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Official MMA discussion thread pt 2: UFC 268 in MSG Usman vs Colby 2, Rose vs Zhang 2

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Re: Official MMA discussion thread pt 2: UFC 245 is HYPE! Come make picks! 

Post#481 » by Ray Williams » Tue Jan 7, 2020 9:31 am

HarthorneWingo wrote:Two of the greats. Quarry vs. Shavers



Thank you Wingo, what a great era in boxing, especially the heavyweight division.

This one is up there with Hagler-Hearns as one of my all time favorite fights. Round 4 was amazing. Lol at Cosell.
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Re: Official MMA discussion thread pt 2: UFC 245 is HYPE! Come make picks! 

Post#482 » by Tron Carter » Tue Jan 7, 2020 12:08 pm

still think mcgregor flat lines cowboy inside 2. cerrone’s stance is just too stiff and his combinations are too slow. he needs to be forbidden from throwing the right hand.
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Re: Official MMA discussion thread pt 2: UFC 245 is HYPE! Come make picks! 

Post#483 » by j4remi » Tue Jan 7, 2020 1:06 pm

HarthorneWingo wrote:Kavanaugh saying that "this is the best that Conor's every looked." :lol: Also says that Conor is calling the shots in this training camp and they're just following his direction. To me, all that says that Conor's going to get his ass kicked. Cowboy is battle tested. Conor's been drinking booze and taking swipes at old men in bars.


Tron Carter wrote:still think mcgregor flat lines cowboy inside 2. cerrone’s stance is just too stiff and his combinations are too slow. he needs to be forbidden from throwing the right hand.


I think these two posts kinda distill what makes this fight unpredictable. Stylistically, this is Conor's wheelhouse. Cerrone doesn't do well with fighters that crowd him and doesn't have the wrestling to take down fighters with solid takedown defense (as much as it gets downplayed, Conor's takedown defense is actually decent). As much as Cerrone's team has said they only have to worry about the left, you're talking about a guy who has built his entire arsenal to set up the left. He'll walk you into it, throw lead uppercuts to force you that way and when you circle out, he's got kicks that lead you the opposite way too. So all things being equal, I'd take McGregor easy...BUT

Like Wingo says, this is a guy who's been out for a long time. He had cardio issues in his best days (I remember hearing he wouldn't do road work but not sure if true). He's coming in to fight at 170 which I think of as a redflag, although it could just be to open more options with his next opponent I admit. If he shows up rusty and less than sharp, Cerrone could drag it out and make things really problematic. But that's the big question...what kind of Conor is showing up? Conor that beat Eddie Alvarez or Conor that couldn't knock a senior citizen off his bar stool with a sucker punch?
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Re: Official MMA discussion thread pt 2: UFC 245 is HYPE! Come make picks! 

Post#484 » by newyorker4ever » Tue Jan 7, 2020 2:48 pm

j4remi wrote:
HarthorneWingo wrote:Kavanaugh saying that "this is the best that Conor's every looked." :lol: Also says that Conor is calling the shots in this training camp and they're just following his direction. To me, all that says that Conor's going to get his ass kicked. Cowboy is battle tested. Conor's been drinking booze and taking swipes at old men in bars.


Tron Carter wrote:still think mcgregor flat lines cowboy inside 2. cerrone’s stance is just too stiff and his combinations are too slow. he needs to be forbidden from throwing the right hand.


I think these two posts kinda distill what makes this fight unpredictable. Stylistically, this is Conor's wheelhouse. Cerrone doesn't do well with fighters that crowd him and doesn't have the wrestling to take down fighters with solid takedown defense (as much as it gets downplayed, Conor's takedown defense is actually decent). As much as Cerrone's team has said they only have to worry about the left, you're talking about a guy who has built his entire arsenal to set up the left. He'll walk you into it, throw lead uppercuts to force you that way and when you circle out, he's got kicks that lead you the opposite way too. So all things being equal, I'd take McGregor easy...BUT

Like Wingo says, this is a guy who's been out for a long time. He had cardio issues in his best days (I remember hearing he wouldn't do road work but not sure if true). He's coming in to fight at 170 which I think of as a redflag, although it could just be to open more options with his next opponent I admit. If he shows up rusty and less than sharp, Cerrone could drag it out and make things really problematic. But that's the big question...what kind of Conor is showing up? Conor that beat Eddie Alvarez or Conor that couldn't knock a senior citizen off his bar stool with a sucker punch?


