Elsalvajeloco
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Posts posted by Elsalvajeloco
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7 minutes ago, TheVileOne said:
Bjorn Rebney being involved here gives me pause, but not necessarily against the fighters unionizing and having representation and a voice in certain deals and decisions.
Helwani just said on Twitter what I was going to say here. Using the guy who went out of his way to make sure Bellator contracts were as coercive as UFC contracts might not be the best way to go about this. Moreover, angling to make it CAA vs. WME will not end well for several fighters. You thought Zinkin Ent. vs. Zuffa that one day was ugly? This is going to turn into some intense power struggle type shit MMA has never seen before. Not sure you want to draw the line that quickly when you need a large amount of the roster sign on. I can't imagine that being enticing to someone who wants to unionize without making enemies with teammates and the like.
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Maybe we can scratch off a PFA alliance/merger thing because Jeff Borris might not have his shit together based on the open letter from Leslie Smith. TLDR version of said letter: Leslie Smith is stepping away from PFA because Borris was giving away fighter info to the agents, breaching an agreement.
Poor Borris didn't last long enough to get a class action lawsuit out of the deal.
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"To no one's surprise, Alabama has won the Nick Saban is Going for Tears regional..."
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The Ultimate Fighter 24 Finale: Tournament of Champions
December 3, 2016
Las Vegas, NV (Palms Casino Resort)UFC Flyweight Championship: Demetrious Johnson © (124.5) vs. Tim Elliott (125) (ninth defense) - Johnson, DEC (unanimous)
Joseph Benavidez (125.5) vs. Henry Cejudo (125.5) - Benavidez, DEC (split)
Jake Ellenberger (170.25) vs. Jorge Masvidal (171) - Masvidal, TKO (referee stoppage), R1 (4:05)
Ion Cutelaba (205.5) vs. Jared Cannonier (204) - Cannonier, DEC (unanimous)
Sara McMann (135.5) vs. Alexis Davis (134.75) - McMann, SUB (arm triangle choke), R2 (2:52)
Brandon Moreno (126) vs. Ryan Benoit (125.5) - Moreno, DEC (split)Fox Sports 1 Preliminary Card:
Gray Maynard (145.5) vs. Ryan Hall (145) - Hall, DEC (unanimous)
Rob Font (135.5) vs. Matt Schnell (135.5) - Font, KO (knee and punches), R1 (3:47)
Dong Hyun Kim (155.5) vs. Brendan O'Reilly (155) - Kim, DEC (unanimous)
Kailin Curran (116) vs. Jamie Moyle (115) - Moyle, DEC (unanimous)Fight Pass Preliminary Card:
Elvis Mutapcic (185) vs. Anthony Smith (185.5) - Smith, TKO (standing elbow and punches), R2 (3:27)
Josh Stansbury (204.5) vs. Devin Clark (205.5) - Clark, DEC (unanimous)Event Bonuses ($50,000):
Performance of the Night: Anthony Smith
Performance of the Night: Sara McMann
Fight of the Night: Ion Cutelaba vs. Jared CannonierAttendance: 2,044
Gate: $188,602
Rating: 1.03 million viewersCancelled Bouts:
Josh Stansbury vs. Jake Collier - Injury to Collier
Alejandro Pérez vs. Rob Font - Injury to Font -
Probably that they signed their unions cards or plan to.
It would be weird if they started a union when someone just started one for the very reason of getting those fighters. IIRC Rob Maysey's org (MMAFA) is basically competing with the one that was started this year (PFA). If they joined PFA, that would basically show the lack of faith in Maysey's efforts.
The reason why I don't think it's PFA is that the PFA reps would probably be involved in this explicitly. If Rebney is trying to do the CAA vs. WME thing, that may be tough because why would somebody split resources between 3 different unions? Now if they joined up with PFA that would make sense because the backing is better. However, they have shunned Rob Maysey so why would this be any different other than having name fighters?
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23 minutes ago, AxB said:
She makes a good case for the Octagon being about half the size it is now. Watching her, anyone would think this was the Ultimate Jogging Backwards Championship. Mixed Martial Retreating.
The amount of distance she can cover without doing a single, solitary thing is breathtaking.
The most astonishing thing is that the guy who is the head trainer for Alan Jouban, who has a potential fight of the night in almost every appearance, is also Taylor's head trainer. I guess you do the best with what you're given.
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36 minutes ago, Hail Sabin said:
I scored Ham winning her fight against Taylor.
Danielle Taylor, based on this fight and the Moroz fight, may be the single most infuriating female MMA fighter to watch.
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1 hour ago, Raziel403 said:
That's why you don't throw shade until the clock reads 00:00.
Too busy reminiscing about all those Panthers Super Bowl wins.
You have to delete your Twitter account just on GP after that.
