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2015 Non-Event General MMA Talk Thread


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Michelle Waterson is out of her fight with Tecia Torres. I would think that the UFC is searching for a replacement.

 

 

A tell all interview with Jon Jones.  No matter how you feel about Jones, it's worth a look

 

I watched the first ten minutes or so this morning. What I saw was pretty interesting. I'll watch the rest as soon as I get time today.

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I'm about 40 minutes in or so, and it is super interesting. I don't particularly care for him, and that is completely based on his demeanor and attitude. But there is no denying his talent, and he sure is fun to watch in the cage, but from what I have seen of it so far, I don't feel as if this really changed him too much. Not in the sense that he won't wise up and stop doing dumb shit, but in listening to the interview, he doesn't come off as any more centered or grounded.

 

Not that the best fighter in the world should really be all that grounded, they should understand just how amazing they are, but I guess I expected him to be a little less of the same "Look at how great I am" kind of guy in the interview, and I didn't get that vibe from this at all.

 

I am really looking forward to the return fight against DC, I hope that Jones actually does have all his shit together, I would hate to see him squander all that talent.

 

Edit: Now that I have finished it up, the part when he speaks to his thoughts on Lorenzo and Dana's differences in his dealings with them are really cool, and I agree with him completely about how the company portrayed him re: the 151 cancellation. Also, he seems pretty pissed about the idea that the company knew about Belfort being dirty and let the fight go on anyway.

 

I also liked his thoughts on the NSAC needing a commission to watch over them, pretty spot on, it seems.

Edited by grilledcheese
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Agreed. The best parts are clearly near the end when he goes off on 151, his dealings with UFC management, and the Vitor stuff. All of that was fascinating. The rest was garbage fluff piece shit. He still seems like the same guy but now he doesn't drink and smoke weed.

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I'm about 40 minutes in or so, and it is super interesting. I don't particularly care for him, and that is completely based on his demeanor and attitude. But there is no denying his talent, and he sure is fun to watch in the cage, but from what I have seen of it so far, I don't feel as if this really changed him too much. Not in the sense that he won't wise up and stop doing dumb shit, but in listening to the interview, he doesn't come off as any more centered or grounded.

 

Not that the best fighter in the world should really be all that grounded, they should understand just how amazing they are, but I guess I expected him to be a little less of the same "Look at how great I am" kind of guy in the interview, and I didn't get that vibe from this at all.

 

Part of that is probably who he actually is, but I think a lot of is that he is just super guarded. I just kind of expect it now when it comes to high profile athletes. I think fans are expecting people to open up a part of them that they (1) have no interest in showing or (2) don't want anyone to use as a weakness against them. I mean that's expected too since that's just how people view celebs, especially when there is a definite character flaw or downfall. As weird as it may sound (it shouldn't be), not that many people in the public eye are going to be that open and honest as you might want them to be. This even happens with people who had a lot of information revealed intentionally (whether it's sit down interviews or books).  In MMA, especially with what happened with Ronda up to, after, and prior to UFC 193, it is more evident that this is the case.

 

I don't know if this is the best example, but it may be the most pertinent given the expectations for each guy. In my opinion, this whole thing with Jon dovetails with Floyd Mayweather Jr. and his persona in and out of the ring. I still remember several HBO 24/7 episodes back the episode where Floyd was hanging out with his stable of acolytes and women. This was when Shantel "Ms." Jackson first showed up. One of the most revealing things I think we ever saw with Floyd was something that I don't think most people picked on. He was asked off camera on whether or not he would get married, and instinctively and without hesitation he said no. He went on about trust or whatever, but you could tell by his body language and demeanor that there was some part of him that was emotionally broken down that he felt he needed to hide. Granted, I can only imagine a guy like Floyd would want to keep his money from any divorce proceedings. However, you could tell why many of his relationships past and present were and are doomed to failed. I think Ms. Jackson only survived two or three (if that) fights after that before they split up for good. For me, he doesn't have to go into his past about domestic violence because I can tell what plays a pivotal part in that. If you are resigned to having trust issues to protect your own interests, then yeah, it's never going to work out. Then you add in millions of dollars (that may or may not make you happy) with tons of people hovering around, the only end result I can see is going to be nasty.