Conor's take down defense is really good and people sleep on Cowboy's ground game cause he's legit on the ground but he just loves to stand and bang cause he knows he's got great stand up with punches and especially his kicks which is what he needs to do to Conor, kick those legs as much as possible. IMO Cowboy loses in a stand up fight just because of the power Conor has in his hands especially that left hand. Cowboy has been hurt with body shots before and if Conor hits him in the liver with a left it could be over quick. IMO the only way Cowboy wins is if he lands a legit head kick or gets Conor to the ground. Always been a big Cowboy fan and will be rooting for him but if i was putting money on this fight it would be on Conor.
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Re: Official MMA discussion thread pt 2: UFC 245 is HYPE! Come make picks! 

Post#485 » by j4remi » Tue Jan 7, 2020 3:33 pm

newyorker4ever wrote:Conor's take down defense is really good and people sleep on Cowboy's ground game cause he's legit on the ground but he just loves to stand and bang cause he knows he's got great stand up with punches and especially his kicks which is what he needs to do to Conor, kick those legs as much as possible. IMO Cowboy loses in a stand up fight just because of the power Conor has in his hands especially that left hand. Cowboy has been hurt with body shots before and if Conor hits him in the liver with a left it could be over quick. IMO the only way Cowboy wins is if he lands a legit head kick or gets Conor to the ground. Always been a big Cowboy fan and will be rooting for him but if i was putting money on this fight it would be on Conor.


Yeah fam, I co-sign literally this whole post. I actually came away really impressed with Conor's first round take down defense against Khabib even though eventually Khabib got it. The scramble at the center of the octagon was really good and Conor getting put down by Chad and Khabib came when he was overly aggressive moreso than anything. His defense against Nate in fight two was really good too and the sweep on Nate in round one of fight one is still something I remember noting heavy (Luke Thomas shouted it out not long ago).

Cowboy's ground game is serious. He used to rely on it a bit more but has always been a scrapper. His subs off his back and ability to sweep...pretty intimidating and a key in some of his wins over younger wrestlers. Great point on the body shots. That was the secret sauce to stopping him for guys like Pettis and RDA. Pettis is especially good as a reference here as his body kicks come from a bit a mixed base with karate in there, so do Conor's.

On the betting too, I'm with you. If I HAD to bet, I'd go Conor (unless he's flabby at the weigh-ins). I very likely won't be betting this one though, too many unpredictable variables.
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Re: Official MMA discussion thread pt 2: UFC 245 is HYPE! Come make picks! 

Post#486 » by HarthorneWingo » Tue Jan 7, 2020 9:02 pm

j4remi wrote:
HarthorneWingo wrote:Kavanaugh saying that "this is the best that Conor's every looked." :lol: Also says that Conor is calling the shots in this training camp and they're just following his direction. To me, all that says that Conor's going to get his ass kicked. Cowboy is battle tested. Conor's been drinking booze and taking swipes at old men in bars.


Tron Carter wrote:still think mcgregor flat lines cowboy inside 2. cerrone’s stance is just too stiff and his combinations are too slow. he needs to be forbidden from throwing the right hand.


I think these two posts kinda distill what makes this fight unpredictable. Stylistically, this is Conor's wheelhouse. Cerrone doesn't do well with fighters that crowd him and doesn't have the wrestling to take down fighters with solid takedown defense (as much as it gets downplayed, Conor's takedown defense is actually decent). As much as Cerrone's team has said they only have to worry about the left, you're talking about a guy who has built his entire arsenal to set up the left. He'll walk you into it, throw lead uppercuts to force you that way and when you circle out, he's got kicks that lead you the opposite way too. So all things being equal, I'd take McGregor easy...BUT

Like Wingo says, this is a guy who's been out for a long time. He had cardio issues in his best days (I remember hearing he wouldn't do road work but not sure if true). He's coming in to fight at 170 which I think of as a redflag, although it could just be to open more options with his next opponent I admit. If he shows up rusty and less than sharp, Cerrone could drag it out and make things really problematic. But that's the big question...what kind of Conor is showing up? Conor that beat Eddie Alvarez or Conor that couldn't knock a senior citizen off his bar stool with a sucker punch?