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I think a potential problem an interim title does slightly alleviate is the possibility that Aldo wants to continue to pursue McGregor. With the way Aldo beat Edgar the second time and the fact that the division is full of young fighters not even close to a title shot, there is no guarantee Aldo doesn't move up in the near future to get that win back from Conor. That's still the fight that makes the most fiscal sense for Aldo. Even if Pettis has a rousing winning performance against Holloway or barely loses that fight and somehow wins a title eliminator after that, we're still only talking a PPV that might cross the 400k threshold with the right hype. I think giving the winner of the 206 main event a rubberstamp to fight the FW champion is better than asking Aldo to fight someone like Holloway who he was in no rush to fight anyway. With nothing on the line officially, Aldo can still stay fuck it and wait on Conor's next move. I mean he did that when it was more evident Conor was angling to fight Eddie instead of him. An interim title doesn't completely stop that, but it does force his hand because there is more money in being champion and fighting than pursuing a fight that may not happen at all. Moreover, a convincing win over someone like Holloway or Pettis does more for Aldo in getting a superfight rematch with McGregor than just waiting at home for several months. My larger point is that anything that convinces Aldo to fight and get the division on track can't hurt all that much. By the time all this stuff unfolds, no one is going to give a damn whether one fight was for the interim title or not.
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14 hours ago, TheVileOne said:
He didn't seem to have too hard of a time picking Weidman apart. There's no reason the fight should've gotten out of the third round anyway.
That's extremely debatable because Rockhold has always shown himself to be a cagey fighter when pressed.
Again, if you look at the second part of that reply, I will say Whittaker isn't Luke Rockhold in any shape or form. At no point in his UFC career has he shown that ability to do that. Whittaker and Rockhold are virtually polar opposites. If Whittaker was that refined as a fighter, he would have punted Derek Brunson through the cage even if Brunson fought the best fight possible. As is, Whittaker is an extremely less technical fighter who finds himself with his chin in the line of fire too much. He relies so much on raw athleticism that anyone who stays at distance is going to have a field day because his movement is very awkward.
Weidman to his credit against Romero cleaned up his movement, but realized that if Romero and him stay apart for long periods, it would turn into an exotic snake charming sequence that would frustrate everyone. He didn't anticipate Romero to have impecable timing and freakish movement himself. That's another way of fighting Whittaker has never chosen to employ. He has never really sat back and waited to engage in spurts. His timing is good, but it's not Yoel Romero otherworldly type shit.
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11 minutes ago, TheVileOne said:
Weidman abandons caution and leaves his chin and head wide open too. Even Luke Rockhold recognized that Weidman tends to just barrel forward and throw away all his defense.
You have a very loose definition of abandon because if that was the case, Rockhold would have stopped him on the feet easily. Also, that would make someone like Robert Whittaker one of the worst defensive fighters of all time.
If Whittaker was able to box and move as well as Rockhold did, he wouldn't have looked as sloppy as he did against Rafael Natal and would have made Brunson look absolutely silly.
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1 minute ago, TheVileOne said:
I don't want them to cancel the event.
That's what they would have to do because Aldo ain't fighting at 206. He probably verbally agreed to fight the winner, but that's about it.
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14 minutes ago, TheVileOne said:
Has any commission approved it yet? Nope. Gastelum can still fuck off and he should have to stay on the shelf.
As for Jose Aldo, the simple solution here is having him fight Max Holloway instead of creating a title out of thin air...again.
They're not going to cancel a main event for a fight Jose Aldo hasn't signed a bout agreement for.
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1 hour ago, TheVileOne said:
Let's not forget, before Bisping beat Rockhold, people, especially posters here, thought he was garbage and never a legitimate contender. People always bemoaned that UFC protected him, and he could never beat legitimate top 10 competition and compete with the top 10 guys.
If I'm trying to make a point here, let's put Whittaker into the deeper waters now and see how he swims. I'm confident in Whittaker's abilities. Also, I like Bisping, but he has plenty of holes in his game as well, but he still managed to become champion and defend his belt.
Chris Weidman now already looks like he's in decline.
I have never thought Bisping was garbage. I always said he was on a different island than a lot of other middleweights, which was weird then because 185 was more top heavy than now. When he was at Wolfslair, he hardly listened to his coaches and that cost him his biggest fights. Since moving to the US and making Parillo his head coach, he's making wiser decisions and that has paid dividends. I think six or seven years ago, he wouldn't have beat Anderson or be able to decision Dan Henderson. Plus, Rockhold would've been able to replicate that first win easily.
Is he going to be a long reigning champion? Doubtful since he already acknowledges he has one foot out the door already. The next time he loses will probably be his last fight unless some crazy money fight pops up. Plus, he's firmly entrenched in his fighting style. He has been able to add new wrinkles over time, but there is nothing that will create a gap between him and other contenders. However, they have made him competitive with the best and made him world champion. That's all you can ask for on the wrong side of thirty.
