MMA-UFC UFC 234 Melbourne

[Topkent]

If Gastelum misses his chance over that, the UFC are ******.

He flew half way around the world, he made weight & heturned up to fight

Agreed but the UFC don't give a fu** about Gastelum the UFC champion, they want Adesanya to win the belt and that's what they'll manoeuvre.
I reckon if you ask Dana white behind closed doors he wants an adesanya Whittaker double fight for the title.

 

[Macpotata]

Rod Laver Arena is a absolute disgrace.
$16.50+ for a burger.
$18 for a roll.

Pathetic that they can get away with that.

******* thieving campaigners. Literally.

 

[deklares]

Facts (which are without context to be fair) are he won an interim belt 18 months ago and had not defended it.

That's why I'm trying to add context by drawing attention to each fighter's runs to the title fight; Rob's compares very favourably. His take on all comers attitude added clarity to a division that was surrounded by a lot of uncertainty.

Context is also Whittaker not winning the undisputed strap because Bisping refused to fight the consensus #1 contender in favour of #13 old ass Henderson and unranked GSP.

Saying Rob's claim is paper thin because his opponent who was the #1 contender for years misses championship weight by .2 lb is semantics more than anything IMO.

I understand your point of view but just fundamentally disagree.

 

[phantom13]

That's why I'm trying to add context by drawing attention to each fighter's runs to the title fight; Rob's compares very favourably. His take on all comers attitude added clarity to a division that was surrounded by a lot of uncertainty.

Context is also Whittaker not winning the undisputed strap because Bisping refused to fight the consensus #1 contender in favour of #13 old ass Henderson and unranked GSP.

Saying Rob's claim is paper thin because his opponent who was the #1 contender for years misses championship weight by .2 lb is semantics more than anything IMO.

I understand your point of view but just fundamentally disagree.

I’m coming at it from the front of make a defense against those who will say it and also against those who would be in favour if stripping him/putting an interim belt in there somewhere.

FWIW I don’t think you can begrudge Bisping for wanting a money fight with GSP over a fight with Rob. Bisping had earned it by that point and GSP certainly deserved it. Offer Rob GSP or some bullshit fight at WW against Conor over fighting Gastelum or Romero again and I know which one I would want the man to take.

Fwiw it’s not really my point of view (although I think people who say rob is underrated are being a little naive). I think the context does make some difference but I also think it’s very hard to argue that his belt and the situation he now finds himself in is, normal? Not sure how to explain it, but those that are frustrated with him and the state of the MW division because of his title I can understand.

Also Romero missing weight and that not being a title defence isn’t semantics, it’s facts, that fight is on his record as a non title fight and as such he has no defense of his belt.

 

[DazalenkoUBewty]

I dont care what it says on paper. Whittaker defended his title imo. If Whittaker lost, christ knows what moves the ufc would have pulled. Five rounds with an extraordinary human, and with a broken hand (sustained in the first).
You can't possibly disregard that fight just because Romero missed weight by 0.2 of a pound. Fook what's written on paper. It's a defence.

 

[phantom13]

I dont care what it says on paper. Whittaker defended his title imo. If Whittaker lost, christ knows what moves the ufc would have pulled. Five rounds with an extraordinary human, and with a broken hand (sustained in the first).
You can't possibly disregard that fight just because Romero missed weight by one pound. Fook what's written on paper. It's a defence.

Yeh but it’s not. His record shows no defenses of his title, if he lost his next fight he would have never defended the belt on his record. Like it or not (and I don’t) those are the facts and unfortunately for all of us opinions don’t alter facts.

 

[footyfan78]

I reckon if you ask Dana white behind closed doors he wants an adesanya Whittaker double fight for the title.

Think he would say it in open doors too.
But with what went down. probably just tough luck. Adensaya will have to wait. Did not impress me yesterday so give him a fight against Romero or someone similar whilst Whittaker recovers and then the Kelvin v Whittaker fight can take place.

Nice stunt by Kelvin using Henry's belt. ha ha. Cheeky but all good theatre at end of the day.