If Conor misses with his left that leaves the left side of his head open for a head kick from Cowboy, no? Also, I don't know if you saw yet but Conor and not Kavanaugh is running the training camp. This doesn't bode well for Conor IMO. His ego has gotten the best of him.

I'm telling you, the best thing that can happen to Conor is that Cerrone give him a good kick to the head and knock him TF out.
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Re: Official MMA discussion thread pt 2: UFC 245 is HYPE! Come make picks! 

Post#487 » by j4remi » Wed Jan 8, 2020 8:53 pm

HarthorneWingo wrote:If Conor misses with his left that leaves the left side of his head open for a head kick from Cowboy, no? Also, I don't know if you saw yet but Conor and not Kavanaugh is running the training camp. This doesn't bode well for Conor IMO. His ego has gotten the best of him.

I'm telling you, the best thing that can happen to Conor is that Cerrone give him a good kick to the head and knock him TF out.


Timing a headkick counter would be difficult. But working leg kick or body kicks and then bringing it upstairs when Conor's hands start to drop would be a great idea. The worry here though is that Conor might look to time those kicks for his own counter. I do agree that the whole "Conor is deciding what's good" comment was worrisome. I could see having a strategy in mind and having some say over when to push hard or when it's time for a lighter practice, but the coaches should have input through and through. Hell, my friends are experienced fighters and still welcome my input about what I'm seeing when we watch fights and I'm green as hell.
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Re: Official MMA discussion thread pt 2: UFC 245 is HYPE! Come make picks! 

Post#488 » by GEOLINK » Wed Jan 8, 2020 11:51 pm

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Re: Official MMA discussion thread pt 2: UFC 245 is HYPE! Come make picks! 

Post#489 » by GEOLINK » Wed Jan 8, 2020 11:55 pm

HarthorneWingo wrote:
j4remi wrote:
HarthorneWingo wrote:Kavanaugh saying that "this is the best that Conor's every looked." :lol: Also says that Conor is calling the shots in this training camp and they're just following his direction. To me, all that says that Conor's going to get his ass kicked. Cowboy is battle tested. Conor's been drinking booze and taking swipes at old men in bars.


Tron Carter wrote:still think mcgregor flat lines cowboy inside 2. cerrone’s stance is just too stiff and his combinations are too slow. he needs to be forbidden from throwing the right hand.


I think these two posts kinda distill what makes this fight unpredictable. Stylistically, this is Conor's wheelhouse. Cerrone doesn't do well with fighters that crowd him and doesn't have the wrestling to take down fighters with solid takedown defense (as much as it gets downplayed, Conor's takedown defense is actually decent). As much as Cerrone's team has said they only have to worry about the left, you're talking about a guy who has built his entire arsenal to set up the left. He'll walk you into it, throw lead uppercuts to force you that way and when you circle out, he's got kicks that lead you the opposite way too. So all things being equal, I'd take McGregor easy...BUT

Like Wingo says, this is a guy who's been out for a long time. He had cardio issues in his best days (I remember hearing he wouldn't do road work but not sure if true). He's coming in to fight at 170 which I think of as a redflag, although it could just be to open more options with his next opponent I admit. If he shows up rusty and less than sharp, Cerrone could drag it out and make things really problematic. But that's the big question...what kind of Conor is showing up? Conor that beat Eddie Alvarez or Conor that couldn't knock a senior citizen off his bar stool with a sucker punch?


If Conor misses with his left that leaves the left side of his head open for a head kick from Cowboy, no? Also, I don't know if you saw yet but Conor and not Kavanaugh is running the training camp. This doesn't bode well for Conor IMO. His ego has gotten the best of him.

I'm telling you, the best thing that can happen to Conor is that Cerrone give him a good kick to the head and knock him TF out.

Man I would hate for Conor to get knocked the f*ck out by Cerrone who’s been beaten by half the roster by now.

I really want this comeback tour to happen.

The sport is missing someone like Conor.

As far as Conor running his camp, I’m sure this all has to do with his IG posts since the Khabib fight about his trainers taking the wrong approach to the fight. Conor probably has the last say on what he wants to focus on in camp.

And as far as I know Cowboy runs his own camp in his own gym as well.
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Re: Official MMA discussion thread pt 2: UFC 245 is HYPE! Come make picks! 

