Now I'm pretty interested in who they'd holler at to come give McGregor a dose of 170.

[Spedizzo]

That is absolute shit. Breaking your foot a week and a half before the fight?

[Nash Diesel]

Interesting note that of his 8 UFC fights, 4 of them had replacement opponents.

[Spedizzo]

Nate Diaz is going to be the likely replacement if there is one. He has been spotted at Zuffa HQ and that is where all the hoopla is being directed right now.

[Mik]

If it's Nate or Cowboy I'm not even that bothered that the RDA fight is off.

[TheRockSays]

so its Diaz..... @ 170! Shit talking over the 2 weeks will be legendary

[Eddie Brock]

I see this being a dangerous fight for McGregor. McGregor isn't taking the fight to the ground if anything Diaz might. I can see him causing a lot of problems for McGregor.

[Fanny Batter]

McGregor has testicles filled with fortitude. Second time he's accepted a markedly different opponent within a fortnight of a fight in the last 8 months. You've got to think this will go against RDA too since Conor will likely have another 4 months to get comfortable in his 155lb frame should he win here. I think it's the end of McGregor at featherweight though, he can't campaign at 155 for a couple of fights properly and still make that cut especially when it was a tough one anyway. Saying that, maybe this shelves RDA for a while? Be interesting to see what happens.

As for the fight, I love it. It's one of those bonkers matchups that cannot be boring. Those 2 jawing at each other? Fuck yeah. I think McGregor cracks Diaz early and often, but who knows? Maybe Diaz's length and forward movement will cause him trouble.

[Mik]

I'd say my reaction is in every way the same as Fanny batter's. In a way this is a dangerous fight and two weight divisions above what mcgregor has been used to for the past couple of years.

[Nash Diesel]

Love it. It's the kind of crazy fight you want to see put together as opposed to something like Royce v. Shamrock 3.

Diaz is so hit and miss but I think he might actually pull off the win here. Maybe. His toughness is something to admire so he might just take a beating for a few rounds before McGregor finishes him off or someone throws in the towel.

[TheRockSays]

McGregor is running circles around Nate 20 mins into this presser.

[Hero!]

"Dos anjos broke his foot and his vagina on the same day"


gHahaghaahh ok mcgregor, that was great

[Nash Diesel]

I'm watching it. It's cool. Nate's never really been a "talker" like McGregor. It's all about attitude and the way he carries himself. Loved McGregor's line "He makes gang signs with one hand and animal balloons with the other" lol.

[TheRockSays]

i agree. Nate was being himself. Just shows that Conor is truly in a league of his own when it comes to promotion.

[Hero!]

I really can't hate on Mcgregor'a attitude with this. Dude has every right to be pissed and he's gonna shit talk everyone on his up the weight classes. I give him props for having balls

[TheRockSays]

The best part of the whole thing is when Conor was almost dismissing belts, and i think he should run with that. The biggest belt in the game is the imaginary one that goes to guy that can actually dethrone him.

[Hero!]

Nate Diaz comes across as so insecure and scared of Conor, it's sad. Neither of them should be shitting on the belts (Dana should fine them both for that), but I love idea of mcgregor being an open weight champ. I've wanted something like that in MMA for years

[TheRockSays]

i don't know if i'd advocate for an open-weight championship. But i definitely like guys fighting closer to their walking around weight. Conor looks like a fucking beast now that he's not going to 145.

[OD50]

Nate Diaz comes across as so insecure and scared of Conor, it's sad. Neither of them should be shitting on the belts (Dana should fine them both for that), but I love idea of mcgregor being an open weight champ. I've wanted something like that in MMA for years
PRIDE had the open weight Grand Prix in 2000 and 2006 and DREAM had the Super HULK GP in 2009, will never happen in the US though. Maybe RIZIN will do one some day.


i don't know if i'd advocate for an open-weight championship. But i definitely like guys fighting closer to their walking around weight. Conor looks like a fucking beast now that he's not going to 145.
Most guys are roughly two weight classes above their fighting weight. Read that Aljamain Sterling walks around at 156 but cuts to 135 for example. I'd imagine fight quality would improve quite a bit if guys fought at their natural weights (not talking buffet Johny Hendricks weighing 230 here or video-game-shape Rampage Jackson at 300 lbs.).

[Spedizzo]

Anthony Johnson approves this message


http://i.imgur.com/qf0PO.jpg

[Spedizzo]

(thats obviously photoshopped, but makes me lol everytime I see it)

anthony johnson used to fight at middleweight, that says alot about weight cutting in the UFC

the guy can balloon up to 260lbs out of competition

260lbs!!!

[TheRockSays]

Most guys are roughly two weight classes above their fighting weight. Read that Aljamain Sterling walks around at 156 but cuts to 135 for example. I'd imagine fight quality would improve quite a bit if guys fought at their natural weights (not talking buffet Johny Hendricks weighing 230 here or video-game-shape Rampage Jackson at 300 lbs.).
I don't want someone fucking dying to make a change happen... Gotta be smart.

[OD50]

(thats obviously photoshopped, but makes me lol everytime I see it)

anthony johnson used to fight at middleweight, that says alot about weight cutting in the UFC

the guy can balloon up to 260lbs out of competition

260lbs!!!
WW, which is even more insane..

http://www.mmamania.it/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/anthony-johnson.jpg

[Clutch]

I fucking love this fight. Diaz will work his long jab to keep Connor at bay and will try to jiu jitzu his ass on the ground. Connor will stand up and try to knock Diaz's head off his shoulder. Just watched the presser between these 2 and it was dam entertaining. Both got in some funny verbal shots.

