[Closed] Conor VS Khabib

3am Sunday rules out live viewing for me but will watch the replay.

My money is on Khabib?

That's my thoughts too. Some kind of choke or lock. Conors not been in the ring for 2 years. Just don't know  That left hand. Will he be cock and confident or rusty in the ring (pier). It's on 10am here.

It's a great match-up; harks back to the very early paradigm of MMA in some ways.

Feels like a very small margin for error for both guys, but more so for Conor. I just think that if Khabib can get his hands on him, even once, there's a very good chance that it radically changes the course of the fight. It's hard to see him getting back into it if he gets taken down and savaged in the early going. Iaquinta managed it to a limited extent, but I'm not sure Conor can regain his early lethality that late in a fight.

However, if Conor does manage to catch him hard early, I wouldn't be surprised to see it play out something like the the Eddie Alvarez fight, where he just got stuck at the end of Conor's range with the mistakes and damage continually mounting up until he was overwhelmed.

Fair play to Conor for taking the fight on. Monetarily, he didn't need to do so (unless all that Maywather cash has already disapeared up his nose), and of all potential opponents, Khabib arguably has the best chance of making him look very bad indeed.

Roll up for the Man Vs Food special

Conor vs Kebab - I agree with the above, Kebab will choke Conor

Tyson vs Burger - the burger doesn't stand a chance

Binners vs Greggs - Greggs with a TKO in the 11th

Never mind that, what are the side odds on Conor vs Khabib's Bus: The Rematch...?

Very good fights before Khabib Vs Gobface

The urge to punch Dillon Danis is always high, but he really really shouldn't have done it.

****ed himself up in all kind of ways....visa issues, stripped or DQ'd maybe, fines etc.

Security was piss poor, tho.

WELP...

Not really followed the sport for a while, surprised GSP still seems to be fighting.

Anyway WTF happened there, who was the guy Khabib tried to kungfu kick? What they been saying to him to piss him off? Plus those 2 blokes throwing punches at Conar in the octagon. Haha! The funny bit was despite all that trainingbthey looked like pub fighters at the end.

Another cluster from the ufc. Fight was predictable as was the drama afterwards. I honestly think, with a lot of big ufc names retiring etc, they are desperately trying to drum up some press for the next ppv... just like wrestling. This and the fake tension at ever weigh ins are driving me away.

As for the fight, hopefully this means CM disappears from our TVs

As for the fight, hopefully this means CM disappears from our TVs

Given there is no Celebrity Big Brother that could help 😉 I'd expect his ego to find it's way to the cameras in some form

Caught Kebab’s press conference afterwards on the news (“why you no ask about my religion, my family, my country”) but then they both seem like a couple of thickies who couldn’t think their way out of a wet paper conundrum.

Lot of arrested-development schoolboy playground nonsense. Can either of them read?

I'm guessing Tapper 12 whiskey's gonna be heavily discounted now.

Aren't only middle class skinny creatine taking white boys into ufc these days,mmm tight shorts.

Middle class white boys tight shorts? You're thinking of cycling.

Khabib smashed him in the fight.  Can't see a rematch being advisable but i guess it would sell ppvs.

Conor in danger of going on a big losing streak.

Can either of them read?

Khabib speaks 5 languages. I'd wager a significant amount of money that he's smarter than you

Shame he can’t do anything with all that smartness other than silly squirming around sweaty behaviour with other semi-naked throwbacks for other shouty numbskulls to self-identify with.

At least they're not gammons eh?

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

Khabib speaks 5 languages. I’d wager a significant amount of money that he’s smarter than you

What exactly was it about the previous poster's comments that made you think it would be worth engaging with them?

Sometimes it's just easier to leave people to their preconceptions.

Both considerably richer than you Woppit.

You do have to wonder why people feel the need to click on a thread, go through the painful process of logging on, only to write, "I don't like MMA!"