As far as Weidman goes, I think there is some physical decline but keep in mind, Rockhold and Romero are tremendous athletes. Anytime you push back against him, it's going to be a wild fight. The problem that creates for Weidman is he can't control that type of fight unless he is the better athlete in the fight. Against aging fighters beyond their prime, he is going to look superb because he is a great grappler with power and a sturdy chin. Against fighters with comparable athleticism, it's going to be a toss up. You can't account for a dude like Yoel Romero hitting crazy takedowns and flying knees out of nowhere. Who in the division can Romero not do that shit to? Rockhold and Romero are extremely tough matchups for anyone.
Right now, I think Weidman still starches Whittaker. If Whittaker is leaving his chin out there, Weidman is going to find him eventually. I think Whittaker would need Weidman to shoot takedowns with very little setup and just get frustrated enough to go toe-to-toe. However, even if Weidman didn't knock him out standing, he can get Whittaker to the ground and probably pound him out or take his back for a RNC.
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26 minutes ago, TheVileOne said:
Bisping constantly circles into Hendo's H-Bomb. He's not unbeatable.
I don't think anybody is saying that. Whittaker has more technical lapses than you would like and needs to fights a certain style to win his fights. It's like Brandon Rios vs. Manny Pacquiao or Timothy Bradley in boxing. The only way Brandon Rios wins fights is if you decide to fight him in a phone booth. Otherwise, you can pick him apart all night if you're a proficient boxer.
It's tough to watch him fight someone like Rafael Natal and walk away with a feeling he can compete with a Jacare, Romero, Weidman, Mousasi, or Rockhold. He was swinging wildly, and his chin is so high up in the air. Last night, Brunson fought him with the worst possible strategy and still almost won. If this was a lighter weight class, I would feel more confident that he breaks that glass ceiling. Say what you want about Bisping, but Jason Parillo has tightened up his game tremendously. He isn't going to be running in straight lines at Robert Whittaker. Mousasi, who is likely to face him next, definitely isn't going to be doing that. I think that's probably the worst style matchup for Whittaker at 185.
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He already is appealing it. Plus, he can probably forego the suspension by paying a fine.
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After watching how Bisping fought all year and the damage he manage to somehow escape, I think Bisping would find a way to pick Whittaker apart for 25 minutes. Whittaker is one of those prototypical brawlers that Bisping has managed to beat the entirety of his career. If Bisping gets past two rounds, what the hell does Whittaker look like? IMO they probably split those first two rounds and then Bisping takes the next three just because he's a work machine. He has a style that can frustrate Whittaker, who really hasn't encountered something like that since he fought Wonderboy a division down.
I think this fight and the Sapo fight shows that Whittaker is there to be hit. You don't have to search for him.
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Pending commission approval of course. I believe it was Okamoto who said Gastelum could pay a fine (he already filed an appeal) and be able to fight.
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25 minutes ago, TheVileOne said:
If Robert Whittaker wasn't in the title conversation before, he should be now.
He definitely did what he needed to do, but Florian said it best postfight: everyone isn't going to fight him like Derek Brunson.
Even then, Brunson managed to hurt Whittaker while running straight at him. I think it's going to be tough for him to break into that upper crust at middleweight. I think someone like Mousasi would be a nightmare matchup for him. He can mix it up and keep Whittaker guessing. How does he fare in a fight that's not a pier six brawl or strictly hinging on a fight ending setup and sequence?
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43 minutes ago, TheVileOne said:
I just don't know why now of all times you promote Jose Aldo to be champion when he's removed himself from active competition. Not to mention, Aldo's been a constant problem, crybaby and complainer for the UFC since he joined the roster in 2011.
He can't really remove himself from active competition. They're not going to release him so he had to change his mind and fight the Pettis/Holloway winner. In addition, the likelihood of McGregor cutting down to featherweight is slim to none after beating Alvarez. This was inevitable unless Aldo decided to vacate the interim title.
As for Aldo, this is what comes with promoting fighters. I think I said this several months back, and that is Aldo really isn't that big of a problem. He's always acquiesced to what Zuffa wanted from him behind the scenes. The dude was planning to fight Conor and risk losing his title with an injury where he couldn't breathe properly. In stark contrast, Fabricio Werdum decided not to do the same thing because he suffered some minor injuries.
Aldo is also one of the top MMA fighters of all time, no question. Rightfully, he should have his say and be entitled to giving his opinion.
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I see Brunson skipped the UFC 198 main event. Not exactly the best strategy to employ.
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1 hour ago, TheVileOne said:
Interim title at UFC 206 when Aldo was already interim champion is bullshit anyway. Just like making Jones vs. OSP for a pointless interim belt.
Well, you just said Aldo wasn't fighting and now you're disgusted with this fight being for the interim belt. I mean if Aldo does come back, it will be around April/May. That's still 9-10 months between fights. In addition, there is no guarantee Aldo makes to it to the cage then either. This is more or less Jose Aldo insurance if he changes his mind or gets hurt.
2016 Non-Event General MMA Talk Thread
in BOXING & MMA
Posted