Conor McGregor vs Khabib Nurmagomedov - UFC 229
 

Fight confirmed. Feel like Khabib has gotten himself into a no win situation. He'll be slaughtered by the fans if he takes this to the ground, more so after making claims he'll stand and trade with McGregor, in which he'll get slaughtered by McGregor stood up.

Has to be personal for McGregor because he's not shy of a penny these days and was far from needing the fight.

Re: Conor McGregor vs Khabib Nurmagomedov - UFC 229
 

It’s getting close adzii, time for your analysis! This is a tough call. If (when) it goes to the ground, I think we know what will happen but there could be a lot of pain before that...

Come on Conor!

Re: Conor McGregor vs Khabib Nurmagomedov - UFC 229
 

No real build up to it. I thought McGregor would force Khabib into a punching contest he couldn't win but that's not the case. I'm finding it really hard to see why McGregor wanted this fight and in such fashion given McGregor has beaten people with just his mouth. He has no incentive to take it financially either.

If Khabib stands toe to toe he'll get slaughtered. He's been rocked by way less and McGregor will absolutely put his lights out. As you've said, if Khabib is hell bent on taking it to the floor then I can't envisage a win for McGregor. With that being said, undoubtedly Khabib will be boo'd and he'll forever be tagged with the label that he sat on him for 5 rounds because he was scared to trade shots.

I'd weigh slightly towards Khabib because I think we'll be going down the takedown route. However it has very Aldo feel about it and Khabib could find his title taken away with a single punch.

Obviously it's MMA. Not boxing. However there's a load of negativity building behind Khabib at the minute. It's a spectator sport. If he sits on someone every single time you're eventually going to lose the fans.

Re: Conor McGregor vs Khabib Nurmagomedov - UFC 229
 

Yep, I agree. I have no idea why Conor is taking on such a dangerous opponent. That said, it's typical of him not to avoid people which is how it should be. Better for us too!
Khabib seems very relaxed and confident and a takedown is sure to happen; if Conor doesn't get the strike in, it could get very messy on the floor. Fair do's, Khabib has the skill to win it; it depends how much fire Conor still has behind all the talk.

Re: Conor McGregor vs Khabib Nurmagomedov - UFC 229
 

Swear I've seen this exact post with switched events before.

Edit: https://www.cableforum.uk/board/show...43&postcount=3 Starting to get the impression you're advertising a VPN.

Re: Conor McGregor vs Khabib Nurmagomedov - UFC 229
 

Eh? Invalid link.

Re: Conor McGregor vs Khabib Nurmagomedov - UFC 229
 

Was forum spam/advertising that was removed. Guy had popped up in the Golovkin thread with the same post and link.

Re: Conor McGregor vs Khabib Nurmagomedov - UFC 229
 

Ah, I see. Thought I'd said something out of place! :blush:

Re: Conor McGregor vs Khabib Nurmagomedov - UFC 229
 

Khabib retains for now. Hugged him to death as expected but what followed was the most disgraceful thing in the history of UFC. Khabib jumped out and started attacking trainers followed by a fighter attacking conor from behind.

Don't be shocked to potentially see a DQ or a title strip followed by suspension. There will absolutely be a contract termination for the fighters involved that jumped into the ring.

Only round Conor had success was the third but naturally as soon as he starts to land he gets his legs tied up and down to the floor we went. What's there to say though. Khabib fought to his strengths and thus deservededly won but he's truly messed this up something rotten. I think McGregor will be humble but the anti Khabib motion I mentioned earlier just gained millions of more voices.

Re: Conor McGregor vs Khabib Nurmagomedov - UFC 229
 

No doubt Khabib should have the book thrown at him as there is a certain etiquette on how to behave in the ring and he firmly broke that etiquette.:td::(

Re: Conor McGregor vs Khabib Nurmagomedov - UFC 229
 

Khabib deserved the win, he fought to his strengths. Shame about the aftermath; all the answers had already been given inside the ring.

Re: Conor McGregor vs Khabib Nurmagomedov - UFC 229
 

No doubt he did deserve to win but the aftermath left a bitter taste in my mouth.

Re: Conor McGregor vs Khabib Nurmagomedov - UFC 229
 

UFC is becoming more WWE than WWE. I'm not saying I think this was planned but the rematch will now be £££££.

Re: Conor McGregor vs Khabib Nurmagomedov - UFC 229
 

What the hell was that all about?

Re: Conor McGregor vs Khabib Nurmagomedov - UFC 229
 

Khabib tried to pull McGregor into it in the post match as an excuse and has failed miserably. He's being slammed by pundits and stars alike. It'll be very hard at this point not to withhold his entire purse, remove the title from him and suspend him for a lengthy period.

The actions they took this morning resulted in Both McGregor and a trainer being attacked, McGregor from behind. Fans in attendance were also allegedly caught by blows from Khabib. Police and Security alike are alleging Khabibs team assaulted them.

Whilst Mcgregor has refused to press charges in his own incident, that doesn't clear Khabib for the attack on his trainer and any subsequent audience members, it also doesn't clear his team assaulting police and security.

Media have the actual fight both ways. Some are calling it a mauling and demolition but I struggle to call a guy sat on you for the entirety of round one and two, an iffy third and a submission win a mauling or a demolition. But some people are desperate to see it that way. Khabib wore him out and actually landed a fairly cracking shot in the fight but opted to play this entirely safe. There's been no re-arrangement of the face though as claimed, no mauling to be found here. The reality is Khabib lacks real damaging shots on the ground against top fights and that's something he's going to struggle with when he has to move up weight.

McGregor looked surprisingly rusty and wasn't as fluid as we've come to expect. He hasn't got the ground game needed to offset Khabib if he wont trade punches. As for a rematch though I'm unsure, could always say McGregor has seen the best of Khabib but Khabib hasn't seen the best of McGregor?

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.