Presumably they then go searching for a thread on garden gnomes to wade in shouting, "I prefer water features!".

, go through the painful process of logging on, only to write, “I don’t like MMA!”

Tbf it takes 2 seconds! I'm not a fan of mma but must say I was interested in this fight because it had two top fighters invilved. Turned out that it just confirmed that I didn't really like mma as a spectacle, much prefer boxing.

Mixed feelings on the ruckus at the end. On one hand it's pretty shameful for all concerned, on the other at least it wasn't some fake beef that resulted in a love in between two fighters who apparently hated each other before weigh in.

Bit unsure how to feel about the aftermath - Dana absolutely laps it up when Conor's spitting nails and giving it all the pre-fight aggro, because he knows it sells tickets, but when Khabib reacts to the same thing post-fight, suddenly he's not the messiah, he's a very naughty boy. There's no condoning what he did, leaping the fence and piling into Conor's team, but it seems somewhat short-sighted to dismiss it as totally unacceptable when the fighter is still blood-up, in the heat of competition and being subject to the same crap you were perfectly happy to sanction before the fight. I dunno - I guess the short story is I like Khabib and Conor's a loud-mouthed braggert I'd be quite happy to see fade into obscurity. I don't like the smack talk - they're elite athletes scheduled to hurt each other, just have a bit of respect instead of all the gobbing off.

I prefer water features!”.

Now you’re talking.

Hi, just logging in to say I love garden gnomes.

Shame he can’t do anything with all that smartness other than silly squirming around sweaty behaviour with other semi-naked throwbacks for other shouty numbskulls to self-identify with.

My my, you’re a terribly judgemental chap. Did you get your lunch money taken from you one time too many at boarding school?

Bit unsure how to feel about the aftermath – Dana absolutely laps it up when Conor’s spitting nails and giving it all the pre-fight aggro, because he knows it sells tickets, but when Khabib reacts to the same thing post-fight, suddenly he’s not the messiah, he’s a very naughty boy.

It's a a business, so long as you see that it explains it all. The hype and controlled aggression gets him the publicity and the cash flowing into his pocket. The afters is ugly and involved people not on the payroll from what I saw, that impacts the cash flow. Still the halfway house between boxing and WWE

Shame he can’t do anything with all that smartness other than silly squirming around sweaty behaviour with other semi-naked throwbacks for other shouty numbskulls to self-identify with.

Hmmm it would take me 20/30 years to earn what Khabib/Conor earned for 20 mins of silly, squirming, sweaty behaviour. If I started with £0 today it would take me 1000 years to earn McGregors net worth and I am technically in the top 10% earning percentile in the U.K.

So who’s the numbskull now?

I guess an MMA person could look at grown people in silly outfits riding equally silly looking bikes for a few £k and consider themselves smarter.

As someone that did MMA training in the early/mid 90’s I can say that full contact sparring is the most insanely hard thing to do. Let alone a proper fight in a cage for up to 25 mins, showbiz nonsense aside these athletes have my complete respect.

Halfway house between boxing and WWE is a pretty good description.

WWE is silly acting and a few body slams thrown in. Boxing has got a long distinguished history and tradition  .. yes it’s increasingly moving towards WWE for hype and nonsense; but it is still respected .

UFC is merely plugging into the media hype of trash talk etc to sell a grudge match .. it’s s short term winning formula, but it’s too obvious and will not serve the longevity of the genre.

Seen some clips of Khabib after fight melee .. if that was boxing he’d be banned for ever. In UFC he will prob get suspended for 3-6 months .. then sell his next fight off the back of it.

I like watching UFC.

Khabib totally dominated McGregor, which surprised me .

I thought the Ferguson fight was really good.Both fighters genuinely looked like they were enjoying themselves and had a lot of respect for each other.

Ah yes, boxing. Two noble pugilists matching strength and heart in an honourable duel to determine which warrior is the more righteous. Can there be a more right-minded form of entertainment for the true red-blooded male?