Post#490 » by j4remi » Fri Jan 10, 2020 2:03 pm

I hit my number one Muay Thai advisor Joe to say "hey Haggerty/Rodtang 2 this morning and before that Stamp Fairtex is gonna kill somebody" he responded, "I know and Liam Harrison is on the card. I did a couple of seminars with him, he's a BEAST." Literally 15 minutes laters...

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Re: Official MMA discussion thread pt 2: UFC 246 the return of Conor Mcgregor vs Cowboy 

Post#491 » by j4remi » Thu Jan 16, 2020 3:08 am

Alright fam, we've done plenty of talking about Conor vs Cowboy...now it's around the corner and it's time to visit the whole card. I've got a prediction podcast on the fights I feel are most interesting on the card. That was for FTESWL with the host Kosher. So I'll embed a link to that one once it uploads to stitcher.

After that, on Friday I've a whole squad of experts coming through to record and talk about Conor vs Cowboy, possibly some of the other fights and look forward at 2020. We're talking two muay thai beasts who've spent a lifetime training and have spent time in Thailand mastering their crafts. That's Joe who I've had on before and Gian, a newcomer to the show (they own 8 venoms muay thai). Then we've got Dane and Will coming back, that's the Diamond gloves boxer and Gracie BJJ practitioner who opened up a gym recently (Guerrero Combat Fitness). These dudes eat, sleep and breath combat sports and have been fam for a long time. We're all fam too, so I'm expecting this to be a lot of fun.

Now let's talk UFC 246...Color me disappointed. It's honestly not a bad card, but there's no oomph for a Conor card and more disappointingly there are no major prospects or up and comers on the main card. Most of these fighters are coming off of losses, none of these fights have title implications. For a draw like McGregor, this feels like a wasted opportunity to give up and comers a push. The best prospects are on the prelim, Sodiq Yusuff and Maycee Barber. The co-main is a rematch of a fight that was boring between two fighters who haven't looked their best in a long time. But the good news is that these are mostly competitive fights with some elemnent of unpredictability attached. Let's peep the main card:

Conor vs Cowboy: We've talked enough about that in this thread I think. Conor has the perfect style for Cowboy. He puts pressure on, has speed and hasn't been outstruck since joining the UFC. He'll likely look to close ground fast and bait Cowboy toward his power left. But a clever adjustment will be to set up left hands to the body as a way to shoot the gap. Cowboy is excellent range and on the ground. He's a slow starter but once he gets a read on an opponent, he usually picks them apart. His problem is that Conor has the IQ to throw a lot of different looks and keep Cowboy off balance. Basically, if Conor is his usual self, this is his fight to lose.

But Conor's not been his usual self for years. He let Khabib score a knockdown and hasn't fought in over a year, when he lost pretty badly. He's always had cardio issues too, slowing down visibly typically inside of two rounds. But now he's coming back from what's essentially been a two year bender. He picked a fight at Welterweight. They're letting him dictate the terms of camp. It's a lot to worry about. Too much for me to comfortably pick him. Then again, he's looked great in training and interviews so far. There's enough that can go wrong even in good circumstances, add the worries about if he's really back or if he's in his prime and I think it might be safer to bet against Conor's gas tank. Conor really should win this though.

Holm vs Pennington: Ehhhh...Holm is kinda like the female Garbrandt. She had this consummate performance against a legend and then never looked the same. Her record has been trash ever since but she's also only ever lost to champs. Pennington's recent win over Aldana didn't look great but Aldana's just worked her way to the shortlist for a title shot. Holm is all in and out motion, Pennington is more plant and counter. Neither fighter has made significant changes in approach since their first boring fight. Holm was able to win on points. I think this is more likely to be similar than not. I like Rocky but Holm's kicks and movement are still the X-factor.

Oleinik vs Greene Aleksei Oleinik is a super vet, but that also means he's aged a hell of a lot. He's got amazing subs but he's not a very good striker and that's meant bad KO losses. Greene has the KO power, but has 9 fights without anyone near Oleinik's caliber. So it's whether Greene knocks out Aleksei before Oleinik can get a grip on him and score the tap out. I rate this a toss up and in those cases, I usually just pick experience (plus grappling helps).