[Eddie Brock]

My favorite part about Diaz taking the fight as a replacement is that he isn't going to get his back against the fence and quit, like most of McGregor's opponents. And if it goes to the ground, Diaz has the advantage with his BJJ background. Still picking McGregor, but was a little surprised to see people act like it's going to be Silva vs. Griffin on the feet. The taunting that will happen between these two will be fun to see as well. I hope that Diaz can at least make a fight of it, but without a doubt, Diaz won't be knocking McGregor out. I see McGregor dismantling Diaz with kicks the way he chopped down Mendes. If Diaz can get on the inside and grapple him, he might actually be able to get McGregor tired to where he can pull off a submission, but I doubt it.

[Chris Scott]

Nothing better having a ufc card on your birthday, really looking forward to Holm/Tate, I like both women.

[Nash Diesel]

If Diaz doesn't turn up in proper shape it's going to be body work and a knockout. McGregor's prediction is probably spot on, again lol. I'm not completely writing off Diaz but I just don't think he'll be in the shape he needs to be, even w/o having to cut weight, like he said 20 times at the presser "I don't give a fuck" and that's his attitude.

[Percussion]

I don't think 'I don't give a fuck' is his attitude toward getting ready, it was his attitude toward sitting across from the best talker in the fight game.

[Nash Diesel]

I don't think 'I don't give a fuck' is his attitude toward getting ready, it was his attitude toward sitting across from the best talker in the fight game.

He's struggled in the past with being prepared for fights. Multiple weight issues, not looking like he gives a fuck in the cage just there to get the check. .

[Spedizzo]

I mean, in all honesty, he isn't ready for this fight

The guy was literally on his couch a week ago and is now fighting a guy who just knocked out Jose Aldo and has been training for 3 months and is in the top shape of his career

I don't blame him for just being in it for the payday

I wish we were getting the Nate Diaz who fought a few months ago

There is no way someone can be physically and mentally prepared for a match of this proportion so quick with such little time against such a quality opponent

[Nash Diesel]

I think that's why they settled on 170.

[Spedizzo]

I just don't like the situation

If Nate wins, McGregor is fighting way out of his weight class (which is a justified excuse)

if McGregor wins, Nate only had 1 week to really prepare, which against is world class athlete is asinine and also a justified excuse. Also destroys the McGregor hype train which is something that is really helping UFC right now.

I hate excuses

I wish we had a full camp in-shape Diaz at 155

[Nash Diesel]

I think if McGregor wins it kind of puts him in that Anderson-BJ Penn bracket where they just come to fight. Anderson fought James Irvin and Forrest Griffin at 205, 20lbs above MW and he actually was going to at one time fight Matt Hughes for the 170 title when he was still in Pride I believe (he=Anderson). McGregor cutting to 145 is like BJ dropping to 145. Pointless.

[TheRockSays]

"I just want a 'thank you'....Dance for me, Nate. And don't look me in the eye when you dance..." -The Notorious

I love this man.

[Nash Diesel]

I think it was Sped who said that the promotion for this event, even before RDA dropped out, has been pretty lackluster. A great main and co-main, even with Nate sliding in, should be getting some serious promotion. Especially when it was champ v. champ.

And that comment is hilarious. A little weird but hilarious.

[TheRockSays]

I think it was Sped who said that the promotion for this event, even before RDA dropped out, has been pretty lackluster. A great main and co-main, even with Nate sliding in, should be getting some serious promotion. Especially when it was champ v. champ.

And that comment is hilarious. A little weird but hilarious.
totally agree. for sure under promoted. McGregor vs RDA is the best fight the UFC has, in my opinion. Two titles, and stylistically a hellacious matchup for Conor. Should no doubt be the fight at 200, assuming he handles Diaz.

[Dream-Evil]

http://imageshack.com/a/img923/3911/uzbExM.jpg

This made me laugh.

[Nash Diesel]

DW's love for Conor reminds me a lot of how he was always protecting that Junie fuck from Ultimate Fighter. Dude was fucking up left and right and DW was just like, well he's my sister's kid I gotta keep him around.

[Nash Diesel]

I'm going to be honest, idk if I've ever seen Conor "swing" at someone like that before. It was kind of a bitch move. I'm not really a fan of the Diaz bros, not a huge McGregor fan either, but after that I'm kind of leaning toward wanting to see Nate get the win. I don't see it happening, but hey, look at Ronda-Holly.

[Atty]

So amped for this. Can't wait for Miesha to win and shake everything up.

[Nash Diesel]

So amped for this. Can't wait for Miesha to win and shake everything up.

I'm definitely rooting for Tate. I think if she can neutralize Holly's boxing-which she uses to set up those nasty Cro Cop high kicks-then I think Tate gets the win. She can't stand and trade with Holly, she's tough but her striking isn't the greatest. It needs to be a dirty, Couture style fight. Shut down Holly's stand up, you have a good chance of winning. Holly hasn't lost yet but I've seen her struggle against far lesser competition.

[Percussion]

Hope Nate gets on top at some point just to see it play out, but still want Conor to take this one. His momentum is too good for the sport to stop here.

Holly takes Tate pretty handily I believe.

[Spedizzo]

Depends on how Holly is against Miesha's takedown. I think the first round will be close, but after Holly lands a couple shots and probably starts shrugging Miesha off I think she separates herself.

[Percussion]

Yes, it does depend on things.

[Nash Diesel]

I just can't erase the other 2 fights Holm had prior to Rousey especially the Pennington fight but hey, UFC jitters, hurt neck, compared to her 2nd fight where she went the distance but won it no questions. I just think Tate and Ronda are 2 totally different styles and Tate has done extremely well against practically everyone she's fought in the last 5-6 years other than Ronda. Even the Cat fight she looked good in until the 3rd (still think it was an early stoppage but hey, you don't see Kim Winslow reffing these days now do ya?)

The other thing I'm seeing is a lot of people wanting to see Diaz on top and how McGregor's ground game is but if you ask me, Diaz is more dangerous off his back. He's more like his brother, he's not really going for the takedown to make a grappling match he's standing and banging and if he gets taken down, he's very comfortable. But Nate imo does go for takedowns a little more than his brother and looks for the submission more than Nick so I get it but again, I think Nate is going to be more dangerous if he's on his back. I could definitely see Conor dropping him, but will he try to GNP a guy like Nate knowing the dangers? Could be like Fedor-Werdum.

