MMA/UFC Discussion Thread MMA • Page 358

Rampage has no chance in this fight, haha; here simply for the paycheck

 

Yep

 

Fedor still looks pretty spry; if I were Dana I'd still try to make an effort in signing him to a deal.

 

That looked like Rampage doing a Bob Sapp impression. Don’t train at all, go in there and throw a couple heavy shots but the second you get hit just wave off the fight and collect the paycheck. Haha.

 

Yo. What the FUCK. It might be the angle but he looks fucking massive. Dude is gonna gas so quick if he comes in yoked like that


USADA has entered the chat

 

Must have been bulking during all that time off either trying to make a run at 170 or feeling like he was weak compared to Khabib. haha. I would still be super surprised if he popped for anything though. I'm not sure about the current numbers, but as of earlier this year he was USADA's most tested fighter. They probably showed up at his door an hour after he posted that picture.

 

I'm basically hate watching Bellator at this point. Coker has got to cut his losses on these old dudes. Fedor's near unwatchable at this point and is only getting wins against the washed fighter of the month. Hopefully he'll retire some of these older guys on his way out. Rampage's second Bellator run has been a disaster and he needs to retire. I have absolutely zero interest watching him fight anymore, regardless of weight class.

The commentary team is pretty much beyond hope at this point. Goldberg is wayyyy past his expiration date. Big John is OK, but would be better served with a desk role. If they're going to keep him, make it a three man booth with a former fighter (Chael/Mir/etc) in there. Mauro is fine when he parachutes in, but his style isn't my personal favorite. I used to think it was cool that they mentioned previous accomplishments, but now they shoehorn in random UFC legends whenever they can. Their DAZN feed has a lot of dead air and you can hear the commentators talking to the truck which is pretty unprofessional.

And, outside of Ilima-Lei's, every walkout they have is corny. Can't believe that I prefer UFC's generic walkout from the locker room, but I do by a wide margin.

Anyway, that's my screed on Bellator. I've watched a lot of their shows this year. I like a lot of their talent. But really, they've got to clean up the production issues and ditch these legends/washed fights.

 

Ariel Helwani is doing his awards show next week, and some of them are decade-centric awards. Here are some of my picks.

2019 Male Fighter - Israel Adesanya
2019 Female Fighter - Weili Zhang (not really a clear winner here IMO so I favored Zhang over Nunes for making history)
Fight of the Year - Gastelum vs. Adesanya
Knockout of the Year - Masvidal vs. Askren
Submission of the Year - I guess that Twister within the last couple of events? Can't think of much else.
Round of the Year - Gastelum vs. Adesanya Round 5 (on the edge of my seat the entire time)
Breakout Fighter - Jorge Masvidal (never would have thought...)
Most Improved - Jared Cannonier
Comeback Fighter of the Year - Saw an article saying it was Nicolas Dalby... I can get on board with that.
Upset of the Year - Hasn't really been a big, high-profile upset, but I remember being legitimately shocked that Roxanne Modafferi beat Antonina Schevchenko
Rivalry of the Year - Gotta be Colby/Karamu


Male Fighter of the Decade - I might have to go with Jon Jones (16-0-1 with only the first three being non-title fights, won the title in 2011 and is going into 2020 with the belt. Never faltered inside the cage) although there are a dozen other fine choices: GSP (six title defenses and captured a second belt after a layoff), Mighty Mouse (record title defenses), Daniel Cormier (first double-champ at LHW/HW, won the Strikeforce GP as an alternate, went 21-2-1), Conor McGregor (made history as the first double-champ, record PPVs, May/Mac event)
Female Fighter of the Decade - Amanda Nunes. Wins over nearly every notable female in two divisions. First female double-champ in the UFC, first person to beat Cyborg since 2005, one of two to beat Rousey, only person to beat Holm by KO/TKO in MMA, only person in the UFC to beat Valentina Schevchenko
Male Impact Fighter of the Decade - Conor McGregor
Female Impact Fighter of the Decade - Ronda Rousey (easiest pick IMO)

 

rizin 20 has been a banger so far

 

Saw the CB Dollaway knockout, yeesh, Jiri is that dude.

 

Replied to Ariel's Tweet about year-end stuff yesterday saying Jon Jones should be Fighter of the Decade. Jon retweeted me at 1:30 a.m. with a reply.... That was fun waking up to 2,000 notifications.

 

LMFAOOOO

 

Fascinating, Ariel. Did he own up to being a rapist?

 

'zen-like' what a sociopath

 

I'm bored so I'm gonna predict who I think will be champion in each division at the end of the year.

Flyweight: Henry Cejudo (will he even fight at this weight?)
Bantamweight: Henry Cejudo
Featherweight: Zabit Magomedsharipov (Zabit v Volk is foty potential)
Lightweight: Tony Ferguson
Welterweight: Leon Edwards
Middleweight: Israel Adesanya
Light Heavyweight: Jon Jones
Heavyweight: Francis Ngannou
BMF: Conor McGregor

Strawweight: Rose Namajunas
Flyweight: Valentine Shevchenko
Bantamweight: Amanda Nunes
Featherweight: Amanda Nunes

 

Cejudo was stripped of the flyweight belt, so I can’t imagine he goes back down and fights for it again.

 

Oh I didn't know he was stripped. UFC's site still has him listed as champ. Regardless, that division is in a really bad spot.

 

Yup, happened just before Christmas if I remember correctly. Benavidez and Figueiredo are fighting for the vacant belt at the end of February.

 

Conor McGregor estimates $80 million payday to fight Donald Cerrone at UFC 246

 

So glad Donald is gonna get PAID

 

CAN'T WAIT

 

Yeah i'm really excited for this fight. Should be a slugfest.

 

"Basically they told him to piss in a cup an hour before the fight and he slashed his hand open on the bottle they gave him and then needed stitches but got it glued and says he couldn’t warm up properly."