Grasso vs Gadelha: Grasso has a losing UFC record but her recent losses have been a debatable with Esparza and a loss to Tatiana Suarez who's a buzzsaw. Gadelha just hasn't looked great. She's still managed a couple of wins over Esparza and Markos between a loss to Ansaroff, but it's been unimpressive. Both women are well rounded and tough. Gadelha is like a monster for the first few minutes. Her hands are strong, she's a great wrestler and her strength is overwhelming...but after a few minutes, it's quick to fade. Grasso is no easy out and is still pretty young. I'm leaning on Grasso to take it after losing the first round.

Pettis vs Ferreira: I think people are sleeping on Anthony Pettis. He's 4-4 in his last 8, 4-6 in the last 10. But that's against nothing but top five type KILLERS. It's mostly former champions and mostly really competitive fights. Carlos Diego Ferreira has won 5 straight over quality competition. We're talking Jared Gordon, Aubin-Mercier, Khabilov, Kyle Nelson and Taisumov...every one of these dudes is legit. But not one of them is better Charles Oliveira, Jim Miller, Michael Chiesa or Wonderboy. Those are the four guys that Pettis has beaten since 2016. Ferreira beat some tough cats, Pettis has beaten killers.

We all know the story on Pettis. Explosive striker who can knock you out with any number of attacks on his feet, but isn't great at getting guys off of him who smother. Ferreira will probably be counting on pressure. He's got a BJJ base but has gotten really comfortable on his feet using length and forward movement to throw 'em off. He's more precise and difficult to hit than he may get credit for and adds toughness to really complete the mix. But he's not unhittable, he can be knocked out. Dustin Poirier smoked Ferreira in less than one round. That's the same Porier who Pettis went to war with for three, fight of the night. He just had a fight of the year with Ferguson fam. I think they're sleeping on him. Pettis is a 2 to 1 dog, and I'll take my chances betting this one.

Prelims:
I also want to shout out two prelims. For FTESWL I thought to speak on Maycee Barber vs Roxanne Modafieri and Andre Fili vs Sodiq Yusuff. That's the best prospects vs two really tough, experienced vets.

Barber vs Modaffieri: Maycee Barber became popular by chasing a fight with Paige Van Zant. But the attention is warranted, she's a mauler. Barber is among the strongest women in the division, but pretty raw technically. Modaffieri is the opposite. She's an average athlete at best but technically strong on the ground and improved enough as a striker to be tricky. This marks her 40th fight. So Barber will look to overwhelm with strength and wrestling. Modaffieri will be chasing an upset with her grappling. We're talking a +600 dog in this match for a woman that recently beat Antonina Shevchenko. I'm hoping against hope for Roxy to win tbh, she's a sweetheart and being underestimated.

Yusuff vs Fili: You may know Andre Fili because he's been in the UFC since he was 22 years old. He's fought Max Holloway, Yair Rodriguez, Calvin Katter, Dennis Bermudez and Michael Johnson. Thing is he's lost to most of those guys. But he's only 29 and has won 4 of his last 5, plus most people think he got robbed against Johnson in the one loss. He's an alpha male product with tricky striking built around a constant takedown threat. He's seemed to fight smarter recently and really put his tools together.

Sodiq Yusuff might have the most upside of any prospect, but he's also very green. Yusuff has 11 fights with Sheymon Moraes and Gabriel Benitez (two guys Fili beat) as his best wins. Yusuff has all the physical tools to be a champion. His right hand is a cannon, fast and sharp. He's tough as nails and strong as hell, with fundamentals that make him hard to take down or force into the clinch. He did eat some leather against Benitez, but he's always one strike away from hurting a guy.

I expect Fili to score plenty with in and out movement, to be elusive for most of the fight. But I also expect Yusuff to find a home for some of his strikes, enough to land the bigger blows. That means this could come down to how judges reward rounds and whether or not Fili can get takedowns or clinch to limit Yusuff's chances. I'm obviously really high on Yusuff and pulling for him to score a big win.

That's the fights I'm most hype for. Haqparast is another really intriguing prospect and I'm big fan of Timothy Elliot. They both fight on the prelims also. Justin Ledet and JJ Aldrich both bring fun boxing but not much else on the early prelims. It's a solid card top to bottom with a lot of competitive ones. But idk, still feels like a big missed opportunity.
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Re: Official MMA discussion thread pt 2: UFC 245 is HYPE! Come make picks! 