And then there's MMA.  Look at those dogs, rolling on the floor like pigs doing a disgusting dance in their own excrement.  The ignominious deplorables who choose to follow this vile act of shoddy sordidness should hang their heads in shame.

In other news, how did I miss the announcement that BJ Penn is going to be fighting Ryan Hall?

If you want to talk about what's really wrong with MMA then I think Ryan Hall pretty much sums it up.  From watching him on TUF and his youtube videos, I really like him.  He just seems like such a calm, down to earth, nice guy.  He also brings techniques and styles that no one has even thought of before, let alone seen.

I really liked Hall's fight against Maynard.  He got himself good enough at head kicks so that he could keep Maynard at distance.  Then, if Maynard managed to get inside his range, he would just drop on his back and try to get Maynard to jump on top of him.  TBF to Maynard, he didn't take the bait and ended up losing on points because all that happened was he got picked off with head kicks for three rounds.

Unfortunately for Ryan Hall, he has a style that is almost impossible to prepare for.  He hasn't fought for two years because nobody wants to take a fight with him and he isn't a big enough name or an abrasive enough personality to demand that people take him on.

The beauty of MMA is that there is no one out there who is unbeatable, and I'm not talking about someone having an off-day or a freak occurrence.  Unlike in boxing, there are simply too many aspects to be able to prepare for every gameplan.  The problem, if you have an innovative style, is that no one is going to take the risk of fighting you.  It's easier to pick a fight with someone who's got a big mouth and an understandable fighting style.

If the UFC wants to be anything other than a freak show it's going to have to put less effort into the one-off big money fights and more effort into ensuring there's a fair transparent route to the top.  What happened on Saturday is the result of chasing the money at all costs.  With a bit of luck things will change but I'm not going to hold my breath.

Fair play to BJ Penn for taking on this fight.  I'm really looking forward to it.

As much as I hate Conor's antics, it is just an act. Khabib though there is something really unpleasant about the bloke.

A wresting background now seems to have established dominance in fighting styles in the octagon, I am not sure I like it. I would like to see more variety in styles, hopefully it is just a passing phase, but I suspect it is just the most effective method.

In the early days of MMA it was basically just wrestle the guy to the floor ... bit of arms and legs wrapping around each other, and a tap out ... it was very boring to watch.

it seems the organisers recognised this, and promoted a more stand up style that got more exciting KOs ... reverting back to wrestling isn’t going to win it new fans.

I think you're either oversimplifying or don't know what you're talking about.

I recorded the event and watched it last night fast forwarding to the action.  I really enjoy boxing, but watch these fights almost through my fingers!

I feel very uncomfortable, as the level of violence involved is extreme at times.  There were a few fights before the main event and in one, this huge black guy was hitting this guy in the face as hard as he could as he lay unprotected on the floor.  He was knocked out, but still sustained a couple more horrific blows.

The next fight could only be described as a bloodbath in the truest sense.  The commentators thought the blood was coming from one fighters mouth, when it was actually coming from the guys forehead above him.  I just watched it unfold, feeling slighting unclean as more elbows created more cuts and blood.  Incredible.

The main event was quite tame in comparison, with Khabib obviously incredibly strong when he got his hands on Mcgregor.....it was like watching a boa constrictor killing a dog.

I saw Rory McIlroy in the crowd along with some stunning women and it all just reminded me of ancient Rome.

I think you’re either oversimplifying or don’t know what you’re talking about.

But he has a point. As a casual observer I'd expect I'm exactly the type of person the ufc would like to appeal to if it wants to continue to grow. And the sight of 2 blokes rolling around the floor, despite how skillful it may be, isn't particularly easy on the eye for those who don't know much about the sport.

I'm indifferent to MMA if that helps .