[Percussion]

I don't ever fault a person for how they look their first fight in the octagon. Not after seeing that scenario play out countless times now. Also I think Tate is up against a psychological mountain.

Doubt Conor will have much problem on top, even against Nate. He's completely competent there. Nate on top could look like Rockhold on top of Machida. It's like trying to get out from under human scaffolding at that length difference.

[Nash Diesel]

I'm thinking Conor's going to work his way from the legs to the body then finish him with some shots to the head before the ref steps in. I'd like to be shocked. Nate is a good fighter, I am not counting him completely out of this thing.

[Chris Scott]

So amped for this. Can't wait for Miesha to win and shake everything up.

Nah she's not winning sorry.

[Beer-Belly]

Pretty shitty of Conor to take that swing.

[Eddie Brock]

Doubt Conor will have much problem on top, even against Nate. He's completely competent there. Nate on top could look like Rockhold on top of Machida. It's like trying to get out from under human scaffolding at that length difference.

Yes, he lacks the wrestling, which is the tool to win. I'm not saying Diaz is bad in his boxing but he's easy to tag. You can't get punched in the face too many times against McGregor. One thing Diaz is really good at is not doing much. He kept hitting Johnson with that 1-2 in his last fight over and over and over, because it kept landing. He didn't need to do anything else. For all the smack talk, he's a consistent fighter who doesn't let his ego get in the way of what he's doing. He doesn't press people, because he doesn't have to. He's very good at controlling range. He presses you from the outside, if that makes sense. He forces you to try to adjust to his length and long punching. He's just outside of his opponent's range. Go back and watch his fights again. He can hit people with what are inside punches like hooks and uppercuts from the outside, from jab and range, because he's lanky. He also doesn't get credit for how accurate of a puncher he is, because he throws punches at weird angles that to fans of technique look sloppy.

They aren't really. Both Diaz's fight that way, and they're both successful, because they throw so many punches at odd angles.

McGregor is used to being able to hit people from range with long punches. Even if he makes Diaz miss which isn't going to be as easy as people are making it out to be he's then going to have to step forward something that's unnatural to McGregor to hit Diaz.

That means he's going to have to make a conscious effort to do it.

That means he's going to have to think about doing it. That means he's going to do it slower than someone who fights like that naturally. Maybe it's only a half a second, a tenth of a second, but those increments of time matter in fighting. He's also going to have to step forward into shots, because Diaz is always throwing, something else he isn't used to. I'm not saying McGregor won't win the fight. I'm not sure how this fight is going to play out with all honesty. I could pretend that Diaz doesn't have the tools to win this fight, but he definitely does I could pretend the same about McGregor. But McGregor is more of an evolved version of Diaz when it comes to striking. He’s an infinitely more polished and smoother striker than Diaz has ever been. Diaz isn't a power puncher and likes to do punches in bunches to wear his opponents down which won't generate many won exchanges with sombody as elusive as McGregor.

[Percussion]

Pretty shitty of Conor to take that swing.

Really? I didn't think it was that bad. Diaz wanted to keep his fist in Conor's mug and that was about to be expected. Just seemed the natural progression of things so far.

Nothing really too far from each guy looking to assert himself in both the promotion and the mind games of the fight.

[Nash Diesel]

Conor swatting the dudes hand was lame. Especially when the dude kept inching closer to Nates fist. If youre going to swing, be a fucking man about it. McGregor has done things similar to this where he will do something knowing the other person will want to react physically but he does it knowing theres people around to stop it. Hes like that little guy in a clique of giants who stands behind the giants talking shit and his boys fake hold him back lol. Motherfucker is like the mma version of Bud Bundy.

See, I think Nate is getting to Conor a little. Conor is used to guys either trying to banter with him and failing miserably, or guys who dont speak English very well or at all. So when Nate is basically laughing at Conors verbal jabs it affects the mental advantage he tends to have. Nate is one of the OG's of trash talking, only Nate isnt putting on a show hes real with what he says. He is a cholo, he is giving back to the community, he does want more money.

Remember the movie 8 mile at the end where Em flips it on Falcon? Thats exactly whats happening in this build and while again I think Mac will win, Im finding it incredible that no matter how hard he tries he cant break Diaz. Dude has seen it all, been in the game longer than alot of these cats and hes barely 30. Gotta do more than insult him.

I just hope some stupid shit doesnt happen where like Diaz's corner jumps into the cage or a fight in the crowd, thats a major thing that pisses me off about the Diaz bros and their crew, just act fucking professional for a few hours lol. but hey, you can take the cholo out the hood but not the hood out the cholo.

[Percussion]

I've never known the "little guy in a clique of giants who stands behind the giants talking shit and his boys fake hold him back" or the "mma version of Bud Bundy" to be one of the pound for pound best fighters in the world, but ok.

As for Nate holding his own with Conor in the verbal sparring, I'm really surprised anyone could see it that way. I actually felt bad for Nate, and mostly because I like both the Diaz bros, that Conor was laying into him during the pressers. I though it was kinda shitty seeing Conor go on and on verbally and be so articulate in front of so many people disparaging Diaz and all Nate could come back with was ... "steroids". I just wanted them to shut it down so Nate didn't have to look all hangdog on the dais anymore.

Made sense to me then when they stood up for the staredown that Nate would want to take center to make up for the lopsided war of words. I didn't even fault him for that. It was his obvious get. But then that's why I didn't fault Conor for taking a swipe either because, and like I said, it just seemed the next natural progression of all that had happened leading up.

None of this is anything to get worked up about either guy I don't think, this is just the fight game. An air of dignity would be fresher, but this is the blueprint for printing money.

