news The General MMA & Combat Sports Discussion Thread

[Guy Threepwood]

Just over 3 weeks. So not ideal but he wasn't going to say no.

It's not ideal, but he should still be in good shape considering he only fought recently and seemed to come out of the McDonald fight unscathed. Hopefully he is fully fit and puts up a better fight than last time around against Barao.

 

[Jab]

Team Alpha Male always seem to be in shape and fit as a general rule. I'm happy to see guys like that get the extra chances that come their way, they've earned it.

 

[alfy!]

I like Barao as a fighter, but would love to see Faber as a UFC champ.

 

[Crimson Azure]

Cruz is injured again, a groin tear this time. Barao's now recognised as the bantamweight champion and he'll defend against Faber at 169.

Checked to see if it was April 1st, it wasn't.

Raged.

Then read "faber gets the title shot, Cruz vacates.'

Now I ain't even mad.

 

[phantom13]

Should be a good fight, Faber has been on a tear since losing to Barao, seems to have stepped up his game again, he also seems like such a good dude

 

[red+black]

I was looking forward to seeing Cruz fight. Utterly disgraceful that he was allowed to keep the belt for so long. You can't put a division on hold for one person. Cruz and GSP are great fighters but they are not bigger than the sport. 10-12 months should be the absolute maximum length of time you keep a belt without fighting. If you're out 18 months, your first fight back can be a title challenge.

This 3 months ago is BS from Dana:

"It's a combination of me feeling really bad for him, and him being such a good person," UFC President Dana White explained earlier this month.

"Do I think we let it play out too long? Maybe. But if I look at who the champion is, then I say no. I feel bad for the kid."

 

[BradWCE]

Anik is slowly getting better but is still shit, but Brian Stann is great. If Florian ever does another event, Zuffa is taking the piss.

I really enjoy Stann on commentary too and think he's way better than Florian. Stann does quite a bit of american football commentary so I don't think he'd be available all the time though. Anik probably is shit but I think he's better than Goldberg.

Stann was pretty bad. How he didn't know that it was still possible for Kang to win a decision after losing two points was embarrassing enough, but that he mentioned it about 40 times made it that much more unbearable!

That annoyed me a lot too but outside of that I thought he did a great job. Anik should have corrected him and don't they have someone communicating to the announcers throughout the night that could have told him his mistake?

 

[red+black]

Catching up of my Foxtel IQ backlog. This from August on Dateline, Cage Fighting Kids (youth pankration). Very brief appearances by Anderson SIlva and Chris Weidman.

Vast majority of the 35 comments on the SBS page are positive and supportive.

http://www.sbs.com.au/dateline/story/about/id/601701/n/Cage-Fighting-Kids

 

[alfy!]

Silva update: http://www.reddit.com/r/MMA/comments/1v2ml8/anderson_silva_just_gave_an_exclusive_interview/

Anderson is still in A LOT OF PAIN, says he can't even have a full night of sleep. He avoids taking a lot of painkillers because he doesn't want to get addicted to them.

He says this is the worst moment of his career, that he never came back to his home injured, not even with a scratch and that it is sad (some tear drops fall from his eyes here) to see his kids watching him recover without being able to do much.

They show the kicking moment and Anderson admits his mistake of kicking without setting it up with punches to distract Weidman. Says that Weidman was protecting his body/head waiting for a higher kick and lifted his leg to defend the leg kick out of pure instinct. Says that the kick was so strong that Weidman gets completely out of balance even after checking it. Says that he heard the sound of the cracking bone and then started feeling the unbearable pain, that he wasn't sure if the fracture was open and that he just kept saying to the guy that was near him on the floor to "put it in place". From the octagon to the hospital, Anderson says that he was really scared that he wouldn't be able to walk anymore or something like that, lot of things going through his mind.

Anderson said that it was a fatality and that Weidman won by the rules but he is 100% sure that he would've beat Weidman if the fight went on (and damn he really sounded confident saying this).

He talks a little a bit about the injury itself, showing where they put the titanium thing in his leg, and that his entire leg is being affected/getting weaker, that he is not a young guy anymore (39 in April)and that in the future the doctor will tell him if he can or can't kick again and keep fighting. He keeps saying that he wants to come back, that he is confident that he can come back, but that he is also getting ready for the possibility of the doctor telling him to stop.