Post#492 » by HarthorneWingo » Thu Jan 16, 2020 6:16 am

I saw a video, The Weasel?, where it was discussed that Conor may not use his usual lefty side-stance because it plays to easily into Cerrone's head kicks and may use a more typical boxing stance.

More evidence that says to me that Cowboy's going to win this fight.
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Re: Official MMA discussion thread pt 2: UFC 245 is HYPE! Come make picks! 

Post#493 » by Tron Carter » Thu Jan 16, 2020 12:11 pm

HarthorneWingo wrote:I saw a video, The Weasel?, where it was discussed that Conor may not use his usual lefty side-stance because it plays to easily into Cerrone's head kicks and may use a more typical boxing stance.

More evidence that says to me that Cowboy's going to win this fight.


We don’t know if he’s coming out with that stance switch and in that video The Weasle credits that possible stance switch as giving Mcgregor a better chance at beating Cowboy so that’s an odd takeaway.

Cowboy wants to stand and bang with Mcgregor so he’s getting slept inside 2 rounds. His hand speed is too slow. He’s already said countless times he refuses to take this fight to the ground, against his team’s better judgement. Watch the press conference from yesterday. That is not a guy who is going to knock out Mcgregor, that’s a fighter who is just happy to finally be there and get paid.
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Re: Official MMA discussion thread pt 2: UFC 245 is HYPE! Come make picks! 

Post#494 » by j4remi » Thu Jan 16, 2020 1:18 pm

https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/fteswl/e/66606779?autoplay=true

Alright yall, I've been doing FTESWL guest spots as the MMA head since around the time of Conor vs Aldo. First time I really got stuff popping was off Conor/Mayweather. So it's kinda cool to rock a podcast about Conor all this while later and pick against him based on "what have you done for me lately" and "show and prove" :lol:

We wound up going over on time even just focusing on the 4 fights we like most. I hope to cover a few more tomorrow night with the experts, though we have so many topics to hit that I'm not sure if it will be more fun topics or not. And listen, if you guys have any questions be they UFC 246 related, MMA overall or related to their disciplines...let me know!

But yeah, peep my monthly drop with Kosher.
Yusuff vs Fili, Roxanne vs Barber, Gadelha vs Grasso and Conor vs Cowboy are all covered with some depth.

And drop some predictions for the rest of the card will yuh!
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Re: Official MMA discussion thread pt 2: UFC 245 is HYPE! Come make picks! 

Post#495 » by GEOLINK » Thu Jan 16, 2020 2:34 pm

Conor having a friendly press conference for a fight was weird as sh*t :lol:
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Re: Official MMA discussion thread pt 2: UFC 245 is HYPE! Come make picks! 

Post#496 » by GEOLINK » Thu Jan 16, 2020 2:46 pm

Cerrone's weaknesses play into Conor's strengths.

I don't picture Cerrone beating Conor at all unless Conor rolls up to the arena drunk like he did for the Khabib fight.

Cerrone's not a pressure fighter and he won't hold Conor down like Khabib.

Only thing I could see is that it could take Conor a few shots to put Cerrone away which may be in the 2nd round.
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Re: Official MMA discussion thread pt 2: UFC 245 is HYPE! Come make picks! 

Post#497 » by j4remi » Thu Jan 16, 2020 4:38 pm

GEOLINK wrote:Cerrone's weaknesses play into Conor's strengths.

I don't picture Cerrone beating Conor at all unless Conor rolls up to the arena drunk like he did for the Khabib fight.

Cerrone's not a pressure fighter and he won't hold Conor down like Khabib.

Only thing I could see is that it could take Conor a few shots to put Cerrone away which may be in the 2nd round.


It all comes down to if Conor's sharp after a long absence and how long Cerrone can hold up. Because Conor's cardio is still unproven. Cerrone has fought some heavy hitters and the ones that don't get him outta there after 1 usually have to ride out the fight (ie: Lawler, Ferguson was on his way to a war before the nose blowing mistake and Mike Perry couldn't finish before getting himself in trouble). I'm not saying Cowboy wins for sure, but reflecting on it, I think there are enough variables at play where Cowboy has a shot to score the upset if Conor's press has been more talk than real work.
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Re: Official MMA discussion thread pt 2: UFC 245 is HYPE! Come make picks! 

