MMA/UFC Discussion Thread MMA • Page 67

Besides Also, what has he really "done?" Diaz at 155 is a good win but come on, Diaz has lost to others before.

It's kind of like how Weidman was the next best thing. He beat Silva, which was huge, but what has he done since? The only difference is that Weidman wasn't kept from the dangerous fighters like Conor was.

 

I mean, he beat Aldo in 13 seconds @ 145. He beat up Eddie Alvarez @ 155. And he beat Diaz @ 170.

I'd say that's a pretty damn stellar resume. And certainly all three of those fighters are "dangerous". Heck, Aldo was considered one of P4P best when Connor put him to sleep with one damn punch.

And there is no doubt the UFC was gonna angle for Connor to fight the winner of Khabib - Ferguson, but that fight didn't happen. So I'm not sure what dangerous fighters he is being kept from. And if he does fight Woodley, that dude is as dangerous as they come.

 

Aldo is his best win, IMO. Alvarez, yea ok, but who has Alvarez beat in the UFC? He hasn't looked very good since he came over.

They aren't putting Conor in any danger. Alvarez is a wrestler, yes, but you wouldn't know that from his fights. I'd still like to see him go up again Edgar, or any other fighter what will use a wrestling base and actually has heart.

Even at lightweight, Michael Johnson would give him a good run.

 

Alvarez beat RDA convincingly and before that he beat Pettis and Gilbert Melendez.

Alvarez looked bad because Connor made him look bad. He got in the dude's head and made him fight a dumb fight. But Alvarez looked great against RDA.

So you and I are just gonna have to disagree on the impressiveness of Connor's wins haha.

 

Just stop giving Conor strikers. The UFC can't give him fights where they're hoping he LOSES, but he should fight someone different.

 

He beat Chad Mendez and Eddie Alvarez. Both are wrestlers!

 

Wrestlers that decided to strike.

 

How is that Connor's fault?

 

It's not. But look what happened to him when someone decided to use wrestling/BJJ against him and actually stuck with it?

 

Well, yeah, that is how I would approach beating Connor if I were fighting him. But that is irrelevant to the conversation, which was that the UFC are not booking Connor against dangerous fighters, and only booking him against strikers.

He has fought wrestlers, and he has won. Mendes tried to wrestle, but gassed out and got tagged. Alvarez got suckered into fighting Connor's fight and paid the price. But Connor has been booked in fights that were not stylistically advantageous to him. And he has succeeded.

Which is why I think Khabib-McGregor is the fight I would most like to see. I would think that winning that fight, more than any other, would solidify him as an all time great in my eyes.

 

I think that would probably be a good fight but the fact that Michael Johnson tagged Khabib diminishes my hope. I think Ferguson would be a better fight.

 

He's a little like Ronda in that regard. The blueprint to beat her was always there, but even the people that had the tools were too mentally shaken to put it together.

Mendes was a short notice fight (the reason that this is relevant to him but not Conor is that Conor had just completed a full training camp). He was getting pretty torn up until Mendes made a stupid mistake and gassed out shortly after.

Alvarez has hardly ever been a "wrestler" in terms of his fighting strategy, unless you count leaning on Pettis for three rounds. He usually gets his wins from creating scrambles and brawling.

Not taking either of those wins away from him because they were both impressive. I just don't think either of those fights are indicative of how he would deal with someone like Khabib, Edgar, Woodley, etc.

 

What has he really "done"? Seriously?


Professional record of 21-3, Higher number of fights than some of the (considered) best in UFC currently and he's only 28. 18 of those are either TKO or KO. He has never been TKO'd or KO'd, only submitted. He has fought in multiple weight classes, Held multiple belts as well as simultaneously in different weight classes. Call it suckered or whatever you want, you can't hold it against him because his shit talking made good fighters make stupid decisions. Can't even say Aldo was suckered into anything when the fight was 14 seconds and barely even happened. A man who was undefeated for a decade if i'm thinking correctly?