 

Also, as a result, I can see why Floyd is extremely guarded in certain ways and why I never saw too many moments after that with him. I think maybe for a moment when it was talking about the health of Floyd Sr. and Roger, but nothing that you see that would stand out clearly. He had a moment where he showed a giant weakness when he was surrounded by friends (many of whom were paid to be there) and hot women ranging in different ethnicities in a massive house. All of that was suppose to provide security for him from the outside world. And I guess for the most part, it has because this is not something people bring up as much as other stuff. But that's the thing, he would rather you boo him for partying with strippers, non-answers about DV, which random news reporters who aren't allowed to come to his fights, beefing with 50 Cent about illiteracy, or doing this, that, and the other rather than analyzing beyond what the media and news reports. I think most of this is garbage drummed by the media (and him for that matter in many cases) to provide opinions that they want you to have.

 

When you're talking about pressers and conference calls in MMA or boxing, I can definitely understand why people want to see or define the face and heel dynamics. It is something that people (including myself admittedly) have been programmed to do especially after the glory days of when pro wrestling broke big and boxing got a ton of coverage in the wake of having more larger than life personalities. However, there is a point (especially when you get into actual domestic violence, drug use, people getting hit by cars etc.) where all that ceases to exist and becomes trivial. You're probably going to see a moment (if it hasn't happened already and I missed it) where you get to see more of Jon Jones than he actually realizes and that makes you want to hate him or love him more. However, I don't think that is so much more important than whether or not he gets his life back (if ever was) on track. 

 

What has been going on with Johny? I can't find any news about him, beyond missing his weight cut and having kidney stones months ago. 

 

Actual update: So yeah, it looks like he left Team Takedown. He is sitting out his contract with them, which ends in February of next year. He figures that he can't be coached by Laimon and Wright anymore as a result. It's still unclear whether or not either guy will leave with him. This would explain the lack to training photos.

 

He has hired Louis Giordano, who has been most notable for his criticism of Mike Dolce and methods, as his nutrition coach. The UFC is willing to allow him to go back to welterweight as long as he is with Giordano. He wants to fight on Super Bowl weekend at welterweight, but I imagine that would be tough without a gym to train at and just a boxing coach.

 

IMO, I would get all my ducks in a row before trying to come back and fight world class competition if I was him. So if it has to be after February when his contract with Erhardt is up, then let it be. When you're probably on the cusp of challenging for a world title again, the last thing you want is to be seriously distracted and come in very unprepared in a title eliminator bout. That's too much to lose in a sport where you don't get too many opportunities to prove yourself.

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I'm about 40 minutes in or so, and it is super interesting. I don't particularly care for him, and that is completely based on his demeanor and attitude. But there is no denying his talent, and he sure is fun to watch in the cage, but from what I have seen of it so far, I don't feel as if this really changed him too much. Not in the sense that he won't wise up and stop doing dumb shit, but in listening to the interview, he doesn't come off as any more centered or grounded.

 

Not that the best fighter in the world should really be all that grounded, they should understand just how amazing they are, but I guess I expected him to be a little less of the same "Look at how great I am" kind of guy in the interview, and I didn't get that vibe from this at all.

 

Part of that is probably who he actually is, but I think a lot of is that he is just super guarded. I just kind of expect it now when it comes to high profile athletes. I think fans are expecting people to open up a part of them that they (1) have no interest in showing or (2) don't want anyone to use as a weakness against them. I mean that's expected too since that's just how people view celebs, especially when there is a definite character flaw or downfall. As weird as it may sound (it shouldn't be), not that many people in the public eye are going to be that open and honest as you might want them to be. This even happens with people who had a lot of information revealed intentionally (whether it's sit down interviews or books).  In MMA, especially with what happened with Ronda up to, after, and prior to UFC 193, it is more evident that this is the case.