 

[phantom13]

Think he would say it in open doors too,
But with what went down. probably just tough luck. Adensaya will have to wait. Did not impress me yesterday so give him a fight against Romero or someone similar whilst Whittaker recovers and then the Kelvin v Whittaker fight can take place.

Nice stunt by Kelvin using Henry's belt. ha ha. Cheeky but all good theatre at end of the day.

Think Kelvin has read the landscape and knows full well he has to keep himself relevant and in the public eye otherwise the UFC machine will try to roll right past him to Adesanya v Whittaker

 

[Topkent]

Yeh but it’s not. His record shows no defenses of his title, if he lost his next fight he would have never defended the belt on his record. Like it or not (and I don’t) those are the facts and unfortunately for all of us opinions don’t alter facts.

If you are so set in facts then surely you see everyone recognised him as the rightful champion and the belt was out around him by Dana. That's fact

 

[phantom13]

If you are so set in facts then surely you see everyone recognised him as the rightful champion and the belt was out around him by Dana. That's fact

It is. Not disputing that, just pointing out the counter would be that he won an interim belt, fact is he is the undisputed champion, you’re quite right.

 

[Quivorir]

Israel is still one fight away from title shot.

Dana said last week that Silva v Israel was a number 1 contender match.

 

[footyfan78]

Was Marvel Stadium unavailable due to Renegades playing games there recently?

 

[Topkent]

It is. Not disputing that, just pointing out the counter would be that he won an interim belt, fact is he is the undisputed champion, you’re quite right.

An 3 bloody unlucky things have stopped him being able to defend which means his first defence might be against the next king of the division in Adesanya.

 

[Ryz]

Was Marvel Stadium unavailable due to Renegades playing games there recently?

They weren't going to fill a stadium with the card they put together.

Only chance at Etihad if Rob and Israel fight near the end of the year and most of the Aussies are available or have a good run.

Not every card can be perfect but if you see the fighters available on the fight nights so far this year, and ones coming up (bear in mind there's a card every week now until the end of March) they shouldn't have bothered with this as PPV. The title was the only thing making this worth getting it on PPV. As exciting as Silva/Israel was, it was a 3 round fight that never got going.

 

[footyfan78]

They weren't going to fill a stadium with the card they put together.

Only chance at Etihad if Rob and Israel fight near the end of the year and most of the Aussies are available or have a good run.

So you are saying it was available if they wanted it ?

 

[Red Black and Blue]

I get that ufc want Israel to be champion but based on what he showed in the ring yesterday he’s not going to be. Robert went through murderers row to get the title, Issie has gone through a granny’s stroll. I think he gets beaten by Romero, Souza and Kelvin.

 

[HLM*]

I’m not holding rob accountable for it but on his record it doesn’t count as a title defense. So he won an interim belt that got upgraded without him fighting any champion or former champion and hasn’t actually defended it in 18 months (by the time he does it will almost certainly be two years).



By the time he pulled out they couldn’t have done it but probablt Adesanya and Gastelum (which would have robbed the fans the chance of seeing Silva).

What you’re saying is technically correct, but it is wrong to hold it against him. You’re implying he has avoided defending his belt. This is not the case. He signed a contract, went into camp, made weight for a title defence and fought an opponent in a gruelling war that was deemed fight of the year and won. It’s not his fault his opponent missed weight and was deemed ineligible to win the title.

 

[phantom13]

What you’re saying is technically correct, but it is wrong to hold it against him. You’re implying he has avoided defending his belt. This is not the case. He signed a contract, went into camp, made weight for a title defence and fought an opponent in a gruelling war that was deemed fight of the year and won. It’s not his fault his opponent missed weight and was deemed ineligible to win the title.

Haven’t disputed any of it being his fault I’m also not implying he has tried to avoid defending his belt, in fact I would argue the opposite, he has tried and is always willing but the fact remains that he hasn’t, best intentions aside.