Yes - I was oversimplying things as a typical spectator to MMA would.

i have no doubt there is skill involved to wrestle etc ... just like there is skill involved to hit a golf ball; but a wrestling type MMA contest and golf are pretty boring things to watch in my opinion.

a KO is brutal & dramatic - watching two men grabbing hold of each other and wrestle as they wrap their legs around each other’s face is a bit uncomfortable .. for a heterosexual male anyways😝

Ah yes, the old 'MMA looks gay so you're gay if you like it' argument.  For what it's worth, I'm of the opinion that sexuality is a spectrum with no one 100% on one end or the other. Wherever it is I land on that spectrum, I can confirm I have never gotten an erection watching MMA (male or female contestants). I have also never gotten an erection while sparring or rolling (male or female partners).  It's strange. It's almost like MMA and sexuality aren't actually closely related.

Fair comment about some fights being difficult to watch.  Being a referee must be a nightmare job.  You have a split second to decide if the guy is unconscious or not and jump in.  I still prefer that to having the fight stopped everytime a fighter goes down, only for him to stand up again, and then get knocked down again.  Is it worse to get partially knocked out and then get hit more on the floor? Or is it worse to get partially knocked out, go down, take a few seconds to recover, get up and then get knocked out properly.  I don't know the answer to that and I don't want to start going all whataboutery.  If there was a way of doing full contact combat sport without the risk of head injury I'd be all for that but I don't think we'll find a solution anytime soon.  Unless they use the same technology that they're going to use to police the Irish border post-Brexit.

I don't mind blood.  I don't like it but I don't mind it.  You're not going to die from blood loss in the ring but you might die, or have your life shortened, by head trauma.  I would actually like fights to be bare knuckle.  Wrapping and gloves aren't there to protect the other fighter's head, they're there to protect your hands allowing you to spend more time hitting your opponent's head.

By the way, from now on, whenever anyone wants to frame an argument for 'the average MMA fan', could you maybe just go ahead and call him a strawman instead.

It's got nothing to do with being 'gay', it's just pretty dull for the casual observer who can't really see the skill in it (I realise there is some, it's just not particularly evident to those who know nothing about the sport).

As for removing gloves.. I agree it would probably make things 'safer', but also further discourage striking leading to even duller fights Imo.

If they want to grow the sport the ufc need to consider what the casual fan wants to see, as ultimately its my 20 quid ppv money they need to work hard to attract, not the hardcore fans who will pay for every show going regardless.

People who follow a particular sport appreciate different things to those that tune in once in a while. As a boxing fan for example I enjoy a mayweather defensive masterclass, but to most its dull as hell.

Sorry - didn’t get to the end of your post; bit too wordy. Especially for a MMA topic.

i did get to the bit where you said your not 100% heterosexual ... each to their own I say. Maybe there is a link between sexuality and MMA after all though.

with no one 100% on one end or the other.

Ooh Matron.

Anyone who thinks the ground game is boring needs to go and watch some high level grappling matches. It’s absolute chess and a joy to watch two absolute experts try and outwit each other

I wasn't responding to anything you said about it being gay, tpbiker, just the casual homophobia that always seems to creep into any discussion involving grappling.

I think that pretty much any sport is boring until you get into the technicalities.  I find most sports really boring to watch but I'm sure if I took the time to learn more about the intricacies I'd appreciate them more.  That's not just true for sport, it goes for, wine, coffee, fashion design, architecture,  https://xkcd.com/915/  pictures of Joe Biden eating a sandwhich, etc

If it really was as simple as knockouts being spectacular and grappling being dull the K1 would be way more popular than MMA.  That's simply not the case.

I can't back this up with any data but I would imagine that the vast majority of martial artists don't watch MMA.  Instead of trying to attract them the UFC is going after spectacle and controversy and trying to generate drama.  If they weren't so greedy for short term profit and let these things build organically by having transparent rankings and a clear route to the top, plus more emphasis on how each individual martial art fits into the mix, then it would create a long term loyal fanbase.

I have very little hope that's going to happen.  But like I said, I am looking forward to seeing Ryan Hall fight again.

