UFC 225 - Whittaker/Romero, RDA/Colby Trashbag, CM PUNK RETURNS

[REDDzone]

I just don't buy for a second anything that Yoel's management team is selling. They are saying he won't go to 205 because he walks around at that?

I don't believe that either, and wouldn't believe anything from him or his team on general principle. It is possible though a lifetime of weight cutting and his age make it harder for him to cut now. That would be an argument against staying at 185 of course, but maybe they are in denial about it?

I agree that the age/history probably would make it more difficult.

I also do give them credit, they seemed to shoulder more of the blame than I thought they were going to. They said Romero came in heavier than they wanted for fight week, and also said he changed some things for the last two camps that they were not on board with.

[qm22]

Can we talk about how ridiculous it was to have the #2 and #4 (from Chicago) HW's in the world not fighting on the PPV card? How dumb is that?

It blows my mind and it seems like a pattern. For UFC 225 if you were interested in this cards' fights, which many were, you'd have to be a serious fan and dig up the interesting things yourself or on a discussion forum like this. It's not like Ngannou where there was media exposure long in advanced, hype so that even casuals know about him.

I just can't comprehend why Dana or the UFC media department as a whole just picks and chooses who to expose, based off their own interests, rather than trying to maximize everyone and increase the chances for new stars to pop up.

Just recently we have,
-Blaydes on the undercard
-Setting CM Punk vs. Jackson, and then insulting the winner for doing what everyone sort of thought is likely. (A strategy to blame the fighter so people who paid don't realize Dana was the one who baited them into a bad fight?)
-Yawning over the Whittaker when asked what he thought about him. Whittaker/Romero delivered as one of the top fights in the division history again and it's like Dana doesn't want anyone to know.
-Appearing to not give a **** about Romero in terms of making a plan for someone who arguably had a decision robbery and just says "oh yeah, I guess he can move up".
-Asked about Tyron Woodley saying on twitter to set up the Colby fight he ignores the question topic and acts with faux surprise that Woodley wanted to fight. It's a deliberate act to publicly diminish a champion, what kind of promoter is this?

Altogether not giving direct exposure for casual fans to the high quality performances and capabilities of fighters, or giving the media something to work with. Kind of like w/ Stipe, a very marketble type of guy for the larger demographic and arguably one w/ the best accomplishments in UFC or MMA heavyweight history - but there is only passive exposure of him and Dana looked like someone who was dumped by his girlfriend when Miocic beat Ngannou, and post-fight belittled it by attributing it to Ngannou going to France a week before the fight and leaving his beloved performance institute.

It's just so perplexing, that for a guy who seems desperate for stars that he doesn't want to capitalize on what he might have or build many up as stars, as the promoter, which he probably could succeed at. I can't imagine a reasonable excuse, it seems childish and unprofessional.

[REDDzone]

LOL Woodley on MMAHour putting Colby on blast. Says he has text messages from Colby saying hey bro don't worry about it I'm just trying to make us both a bunch of money. I'm just paraphrasing what the text said but that's the gist.

[Jasen777]

It's just so perplexing, that for a guy who seems desperate for stars that he doesn't want to capitalize on what he might have or build many up as stars, as the promoter, which he probably could succeed at. I can't imagine a reasonable excuse, it seems childish and unprofessional.

That's all true, and it's not new. I've always been perplexed when they throw fighters under the bus. Those are the people you're supposed to promote and make money off of. Just doesn't make any sense to trash them.

[Jasen777]

LOL Woodley on MMAHour putting Colby on blast.

Unsurprisingly, Woodley seems to have lost the youtube comments. I do wonder how this will play out more generally.

[Bernman]

It's just so perplexing, that for a guy who seems desperate for stars that he doesn't want to capitalize on what he might have or build many up as stars, as the promoter, which he probably could succeed at. I can't imagine a reasonable excuse, it seems childish and unprofessional.

That's all true, and it's not new. I've always been perplexed when they throw fighters under the bus. Those are the people you're supposed to promote and make money off of. Just doesn't make any sense to trash them.

People in the fight game by and large aren't a savvy, rational bunch. They are prideful and driven by emotion. That's the nature of a fighter, and in MMA surely exacerbated by the prevalence of roids. Don't serve Dana's interests at the time and he reacts not thinking of the big picture.

You can apply this to the comment relayed by RZ about Woodley. Logically, why would he share that Colby was trying to sell their fight together? He projects to make less money this way with people potentially just seeing another Tyquil snoozer without the pre-fight hype. But Woodley is just thinking about winning the war of words in the interim.

[Jasen777]

People in the fight game by and large aren't a savvy, rational bunch. They are prideful and driven by emotion. That's the nature of a fighter, and in MMA surely exacerbated by the prevalence of roids. Don't serve Dana's interests at the time and he reacts not thinking of the big picture.

Ok, but I would expect a promoter to be much better at not doing that than a fighter.

[Duke4life831]

Chael breaking down the whole promotion aspect.

Watch on YouTube

[Jasen777]

Chael breaking down the whole promotion aspect.

Watch on YouTube

Didn't watch but let me guess -basically fighters have to promote themselves instead of their alleged promoter doing it.