[Eddie Brock]

If McGregor wins this and then proceeds to get Dos Anjos to agree to fight him and wins the title later this year, I think he climbs far up the ranks of greatest of all time.

[TheRockSays]

I just don't think we're giving Conor enough credit for the move. Just hit the hand away, and the fight needed a last minute shot in the arm. It's a fight that still comes up way short of RDA, and the press conferences weren't the war we (at least I) were expecting. Dana grabbed Nate because he's the big enough dummie to get in an actual fight 48 hours before. I think this was best case scenario for everyone. All the animosity without the Jones/Cormier style embarrassment.

[Mik]

Conor swatting the dudes hand was lame. Especially when the dude kept inching closer to Nates fist. If youre going to swing, be a fucking man about it. McGregor has done things similar to this where he will do something knowing the other person will want to react physically but he does it knowing theres people around to stop it. Hes like that little guy in a clique of giants who stands behind the giants talking shit and his boys fake hold him back lol. Motherfucker is like the mma version of Bud Bundy.

See, I think Nate is getting to Conor a little. Conor is used to guys either trying to banter with him and failing miserably, or guys who dont speak English very well or at all. So when Nate is basically laughing at Conors verbal jabs it affects the mental advantage he tends to have. Nate is one of the OG's of trash talking, only Nate isnt putting on a show hes real with what he says. He is a cholo, he is giving back to the community, he does want more money.

Remember the movie 8 mile at the end where Em flips it on Falcon? Thats exactly whats happening in this build and while again I think Mac will win, Im finding it incredible that no matter how hard he tries he cant break Diaz. Dude has seen it all, been in the game longer than alot of these cats and hes barely 30. Gotta do more than insult him.

I just hope some stupid shit doesnt happen where like Diaz's corner jumps into the cage or a fight in the crowd, thats a major thing that pisses me off about the Diaz bros and their crew, just act fucking professional for a few hours lol. but hey, you can take the cholo out the hood but not the hood out the cholo.


Thats all a load of shit in my opinion. I don't even think mcgregor is all that bothered about 'getting in people's head', it's all just promotion to sell more ppvs.

[Chris Scott]

All about the selling and money.

[TheRockSays]

Just watched the weigh in. Nate made Conor flinch.... uh-oh.

[wardy]

Let's hope McGregor gets his stupid head kicked in tonight. :yes:

[Eddie Brock]

And McGregor will make Diaz go to sleep tonight...

[Glen]

This thread really needs more action.

Personally, I've been trying to catch up on a lot of MMA recently, and I'm still learning a lot about what makes a good fighter "great". I can't see past McGregor, and frankly, I don't want to. The man is an absolute box office machine. I still think Tate is going to take Holm though. Just a feeling. On the lower card, Shevchenko is a great kickboxer but Nunes just looks too strong for her.

[Big]

Anyone find a stream?

Edit: Nm, found one

[Big]

If Tate wins, it becomes kind of awkward. Rousey already beat her and then would Tate fight first for the title rematch? Rousey or Holm?
And then was that a way for Dana to put the belt on someone that Rousey can beat? But Holm is heavily favored anyway...Just rambling here...

[Glen]

FIRST EVERY UFC TRIPLE THREAT

Or, you know. Not.

[Big]

Big round 2 for tate.... didn't expect that

[Big]

HOLY SHIT!

[Atty]

YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES!

[Atty]

Nah she's not winning sorry.

SUCK MY BALLS YOU ALWAYS WRONG LITTLE CUNTRAG!

[Atty]

YES!YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES!

[Bert]

YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES!

#TeamMiesha

[Bert]

Guess it's a good thing that Dana wouldn't give Miesha that rematch with Ronda before Ronda fought Holly.

[Atty]

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

[Defrost]

So three way dance at UFC 200?

[Bert]

I'm so torn between wanting to see the McGregor hype train de-railed and seeing him destroy Diaz.

I think he will destroy Diaz though.

[Percussion]

Great job Pitbull Tate.

[Atty]

I'm so torn between wanting to see the McGregor hype train de-railed and seeing him destroy Diaz.

I think he will destroy Diaz though.

Hmmm...

I'm leaning towards wanting to see Nate's stupid fucking face get smashed in.

[Big]

FUck it.

[Atty]

Wow.

[Atty]

At least Diaz got his face smashed in first. Wow.

[Percussion]

This fuckin sport.

[Bert]

Hmmm...

I'm leaning towards wanting to see Nate's stupid fucking face get smashed in.

Well we both kind of got what we wanted.

[Defrost]

WAR DIAZ!

Those last two fights. Dana has gotta be on suicide watch.

[JP]

Hubris to a tee.

[Atty]

hshasuyghrsiughspiudfoihjsdafad

OK I LOVE YOU NOW DIAZ YOU MOTHERFUCKERS

[wardy]

NOTORIOUS :lol:

[TheRockSays]

THE GAME JUST CHANGED

[Tainted Eclipse]

someone take dana's belt and razors

[Big]

Sick fights tonight though.

[Defrost]

That was the best show ever

[Atty]

That was the best show ever

For realsies.

I wish Vince would book like that. Throw the belt on Dean in front of Mania, do some other shocker and just make everyone have to tune in.

What a fucking show. Top to bottom, it was excellent. So motherfucking happy for Tate. I may have to listen to Katy Perry to celebrate.

[Percussion]

Two weight classes up out of the blue and still looking sharp before it went south. Conor is fantastic.

[Hero!]

Fuuuuuuuuuuuuck

[wardy]

My Facebook feed is going to be hilarious tomorrow.

[wardy]

/today it's 6am whoops.

[Jordo]

Two weight classes up out of the blue and still looking sharp before it went south. Conor is fantastic.

I'm not saying Nate wouldn't have maybe won the fight anyway but Connor lost that because he got cocky when he started landing shots. Connor was pretty much in control then dropped his hands and was trying to defend with head movement alone.