No it's not.

The fights before mcgregor vs khabib were much more interesting, shame about pettis braking his hand since they both looked like they were having a great time.

My favourite part of MMA is when that bloke comes on here and tells everyone that the UFC guys are all lame, and that him and his mates are all CEO's of big companies on 350k a year and regularly break each others jaws when sparring.

Anyone who thinks the ground game is boring needs to go and watch some high level grappling matches. It’s absolute chess and a joy to watch two absolute experts try and outwit each other

If you know anything about the sport I'm sure it is. But if you don't, nor are prepared to invest any time to learn the technicalities and skills involved, but rather switch on, pay your 20 quid, and watch two folks have a fight.. Then I think most 'casuals' would prefer the stand up game.

Certainly most criticism of mma I've heard, from those that don't know anything about it, is it invariably ends up with 2 guys rolling around on the ground.. Ie if you don't know anything about the technicalities it's not great viewing or particularly exciting.

I can’t back this up with any data but I would imagine that the vast majority of martial artists don’t watch MMA.

I know a handful of serious martial artists; a few of them watch the occasional fight, none of them follow MMA. They're mostly too busy/not keen on violence.

To be fair, MMA isn't a great deal from any other sport in that respect - to the average casual, the TdF is blokes riding bikes uphill, F1 is blokes driving cars in circles, the World Cup final is blokes kicking a bag of wind about. If you just like striking, see how long you can be arsed to watch, say, some world-class Tae Kwon Do - me, I'd have fallen asleep inside three minutes.

My favourite part of MMA is when that bloke comes on here and tells everyone that the UFC guys are all lame, and that him and his mates are all CEO’s of big companies on 350k a year and regularly break each others jaws when sparring.

Possibly my favourite thread of all time

John Kavanagh on Joe Rogan podcast right now

@boardinbob what thread was it? Can't seem to remember which specific UFC thread it was....

Classic thread, can't find it now.

Love the casual observer's thoughts on MMA being a bit of a wrestle on the floor...  Just like extreme Red Bull Rampage mtb'ing is "just riding a bike down a bit of a hill".

I can’t back this up with any data but I would imagine that the vast majority of martial artists don’t watch MMA.

LOL

Have you got any data on the vast majority of martial artists not being 100% heterosexual?

or was Brucewee wrong on that one too?

You seem very concerned about this, is there something you want to share with the group? Perhaps it’s related to the confusing feelings you experience when you watch men wrestle? 😂

Found it, can't paste the link on my phone ffs.

Thread title is ''Did Aldo take a dive"

any data on the vast majority of martial artists not being 100% heterosexual?

I feel, as the person asking the question, you really need to speak to one of the UFC figthers you query.... (lol)

https://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/ufc-content-did-aldo-take-a-dive/

There's the link for ya Tom. Long thread.

[edit]ooh, I "contributed" to that! 😆 All this "I don't watch a sport, because.." stuff is really fascinating isn't it.

wanmankylung seem to be everyone's fave on the old thread anyway.

Your LOL was a bit cryptic @aphex_2k, but I'm going to go ahead and assume you think the vast majority of martial artists do watch MMA. So let's try to back that up with some data.

UFC 229 was the largest MMA event in the world so far with just short of 3 million PPV buys.

The World Karate Federation has 10 million members.  Even if the WKF represented every martial artist on the planet then not even 1 in 3 watched the largest MMA event ever.

When you then add to the WKF all the other governing bodies for Karate (WAKO, IFK, WUKO, etc) and then add all the governing bodies for boxing, wrestling, BJJ, TKD, Judo, Sambo, Shoot fighting, etc then you begin to realise that the percentage of martial artists who watch MMA is actually minuscule.

I'll change my original statement to say that the vast majority of martial artists don't watch MMA and I have data to back it up.