Alvarez, Diaz, Aldo, Mendez, Poirier, and Brimage were all impressive wins. Not just Aldo. I personally hate how big his head is now, but I don't knock him for it. The man 100% earned the attention and opportunities he has and had. The only downfall is having the best contenders sitting around waiting for chances at the belts he holds onto.

 

I think the Mendes thing works both ways though. Connor had a full camp, but he was preparing for Aldo. Having two weeks to make that switch is tough. I mean, Tony Ferguson almost lost a fight because, I think it was actually Khabib or Michael Johnson, pulled out short notice and Tony had to fight a replacement.

And I wouldn't put too much hope on Woodley trying to wrestle Connor. For whatever reason, Woodley refused to use that skill set. I can easily see Woodley standing and trading with Connor to "make a point" and getting himself tagged.

I hope they do fight, though. I always like a fight where I enjoy one guy and really dislike the other. Makes it more entertaining.

 

Switching gears a little, I noticed that UFC's website has UFC211 prelims as airing on FX. Is that gonna be a new thing?

 

Ironically enough since we're talking about him, Alvarez is headlining that card. Wonder what he'll look like.

 

I know! I am actually going!

Alvarez-Poirier and Frankie Edgar is also fighting. All names that have come up haha

 

How has no one mentioned that there is a straight up dime-piece in one of the women's divisions? I can't remember her name, but she just fought in NYC and had trouble due to implants.

 

Cause a large part of the forum community here has grown out of typical social standards and stigmas of treating any woman in tight fitting clothing as objects to stare at. Maybe it's just me idk.

 

I completely agree that the women fighting aren't to be stared at in that way, but there is no hiding the fact she's easily the most attractive female fighter. Just look at her outside of UFC stuff.

 

Hard to see how Conor beats Woodley, who's bigger, a better wrestler than anyone Conor has fought, and has serious power. He's also not dumb enough to walk into a left hook either.

 

Woodley smothering him like DC smothered Silva would probably get him an easy-ish win.

However, Conor's movement could throw off Woodley. And Woodley flat out refused to wrestle Wonderboy in that second fight. So, while the wrestling advantage is there on paper, who knows what we will see if they fought. And Conor has never been KO'd, if I recall. Who knows how mighty that chin is?

And the real x-factor is if Conor gets in Woodley's head. Which we have seen him have success at. I can definitely see Woodley winning, especially given how much heavier he should be than Conor on fight night, but I don't think it is all that hard to see a scenario where Conor tags him.

 

Agreed. I have no way to prove it, but I feel like you're not going to shake Woodley with trash talk, unless it crosses into some racial component which would be an awful look for everyone involved. Think Woodley refused the wrestling because he respected Wonderboy's striking, probably for good reason. Hard to get a shot in with that unorthodox striking. I'm not inclined to believe that Conor is a better striker than Wonderboy. Whereas Diaz didn't seem all that interested in taking it to the ground in the second fight, Woodley could get in there and smother him like you said. Don't think the fight will happen, but that's how I'd imagine it'd go.

And 211 is stacked.

 

Everything you said coincides with my point though: They all had different elements about them that doesn't give you a clear picture of what would happen if a good wrestler CHOOSES to wrestle him down. Mendes didn't have the gas tank to utilize his style (as I said, I don't care how Conor had trained, Mendes being out of shape was the #1 factor here). Alvarez has never been a straight up wrestler. And if Woodley chooses not to wrestle (which could be the case), the point remains the same: the formula to beat him is still there for wrestlers. They just have to stick to the plan.

Like I said, with Ronda, the people knew they had to stick and move and that tons of people could have beat her on the feet. Even knowing this, people still didn't try it until Holly came along.

 

Well, it was my point before it was your point, I think haha. I believe I said right before you posted your initial comment that the way to beat Conor is clearly to get him on the ground. Mendes had some success and so did Diaz. I don't dispute that at all.

I was only taking issue with the argument that Conor has ONLY fought strikers and has been spared dangerous opponents. I don't think that is true.

EDIT: I am gonna add that, in spite of what it looks like, I am less of a Conor stan and more of a Woodley hater haha.