Bummer but I'll still be backing McGregor in the morning

[Dream-Evil]

Will be interesting to see if Diaz will beat his next opponent, the post-fight drug test..

[Droid]

I'm not saying Nate wouldn't have maybe won the fight anyway but Connor lost that because he got cocky when he started landing shots. Connor was pretty much in control then dropped his hands and was trying to defend with head movement alone.
7
Bummer but I'll still be backing McGregor in the morning

He lost because he gassed out and because he doesn't have that good of ground game.

Tonight's card was really good.

[chatty]

Ive noted a lit of people saying White will be crying himself to sleep but imo this is all great for UFC.

The women first, not only does he have a huge rematch betweem Holm and Rousey to cash in on but now has Holm-Tate II and Tate-Rousey III. This makes the womens division stand out more and make it far more interesting whilst also giving it more credibility.

It might turn out that they are all stylistic nightmares for each other but as long as the fights are entertaining then its all money in the bank. Personally if I was white Id do Tate-Rousey next and promise the winner to Holm. Either way thats two huge fights thatll take the division into 2017.

As for McGregor, again a rematch is huge but it also gains Diaz more traction as an attraction. Everyone loves a good humbling and it might hurt Connors stock momentarily but theyll tune in for his next fight to see if how he bounces back. Id stick them on the same card against different opponents with the winners squaring off. Again another couple of big cards to see out 2017.

Gives UFC so huge cards for this year just from those fighters and yhey have a lot of casual interest the last year so should cash right in.

[Mik]

That's the beauty of MMA. Styles make fights and MMA math doesn't work. Anyone can beat anyone on their day, which makes it so impressive that Jon Jones, Cruz and Mighty Mouse achieved what they have. Longevity is king.

[wardy]

As an extremely casual fan with very limited knowledge on UFC, this is my experience. I watched the last 2 UFC events featuring McGregor as my mates had been bigging them up, thoroughly enjoyed them, but it didn't leave me begging for more. Watched some of McGregor's interviews in the build up to this and decided I wanted someone to kick his cocky head in. So I stayed up to 6am to watch him get beat and along the way got drawn in by this Jones/Cormier feud. Proper storyline being built for that, I'll definitely be watching next month.

[chatty]

As an extremely casual fan with very limited knowledge on UFC, this is my experience. I watched the last 2 UFC events featuring McGregor as my mates had been bigging them up, thoroughly enjoyed them, but it didn't leave me begging for more. Watched some of McGregor's interviews in the build up to this and decided I wanted someone to kick his cocky head in. So I stayed up to 6am to watch him get beat and along the way got drawn in by this Jones/Cormier feud. Proper storyline being built for that, I'll definitely be watching next month.

Yep, UFC are doing a real good job of promoting lately. I'm not surprised that they are hitting another curve of success. Unlike other periods though, they seem to have interest on a lot more divisions so they can keep momentum going by attracting viewers one event at the time between divisions and slowly turn more casual viewers into fully fledged fans.

Considering boxing is doing its utmost to destroy itself with politics and other such bullshit then its a great time for them to steal a large section of fans who have become disillusioned.

Fair play to them, they are doing a real good job of late.

[lotjx]

So, Holly was a fluke. Tate/Rhonda III got a thousand times more interesting.

[chatty]

How was Holm a fluke?

[Chris Scott]

SUCK MY BALLS YOU ALWAYS WRONG LITTLE CUNTRAG!

Haha.

[Atty]

How was Holm a fluke?

Anyone can beat anyone on a given night. That's what's so great. Sure, there are fighters that are massively better all around (see the likes of Bones and Ronda) or who fight smarter (see Miesha last night as a contrast to Ronda's approach to Holly), but we never know what will happen until it does. I expected Tate to fight much smarter than Ronda did, but she could have easily slipped up, ran in and gotten smashed at some point. That's what makes longevity so impressive, as on any night an Anderson can run into a Weidman and change the entire landscape. It's not like WWE where we know that Vince will absolutely be protecting so and so, so we know that they'll come out on top and that makes it much more compelling than the current WWE product to me.

I hate people being called flukes. Especially when they just lost for the first time.

[chatty]

Anyone can beat anyone on a given night. That's what's so great. Sure, there are fighters that are massively better all around (see the likes of Bones and Ronda) or who fight smarter (see Miesha last night as a contrast to Ronda's approach to Holly), but we never know what will happen until it does. I expected Tate to fight much smarter than Ronda did, but she could have easily slipped up, ran in and gotten smashed at some point. That's what makes longevity so impressive, as on any night an Anderson can run into a Weidman and change the entire landscape. It's not like WWE where we know that Vince will absolutely be protecting so and so, so we know that they'll come out on top and that makes it much more compelling than the current WWE product to me.

I hate people being called flukes. Especially when they just lost for the first time.

I agree. Hardly a fluke though and that downplays tates victory someone as well. Holm absolutely destroyed Rousey in everyway possible, had her takedowns scouted to perfection, had her timed, out-manoeuvred and out-gunned. It was a perfect fight from Holm because she did her homework and stylistically had her number and lets not forget she was a long time boxing champion and moved over when the womens division got hot (it made no sense to do so beforehand as she made more money in boxing).

Its not like Tate dominated her either, it was a pretty even fight throughout, very competitive and Tate was the one to capitalise first. Its not like Tate is a bad fighter either, she's been the number 2 in the division pretty much for years and Rousey seems to be her boogey(wo)men, she was ahead of Holm in the rankings before she beat Rousey as well and was likely next in line for another shot had Rousey come through.

Stylistically Tate was better suited to fighting Holm than Rousey and she also had the benefit of extra scouting from the Holm-Rousey fight. To call her a fluke when she one sidedly smashed the champion to pieces and has the best career combat record in possibly the whole history of female combat sports is entirely ridiculous.