Everyone gets very defensive of Rob which I get, he’s Aussie, a wonderful ambassador for the sport and an incredible fighter when fit and healthy. He’s also been horribly unlucky, borderline cursed and my only points are

- there is an extremely solid case to be mounted for an interim title OR him being stripped (if we count the Romero fight which we should he will still almost certainly be inactive for 12 months by the time he recovers from this)
- talk of him being underrated seems odd to me, he has wins over Romero and Souza in terms of his divisions elite (arguably Brunson as well) is injuries and illness have affected that (if he’s well that resume has Rockhold and Gastelum as well)

Circumstances have conspired against him and I worry he will be a cautionary tale.

 

[HLM*]

Haven’t disputed any of it being his fault I’m also not implying he has tried to avoid defending his belt, in fact I would argue the opposite, he has tried and is always willing but the fact remains that he hasn’t, best intentions aside.

Everyone gets very defensive of Rob which I get, he’s Aussie, a wonderful ambassador for the sport and an incredible fighter when fit and healthy. He’s also been horribly unlucky, borderline cursed and my only points are

- there is an extremely solid case to be mounted for an interim title OR him being stripped (if we count the Romero fight which we should he will still almost certainly be inactive for 12 months by the time he recovers from this)
- talk of him being underrated seems odd to me, he has wins over Romero and Souza in terms of his divisions elite (arguably Brunson as well) is injuries and illness have affected that (if he’s well that resume has Rockhold and Gastelum as well)

Circumstances have conspired against him and I worry he will be a cautionary tale.

There are 18 weeks between now and the date that would make it 12 months since Rob’s last fight. Hopefully what we’re being told is correct and his current injury/illness is only a 4-6 week recovery. We should see him squeezed in somewhere to fight kelvin before it amounts to 12 months of inactivity. If the injury is worse then expected, than unfortunately I can see him being stripped and Kelvin/Adesenya fighting for the belt.

 

[phantom13]

There are 18 weeks between now and the date that would make it 12 months since Rob’s last fight. Hopefully what we’re being told is correct and his current injury/illness is only a 4-6 week recovery. We should see him squeezed in somewhere to fight kelvin before it amounts to 12 months of inactivity.

I hope so as well, but given his injury and illness history, I’m concerned.

 

[Joker91]

I get that ufc want Israel to be champion but based on what he showed in the ring yesterday he’s not going to be. Robert went through murderers row to get the title, Issie has gone through a granny’s stroll. I think he gets beaten by Romero, Souza and Kelvin.

Paulo Costa is the one to watch.
Will beat Romero this year.

 

[footyfan78]

Romero v Adensaya is a fight I want to see.
If Adensays beats him, I will be impressed.

 

[Ryz]

So you are saying it was available if they wanted it ?

Was always going to be at RLA regardless.

 

[HLM*]

Paulo Costa is the one to watch.
Will beat Romero this year.

Is he though? He didn’t look great against Uriah. He struggled with Uriah’s reach advantage and was largely kept at bay and kept eating his jab. Got taken down fairly easily and was also rocked hard in the second by Uriah. Adesenya has an even bigger reach advantage than Uriah and is a much better fighter so I can see that match up being a nightmare for the juiced up costa. Costa is extremely powerful but other than that I haven’t bought into the hype.

 

[deklares]

Haven’t disputed any of it being his fault I’m also not implying he has tried to avoid defending his belt, in fact I would argue the opposite, he has tried and is always willing but the fact remains that he hasn’t, best intentions aside.

Everyone gets very defensive of Rob which I get, he’s Aussie, a wonderful ambassador for the sport and an incredible fighter when fit and healthy. He’s also been horribly unlucky, borderline cursed and my only points are

- there is an extremely solid case to be mounted for an interim title OR him being stripped (if we count the Romero fight which we should he will still almost certainly be inactive for 12 months by the time he recovers from this)
- talk of him being underrated seems odd to me, he has wins over Romero and Souza in terms of his divisions elite (arguably Brunson as well) is injuries and illness have affected that (if he’s well that resume has Rockhold and Gastelum as well)

Circumstances have conspired against him and I worry he will be a cautionary tale.

Brunson was #6 when Rob fought him IIRC. It's easy to forget how scary he was before Rob smoked him. Rob showed everyone Brunson's defensive weaknesses.