MMA Thread

I bet he still fights at 200. He's the biggest star they've ever had and he helped lift the brand at a time they were pushing Rousey beating up tomato cans and the omg-best-fighter-in-the-universe schtick.

Dana literally said yesterday that Conor could still be on the 200 card if he called. That's a fast turnaround if he doesn't put him back on the card now.

Dana said today he won't be on the card. He said before "If he got on a flight to vegas and did the media obligations" Then he could still be on 200. Apparently that option no longer exists.

One fighter can't be bigger then the company. UFC will eat the lost money if it means keeping control of the market.

Helwani posted on twitter in the last 30 mins or so that some reporter asked if Dana was going to do a scrum to which Dana replied, "You guys got some questions, huh? Well I don't have any answers."

I'm guessing the UFC is feeling the heat of the fans on this one and they are torn about what they really want to do. Personally, I see them putting the fight back on. I won't be too disappointed if they don't, because it's kind of expected that they don't. But the guy with the biggest buzz right now in MMA is McGregor. Not the P4P best fighter on the planet that returns on Saturday night. So if they wanna keep the hype train rolling and keep people on edge, they won't make any hasty decisions that might backfire on them and leave them with a somehow empty feeling big UFC 200 show. Don't get me wrong, that card still looks great and they will probably add Jones vs DC II to it too. The exclamation point on the night is McGregor vs. Diaz II though. I imagine they'll make an official announcement during UFC 197. The big press conference in New York that Conor says that he'll go to isn't until next Wednesday.

And the latest...

So, unless Conor vs Diaz get put back on for UFC 200, Conor basically ducked out of this match with his tail tucked between his legs.

Well I think that is definitely arguable. He has played this thing very well imo. I don't think he's worried about the rematch if he gets what he wants out of the camp preparing for it. He should be worried though. I think he will perform better than the first time around but going up two weight classes is still going to be quite the challenge for him, regardless if he gets an entire camp to get ready for it. A guy like Conor doesn't seem like the type to want to go in for one big pay day knowing he's going to lose. I think he thinks he will win if he gets to do things his way.

At this point, I really want the UFC to give in and let him have his way this time around. The fans want it. The fans wanted the RDA fight. It's not like he's getting everything that he wants every time outside of what the UFC wants. The company wants it too.

In all honesty, what's the worst that could come of this? Jon Jones winning the interim belt on Saturday, and saying he doesn't want to rematch DC because he wants to move up and fight the winner of Stipe and Werdum? Jones and Conor are the only fighters in the UFC that still have that kind of pull and allowing them to fight who they want to fight on their terms doesn't really seem like as big of a deal as the company is making it out to be to me.

..

Looking at that card for UFC 198 it's like the Brazillian UFC 200. It's a shame everyone is talking about 200 and none seems to interested in the other amazing fights coming before it.

HW championship match Werdum vs Stipe. It's a fucking HW championship fight...

Belfort vs Jacare is a fantastic title eliminator for MW. Both guys are absolute legends of the sport. Yet, still fight at a high enough level to be legit threats to Rockhold imo.

Silva vs Hall is a fucking Anderson Silva fight and it's 3rd on the card...

Damian Miaia vs Matt Brown is a fantastic WW fight.

Cyborg gets her first UFC fight.

Shogun vs a seemingly ascendant LHW prospect in Corey Anderson.

Not to mention Nate Marquardt and some really good fighters on the prelims.

199 is pretty enticing also with a nice double main of Rockhold vs Wiedman II and Cruz vs Faber III. Some solid fights lower on that card even if it's not as deep as 198 or 200.

Only good fight on that card is the HW title. Belfort, Shogun, and Silva are kinda sad now that they can't juice anymore, Maia is a one dimensional putz, and I'm surprised Cyborg can even pass a chromosome test, much less a steroid test.

I don't get why people think Vitor is done based on being off TRT. He has won like 6 of his last 7 fights, owns a win vs the current champ. Since TRT he looked like the same guy he's always been in actual fights, rocked Wiedman with a 20 strike flurry in that fight, then KO'd Hendo with the first strike he threw. Granted beating Hendo is hardly as meaningful as it used to be. But it shows Belfort is still very dangerous imo.

In the past decade Vitor has only lost to prime Anderson, JBJ and Wiedman. Write him off at his opponents peril.

Jacare got robbed in his last fight. He clearly won rnds 2 and 3.

Brown vs Miaia is pretty interesting to me also. Damien has got to be close to a title fight as he has looked nigh unbeatable at times since moving down to WW.

I will give you that Silva vs Hall has the potential to be a snoozefest of both guys not engaging. Shogun is 95% likely to be done at this point also, but he joined Kings MMA recently so we can dream that might reinvigorate him.

At the press conference today, Nate said if he doesn't fight McGregor, he doesn't want to fight anyone

Jive Turkey_sl said:

Nate said

Click to expand...

Anything after those words means virtually nothing. Ever.

Grimmlokk_sl said:

Anything after those words means virtually nothing. Ever.

Click to expand...

Thank you.

It blows my mind how many people take whatever Nate says at Gospel when he's shown over and over again he just makes shit up as goes based on whatever suits him at the time.

Relax, fellas

Conor will still get to fight. This is all for media hype at this point. Dana doesnt give a fuck about power or whats fair to everyone else, he only cares about $. This whole thing is drumming up so much attention its insane. All the office ladies were talking about Conor at my work this week, people who dont even watch MMA are tuning in to hear about all this. UFC and company must be loving it.

Benson Henderson just got destroyed for 5 rounds by Andre Koreshkov.