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

[j4remi]

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.

Never a problem with disagreement on what we're seeing. Damn near everyone I know hates my hatred for Canelo Alvarez but I'm sticking to it ...On that Ferguson tip, he was definitely winning the fight but it got fight of the night because Cowboy was game and really going for it. But for clarity's sake, I don't think he was gonna beat Ferguson or anything, just continue to compete. Ferguson is my top LW right now even over Khabib

I agree with you that Cowboy hasn't looked great in the past couple. But I'm giving him leeway because of who he was fighting. Gaethje and Ferguson are absolute buzzsaws. When you drop a notch to Hernandez and Iaquinta, Cerrone dominated them and it was still 2019. That's not to say he's still prime Cowboy, but I think part of the bad look is just how good his opponents were. Ferguson and Gaethje right now are at a level where I'd rate them competitive with prime Conor. If Conor's the rusty version, then I think the fight becomes a lot more interesting.

On Grasso/Gadelha, I feel you 100%. I really think she's shown signs that she's turning a corner and getting over the octagon jitters (I think she'd be Herrig in a rematch). But putting it together will be the question and with Gadelha, she'll have to put the package together to at a minimum steal the fight Gadelha inevitably gasses. The three you named are the ones we picked to focus on for the podcast I posted too fam, I'm on the same page with you. Ferreira vs Pettis is the other one I'm curious on...I still haven't bought the Ferreira hype but I've been wrong on these types of guys before, especially when experts are claiming the opposite. I think Pettis is a bit of a victim of quality of competition too though. His losses have been to elite opponents and mostly competitive, so I rate him a high level gatekeeper. I'm not sure Ferreira is ready for that.

[Tron Carter]

grasso broke my heart

[HarthorneWingo]

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.

You could be right. Let me play devil's advocate.

Cowboy's relaxed. That's good. I'm glad for Cowboy that he's finally getting paid too bc he's had a great career and deserves a good payday. I will say this, Cowboy's got nothing to lose and everything to gain. Conor? He's got everything to lose.

Also, I think you're thinking of the UFC champ Conor McGregor and not the guy who's fighting at 170 only for the second time making him slower to go along with a suspect gas tank to begin with. And (1) Conor says he just stopped drinking (heavily?) only a few months ago ; and (2) Conor has fought anyone in 3 years.

[GEOLINK]

I thought Conor looked great against Khabib, for not fighting an MMA fight in 2 years then. Of course Khabib dominated him, which is what Khabib does to everyone. So it wasn't the best fight to gauge exactly where Conor was at.

Then I go look at Conor's morning weigh-in for the Khabib fight today and holy crap did the man look like sh*t.

Watch on YouTube

Nothing compared to yesterday's morning weigh-in, he looks fresh and sharper.

Watch on YouTube

I have a good feeling we're gonna see the best McGregor yet.

Something about where his head is at for this fight as well as not having to drain himself to make weight makes me feel like he's got this. Also, he's had two contests at 170 where he tested the waters and learned about what adjustments to make.

He knows it's not gonna take one shot to knock someone down at 70 like he was doing at 45.

I'm really excited to see this fight, win or lose for him, it's great to see him back with his act cleaned up. Hopefully for good.

I got him finishing Cowboy in the 2nd round.

[HarthorneWingo]

I thought Conor looked great against Khabib, for not fighting an MMA fight in 2 years then. Of course Khabib dominated him, which is what Khabib does to everyone. So it wasn't the best fight to gauge exactly where Conor was at.

Then I go look at Conor's morning weigh-in for the Khabib fight today and holy crap did the man look like sh*t.

Watch on YouTube

Nothing compared to yesterday's morning weigh-in, he looks fresh and sharper.

Watch on YouTube

I have a good feeling we're gonna see the best McGregor yet.

Something about where his head is at for this fight as well as not having to drain himself to make weight makes me feel like he's got this. Also, he's had two contests at 170 where he tested the waters and learned about what adjustments to make.

He knows it's not gonna take one shot to knock someone down at 70 like he was doing at 45.

I'm really excited to see this fight, win or lose for him, it's great to see him back with his act cleaned up. Hopefully for good.

I got him finishing Cowboy in the 2nd round.

"... with his act cleaned up"? It is? I don't know about all that but I do think we'll find out later tonight if he has or hasn't. Conor calling his own fight camp for the first time is not an encouraging sign from my lay pos but the professional analysts have questioned it as well.

Khabib also scored the only knockdown of the fight and Cowboy's a better striker than Khabib. Conor did literally "notion" in that fight except to get SMESHED. Conor never had Khabib in any trouble through the fight. So to think that he's just going to steamroll Cowboy, to me, is very surprising. If the fight goes to the 4th and 5th rounds, Conor will tire.