 

When you're talking about pressers and conference calls in MMA or boxing, I can definitely understand why people want to see or define the face and heel dynamics. It is something that people (including myself admittedly) have been programmed to do especially after the glory days of when pro wrestling broke big and boxing got a ton of coverage in the wake of having more larger than life personalities. However, there is a point (especially when you get into actual domestic violence, drug use, people getting hit by cars etc.) where all that ceases to exist and becomes trivial. You're probably going to see a moment (if it hasn't happened already and I missed it) where you get to see more of Jon Jones than he actually realizes and that makes you want to hate him or love him more. However, I don't think that is so much more important than whether or not he gets his life back (if ever was) on track. 

 

 

 

I agree with the fact that he is being guarded, and for good reason. He is a human being that deserves all the privacy that we should extend to anyone. We don't have any real right to expect him to be completely forthcoming, no matter how much we would like to see it.

 

There are some points in the interview that I think really show that the side of his personality that show him in a not so flattering light are probably more true to who he actually is than the smiling good guy that he has tried to put out there from time to time.

 

When Ariel asks him about finding out that the lady he hit was pregnant, he says something to the effect of "I thought about how much worse it could be for me", as opposed to any thoughts of the damage he may have done to the woman or the baby. Some of that could be simply because everyone's thoughts will typically go to self preservation first, but it could also speak to that he just doesn't care about what happens to anyone outside of his immediate circle.

 

There's nothing wrong with that frame of mind, but I'm not sure I would want that sort of thing in a video interview that I think was supposed to make me more of a sympathetic figure, and a guy that you could solidly get behind.

 

I want him to do well for very selfish reasons, and they have nothing to do with who he is outside the cage. I hope all the best for him in his regular life, but I want him to stay healthy so that I can watch him put together what appears to be one of the finest careers in combat sports up to this point.

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What has been going on with Johny? I can't find any news about him, beyond missing his weight cut and having kidney stones months ago. 

 

Actual update: So yeah, it looks like he left Team Takedown. He is sitting out his contract with them, which ends in February of next year. He figures that he can't be coached by Laimon and Wright anymore as a result. It's still unclear whether or not either guy will leave with him. This would explain the lack to training photos.

 

He has hired Louis Giordano, who has been most notable for his criticism of Mike Dolce and methods, as his nutrition coach. The UFC is willing to allow him to go back to welterweight as long as he is with Giordano. He wants to fight on Super Bowl weekend at welterweight, but I imagine that would be tough without a gym to train at and just a boxing coach.

 

IMO, I would get all my ducks in a row before trying to come back and fight world class competition if I was him. So if it has to be after February when his contract with Erhardt is up, then let it be. When you're probably on the cusp of challenging for a world title again, the last thing you want is to be seriously distracted and come in very unprepared in a title eliminator bout. That's too much to lose in a sport where you don't get too many opportunities to prove yourself.

 

 

Thanks for the update and I agree with your third paragraph. As for who might leave with him, I could see Laimon leaving with him unless there's some kind of a dispute between them. Those two have been together for so long now. Then again, maybe Johny wants to work with someone new.

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Where's that mocking laughing CM Punk gif when we need it? Grilledcheese nailed it. His comments on the car crash were absurd and the thoughts of a narcissistic asshole. Does being the toughest man alive and the best fighter on the planet excuse that? No. I don't really care about Jon Jones' personality but if he's doing this redemption story and my being an MMA fan means I'm going to be inundated by it. He's still fake as fuck. He's a phony, but he's a phony who's going to trounce DC yet again though, and that's what really matters. If he can not fuck up to the point of jeopardizing his career again, he'll easily be the greatest up to this point.

