MMA Catch All Thread.

I want Mayweather to lose... To Pacquiao. When that was a thing all those years ago. McGregor is actually more unlikable than Mayweather.

Today was the 2nd press conference of 4? that they are having.

Its actually the most contrived hype machine ever created and it will draw the eyeballs to justify the most contrived hype machine ever.

It shouldn't even be a discussion really but theres that small chance McGregor catches him with a lucky punch.

Maybe the most watchable result is McGregor hangs with him for the first couple of rounds and Mayweather just picks him apart and actually KO's someone. Or at least a TKO.

If Notorious can get into rounds 5+, then he's clearly the winner. It is the most ridiculous thing in boxing ever tho. And that's saying a LOT.

I was talking with a few of the other boxers at my gym the other day on this and the way we figure it, the only way that Connor loses is if he quits. Even if he gets starched one minute into round one, he wins because he can say that he faced boxing's best, but if he doesn't get up off the stool between rounds, folks will see this for the freakshow it is.

And the thing is, I think that is what Floyd will be going for.

Connor has never gone more than five rounds in his life. He has never gone a single round with 8oz gloves. And his videotaped training session with the 30th ranked welterweight showed he has sloppy technique that will get him blasted apart by anyone in the top 100. Floyd knows this and Floyd is the greatest defensive boxer who ever lived.

This business about him getting in "one lucky punch" is a fantasy. You might as well fantasize about Tiger Woods getting a lucky armbar on Royce Gracie.

Jones is amazing and likely deserves at least part of the GOAT title (right next to Demetrius Johnson), but giving up 40 pounds to fight Lesnar is insane.

Sad for DC.

Top_Shelf wrote:

Sad for DC. :(

As much as I want to dislike Jones and like Cormier, I really can't. Cormier just can't shut up long enough for me to develop any sympathy for him. And Jones, despite his being a despicable human being, at least plays the part of the focused professional.

DC is clearly the #2 LHW, but watching Jones fight is really unmatched in MMA.
His understanding of spacing and pacing in fights is freakishly good.

I'm bracing myself for the tsunami of dumbass "buht in a reel fight" comments starting late Saturday night.

Next Saturday (8/26)? Or am I missing something?

Ugh. Yeah. I guess I have to live through another week of this crap.

Jon Jones tests positive for steroids.

dumbass

Ugh. So much "lucky punch" nonsense this morning at work.

If this were an MMA fight, Mayweather would be doomed.

But it isn't. It's boxing, under boxing rules, with one of the best (if not the very best) boxers ever. And very likely the best boxer who spent most of his time not getting hit and winning on points.

McGregor *may* have the "just one punch" power, but I would argue that most MMA guys he has fought against are not even close to the skill level of Mayweather in *not* getting hit.

mudbunny wrote:

If this were an MMA fight, Mayweather would be doomed.

But it isn't. It's boxing, under boxing rules, with one of the best (if not the very best) boxers ever. And very likely the best boxer who spent most of his time not getting hit and winning on points.

McGregor *may* have the "just one punch" power, but I would argue that most MMA guys he has fought against are not even close to the skill level of Mayweather in *not* getting hit.

I was talking with my old boxing coach on this. He has recently spent a good deal of time coaching MMA fighters and had the following observation.

He said that all the considerable work we do as boxers cutting angles and zoning out of danger is something MMA fighters, as a rule, don't really work much with. He said that it is often easier to teach a rank beginner than it is an MMA fighter because the latter spends most of their time trying to find the "pocket" where their powerband lines up with their range and not in cutting angles that reduce their exposure.

When he looked at tape of McG, he noticed that he was almost entirely a "linear" fighter who mostly went back and forth in and out of his range. He would change levels a little, but rarely has he ever dictated the pace of a fight by changing angles effectively. And when he did, it was notably against folks with even less adequate boxing backgrounds.

When you look at tape of MayW, you see someone who cuts angles as close as half an inch and is literally able to stay in an opponents pocket without getting hit because if it. He has a strong guard and keeps himself just outside of your centerline so you think you can hit him, but have no chance in hell.

This is how he beat Manny Pac whose stamina, workrate, and power is well above McG's. If anyone was going to catch MayW with a "lucky punch", it was going to be Pac and he had 12 rounds to do it in. McG, in sharp contrast, will likely only have 3 rounds of gas to throw his bombs. Bombs that will likely find only air for three rounds. And when that is done, MayW will simply be able to attack unresponded.

