The new MMA general news, events and thoughts thread

[the_mole]

If Weidman loses he will just fight Jacare or even Rockhold, the fights been cancelled Jacare beat Vitor at 198, so it's not like he lost his past fight.

[Shane O' Mac Version 2]

Despite how some are trying to paint it, Bisping's no coward. Go back over his career and he's fought a good chunk of the best fighters of his era and he's always been one of the fighters who Dana said "he never says no to any fight we've offered to him". I find it funny that people are suddenly trying to act like he's terrified and shitting himself of the tough fights. In reality, he knows he's got a limited amount of time left in MMA and he's just trying to cram in as many big fights as he can while they're still there. He wasn't saying he'd fight GSP or Diaz instead of Jacare, Rockhold, Weidman or Romero. He was trying to do the GSP or Diaz fight as well as those. I don't get why people don't seem to understand that. Him fighting at 206 would've meant he'd most likely be ready to go again by the time the middleweight tournament winner was ready to fight again (probably first quarter of 2017).

 

Although, as much as I'm defending Bisping, this is a bit much I think...

 

I think this is a bit much from Bisping though. Now he's saying that even if Yoel Romero beats Chris Weidman next week, he "doesn't think he'll fight him".

 

"If Yoel beats Chris, I honestly don't think I'll fight Yoel, because he tested positive for steroids. I read an article recently that said that it takes years for the advantages of taking steroids to get out of your system. Just because you don't test positive anymore doesn't mean you'll lose all the extra muscle and things like that that you were able to achieve. So I think he needs longer, I really do. I don't see why he should be rewarded. If Weidman wins, that's the fight I want. Me and Weidman, for a little while now, I'd say probably the last year, have gone back and forth, back and forth, talking sh*t, and yeah, it's a fight that interests me, 100 percent."

So let's just say Romero comes in and just smashes Weidman and stops him, and he passes all the USADA tests. And then say Jacare barely squeaks out a razor close decision over Rockhold. Surely then Romero would be the obvious #1 contender. Bisping can't just refuse to defend against him in that scenario. Especially when he's fought Anderson and Hendo this year who have both had either the PED or TRT thing attached to them and he was fine with fighting them.

 

 

Yeah come on, that's ridiculous. Of course Bisping has been a guy willing to take any fight in the past, he was, for many years, a mid level gatekeeper. Someone in that position takes anything they can to build up their career and get towards that elusive title shot. But now that he has reached that pinnacle, it's just... You guys can put any reasoning you want to defend him, you're British and he's your guy. But when your middleweight champ is chomping at the bit to take "money fights" against GSP and Diaz, faces 46 year old 12th ranked Hendo in a "grudge match", but balks the minute a real contender is brought up, that's going to be criticised and seen as suspect.

 

I get Bisping is in the twilight of his career and wants that money, but he's also a champion. A champion can't be calling out non-contenders just because it's bigger money. Champions should be fighting the best, simple as that. Bisping is hiding behind any excuse he can to not fight a contender. They're not even talking about short notice for Bisping vs. Romero, it's just a potential future fight, and the cunt's already bricking it!

 

What little respect I had for Bisping for his title win has really disappeared with the comments in the past week. I started making the comments about Bisping stepping in to fight Jacare more to take a shot at a fighter I don't like, but this stuff with Romero is asinine and indefensible.

 

 

 

He wasn't saying he'd fight GSP or Diaz instead of Jacare, Rockhold, Weidman or Romero. He was trying to do the GSP or Diaz fight as well as those. I don't get why people don't seem to understand that. Him fighting at 206 would've meant he'd most likely be ready to go again by the time the middleweight tournament winner was ready to fight again (probably first quarter of 2017).

 

But this wound up being exactly what happened!

 

Bisping: "I'm ready to fight, UFC 206, come on, Georges, come on Nick!"

 

GSP and Diaz weren't available, then Jacare was brought up as an option for UFC 206 instead.

 

Bisping: "Nah mate, I'm injured, broken eye socket and fucked up knee, can't fight unless it's big cash."

 

By the way, if that was legitimate, no athletic commission would clear a fighter with a busted orbital.

[Egg Shen]

I take it all with a pinch of salt, Bisping's a shit talker, he'll just say things to rile people up and keep his name out there.

 

All that stuff about not wanting to fight Romero, it's all done to piss people/Romero off, if Romero got the call there's no doubt in my mind that Bisping would fight him.