Great win for Tate and I'm pretty stoaked for her as I've always been a fan. I look forward to any rematches between the three and it honestly wouldn't surprise me if they just all have each others number in triangular wins Rousey>Tate>Holm>Rousey repeat.

I'd prefer them to do Tate v Rousey III first if possible though as I'd like to see how Tate goes about the third fight and they'll be coming into it with completely different momentum form the last one. Either way the winner of that fight v Holm makes for a huge fight as well so ome great fights to be had between the three of them.

[Droid]

So, Holly was a fluke. Tate/Rhonda III got a thousand times more interesting.

Just because you lose doesn't make you a fluke. She destroyed Rousey which no one has been able to do and held her own pretty good against Meisha.

As for the Rousey and Meisha 3 match I think if she fights Rousey the way she was fighting her the last time (before she started grappling her for some strange reason) she will probably beat Rousey.

[Percussion]

I'd prefer them to do Tate v Rousey III first if possible though as I'd like to see how Tate goes about the third fight and they'll be coming into it with completely different momentum form the last one. Either way the winner of that fight v Holm makes for a huge fight as well so ome great fights to be had between the three of them.

Dana White: Ronda Rousey will fight Miesha Tate for the title next (http://www.foxsports.com/ufc/story/ufc-ronda-rousey-miesha-tate-dana-white-will-fight-next-for-the-title-030616)


Ronda Rousey will still receive a title shot when she returns to the UFC later this year, but instead of facing Holly Holm, she will now take on Miesha Tate for a third time.

UFC president Dana White confirmed that he spoke to Rousey via text message on Saturday night after Tate choked out Holm in the fifth round at UFC 196 to win the women's bantamweight championship.

"I think that Ronda now will fight Miesha Tate for the title," White said when speaking to ESPN after UFC 196 concluded. "That's what's going to happen. That's what I said before this fight even happened. Whoever wins tonight will fight Ronda for the title.


And round and round we go ...

[chatty]

Dana White: Ronda Rousey will fight Miesha Tate for the title next (http://www.foxsports.com/ufc/story/ufc-ronda-rousey-miesha-tate-dana-white-will-fight-next-for-the-title-030616)



And round and round we go ...

At least all the fights have been entertaining. I'm not too fussed about fighters having endless rematches as long as they are entertaining.

[Percussion]

Not fussed at all. I think it's great, in fact. Especially should one of the ladies step up and break the styles chain.

Curious if Cyborg has had a say in all of this. She thought for certain that Holm was her in. Now ...

[chatty]

Not fussed at all. I think it's great, in fact. Especially should one of the ladies step up and break the styles chain.

Curious if Cyborg has had a say in all of this. She thought for certain that Holm was her in. Now ...

For sure. Well its sucks to be Cyborg as in terms of marketability she doesn't really have a good claim to go ahead of any of these rematches but she could still benefit. Lets say Rousey v Tate III is next then she should look to push a fight with Holm. If not then she can go after the loser of Rousey/Tate III whilst the winner fights Holm.

Coming of the loss either might not be classed as a career defining win but it'll at least get her on the radar and push her out there to the casual fanbase a bit more as well as making a claim for the big fight with whoever ascends to the top at the time.

Can Cyborg make weight though and if not she's pretty screwed for UFC as they don't have a weightclass for her to fight in. I mean they could invent one for these fights but its all a bit messy.

[Droid]

Cyborg would have made weight by now if she really wanted to fight any top people at bantam weight. It's her own fault because I read interviews from people that know her that have said she could make the weight. Hopefully she's not one of those fighters that retires having talked a bunch of trash about certain fighters but ducked them the whole time they were doing it.

[chatty]

I'd like to see her get any of the fights and hopefully all of them eventually. I don't see a reason to protect any of them now, let them have good fights and make a load of money. I prefer competitive divisions to ones that have a dominant champion.

[Droid]

I'd like to see her get any of the fights and hopefully all of them eventually. I don't see a reason to protect any of them now, let them have good fights and make a load of money. I prefer competitive divisions to ones that have a dominant champion.

Having the belt change hands at almost every ppv each time every weight classes belt is on the line is terrible imo. The classes are competitive and people in each weight class beat people in there weight classes all the time. The champ shouldn't be some easy to beat person when title fights happen. It makes fights more exciting to me when someone finally does beat them. Not when they get the belt and lose it right away. Nobody would have been screaming as loud if Anderson had knocked out Weidman in there first match because we have seen Anderson knock out a lot of people. When Anderson got knocked out though everyone at the place I was at was screaming at the top of there lungs.

[chatty]

Having the belt change hands at almost every ppv each time every weight classes belt is on the line is terrible imo. The classes are competitive and people in each weight class beat people in there weight classes all the time. The champ shouldn't be some easy to beat person when title fights happen. It makes fights more exciting to me when someone finally does beat them. Not when they get the belt and lose it right away. Nobody would have been screaming as loud if Anderson had knocked out Weidman in there first match because we have seen Anderson knock out a lot of people. When Anderson got knocked out though everyone at the place I was at was screaming at the top of there lungs.

It depends really and I wouldn't like them trading every fight but if they fight each other around other fights (and whose to say they pass the belt about every fight) then a competitive division generally ends up being more fun. Silva getting Ko'd was great but was his run all that fun, mostly one sided fights where he acted the clown.

It's hard to say in MMA because its still fairly young but in boxing when you have tight divisions they generally end up being better and making for better fighters and greater fighters think the Fab 4, the heavies of the 70s (Ali, Frazier, Foreman, Norton and co), or the 70s/80s bantams who did trade the belt/s every other fight but were great (Chason, Limon, Boza-Edwards, Mancini, Olivares, Lopez etc).

I mean it can be fun to have a dominant champ if they are like Tyson, not so much if they are like Wladimir.

