Mega Thread 'The Notorious' Conor McGregor

[Nickos66]

You can't see how Khabib can win?

The highest percentage an opponent has been able to land against Khabib is 27.5% and that was in his first fight against Shalorus. His striking defense for a guy with a reputation as a wildman on the feet is very underrated. I also don't recall him being rocked at all prior to the Johnson fight, but it's been a long time since since we've seen him in a competitive fight so I may have forgotten (I don't count the comeback fight against Horcher). Any examples? Johnson hits damn hard by the way as Poirier, something Castillo and Tibau would all vouch for.

Yep, just my opinion. I wonder how long it'll take before Connor fights next, or whether this fight eventuates at all.

The fact that MJ lit him up a number of times seals it for me. No slight on Johnson, but Connor would probably only need one shot.

 

[phantom13]

The mendes fight was like a year and a half ago.. that's what all McGregor's opponents keep doing.. thinking he isnt getting better or improving.. he is.

So Conor can evolve and get better but Khabib can't?

Not to mention Connor never backs up against the cage, as usual he'll take the centre. If in the event he gets taken down, he'll hold the head down in full guard as long as he needs to to avoid Khabib passing and force a standup or wait til they restart on the feet next round.

Ever watched Khabib fight? It's a hell of a lot easier saying you'll just "keep him in guard" than it is to do it.

Jesus I love Conor, ask the dudes here I've had him as my avatar for a f**king age but he's not the second coming of Christ.

Again I've said I'm not gonna bet against him ever again, but I think it's a fascinating fight and I wanna watch it.

 

[Crimson Azure]

I can't see him getting any better to challenge McGregor on the feet, fighters dont instantaneously jump up in talent. Khabib might work into some red hot forn and improve.

Nek minnit.

The mendes fight was like a year and a half ago.. that's what all McGregor's opponents keep doing.. thinking he isnt getting better or improving.. he is.

Its like Alvaarez getting that capoira guy in.. McGregor doesnt even fight like that much at the moment.. he moves on and evolves.

 

[FlowersByIrene]

Nek minnit.

Lol, why do i even bother replying to people on forums like this... it's like. If some idiot in a pub can-t understand basic english I wouldn't get upset over it. But when i'm on a forum I have to explain my self.


Have a little sit down at home and look over the words.

"Instanteously jump up" vs "continue to evolve".

McGregor has fought like five times in the last year and a half and he has.. now read these words carefully... steadily evolved. Getting better each fight. Changing over a course of five different fights. He is the most active fighter in the game bar Cerrone and he has been getting better every fight.


What I was suggesting above.. and it's a pretty uncontroversial statement. Is that there is a very large gap, in fact an incredibly large gap between McGregors standup and Khabibs. McGregors standup is the best in the UFC right now, whereas Khabib's is very amateur, his standup is one of the worst in the top 10 of the lightweight division.

Whereas there is less of a gap between McGregor's take down defence and Khabib's takedown ability.. in the middle of the cage. McGregor's defence is very good. He stuffed all of Alvarez's attempts, stuffed a lot of Nate's and if you go back to the Mendes fight he did well there too.

I'm saying. For Khabib to be able to handle Conor on the feet would he a HUGE step up, not natural evolution, that would be a ******* shuttle launch worth of growth.

What i was saying about Conor was not the same.. it was about his growth and evolution as a fighter which is on a natural progression for someone as freakishly talented and dedicated as he. He will be better for his next fight as he has been for his last few.

So don't try and pick apart my language and scoff at it. As you have for all of my posts on this board for the last year. I know you don't like me and think i'm some sort of troll but my point was a 100% accurate, next time think a bit more so you don't misinterpret any more okay?

Cool

 

[phantom13]

That's all fine but it's still all opinion based.

I don't think Khabibs stand up is as bad as you do and whilst I agree Conors tdd is excellent Khabibs grappling is elite
Cbf looking up stats but I think they'd back this up.

Evolve, grow, develop whatever, Khabib can do it as well as Conor has, there is absolutely no reason to suggest he can't.

 

[FlowersByIrene]

That's all fine but it's still all opinion based.

I don't think Khabibs stand up is as bad as you do and whilst I agree Conors tdd is excellent Khabibs grappling is elite
Cbf looking up stats but I think they'd back this up.

Evolve, grow, develop whatever, Khabib can do it as well as Conor has, there is absolutely no reason to suggest he can't.

