McGregor V Diaz

[lordbelh]

I was horribly disappointed when I read the other day that RDA had bowed out of the fight with Conor McGregory (I had RDA to win), and unlike most of the MMA fans I've talked to, I'm not all that interested in watching him fight Nate Diaz at 170. Still, I know I'll be watching, because how can't you watch McGregor?! Love him or hate him, he always brings it.

Any other MMA fans out there who'll be joining me?

I favoring McGregory'll, btw. I never thought Nate was as good as his brother. It is pretty crazy to have the featherweight champion competing at welterweight, though!

Also Holly Holm's first title defense since crushing Ronda. I'm going to go with Holly on this one, notwithstanding Misha Tate being one of my favorite female fighters.

[Coin]

I don't really follow MMA, but I did watch the Rousey-Holm fight and Holm brought it hard. Here's hoping she can stay up against Tate.

[Lithium]

I'd rather see Cowboy Cerone vs McGregor than Diaz. I don't like Diaz's style of fighting or his attitude.

I want Holm to beat Tate, because then we'll see Rousey vs Holm rematch quicker. If Tate manages to beat Holm (Which she could, Tate is a very good fighter honestly and has better stand up than Rousey did), then it'll take even longer for the rematch between Holm and Rousey.

[SG]

McGregor is going to destroy Diaz, I don't think it will be close.

The only plus side is going to be the farcical trash talking going on. Usually they only have one chirper in a match, but now they have two!

[lordbelh]

@SG said:

McGregor is going to destroy Diaz, I don't think it will be close.

I don't think so, either. Though I'm hoping it'll run for a few rounds before Conor knocks him out. Then again, Nate has some pretty good BJJ. He's going to have to submit Conor or I don't think he has a chance. He just doesn't have the knock out power, or the well rounded striking game of Conor.

As for Cerrone, yeah. He already fought this weekend, which was a good showing on his part, but a 2 week turn around seems short even for Cerrone.

[Lithium]

@lordbelh Cowboys fight was incredibly short, and he absorbed no damage whatsoever really. If the doctors ok'd him and he is willing (he was) I'd let him do it over Diaz.

[SunnyJ]

I don't know if I like Cerrone vs McGregor. Cerrone wilts under pressure (just look at what Nate himself did to him) and I feel McGregor would break him before the fight. Anthony Pettis and Nate Diaz are compelling, interesting fights, and I could have gone with both, but Nate will make for a better circus and spectacle! So I can't say I am not 100% into this fight.

It is going to be awesome.

By the way, how awesome it is that McGregor doesn't pull out of fights when he gets in these spots? I find it so interesting (and I think it really captures the imagination of fans, too) that he has this rock-solid confidence in himself and his team, while acting like a professional (goes to press conferences, does world tours, sells his fights, trains like a beast, etc).

This is a good time to be a MMA fan!

@Coin I feel Tate is a very tricky fight for Holly, but she will manage.

[lordbelh]

@SunnyJ said:

By the way, how awesome it is that McGregor doesn't pull out of fights when he gets in these spots? I find it so interesting (and I think it really captures the imagination of fans, too) that he has this rock-solid confidence in himself and his team, while acting like a professional (goes to press conferences, does world tours, sells his fights, trains like a beast, etc).

I agree. Sure he's an obnoxious asshole half the time, but you can't knock a guy who never turns down a fight.

Contrast that to Aldo who usually only fought 1 time a year, and has since his loss to McGregor complained over and over again how he got robbed a rematch, and how he'd fight McGregor anytime, any day. Except, you know, when he got the call to replace RDA. Then he was out of shape and turned it down. I understand him, of course, and don't blame him for it, but showcases a different mentality.

Funny fact: Half of all of Connor's opponents fall out 6/12. So if you really, really, want that fight with him, you've got about even chance of getting it if you just stay in shape, even if you weren't originally scheduled to fight him. I'm wondering if he just gets so hard into people's heads that they overtrain to beat him, and thus injure themselves.

[SunnyJ]

@lordbelh I have no idea. I don't know if its overtraining, or people losing confidence in their own skills as the fight time approaches, and they just pull out. The pressure these people must feel after months of McGregor showboating and promising to end their careers must be... woah. Who is Aldo, now? A joke. McGregor raises the stakes, maybe people just feel the pressure.

Confidence must be the single most essential trait to a fighter, and Conor has that in spades. It seems effortless, and when he predicts the rounds and the moves he is going to KO people on/with, it has to shake you somewhat.

Conor is a once-in-a-lifetime kind of fighter. He is the perfect storm. Not undefeatable, but great personality, looks, intelligence and fighting style. Awesome to see!

[ThatGuyThere]

@Lithium
Not a big MMA person but I would favor Tate over Holm. From what I have seen Tate, Rousey and Holm are almost like rock, paper, scissors with their styles and as the old adage goes, styles make fights. Though honestly a good three way rivalry like that could actually get me interested in MMA more, after all it was the legendary three-way rivalry of Leonard, Hearns and Hagler that got me interested in boxing as a kid.

[Lithium]

@ThatGuyThere I actually do take Tate of Holly Holm, but I am hoping that they all evolve to where it could be any one of them on any given day. That would be awesome to me, great fights all around.

[SG]

None of my predictions panned out, but I was very pleased with the results. Tate vs Holm was a great fight, and Nate-McGregor was awesome. I didn't realize Diaz was so much bigger than McGregor, McG usually looks like the giant in his fights and Diaz usually looks small in his.

[lordbelh]

Same. Both the main card fights were pretty awesome. I thought McGregor had it after the first round, having bloodied Diaz up completely. But then those jabs, man. McGregor said it himself, he went into a bit of panic mode when all those heavy shots just kept failing to knock Diaz out, and as a result he chased it and got tagged too much. That take down in the end? That was total panic, and I knew the moment he did it that he was fucked. Diaz has mad BJJ, and his chokes are among the best in the world.

Credit to McGregor for daring to think big, though. I don't think this is the end; defend the belt at featherweight a couple of times, then try moving up again.

Also how about Misha coming back in the end. That's true spirit. I was really happy for her, and now that division is just so full of possibilities. Ronda vs Misha, and if Misha wins that's an easy rematch with Holm, and if Ronda wins that's.. also an easy rematch with Holm. I do think Holm shows she's good enough to be Champion again.

[Warma Sheen]

I think its gonna be a forever triangle of Tate beating Holm, Rousey beating Tate, and Holm beating Rousey.

[Ide]

I think it's a question of which gets better faster, Rousey's boxing or Holm's grappling defense -- assuming Rousey doesn't retire after her next fight.

[SG]

Well, Holm's got one more fight before she retires, she said she wants to have a kid.

[Lithium]

Rousey needs a better boxing coach if she wants to get better with her hands in my opinion. There wasn't much improvement from Bethe to Holly in her standup I felt, even if she was concussed from that kick in the first round she needs reflexive responses more than what she's got at the moment.

I like Tate, I think she's a hell of an Athlete. I give her kudo's for beating Holm, she earned it. I don't know if she'll ever be able to beat Ronda though, and we might well have that win-triangle till people retire at least.