[kev2050]

UFC returns to the O2 arena London, 18th March. Spotted on UFC's Facebook.

[Tamura]

Announced yesterday but doesn't seem to have been posted by anyone, surprisingly.

Jon Jones banned for a year, backdated to June, for his failed drugs test prior to UFC 200. He blamed a contaminated tablet he took for erectile dysfunction. 

[wandshogun09]

Jones is going to face Hendo in some grappling only event as well. The cancelled UFC 151 main event is finally going to happen! And just like he would've back then, Jones is going to fucking well crush him.

 

[Philjax]

Apologies if this has already been covered but what came of the Mark Hunt thing with him threatening to quit after the Brock debacle? Have we seen the last of him in the UFC?

[TildeGuy~!]

He turned down a fight with Junior Dos Santos at UFC 206 a few weeks ago I think, that was the last I heard

[lambyUK]

I still don't even get how he feels he has a leg to stand on here. 

 

For starters, when the UFC offered him the fight he knew full well that Lesnar didn't have to undergo the 4 month USADA program. On top of that, he said on god knows how many interviews he believed Lesnar was still "juiced to the gills" yet he still took and fight and whilst also stating that he was going to knock him out anyway.

 

He he knew he was juiced then he should have point blank refused to take the fight. Yet he did, because he was offered a shit ton of money. 

 

He can't have it both ways. 

[wandshogun09]

UFC 207 poster;

 

 

Nunes looking like a total afterthought with the big SHE'S BACK plastered front and centre but I really think this a very hard first fight back for Ronda. Nunes is a fast starter just like Ronda is/was and if Ronda comes in hesitant or shaky after the Holm beating/year layoff I could see her getting battered.

 

Apparently, TJ Dillashaw vs John Lineker is on the card as well. Didn't know that was booked. Should be fun. Sadly, I can't see past TJ running rings around him and picking him apart but I'd love to see Lineker knock his face off.

[AdamTH17]

I think with all the hype garnered for 205, that 207 card has really snuck up on us. So far, that's looking like another peach of a card with:

 

Nunes © vs Rousey - Bantamweight Championship and Ronda's return fight

Cruz © vs Garbrandt - Bantamweight Championship

Werdum vs Cain 2 - Title elimination fight

TJ vs Lineker - Probable title eliminator

 

You've got Hendricks/Mangy and Means/Oliviera as well. Makes 206 stick out like a sore thumb sandwiched in between.

[wandshogun09]

Yeah, just imagine if they could've sorted out GSP's return for 206. It seemed to be the perfect time and place for it to happen. His four months of USADA testing would be complete just in time for 206 and it's in Toronto. Everything just seemed to be lining up for GSP to be on that card. Shame it hasn't worked out.

 

What an end to 2016 it would've been to have;

 

205 - first MSG show with Alvarez vs McGregor and a stacked undercard.

206 - return of GSP

207 - return of Ronda Rousey

 

That'd be three huge PPVs in a row.

 

I don't think 206 is that bad though. It pales in comparison to some of the bigger shows we've been treated to this year but it's still looking like a pretty solid card. I think having to follow 205 is what's making it seem lacklustre but if you look at the probable main card...

 

Daniel Cormier vs Rumble Johnson 2 - LHW Title

Anthony Pettis vs Max Holloway

Donald Cerrone vs Matt Brown

Rashad Evans vs Tim Kennedy

Cub Swanson vs Doo Ho Choi

 

That's not bad at all. I mean, if DC vs Rumble falls apart they're pretty fucked because, as much as I love the sound of Pettis vs Holloway, it hardly screams PPV headliner. But it should be a fun show if that ends up being the main card. Of the 5 fights there I can only really see Rashad vs Kennedy being a dud. Fights like Cerrone vs Brown and Swanson vs Superboy are as close to guaranteed excitement you can ask for.

[WeeAl]

I really like the look of that 206 card now if it pans out like that. A couple of weeks ago it was looking like an ugly duckling, but now it looks like a really fun show with almost all of the fights having some kind of ramifications in the top five in their respective divisions.

[jimufctna24]

The drop-outs from UFC 205 have saved UFC 206 as a PPV. That's a more than respectable PPV main card. GSP or Bisping vs Diaz would have been nice. but we've been spoilt this year in terms of spectacle fights. 

[Egg Shen]

That 206 main card is outstanding now.