[Droid]

It depends really and I wouldn't like them trading every fight but if they fight each other around other fights (and whose to say they pass the belt about every fight) then a competitive division generally ends up being more fun. Silva getting Ko'd was great but was his run all that fun, mostly one sided fights where he acted the clown.

Yes his fights were exciting because everyone wanted to see how each person he fought was going to fight him because his style is really unique and also everyone tuned in to see who would be the one to dethrone him. The same for Rousey. Her fights were short but they were exciting. Also it's not Andersons fault that the people he fought weren't that good compared. If someone can play around and not take you that serious and still easily knock you out it's not the joking fighters fault that the other fighter lost. Well it is but you know what I mean.

[chatty]

Yes his fights were exciting because everyone wanted to see how each person he fought was going to fight him because his style is really unique and also everyone tuned in to see who would be the one to dethrone him. The same for Rousey. Her fights were short but they were exciting. Also it's not Andersons fault that the people he fought weren't that good compared. If someone can play around and not take you that serious and still easily knock you out it's not the joking fighters fault that the other fighter lost. Well it is but you know what I mean.

See I'd rather see a good competitive fight than someone just beating another person up. It does nothing for me and I find it hard to get hyped for a fight that I expect to be one sided as well. Guess it depends on what peoples tastes are though.

[TheRockSays]

This obviously shows that the idea of Robbie Lawler was far-fetched at best.... Really don't want him to make that 145 cut anymore, but it seems he has to go there for Aldo or Edgar.

[Hero!]

https://streamable.com/ypia

God, filthy Tom is the man. Doing it Grado style.

[SheltonLondon]

Filthy Tom is a hero, huge wrestling fan as well. Love his insight on the F4W shows. Actually thought he clearly won his fight and felt a bit let down by the decision there, not sure what others thought?

[Nash Diesel]

Mega props to Tate. She's worked hard for this championship. She's one of my favorite fighters to watch and she made it dirty, she made Holm work for everything and it still wasn't enough.

McGregor v. Diaz was exactly what I was looking for after a lot of decisions. McGregor looked good at 170. Diaz was the better man. It was grimey and I was actually shocked at how quick McGregor tapped. What's next for Diaz? Do you give this guy a title shot against RDA? I'd maybe do Diaz v. Alvarez next. You have Tony Ferguson and injury prone as fuck Khabib who will probably get the next shot against RDA, then you could have the winner of Diaz/Alvarez face the champ. McGregor, I think he could obviously go back to 145, do a title fight, and if the weight cut is just still too much move up to 155.

Thought it was weird Aldo went on twitter and called McGregor a pussy....and said he had nowhere to run......Weird.


Will be interesting to see if Diaz will beat his next opponent, the post-fight drug test..

I don't think Nate has ever failed a single drug test.


Filthy Tom is a hero, huge wrestling fan as well. Love his insight on the F4W shows. Actually thought he clearly won his fight and felt a bit let down by the decision there, not sure what others thought?

Dude was robbed.

[The Law]

I feel like Holm losing is basically fine for business. Rousey's return fight against Tate is still going to be big money and it has an obvious storyline. And then if she wins, the fight against Holm is also huge.

McGregor losing was probably a bit more problematic, but I still think he's a star. Ideally he wouldn't have gotten beat this soon, but the star-making performance for Diaz is a decent consolation prize.

[Eddie Brock]

I think he was shocked that Diaz didn't drop after multiple bombs landed. He was landing the left pretty clean, and he landed some uppercuts. His power didn't translate like he thought it would, and once he got rocked, he quit. Once McGregor made the decision to take him down I knew it was over. Diaz is a small 170, and he looked quite a lot bigger than McGregor out there. Imagine a big someone like Dong Hyun Kim. He did drop some bombs in the first round some good pressure that would've got to other fighters, credit to Diaz for getting through that. Problem was, McGregor played his 145 game in a 170 fight. Trying to use his power early, and when that didn't work, he was gassed. McGregor was humble in defeat. But as many have said already...170? Uh...Condit, even Thompson would beat him. McGregor would've been flattened by Lawler.

[Nash Diesel]

I think with Tate as champ it opens up the matchmaking like a motherfucker.

Holly wants to stay active, she's 34, she knows that she doesn't have very many years left. Boxing and kickboxing plus MMA over a 15 year period or however long she's been fighting will do that. 34 in boxing is like 75 in normal years lol. Ronda isn't apparently going to be ready to fight until after UFC 200, possibly the fall, October-November. If the UFC is adamant about Rousey getting the next title shot, then both of these women are going to be waiting a good 7-8 months and IDK if either one of them have a desire to do so.

I think we're probably going to see the rematch at UFC 200 if Ronda isn't coming back until the Fall.

TBH, if Rousey would be ready to go at UFC 200, I would just do Ronda v. Holm non-title, and then either put Tate on the same card defending her title against Amanda Nunes, or have them fight at UFC 201, and the winners go on to headline the December ppv. It's risky, because we all know what fight the UFC wants but you can't just have people sitting around that don't want to. I mean they CAN if they want (they=UFC) but who knows. I know they're on the fence about Tate v. Rousey 3 but they might try to book it thinking it'll be an easy win for Rousey since she won the last 2 fights between her and Tate, but what about Holm? She's not going to sit out a year to wait for the winner. If she takes a fight and let's say Cat or Nunes beat her, there goes the rematch much like there went the real desire to see Gus v. Jones 2 after Gus lost to Rumble violently, and then lost to Cormier.

So I don't know, too early to tell what the UFC is planning and what will happen. We prob won't hear shit until May once Ronda's situation is sorted out.

[chatty]

I think with Tate as champ it opens up the matchmaking like a motherfucker.

Holly wants to stay active, she's 34, she knows that she doesn't have very many years left. Boxing and kickboxing plus MMA over a 15 year period or however long she's been fighting will do that. 34 in boxing is like 75 in normal years lol. Ronda isn't apparently going to be ready to fight until after UFC 200, possibly the fall, October-November. If the UFC is adamant about Rousey getting the next title shot, then both of these women are going to be waiting a good 7-8 months and IDK if either one of them have a desire to do so.

