Re: Conor McGregor vs Khabib Nurmagomedov - UFC 229
 

Given how much money would be in a rematch between these 2 I can't see how it won't happen.

Dana White was saying how much security was at the event, I don't see why they don't put spikes along the top edges of the 'cage'.

Honestly, more WWE than WWE.

Re: Conor McGregor vs Khabib Nurmagomedov - UFC 229
 

What I'm hearing online is that insults were traded about Kahib's family from the McGregor ranks....How true that is I'm not sure. Still not a good excuse though.

Re: Conor McGregor vs Khabib Nurmagomedov - UFC 229
 

It's true but out of context. McGregor did this in the promotion of the fight, calling Khabib's manager a terrorist which is strangely true and the usual promotional insults. If Khabib can't play that game that's his problem. Khabib messed up something rotten and caused a riot in an arena of 20,000 people.

Dilon Danis (The guy Khabib jumped at) actually put Khabib on his back foot and scrambled him.

Re: Conor McGregor vs Khabib Nurmagomedov - UFC 229
 

Khabib's training ought to include more use of the internet for 'insult conditioning'. :D

Joking aside, perhaps the line between fight promotion and personal insult has been crossed a little too far. I know 'sticks and stones' and all that but there are things that just shouldn't be said between decent human beings. Hence the need for moderators! That's no excuse for the meleé though.

Back to the fight, whilst a stand up karate/kung fu/kick boxing fight is probably a better spectacle (and more often than not satisfies the fans blood lust), grappling and jiu jitsu are a legit part of the MMA deal; I just don't think people rate the floor skills in the same way and an expert exponent of the ground game like Khabib is never going to be everyone's favourite and that's a shame because it was a fight and he won fair and square.

Re: Conor McGregor vs Khabib Nurmagomedov - UFC 229
 

+1

Re: Conor McGregor vs Khabib Nurmagomedov - UFC 229
 

I can sense the frustration Russ and I think you make a fair point. Perhaps take-down time should be limited in MMA: if nothing is achieved in, say, 30 or so seconds on the floor, the ref should make the call to break?

Re: Conor McGregor vs Khabib Nurmagomedov - UFC 229
 

I'm not frustrated, I'm talking about the drama of it all. The aftermath (and pretty much the whole build up to the match including the bus incident) reads like a WWE storyline. All the more ironic when MMA's most harcore fans spend a lot of time slagging off the 'pantomime' of pro wrestling.

Re: Conor McGregor vs Khabib Nurmagomedov - UFC 229
 

For anyone unaware of the sport. Takedown limits do apply. A period of inactivity on the floor will result in a fighter being stood up. Why it wasn't stood up in round one is anyone's guess.

Maybe it's because WWE puts naff storylines like this out every week though. It happens in legitimate combat sports it's just not every week. See David Hayes incidents. Chisora vs Whyte. Mike Tyson causing a full scale riot.

As for hardcore fans slagging WWE off. Their view still applies and its always going to apply. The drama and events that happened here weren't drawn up on a board and there were real consequences of it. You'd be wasting your time arguing either side of the argument, the sports aren't even related.

Re: Conor McGregor vs Khabib Nurmagomedov - UFC 229
 

Proportionally I'd say it happens at the same regularity, It doesn't happen 'every week' in UFC and top level boxing purely because they don't run shows as often as WWE.

I don't think pro wrestling fans try to make comparisons generally, we're aware the physical side isn't a sport as such. I find it tends to be the UFC/MMA fans that try to make a comparison when wanting to slag it off. Totally pointless, MMA is MMA, pro-wrestling is pro-wrestling. Rarely is a crossover done successfully long-term.

Re: Conor McGregor vs Khabib Nurmagomedov - UFC 229
 

Because how do I put it as blunt as possible.. It makes them more secure about themselves if they slag off a product like WWE because they're elite and watch MMA. It's very literally that.

Re: Conor McGregor vs Khabib Nurmagomedov - UFC 229
 

They are different right though? WWE is more of an artistic endeavour with a strong athletic component. MMA is a competitive sport with a theatrical element.

Re: Conor McGregor vs Khabib Nurmagomedov - UFC 229
 

Well yes. WWE (or pro wrestling in general) does have a competitive side but in terms of outcomes it's artistic/performance. It never makes sense why many MMA fans try to compare the two.

Re: Conor McGregor vs Khabib Nurmagomedov - UFC 229
 

Again though back to what I've said above. I don't think they're really pushing an actual comparison and if they do it's all in the sense to make them feel superior because hahaha you watch WWEz so fakes watch UFC real sport. Ur so inferior.

That tends to be the kind of cack I've come across.

Although I think the antics of both Ronda Rousey and Lesnar caused some MMA fans to troll. The way WWE booked them as legitimate fighters in WWE's product etc. I myself have actually questioned the pre show punditry setup thing they've got going on because that could easily draw comparisons to both boxing and MMA.

MMA is at its biggest right now. Its also at its most toxic. There's a bandwagon for each megastar, the people that love them or the people that hate them for the sake of hating them. Lesnar had this, Rousey had it and McGregor absolutely has it. The reason it's at its most toxic is because of McGregor. Not solely because of his actions but because he draws that many people in it's certain to happen. Mayweather drew big in a financially rich boxing nation but McGregor is a bigger name than he ever was. Bigger than Lesnar, Rousey, Joshua, everyone. He's the biggest name in combat sports. People around the world are tuning in to see Conor win or lose and with that comes unseen levels of toxicity.

Re: Conor McGregor vs Khabib Nurmagomedov - UFC 229
 

McGregor and Co admit they approached the fight wrong, tactically mind not promtionally. They're claiming they went in trying not to lose rather than being aggressive and aiming to win along with the fact McGregor looked ill prepared for it. Think McGregor needs a better camp and a tune up fight to be honest before jumping into rematches.

Aldo is calling McGregor out but I can't envisage McGregor bothering to make weight for a featherweight bout again so Aldo will need to come up. Truth be told, Aldo is looking for a payday and retirement fight because he's deluded if he thinks he's gonna overturn that devastating knockout loss over having been beaten twice by knockout since then by Max Holloway and recording one win over Jeremy Stephens. McGregor knocks out Aldo again and again.

Khabib vs Ferguson should be next after suspensions and whatnot are taken care of. If Khabib wins that then he really has to step up a division if a rematch with McGregor doesn't unfold. Although I feel like Welterweight may expose Khabib pretty badly.

As for a McGregor rematch. If Conor is going to half arse it then what's the point. It's not really a fight if Khabib is going to hug legs all night and play out a tactical game rather than the scrap McGregor wants. At the same time McGregor absolutely had a chance in round 3 to press forward and put Khabib away. Grappling doesn't sell tickets and Khabib will learn that more than ever when he's back down to buttons per fight. Chael Sonnen seems to believe McGregor could defeat him a second time round.

On the opposite spectrum, McGregor could fight anyone can make a million and a half PPV buys and has the ability to literally handpick a fight because both Dana and the opponent can't refuse.

Ultimately UFC have only ever had two prizefighters. Lesnar and McGregor. The issue is they can make titles seem insignificant. Conor will be more determined than ever to take the 0 away from Khabib. He needs that hunger back he had when he was chasing Aldo. A downside to having achieved everything.