Then Anderson starts saying that he wants come back to do what he does well, that is fighting, and that he still has a lot to do in the sport. When questioned if he would ask the ufc for a Weidman rematch, he said that no, but if the UFC wanted to give him the shot or if he earned his shot at Weidman's title by winning other fights, that he would take the opportunity for sure.

They show his family a little bit, how they try to distract Anderson whenever they see that he is a bit sad and all, and then they all (5 kids and wife) say in one voice that they want him to stop so that he can spend more time together with all of them.

 

[red+black]

Anderson said that ... he is 100% sure that he would've beat Weidman if the fight went on (and damn he really sounded confident saying this).

He can talk all he likes. All that matters are results, and he's 0/2 now. If he didn't **** around the 1st time he'd probably have 18-20 consecutive wins and still be the champ. But he's not. And he may never fight again. That doesn't make me happy, he's a phenomenal fighter, but I don't want to hear about what he could have, should have, would have done. What he DID was lose. Twice.

 

[alfy!]

He can talk all he likes. All that matters are results, and he's 0/2 now. If he didn't **** around the 1st time he'd probably have 18-20 consecutive wins and still be the champ. But he's not. And he may never fight again. That doesn't make me happy, he's a phenomenal fighter, but I don't want to hear about what he could have, should have, would have done. What he DID was lose. Twice.

Yes, I'm sure he's aware of that....

What did you expect him to say?

 

[red+black]

Yes, I'm sure he's aware of that....

What did you expect him to say?

I'd suggest less of the "if my aunt had balls she'd be my uncle". There is no need to say anything to take away from the effort of a victorious opponent. Talk your trash before a fight, like Chael Sonnen, but once the fight is said and done, the time is over to say "I could have won, I would have won". Oh but he sounded REALLY confident! There's just no need for it.

 

[alfy!]

I'd suggest less of the "if my aunt had balls she'd be my uncle". There is no need to say anything to take away from the effort of a victorious opponent. Talk your trash before a fight, like Chael Sonnen, but once the fight is said and done, the time is over to say "I could have won, I would have won". Oh but he sounded REALLY confident! There's just no need for it.

I'm sure he was asked a question about it. Like it or not it was a freak accident and Silva was confident he could have defeated Weidman. He simply voiced that opinion.

As if Chael didn't talk trash after his fight with Silva.

 

[phantom13]

I'd suggest less of the "if my aunt had balls she'd be my uncle". There is no need to say anything to take away from the effort of a victorious opponent. Talk your trash before a fight, like Chael Sonnen, but once the fight is said and done, the time is over to say "I could have won, I would have won". Oh but he sounded REALLY confident! There's just no need for it.

I'm with you. Stupid thing to say. He has never been a trash talker either usually does the "warrior respect" thing too so it kind of makes it worse

 

[red+black]

I don't really think he's trash talking to be honest. And I don't think he means any disrespect.

I'm just more interested in what happens inside the ring. He is 0 for 2 against Weidman, no ifs, no buts. Anything further is talk for the sake of talk. If he comes back and fights, great. If not, he should reminisce and talk about his successes, hopefully without any talk about how he would have beat Weidman the 1st time if blah blah blah, or would have beat Weidman the 2nd time if blah blah blah.

To borrow from AFL, "Yeah keep talking, look up at the scoreboard mate!"

 

[BigJoeD_]

GSP has claimed today that PED use amongst fighters, and the complicity of the UFC, was a factor in his decision to step away from the UFC in November.

http://www.espn.co.uk/ufc/sport/story/274005.html

http://www.latimes.com/sports/sport...d-belt-20140114,0,2391078.story#axzz2qSkZJuTm

http://www.mmafighting.com/2014/1/1...s-lack-of-drug-testing-support-it-bothered-me

Interesting development

 

[red+black]

Those looking for comments and discussion:
http://www.mmafighting.com/2014/1/1...-drug-testing-support-it-bothered-me#comments
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...y-with-drug-testing-influenced-break#comments

 

[phantom13]

GSP has claimed today that PED use amongst fighters, and the complicity of the UFC, was a factor in his decision to step away from the UFC in November.

http://www.espn.co.uk/ufc/sport/story/274005.html

http://www.latimes.com/sports/sport...d-belt-20140114,0,2391078.story#axzz2qSkZJuTm

http://www.mmafighting.com/2014/1/1...s-lack-of-drug-testing-support-it-bothered-me

Interesting development

Bit of a non story here, GSP is a rare cat, and Hendrick stated he didnt want it to be VADA because he thought they were in GSP's pocket (fair enough).