I think we're probably going to see the rematch at UFC 200 if Ronda isn't coming back until the Fall.

TBH, if Rousey would be ready to go at UFC 200, I would just do Ronda v. Holm non-title, and then either put Tate on the same card defending her title against Amanda Nunes, or have them fight at UFC 201, and the winners go on to headline the December ppv. It's risky, because we all know what fight the UFC wants but you can't just have people sitting around that don't want to. I mean they CAN if they want (they=UFC) but who knows. I know they're on the fence about Tate v. Rousey 3 but they might try to book it thinking it'll be an easy win for Rousey since she won the last 2 fights between her and Tate, but what about Holm? She's not going to sit out a year to wait for the winner. If she takes a fight and let's say Cat or Nunes beat her, there goes the rematch much like there went the real desire to see Gus v. Jones 2 after Gus lost to Rumble violently, and then lost to Cormier.

So I don't know, too early to tell what the UFC is planning and what will happen. We prob won't hear shit until May once Ronda's situation is sorted out.

I think Tate might beat Rousey third time round
The last fight was competitive and Tate has improved whilst Rousey has had her bubble burst. I would say it close to a 50/50 fight.

There main problem is keeping holm active until then as a rematch with either is big (moreso with Rousey). They could get Cyborg over and do Holm v cyborg as an eliminator. That would be big money fights all round. Not sure how difficult it would be to make that though.

[chatty]

McGregor looked gassed. He let Diaz go to ground for a breather at the end of the first when he should have really stepped back and make him keep it at stand-up.

When he went to ground in the second he looked like his stamina was done and had taken some big shots. I think maybes he was hoping he could see out the round but there was a fair bit time left and Diaz is better there.

Not only that but Diaz being slightly bigger probably didnt help him. Diaz fought more conservatively whereas McGregor was all out and it caught up with him.

I dont think it does any major harm though. Its not like he got destroyed, he put up a good effort.

[Nash Diesel]

Chael Sonnen said in the post-fight that he believes Conor's stock actually improved after the loss. I can't say he's wrong. I remember telling my brother-in-law, you have to give props to a guy who less than 4 months ago was fighting in a weight class 25lbs. lighter. And he was the one who said, let's just do it at 170. No weight cutting, no bullshit, just some OG Pride style shit. Reminded me of something BJ Penn or Anderson would do.

[OD50]

BJ's stock/draw power at LW went up for sure after he moved up to challenge GSP, even though he got destroyed and quit on his stool. Same could happen to Connor I guess. Huge difference getting smashed by the WW goat to getting submitted by an undersized WW/natural LW 18-10 gatekeeper though. Not denying Nate's skills, but he's lost 8 times in the UFC and got ragdolled by Rory and DHK at WW, forcing him to move back down to LW.

[Nash Diesel]

I think that since both guys were fighting outside their usual weight class will keep McGregor's stock in tact. It's what people will say, he's used to fighting at 145 and he fought at his walk around weight 2 classes up. I give Nate props for that as well, fighting on short notice and taking a beating in the first round only to come back and get that choke. I wish we had more fights like this.

[Mik]

McGregor could happily make a career being the best at featherweight though. George was always big for his division when he fought, but nobody is talking down on him because he never moved up. Someone like Anderson probably did it perfectly, he dominated his division and went up for a few fights without ever really committing to it. There does seem to be very few fighters capable of going up and winning titles the weight above and holding on to them, so he's not missing out at much. Lets be honest, if you've got a genuine good wrestling base, then being big for your division is one of the biggest advantages you can have. Look at the champions, Joanna Champion, Connor, Cruz, Rockhold, JBJ (lets not be silly here), Werdum...all of them have reach advantages on most of the people they fight. Robbie used to fight in the division above him, but doesnt have much of a height and reach advantage and Mighty Mouse is less small than most of the people in his division, but does have little arms and Dos Anjos is one of the few exceptions of someone who is about average for his weight division. The MMA world NEEDS people like Connor and Holly. People who want to fight instead of want to protect their titles. People who aren't so afraid to lose that they drop out with the slightest injury (nobody ever fights 100%) and ultimately Connor is still a champion with good fights in a couple of weight classes. I think the idea of him fighting Robbie, Wonderboy, Rory etc have been put to paid now, but him doing a proper weight cut and fighting at the weight that he is accustomed to, you cant really rule him out against anyone in lightweight or featherweight (with the exception of Nurmy really who would just ragdoll him).

[Nash Diesel]

See, I never thought GSP was big for 170. For one, he said he walked around at like 185, maybe 190, which is why he always said that if he did move up to 185 he'd have to put on some muscle because he's not a very big 170 fighter. He actually teased the idea of moving down to 155 to fight Frankie Edgar instead of moving up to 185 because the cut to 155 would be easier than what he'd have to do to realistically make a run at 185.

I still don't get the hype for Khabib. 1 decent win out of 100 fights and people treat this guy like he's Fedor in his prime lol. He hasn't even fought in a year. I'd like to see him fight some more top 10 guys at 155. Stay injury free for a bit and go from there. It's not just McGregor getting ragdolled that I've heard, I've heard people say Khabib would do the same to everyone at 155....yet he's only fought 1 top 10 guy in his entire career. It'd be like me saying Holly Holm would knock out everyone at 135 because she did it to Ronda.

[Mik]

GSP used to be big for his division, but the new wave of fighters are even bigger, so it makes it look in hindsight like he wasnt particularly.

[Nash Diesel]

GSP used to be big for his division, but the new wave of fighters are even bigger, so it makes it look in hindsight like he wasnt particularly.

True!

[Nash Diesel]

https://www.facebook.com/MMMoneys/videos/1575281369456858/

Nate Diaz goes on a bitch slapping spree!!