Khabib's an excellent fighter and he's in his prime, so he'll definitely be improving on his way to a Conor fight.. it's no coincidence i put him as the hardest oponent for McGregor to face out of his likely upcoming matches.

But, and as you said this is just opinion, Khabib would have to have Space Jam style steal another fighters ability to get onto Conor's level on the stand up game.

I just don't see Khabib TRYING to improve his standup that much. He knows what he's good at and what he enjoys clearly. I think his standup will always be a weakness in his game. It's like McGregor is never going to spend a year building his wrestling up and walk into the cage and wrestle someone. It's just not his style. Khabib is the same. I just dont ever see him building that area of his game up very much.

 

[phantom13]

I think your kind of missing the point. No one (as far as I can see) is saying Khabib is going to improve his striking so much that he's going to have a stand up striking war with Conor and win, but he doesn't have to, he only has to survive on the feet long enough to get a take down. He could conceivably do that without even throwing a punch (if he times his shots off Conor throwing).

I'd also say that Khabibs ability to survive on his feet and limit damage taken Is superior to Conors ability to survive and limit damage on his back with Khabib on top, but to be fair we haven't seen much of Conor off his back to know.

Johnson rocked Khabib but Johnsons best is very, very good and he looked on in that first round.

Again Conor could clip Khabib (although everyone seems to have gotten high off Conors one punch power when in reality outside of the Aldo fight (and Aldo literally ran in with his chin up in the air) Conor hasn't really cold clocked anyone, especially at lightweight) and as I've said a few times now, I'd back Conor by TKO, but all were saying is it's a fascinating fight, the constant "but Conors striking is next level no one even gets near him" is getting old.

 

[Barry Roundhouse]

FlowersByIrene makes some good points (and a few bad ones) imo, there is clearly a little bit of bias there.

But can we all take a moment to appreciate his improvement in analysis (even if you dont agree with it)?

4 months ago all we got from him was that cormier and RDA were bums lol

 

[Nickos66]

Must be cramming hard on the Sherdog forums. Kudos.

 

[Dan]

No longer Featherweight Champion.

Aldo full? - Holloway V Pettis for the interim?

 

[phantom13]

No longer Featherweight Champion.

Aldo full? - Holloway V Pettis for the interim?

Thats the rumour.

 

[Ry009]

Official, about time but an absolute joke that a main event of a different card is a circuit breaker.

Surely they could just market it as the number one contendership which it essentially is anyway?

s**t like this is why the whole concept of interim titles is flawed IMO.

 

[FlowersByIrene]

Official, about time but an absolute joke that a main event of a different card is a circuit breaker.

Surely they could just market it as the number one contendership which it essentially is anyway?

s**t like this is why the whole concept of interim titles is flawed IMO.

Yep very stupid process.

Whats worse is they still call the main belt holder the undisputed champion.. even when someone has an interim belt.

Theyre clearly not undisputed.

 

[Dan]

 

[Barry Roundhouse]

Its pretty funny the UFC has striped there biggest star and handed it to a guy who has been threatening to retire and throw fights if the ufc doesnt release him.

Then make another interim title fight to save a card. The UFC must think there fan base is pretty stupid if they think putting a worthless belt on the line in a fight that was already the main event will sell more PPVs.

The only reason to strip conor is if he has said his next fight wont be at 145. If that is the case, they should have left Aldo with the interim and made holloway vs pettis for the real belt.

Cant wait to see how conor responds to this. i doubt the ufc brass has sat down with him yet and they just took his title, most likely with out his blessing.

 

[Dignan]

Its pretty funny the UFC has striped there biggest star and handed it to a guy who has been threatening to retire and throw fights if the ufc doesnt release him.

Then make another interim title fight to save a card. The UFC must think there fan base is pretty stupid if they think putting a worthless belt on the line in a fight that was already the main event will sell more PPVs.

The only reason to strip conor is if he has said his next fight wont be at 145. If that is the case, they should have left Aldo with the interim and made holloway vs pettis for the real belt.

Cant wait to see how conor responds to this. i doubt the ufc brass has sat down with him yet and they just took his title, most likely with out his blessing.

Yeah, that makes perfect sense...

 

[Barry Roundhouse]

Yeah, that makes perfect sense...

It makes more sense than what they did imo.