 

[BigJoeD_]

Bit of a non story here, GSP is a rare cat, and Hendrick stated he didnt want it to be VADA because he thought they were in GSP's pocket (fair enough).

I think there is a bit more to it - the MMA Fighting article is probably the pick of them.

GSP is basically calling out Hendricks and others as being drug cheats - and that he won't return until something changes.

 

[phantom13]

I think there is a bit more to it - the MMA Fighting article is probably the pick of them.

GSP is basically calling out Hendricks and others as being drug cheats - and that he won't return until something changes.

I certainly didn't see it that way (especially regarding Hendricks) the comment "Don't forget, I have internal information. I'm an athlete. I know what goes on, so that disappointed me greatly" Is ridiculous anyway. I have no doubt that PED use is widespread is the UFC and i'm sure Georges heart was in the right place but for whatever reason this seems a little hollow.

 

[Jab]

I certainly didn't see it that way (especially regarding Hendricks) the comment "Don't forget, I have internal information. I'm an athlete. I know what goes on, so that disappointed me greatly" Is ridiculous anyway. I have no doubt that PED use is widespread is the UFC and i'm sure Georges heart was in the right place but for whatever reason this seems a little hollow.

It might even be a crack at Rory? Either way we need to remember that GSP has been "abducted by aliens" before. He has the capacity to build things up in his head that might not be there.

Yes he's the champ and he's one of the best P4P fighters ever, but not everything that he says should be taken as gospel.

I think that GSP probably thinks that everyone that he's had trouble with is on something, but I'm not sure how he would actually know about any fighter that isn't in his training camp.

 

[Red Black and Blue]

I think that GSP probably thinks that everyone that he's had trouble with is on something, but I'm not sure how he would actually know about any fighter that isn't in his training camp.

Constantly interchanging profession with different sparring partners and so forth, don't think it would be hard to get a feel for what was going on out there. Seems George has a problem with something that the UFC sees as fine. I think we've reached a stage in professional sport where 'pharmaceutically experimental' would describe the experience of nearly every professional athlete. The lines between legality and morality are quickly blurring and in a sport where your health is constantly put on the line I'm not surprised a proudly 'clean' athlete has taken exception.

 

[Red Black and Blue]

BTW Ramsey looked like a very complete fighter in that last effort, plenty of room left for improvement but needs to somehow find a way to stop fights if he's to find him in title contention.

 

[phantom13]

Constantly interchanging profession with different sparring partners and so forth, don't think it would be hard to get a feel for what was going on out there. Seems George has a problem with something that the UFC sees as fine. I think we've reached a stage in professional sport where 'pharmaceutically experimental' would describe the experience of nearly every professional athlete. The lines between legality and morality are quickly blurring and in a sport where your health is constantly put on the line I'm not surprised a proudly 'clean' athlete has taken exception.

TRT debate, legal supplements, Essendon saga etc, you are right about where sport, UFC included, is heading, my point was more on the article, i don't think Georges always has the most coherent, logical thought pattern so i wouldn't take him as the "suppository" of all wisdom on this or any other subject (except maybe how to execute the perfect double leg).

To be honest his story sounded more like sour grapes that Johnny and the UFC didn't go for the VADA testing, which is probably fair enough but i can understand Johnnys hesitation (GSP is a spokesperson for the company and was the one offering to pay for it).

With the TRT stuff and whatever else i have no doubt the UFC turns a blind eye and maybe GSP speaking up is a good thing i just don't think he went about it the right way.

 

[Red Black and Blue]

Lateish stoppage on that Romero fight, that guy can do unbelievable damage.