OT: General UFC/MMA/Boxing discussion X

[Mike Mike Caron]

No. That was his foot before the fight.

There was a rumor he got injured before the fight. He lied and said he was 100% but didn’t do open workouts.

He basically came into fight with hurt foot and Moraes made it even worse.

It’s a shame Moraes did zero after the keg kicks. I’ve never seen someone gas out from leg kicks. Whatever it was, he lost his momentum on an already injured Cejudo.

It was clearly a brutal weight cut situation in the case of Moares, in the second round he was using his head to block Cejudo's knees, he looked dead from the get go.

 

[Skip Bayless]

Moraes went 100% power in the first round. Then Cejudo clipped him good and gained confidence after taking a few punches. The pace was too much for Moraes. His clinch defense non existant. I think he was already out of it when Cejudo began dismantling him.

 

[Kriss E]

There is so little buzz around these guys...
Most casual fans I talk to dont even know who they are..some know Cejudo, but Moares? lol..not a clue.

 

[LyricalLyricist]

Moraes went 100% power in the first round. Then Cejudo clipped him good and gained confidence after taking a few punches. The pace was too much for Moraes. His clinch defense non existant. I think he was already out of it when Cejudo began dismantling him.

I'm no MMA practitioner but how does a guy with a background in muay thai not have clinch defense? I'm not disagreeing with you, but it was just puzzling how he allowed Cejudo to do what he wanted.

He got gassed from leg kicks. My mind is boggled on how he was exhausted in round 2 and offered zero defense in a clinch he should be used to.

 

[Skip Bayless]

I'm no MMA practitioner but how does a guy with a background in muay thai not have clinch defense? I'm not disagreeing with you, but it was just puzzling how he allowed Cejudo to do what he wanted.

He got gassed from leg kicks. My mind is boggled on how he was exhausted in round 2 and offered zero defense in a clinch he should be used to.

Same here, but I remember thinking that Moraes was out of it even before Cejudo began kneeing him, he wasn't defending himself at all. I think he was concussed for half the fight. If Cejudo had actual striking power, he would've ended the fight way sooner.

I think it's at this moment precisely where the tide turned:


Cejudo landed a couple of good shots and you could see Moraes guard disappear. He had that deer in headlights look on his face.

 

[Skip Bayless]

Gassed and concussed, worst combo.

 

[Mike Mike Caron]

Gassed and concussed, worst combo.

Déshydraté aussi.

 

[Pat Riot]

This fight will be insane. Guaranteed firework. I hope McGregor will be in the attendance, to confront Malignaggi if he beat up his good pal Artem

 

[Pompeius Magnus]

This fight will be insane. Guaranteed firework. I hope McGregor will be in the attendance, to confront Malignaggi if he beat up his good pal Artem

I've rarely seen as much legit/no gimmick to sell tickets hate between two fighters. They're gonna need a LOT of security people to keep it professional before and after the fight.

 

[Pat Riot]

I've rarely seen as much legit/no gimmick to sell tickets hate between two fighters. They're gonna need a LOT of security people to keep it professional before and after the fight.

You are absolutely right, the tension in the arena will be something. If Malignaggi KO Artem , his Conor call-out should be pretty wild.

 

[Pat Riot]

I've rarely seen as much legit/no gimmick to sell tickets hate between two fighters. They're gonna need a LOT of security people to keep it professional before and after the fight.

Do you think Artem can cause a surprise a knock Paulie out?

 

[Pompeius Magnus]

Do you think Artem can cause a surprise a knock Paulie out?

I actually think there's more chances of that happening than there is the other way around . Lobov has a crazy chin and he just won't quit ever, he'll die in there if you let him.

 

[Kriss E]

I'm a bit over the CM hype. He used to be awesome but to stay relevant you cant just yap away, you also need to show up and win.
CM fought in MMA once in what..3~4 years? and he got destroyed.
He also fought MWJ and lost...
Too much time is passing by. He needs to fight and win, dominantly, otherwise who cares really? What's gonna happen? Jump the cage and push the ref? Been there done that. Act gangster rushing a bus and throwing a trolley at it a la WWE? Been there done that. Create tension so that both fighting teams start fighting outside and inside the cage? Been there done that.
I mean..for real...I couldn't care less about CM anymore.
What made his trash talking so good was the fact he could back it up. That's not the case anymore. Who cares about a trash talker who keeps losing and fights once in a blue moon?