Post#498 » by GEOLINK » Thu Jan 16, 2020 4:50 pm

j4remi wrote:
GEOLINK wrote:Cerrone's weaknesses play into Conor's strengths.

I don't picture Cerrone beating Conor at all unless Conor rolls up to the arena drunk like he did for the Khabib fight.

Cerrone's not a pressure fighter and he won't hold Conor down like Khabib.

Only thing I could see is that it could take Conor a few shots to put Cerrone away which may be in the 2nd round.


It all comes down to if Conor's sharp after a long absence and how long Cerrone can hold up. Because Conor's cardio is still unproven. Cerrone has fought some heavy hitters and the ones that don't get him outta there after 1 usually have to ride out the fight (ie: Lawler, Ferguson was on his way to a war before the nose blowing mistake and Mike Perry couldn't finish before getting himself in trouble). I'm not saying Cowboy wins for sure, but reflecting on it, I think there are enough variables at play where Cowboy has a shot to score the upset if Conor's press has been more talk than real work.

One thing I found interesting was Kavanagh saying this fight might go 5 rounds.



9:20

And I think Conor has been preparing for it to go to the championship rounds since he's been kind of hesitant to say he's gonna stop him early. He probably thinks he can stop him early because Cowboy's chin hasn't been the best lately but if it goes 3, 4, 5 he won't rush to stop him. Which Cowboy not being a pressure fighter comes into play for Conor's tank to hold up longer.
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Re: Official MMA discussion thread pt 2: UFC 245 is HYPE! Come make picks! 

Post#499 » by BKAY » Thu Jan 16, 2020 7:29 pm

Its like want to say Conor will probably drop Cowboy but idk feeling like Conor is gonna have to prove he is back. Cowboy could leg kick him to death and take him down and then Conor is in trouble. I do think Cowboy is going to fall into the trap of standing and giving the fans a good fight though. Does Conor still have the same power? Is that power going be neutralized at 170? Lots of questions that need answering and this fight is for sure a tipping point for what kind of programming we'll be seeing in the upcoming year to two.
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Re: Official MMA discussion thread pt 2: UFC 245 is HYPE! Come make picks! 

Post#500 » by Guano » Fri Jan 17, 2020 7:58 am

j4remi wrote:
GEOLINK wrote:Cerrone's weaknesses play into Conor's strengths.

I don't picture Cerrone beating Conor at all unless Conor rolls up to the arena drunk like he did for the Khabib fight.

Cerrone's not a pressure fighter and he won't hold Conor down like Khabib.

Only thing I could see is that it could take Conor a few shots to put Cerrone away which may be in the 2nd round.


It all comes down to if Conor's sharp after a long absence and how long Cerrone can hold up. Because Conor's cardio is still unproven. Cerrone has fought some heavy hitters and the ones that don't get him outta there after 1 usually have to ride out the fight (ie: Lawler, Ferguson was on his way to a war before the nose blowing mistake and Mike Perry couldn't finish before getting himself in trouble). I'm not saying Cowboy wins for sure, but reflecting on it, I think there are enough variables at play where Cowboy has a shot to score the upset if Conor's press has been more talk than real work.



Not to nitpick, your analyse in this thread is top tier - buuuuuut Ferguson was really dominating Cowboy before the nose blowing mistake.

As for this card, of course, I'm excited to see the return of the Mac. I'm not a fan of Conor outside of the cage, but inside he is great. I'm always excited to watch him fight. As for this fight, it just doesn't do it for me. Cowboy looks washed to me. He looked extremely slow against Gaethje. And moreso, he has taken a lot of damage lately. I want to talk myself into this being a competitive fight; Cerrone utilizing leg kicks, taking it to the ground, or surviving Conor's early barrages then taking it into deep water. But, I just don't see it happening. I see Cowboy getting destroyed by that left.

Really looking forward to the Grasso vs Gadelha, and Yusuff vs Fili, and Barber vs Modaffieri fights. The former is the one I'm looking forward to the most. Grasso's UFC career has been disappointing. Thought she beat Carla, though the fact that it was close was the real upsetting part. Really thought she turned the corner with her performance against Karolina. She is still young so it is possible she stops having these fights that lack urgency or consistency, looks like she is coasting at times. Big fan of the woman's strawweight division so I'm excited to see what happens in this fight.
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