Upgrading aldo from interim to undisputed and creating an interim at the exact same time is ridiculous.

Leaving aldo as is, stripping conor and having pettis and Holloway compete for the title that was taken off conor make more sense.

Either way, the whole scenario is ridiculous and wasnt needed and just further makes a mockery of UFC titles.

 

[Nickos66]

The only reason there's an interim title on the line for 206 is because they had to further sell the card in lieu of DC's injury and subsequent pullout from the 206 headliner.

Aldo has done more for the division's history than these guys, and is the rightful champ in the absence of Connor, he beat the no.1 contender for the interim title in the first place. The fact that they scrambled to make an interim title for 206 is the real noodle scratcher - as there's no longer a logjam with the titleholder anymore. Aldo's said he'll defend it and he's active ergo, no reason for an interim title, except for the reason I mentioned above, IMO.

 

[FlowersByIrene]

It makes more sense than what they did imo.

Upgrading aldo from interim to undisputed and creating an interim at the exact same time is ridiculous.

Leaving aldo as is, stripping conor and having pettis and Holloway compete for the title that was taken off conor make more sense.

Either way, the whole scenario is ridiculous and wasnt needed and just further makes a mockery of UFC titles.

I agree. Because what happens if Aldo retires or leaves like he is threatening to. Then you just have to make the winner of Holiday v Pettis the champ. And if Aldo doesnt quit. You have to have that matchup anyway. May as well keep Aldo as the interim

He doesnt deserve to be champ anyway

 

[Barry Roundhouse]

I agree. Because what happens if Aldo retires or leaves like he is threatening to. Then you just have to make the winner of Holiday v Pettis the champ. And if Aldo doesnt quit. You have to have that matchup anyway. May as well keep Aldo as the interim

He doesnt deserve to be champ anyway

He wont do what he was threatening, he cant, it was just a ploy to get a fight with Conor, but him sooking about not getting a fight he pulled out of once and was KO'd in 13 seconds is fine because he was the FW champion for so long. He deserved it.

He actually said today that he would unify the belts early next year and then go up to lightweight to fight Conor (i cant wait for all the cries for Aldo to be striped ).

What i posted before isnt what i think should of happened, i just think it makes more sense than what did. holloway and pettis shouldnt be fighting for a belt.

And Conor should only have been striped if his next fight was not going to be at FW.

 

[Dignan]

It makes more sense than what they did imo.

Upgrading aldo from interim to undisputed and creating an interim at the exact same time is ridiculous.

Leaving aldo as is, stripping conor and having pettis and Holloway compete for the title that was taken off conor make more sense.

Either way, the whole scenario is ridiculous and wasnt needed and just further makes a mockery of UFC titles.

I agree entirely on your second sentence, but leaving Aldo as interim defeats the entire purpose of having the interim belt in the first place.

The interim either gets the unification fight (so if Conor was going to hang around) or becomes champ when the champ vacates.

The champ vacating, leaving the interim as interim and having the other two fight for the "real" belt is more ridiculous and would have made the UFC look even sillier than they already do.

 

[Dignan]

I agree. Because what happens if Aldo retires or leaves like he is threatening to. Then you just have to make the winner of Holiday v Pettis the champ. And if Aldo doesnt quit. You have to have that matchup anyway. May as well keep Aldo as the interim

He doesnt deserve to be champ anyway

Close

 

[Nickos66]

Close

Dude, Back up! Jax Holiday is the real deal.

 

[Barry Roundhouse]

I agree entirely on your second sentence, but leaving Aldo as interim defeats the entire purpose of having the interim belt in the first place.

The interim either gets the unification fight (so if Conor was going to hang around) or becomes champ when the champ vacates.

The champ vacating, leaving the interim as interim and having the other two fight for the "real" belt is more ridiculous and would have made the UFC look even sillier than they already do.

Yeh, look i agree with your overall point and it seems like you agree with mine (that the UFC have embarresed themselves here), we have a difference of opinion on how we got there lol.

I just think doing what i said is the only reasonable way to justify making holloway v pettis a "title fight". they could of span a story about aldo and contract disputes ect.

Now the 206 title fight is completely hollow (pun intended, c'mon Max), and anyone who pays even the slightest bit of attention to mma knows it.

 

[Superstar swan]

i wonder if they have spoken to mcgregor at all...no doubt he will be able to spin this into huge publicity and money for himself