CM needs to get back into it with a statement win.

 

[LyricalLyricist]

You are absolutely right, the tension in the arena will be something. If Malignaggi KO Artem , his Conor call-out should be pretty wild.

And pretty irrelevant.

Conor is signed with UFC, it's up to them and they sure as hell won't make their star fight bare buckle.

Besides, BKFC can't begin to pay McGregor what he'd ask for. He asked the UFC for a cut in the company, what's he going to ask from BKFC?

Malignaggi is supposed to win. Lobov is pretty tough though, so maybe Lobov lasts the entire match or gets KO'd. Unsure.

 

[Skip Bayless]

I'm a bit over the CM hype. He used to be awesome but to stay relevant you cant just yap away, you also need to show up and win.
CM fought in MMA once in what..3~4 years? and he got destroyed.
He also fought MWJ and lost...
Too much time is passing by. He needs to fight and win, dominantly, otherwise who cares really? What's gonna happen? Jump the cage and push the ref? Been there done that. Act gangster rushing a bus and throwing a trolley at it a la WWE? Been there done that. Create tension so that both fighting teams start fighting outside and inside the cage? Been there done that.
I mean..for real...I couldn't care less about CM anymore.
What made his trash talking so good was the fact he could back it up. That's not the case anymore. Who cares about a trash talker who keeps losing and fights once in a blue moon?

CM needs to get back into it with a statement win.

I don't think his heart is in it. He's a wealthy man now, I think huge part of his drive was wanting to become what he is now and that's done. Still loves MMA for sure, just not enough to sacrifice his body every day.

 

[LyricalLyricist]

I'm a bit over the CM hype. He used to be awesome but to stay relevant you cant just yap away, you also need to show up and win.
CM fought in MMA once in what..3~4 years? and he got destroyed.
He also fought MWJ and lost...
Too much time is passing by. He needs to fight and win, dominantly, otherwise who cares really? What's gonna happen? Jump the cage and push the ref? Been there done that. Act gangster rushing a bus and throwing a trolley at it a la WWE? Been there done that. Create tension so that both fighting teams start fighting outside and inside the cage? Been there done that.
I mean..for real...I couldn't care less about CM anymore.
What made his trash talking so good was the fact he could back it up. That's not the case anymore. Who cares about a trash talker who keeps losing and fights once in a blue moon?

CM needs to get back into it with a statement win.

To be fair, losing to MWJ doesn't really count. MWJ would lose in octagon so it's kind of expected when joining a new sport. Conor did sell his potential for an upset though but he lost, it happens.

As for McGregor losing to Khabib. Everyone loses at some point. Cormier is a beast and lost. Stipe lost, Jones will eventually lose. Khabib is just too dominant.

What McGregor has going for him is his losses don't completely damage his brand because he loses to guys like Floyd or Khabib. Undefeated, dominant guys. If he loses to someone unranked then yeah, huge blow to the brand.

He's kind of in an odd spot. The logical fight for him rankings wise is Justin Gaethje but why would McGregor bother for such a shit payday? He's a prize fighter at this point.

Think of GSP, Lesnar, Mcgregor, etc... they fight for legacy and money. Belts, high PPV numbers, that's it. None of them will come back to fight a random ranked guy.

So in a way I think McGregor is as talented as he's always been but its a double edged sword. The guys he can beat there's no point in fighting and the guys he can't well...he loses to.

 

[Kriss E]

I don't think his heart is in it. He's a wealthy man now, I think huge part of his drive was wanting to become what he is now and that's done. Still loves MMA for sure, just not enough to sacrifice his body every day.

I agree. He wanted to be the best and own it. He did. Done and over with. You can tell he is not the GSP type..you know that guy just has passion for the sport. CM is very different.