 

It would be nice if he could face Rumble and Gus after he wins back his belt but before he jumps to heavyweight, just to answer any remaining doubts and basically clear out the division. Gus needs to get some wins though. I guess, sort of. He got his last title shot following a devastating loss, so who knows. The Rumble fight interests me the most. Jones has been less mobile, more reluctant to fight from the outside in his most recent fights. It's as if he holds his opponent's ability to hurt him with extreme contempt. The best example was his disdain for DC's wrestling and his willingness to just engage in the clinch. Dirty boxing is where Cormier excels but Jones whooped his ass in the phone booth. I don't think he's going to want to run that shit with Johnson. I'm wondering how long until the first takedown attempt.

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Man, the 41 minute mark where he talks about not using alcohol and pot anymore feels like the fakest and phoniest response ever. especially his remarks about coke.

 

What sort of gives me pause is that he says he hasn't done anything for like three months...which was August.

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So in lieu with the phoniness of Jon Jones(I like watching him fight, don't like him kind of thing), MMA fighting released this excellent article about Jose Aldo from perspectives of his former opponents. We are talking Hominick, Florian, Mendes, Brookins, Mike Brown, Urijah Faber, and Noguiera. It is probably one of the most interesting pieces that I have ever seen about a fighter that makes you appreciate what the man has come from, what he has done, and what it is like to get in the ring with him. It is a really well-done piece and a must read if you are a fan of MMA. Don't know why Edgar and Swanson did not comment.

 

The Night We Faced Jose Aldo

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Will check that out tomorrow when I have a chance. Thanks for the heads up.

 

Just browsed through the UFC's busy schedule leading up to the big PPV and the Ultimate Fighter finale show looks fucking sweet. Barbosa vs. Ferguson has FOTYC potential, Bektic has all the tools to be a big star (great physicality and wrestling base) and he's taking on one of my favourites in Kawajiri, Dunham will do his best to grind out a decision but hopefully Lauzon doesn't let that happen, Erokhin/Gonzaga will end quickly either way, and Edgar/Mendes should be a heckuva fight - one that I'm very interested in seeing. Great card. 

 

Aljamain Sterling takes on Johnny Eduardo on the Rose/VanZant card. That should be a really good test for Sterling, as Eduardo's coming off a victory over Eddie Wineland (well over a year ago). I'm thinking Jim Miller has to be a heavy favourite against Chiesa but I guess Chiesa's few defeats stand out more in my mind than his numerous victories. Sage Northcutt is back right at it and in a fight that's continuing the recentish trend of prospect fighting prospect, though I think the term prospect is being generous to Cody Pfister. Odds are closer in the main event than I thought they would be. Rose hasn't really impressed me much up to this point. VanZant's decisiveness and aggression should give her a significant edge.

 

It's John Howard that Joe Rogan always bigs up his power striking even though he's yet to score a stoppage in his six UFC fights, right? I think the guys on Sherdog radio joked that if Rogan sees a jacked up black fighter, it's a must that he will hype them as huge KO threats. That fight with Means seems too high up on that card.

 

Theodorou is another unbeaten prospect facing a tough test in Thiago Santos.

 

Then we have the most stacked card in MMA history, or at least it's in the conversation. GOOD SHITS A COMIN', Y'ALL.

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It's John Howard that Joe Rogan always bigs up his power striking even though he's yet to score a stoppage in his six UFC fights, right? I think the guys on Sherdog radio joked that if Rogan sees a jacked up black fighter, it's a must that he will hype them as huge KO threats. That fight with Means seems too high up on that card.

 

when he fought in the UFC the first time (2009ish?) he won a few fights with KOs. i'm sure that's where Rogan's idea of power is coming from.

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I saw that Bektic may be out of the Kawajiri fight due to an ACL injury.

I haven't seen him deny it so I guess it's true.

 

Update: Looks like Jason Knight, who upset Russian prospect Musa Khamanaev in Titan FC back in September, is facing Kawajiri now.

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