Zilog6128 - nothing confusing about my uncomfortableness watching two men wrestle and wriggle around on top of each other .. it’s a similar uncomfortableness I feel seeing a man and a woman engaging in tongue in mouth type kissing ... it’s something best done in private.

Zilog6128 – nothing confusing about my uncomfortableness watching two men wrestle and wriggle around on top of each other .. it’s a similar uncomfortableness I feel seeing a man and a woman engaging in tongue in mouth type kissing … it’s something best done in private.

Bizarre and quite telling that you equate the two so equally.

@dezB,  that thread is hilarious 🙂

It's nice to see Mooman's clueless-ness extends beyond his views on Brexit

The clueless-ness is really indifference to Brexit and to MMA ... so I guess you actually kinda have a point in regards to a similarity between the both👍

And I too think there are similarities between the two topics and yourself too. Just like you love to hold onto your Brexit obsession - I bet you also like to hold onto and wriggle around with bare chested men like they do in MMA too.

so I guess the similarities are really uncanny eh BorinBob😗

The clueless-ness is really indifference to Brexit and to MMA …

Your dedication to posting on topics you're not interested in is noted but really, you don't need to trouble yourself.

I love the 'its gay' argument.

Sure theres nothing more masculine than getting ragdolled by a three stripe white belt before the blood that serves your tiny homophobic brain is cut off.

Your girl would be creaming mooman.

Ah, mooman. I’m sure those posts sounded witty in your head, but...

BruceWee

Yeah but, Karate's not like a "real" martial art though is it? Has anyone done a kata to defend multiple attackers? Better off with a pointed stick.  ;o)

Zilog6128 – nothing confusing about my uncomfortableness watching two men wrestle and wriggle around on top of each other

Interesting. So watching two men "wrestling" invokes some kind of sexual response from you? Wow.

You know in many countries it's quite normal for men to hold hands, or embrace while walking. It's not gay or owt. I think you're trolling just a wee bit. Or maybe, as you say, it's your "uncomfortableness".

... looks like the MMA fans got their claws out; wrong time of month I wonder?

i apologise if I’ve offended you tough-typing martial artists. But the wrestling MMA is not a great spectator sport for the casual fan ... if it was I guess wrestling would have been huge like boxing many years ago .. because wrestling and judo have been practiced for many many years competively.

And as for the gay label; if you read through the thread it has only been mentioned by fans of MMA ... so I guess it’s an insecurity associated with the sport.

Dirk Pumpa & Dirty Lyle ... hmmm? If there were a gay following of MMA though - I can imagine those two names being 1st choice😣

… looks like the MMA fans got their claws out; wrong time of month I wonder?

You've possibly over-baited your hook there.

Assuming I am right in thinking that's a rudimentary attempt at trolling, of course.

@dezB,  that thread is hilarious

I thought the thread got less and less funny as it gradually became obvious that the poster was quite unwell.

Little bit like this one really.

I happened across it last night while channel flicking. Couldn't be bothered to watch through to the McGregor fight, but did see the Lewis - Volkov one.

this huge black guy was hitting this guy in the face as hard as he could as he lay unprotected on the floor.  He was knocked out, but still sustained a couple more horrific blows.

That description sounds horrific but still barely covers the brutality of it. Ref jumped in quickly but as well as the KO he was hit half a dozen times more full in the face while he lay there by a 19 stone / 6'4" man mountain. I didn't get an erection, instead I think my balls ascended into my stomach and are still to come down.

Jeez.

he was hit half a dozen times more full in the face while he lay there by a 19 stone / 6’4″ man mountain

Well for one thing, he was bigger than the supposed 6'4" "man mountain". For another he was clearly bleedin askin for it.

Quite hard to masturbate over, I must admit.

I managed!  It's all in the wrist.

Yeah it's a brutal sport.

One that sticks in my mind was the G&P in one of Fedor's fights with Nog in Pride. Nog was in the corner trying for a submission and Fedor was just raining down punches to his face. He didn't get KO'd but his face was mashed.