 

[LyricalLyricist]

I agree. He wanted to be the best and own it. He did. Done and over with. You can tell he is not the GSP type..you know that guy just has passion for the sport. CM is very different.

It's different though as GSP isn't half the PPV star McGregor is. GSP's return on a stacked card(3 title fights! No interim shit) did 875k PPV buys. McGregor's return did 2.4 million. He's hit 1.4, 1.5, 16.5, 1.3. This guy makes money to a whole other level than GSP.

So when you fight and you know you can make a shitload like that it's really hard to not get greedy with the money. GSP hasn't made enough money fight wise to be like Conor but he has made enough to be selective and retire early, twice.

I think Conor's a very good fighter but as you said he's done what he needed to do. I think if GSP made 100 mil in a fight he'd be corrupted by money too. It is what it is. Guy should retire if his heart isn't into it.

 

[Kriss E]

It's different though as GSP isn't half the PPV star McGregor is. GSP's return on a stacked card(3 title fights! No interim ****) did 875k PPV buys. McGregor's return did 2.4 million. He's hit 1.4, 1.5, 16.5, 1.3. This guy makes money to a whole other level than GSP.

So when you fight and you know you can make a ****load like that it's really hard to not get greedy with the money. GSP hasn't made enough money fight wise to be like Conor but he has made enough to be selective and retire early, twice.

I think Conor's a very good fighter but as you said he's done what he needed to do. I think if GSP made 100 mil in a fight he'd be corrupted by money too. It is what it is. Guy should retire if his heart isn't into it.

Not sure what you're point is here...
GSP isnt fighting for fame, it's pretty obvious his approach is one of respect towards Martial arts. Whether he makes 1 or 2M changes nothing.
I disagree with you that he'd turn into a greedy sellout. Hes made millions on top of millions through sponsorship alone.

 

[LyricalLyricist]

Not sure what you're point is here...
GSP isnt fighting for fame, it's pretty obvious his approach is one of respect towards Martial arts. Whether he makes 1 or 2M changes nothing.
I disagree with you that he'd turn into a greedy sellout. Hes made millions on top of millions through sponsorship alone.

I didn't say GSP would turn into a sellout. GSP and McGregor are both prize fighters. They have too much fame and success to bother with anything less.

McGregor however can sell an absurd amount of PPVs with his persona, why not capitalize?

Just because you can add a few zeros to your pay with a good promo doesn't mean you don't care about the martial arts. Conor still trains.

Both GSP and Conor have enough money to be selective. Conor's treshold is just higher because he has higher earning potential. It doesn't excite him to fight for peanuts.

If you think GSP and McGregor don't fight for legacy you're nuts. They both do. The only difference is McGregor is better at leveraging that legacy into financial success. Just because you can kill two birds with one stone doesn't make you not care.

In any case, I think McGregor would be VERY into a Khabib rematch for example. The competitive spirit is there. I think he'd be very into a Mayweather rematch as well. I don't think it excites him to fight for anything less than a belt or dethroning a guy like FMJ. This isn't unlike GSP either, GSP refuses to fight at 170. He went to 185 and wanted to go to 155. He wants a fight that excites him.

I love GSP and all but acting like one guy doesn't care is odd. He obviously does but when you make that much money it's hard to want to make a fight for less money and no belt. You want the money AND the legacy fight if you could, why not?

 

[Kriss E]

I didn't say GSP would turn into a sellout. GSP and McGregor are both prize fighters. They have too much fame and success to bother with anything less.

McGregor however can sell an absurd amount of PPVs with his persona, why not capitalize?

Just because you can add a few zeros to your pay with a good promo doesn't mean you don't care about the martial arts. Conor still trains.

Both GSP and Conor have enough money to be selective. Conor's treshold is just higher because he has higher earning potential. It doesn't excite him to fight for peanuts.

If you think GSP and McGregor don't fight for legacy you're nuts. They both do. The only difference is McGregor is better at leveraging that legacy into financial success. Just because you can kill two birds with one stone doesn't make you not care.