[GEOLINK]

I thought Conor looked great against Khabib, for not fighting an MMA fight in 2 years then. Of course Khabib dominated him, which is what Khabib does to everyone. So it wasn't the best fight to gauge exactly where Conor was at.

Then I go look at Conor's morning weigh-in for the Khabib fight today and holy crap did the man look like sh*t.

Watch on YouTube

Nothing compared to yesterday's morning weigh-in, he looks fresh and sharper.

Watch on YouTube

I have a good feeling we're gonna see the best McGregor yet.

Something about where his head is at for this fight as well as not having to drain himself to make weight makes me feel like he's got this. Also, he's had two contests at 170 where he tested the waters and learned about what adjustments to make.

He knows it's not gonna take one shot to knock someone down at 70 like he was doing at 45.

I'm really excited to see this fight, win or lose for him, it's great to see him back with his act cleaned up. Hopefully for good.

I got him finishing Cowboy in the 2nd round.

"... with his act cleaned up"? It is? I don't know about all that but I do think we'll find out later tonight if he has or hasn't. Conor calling his own fight camp for the first time is not an encouraging sign from my lay pos but the professional analysts have questioned it as well.

Khabib also scored the only knockdown of the fight and Cowboy's a better striker than Khabib. Conor did literally "notion" in that fight except to get SMESHED. Conor never had Khabib in any trouble through the fight. So to think that he's just going to steamroll Cowboy, to me, is very surprising. If the fight goes to the 4th and 5th rounds, Conor will tire.

I think he's in the process of cleaning his act up, to rephrase what I said. He looks like he's in fight mode and not trying to raise hell like in the 229 buildup. He looked all over the place then.

Conor's game is very flawed against Khabib, as is a lot of the strikers Khabib has faced because they all have to time his clinch or take down which leaves them exposed. For Conor he left his chin exposed and Khabib with his wizardry faked the take down and got the overhand to connect. I don't expect Conor to have the fear of Cowboy taking him down unless Conor is the one that initiates it.

[j4remi]

I think he's in the process of cleaning his act up, to rephrase what I said. He looks like he's in fight mode and not trying to raise hell like in the 229 buildup. He looked all over the place then.

Conor's game is very flawed against Khabib, as is a lot of the strikers Khabib has faced because they all have to time his clinch or take down which leaves them exposed. For Conor he left his chin exposed and Khabib with his wizardry faked the take down and got the overhand to connect. I don't expect Conor to have the fear of Cowboy taking him down unless Conor is the one that initiates it.

Talked about this with friends last night, Conor wouldn’t be the first champion to lose his mind and then get humbled if it happens. GSP said he lost it before the Serra fight and we all know the Jon jones saga. We’ll know soon.

Also to your point on the khabib knockdown, that takedown front to overhand right also landed for mendes against Conor but not as clean. It’s a really effective strike for wrestlers but you’re right, not a weapon Cowboy can rely on.

[GEOLINK]

I think he's in the process of cleaning his act up, to rephrase what I said. He looks like he's in fight mode and not trying to raise hell like in the 229 buildup. He looked all over the place then.

Conor's game is very flawed against Khabib, as is a lot of the strikers Khabib has faced because they all have to time his clinch or take down which leaves them exposed. For Conor he left his chin exposed and Khabib with his wizardry faked the take down and got the overhand to connect. I don't expect Conor to have the fear of Cowboy taking him down unless Conor is the one that initiates it.

Talked about this with friends last night, Conor wouldn’t be the first champion to lose his mind and then get humbled if it happens. GSP said he lost it before the Serra fight and we all know the Jon jones saga. We’ll know soon.

Also to your point on the khabib knockdown, that takedown front to overhand right also landed for mendes against Conor but not as clean. It’s a really effective strike for wrestlers but you’re right, not a weapon Cowboy can rely on.

I know that same Mendes shot you're talking about. I even think Conor smirked after Mendes threw it too.

[Moose]

Does anyone have a working link for streaming?

Thanks.

[Jscratch1200]

Does anyone have a working link for streaming?

Thanks.

I can't even get ESPN+ to work, and I paid for that lmao.

[HarthorneWingo]

Ferreira!

[j4remi]

Super impressive performance by Ferreira! Oleinik’s grappling isn’t ageless.

[god shammgod]

kp is there

[god shammgod]

30 seconds lol

[j4remi]

Wow, Conor’s really back. Those shoulder strikes were something new and the finishing instincts are still there. Cowboy with zero resistance.

[Fury]

Pointless fight. Cerrone is washed

[HarthorneWingo]

Cerrone folded like a cheap suit.

[GEOLINK]

I have a good feeling we're gonna see the best McGregor yet.

[Tron Carter]

Cerrone folded like a cheap suit.

so much for those head kicks. 40 seconds

[Stannis]

All credit to Khabib for humbling him and breaking Conor back to reality.