This is going to be an embarrassment.

There is a twitter account called WWE Creative Humour that posted this yesterday:

"Dear Jon Jones,
Thank you for making it easier for us to re-sign Brock Lesnar. We owe you one buddy."

Vince_Strut.jpg

It's truly ironic to see the very same people who derided Michelle Wie's playing against men in the PGA as a "freak show" extolling how great it is that Conor McGregor is taking on Floyd Mayweather.

Coming here for Paleo hating on this fight is one of my favorite daily internet reads.

I can't believe that I just found this thread. Y'alls is my peeepl. I'm not really a redneck. I'm just doing a stupid accent.

On Jon Jones - So its not official yet? Just a TMZ tweet? Does TMZ often mis-report things like this? My guess is, no, they don't. I have so many questions. Like, how long until the UFC takes him back? And they will take him back, as soon as its possible. All they care about is the dough. DW says he doesn't know if they will. What he really means is, he doesn't know if Jones will ever be able to come back.

DW is acting all surprised, too. Jones has a long history of doping and drug use. I'm not at all surprised. I'm very disappointed, though. Jones is a real life heel.

On Connor v Floyd - The age difference is significant. Connor's knock out power is significant. Connor is very athletic. And not only that, Connor is smart. He's not training for an MMA match. He's got the best boxing coaches money can buy, training him on how to win. I won't be at all surprised if Connor knocks out Floyd.

Yeah but you putting money on it?

boogle wrote:

Yeah but you putting money on it?

If I was going to bet on this fight, I would absolutely put my money on CMcG. For all the reasons outlined above. By no means do I think that its a lock. Its a fight and anything can happen. But I do feel that Connor has a HUGE advantage.

I wish there was a way for both of them to lose.

Nomad wrote:

I wish there was a way for both of them to lose.

When I hear people say YOLO, I wish that it was possible for them to live less than once.

Nomad wrote:

I wish there was a way for both of them to lose.

Totally with you on this one. Hard to understand how either of them have enthusiastic fans.

Paleocon wrote:
Nomad wrote:

I wish there was a way for both of them to lose.

Totally with you on this one. Hard to understand how either of them have enthusiastic fans.

Because people LOVE drama. It's all just a pro wrestling style pre fight hype. It's guerrilla marketing. And sadly, it works.

I hate it, personally. I don't watch MMA for the spectacle of it all. I want to see an athletic contest between two people who have trained and prepared themselves. But more than that, I want to see a contest of technique and skill.

So I try to ignore all of the pre fight shenanigans. It disgusts me, which makes it easier to look away.

I watched a video where a boxer described that McGregors best and only KO punch is a straight left?

The 'well if he gets lucky with one punch' theorists have a huge hole in their argument if the guy going up against the best defensive boxer ever has... 1 punch.

Great watch.

jowner wrote:

I watched a video where a boxer described that McGregors best and only KO punch is a straight left?

It's more like a counter straight left. McGregor definitely has power but he's not going to be able to bait Mayweather.

Patrick Wyman (a PhD in history who's better known for his MMA writing) did a pretty good breakdown of the fight for Deadspin:

McGregor might nail Mayweather with a big shot and put him to sleep. Floyd, while a great defensive fighter, isn’t unhittable. There’s always a chance.

It’s a tiny chance, though. The most likely scenario involves McGregor coming out hot—he always does—and trying to rough up Mayweather inside, landing a few good shots along the way. He may even sting the 40-year-old Mayweather with a sharp left hand. By the third or fourth round, though, Mayweather will adjust. He’ll figure out when and how to tie up McGregor on the inside, when to go after him at range, and how to avoid his counters. By the sixth round, McGregor will look lost. If Floyd is feeling nasty, he might go after McGregor, but it’s more likely he simply cruises to an easy decision. The skill and experience gap is simply too wide for McGregor to adjust with Floyd as the fight rolls on.

Unfortunately, the piece doesn't lay out a scenario in which both guys lose. Darn it.

Haven't they both already lost?

No amount of money is worth living life so shamelessly.

Was it just me or was MacGregor looking very "happy" during the weigh-in yesterday?