In any case, I think McGregor would be VERY into a Khabib rematch for example. The competitive spirit is there. I think he'd be very into a Mayweather rematch as well. I don't think it excites him to fight for anything less than a belt or dethroning a guy like FMJ. This isn't unlike GSP either, GSP refuses to fight at 170. He went to 185 and wanted to go to 155. He wants a fight that excites him.

I love GSP and all but acting like one guy doesn't care is odd. He obviously does but when you make that much money it's hard to want to make a fight for less money and no belt. You want the money AND the legacy fight if you could, why not?

Again, not sure what you're talking about though...of course both fighters care, want to earn, and capitalize on their fame. I never said otherwise.
Winning and being on top is why those guys get their paydays. GSP never dropped. CM on the other hand, he's got one MMA fight since 2016 and he lost miserably. Prior to that, he also lost in a boxing fight. If CM comes back and he loses again...it'll do some real damage. Personally, I already am losing interest in him.
I don't think he wants a rematch with Khabib. He would get destroyed again. He's just not a better fighter.

 

[LyricalLyricist]

Again, not sure what you're talking about though...of course both fighters care, want to earn, and capitalize on their fame. I never said otherwise.
Winning and being on top is why those guys get their paydays. GSP never dropped. CM on the other hand, he's got one MMA fight since 2016 and he lost miserably. Prior to that, he also lost in a boxing fight. If CM comes back and he loses again...it'll do some real damage. Personally, I already am losing interest in him.
I don't think he wants a rematch with Khabib. He would get destroyed again. He's just not a better fighter.

There is belief GSP would lose to Tyron and/or Khabib. Shit happens but when people have a good reputation the loss isn't as bad.

The thing is, I think CM does want Khabib. He will never fight at 170 for a title and he gets too dehydrated for 145. The ONLY big money fight at 155 is Khabib and/or GSP if he comes back. So he'll fight Khabib and take his chance, make 25-50 mil again. If he wins, he can challenge GSP or someone else for a super fight. If he loses, he walks off knowing he just made 150-200 mil from 3 consecutive fights.

 

[Edgy]

There is belief GSP would lose to Tyron and/or Khabib. **** happens but when people have a good reputation the loss isn't as bad.

The thing is, I think CM does want Khabib. He will never fight at 170 for a title and he gets too dehydrated for 145. The ONLY big money fight at 155 is Khabib and/or GSP if he comes back. So he'll fight Khabib and take his chance, make 25-50 mil again. If he wins, he can challenge GSP or someone else for a super fight. If he loses, he walks off knowing he just made 150-200 mil from 3 consecutive fights.

GSP vs Khabib would be too tough to call either way. Khabib is younger and mauls people on the ground but GSP is no slouch, he sucks the energy out of opponents when he's on top and his standing game is better than Kahbib's. Dropping to 155 might be too hard on GSP, and I don't see Khabib being as agile on the ground if he adds on too much weight. Too many variables right now to call it either way.

CM has to get a few wins in a row before he gets his chance at a rematch with Khabib, if the UFC keeps allowing him to cut the line ahead of other fighters for money, rankings will stop meaning a thing. Everyone will start becoming a trash talk artist in order to sell more and get the money fights. It'll become the WWE, if it hasn't started down that path already with the fake rivalry, bad trash talk, backstage fights, etc..

Plus what's there to see in a rematch? He got rag dolled and brutally beaten in every single round, it was as probably the most one-sided fight in the history of UFC. He has no ground game, he's a one trick pony. That heavy left is all he has. He should go to LHW, where ground game isn't the main focus and he can just slug it out but he won't be as dominant there, if at all, so that will never happen.

 

[Pat Riot]

it was as probably the most one-sided fight in the history of UFC

You must be new to UFC

 

[Pompeius Magnus]

Just finished watching last night's Bellator show ( I was out of town) . Can't help but feel Aaron Pico losing again puts an end to the whole ''next big thing'' gimmick for good. There's been talks of him entering the 155 grand prix tourney and I'm really not sure this is such a good idea at this point. Coker has to be the most pissed of all, Pico was supposed to be his money fighter for the next 10 years.