jimufctna24 Posted July 23, 2013 Share Posted July 23, 2013 I hadn't even been thinking about this event as im more excited about next weeks Bellator. Yes, slightly off-topic but that card is stacked, and I am not a regular Bellator viewer. I will try and watch Road To The Octagon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members wandshogun09 Posted July 23, 2013 Author Paid Members Share Posted July 23, 2013 Haven't watched it yet but I'm glad to hear Road To The Octagon was good. Â The problem is though, if people don't know Moraga and aren't interested in Mighty Mouse, are they even going to bother giving Road To The Octagon a chance? The UFC really should have promoted Moraga better. One show promoting Moraga, no matter how good a job it does, isn't really enough. People moaned about Dana not taking the womens division seriously, all about Ronda etc, but they've done a much better job with the women than they have the flyweights. They're not even really hiring many flyweights now and it's the shallowest division in the UFC. After this fight, who the fuck is next in line? Maybe John Lineker. Maybe Louis Gaudinot. It's too soon for Benavidez again surely. There's no-one who you'd say is really a clear-cut, head and shoulders above #1 contender like say, Johny Hendricks at 170. There's no depth at 125, but they're not really bringing anyone in. They weakened 135 to bring in the 125s and they've done nothing really with the division since. Â I'm looking forward to this fight. I really liked Mouse vs Dodson in January, and I loved Gaudinot vs Lineker. 125 hasn't been a total washout, but I'd like to see them promote the lower weights better. I don't know, release some online profile pieces like they used to do on the FOX shows, do some fighter specific video blogs highlighting certain fighters, fuck, maybe even bring Rachelle Leah back from wherever she vanished to and bring back an All Access type show. Something. At least so people know guys like Moraga exist. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members lambyUK Posted July 25, 2013 Paid Members Share Posted July 25, 2013 I'm now extremely excited for the Macdonald/Ellenberger fight. This fight is so difficult to pick and both fighters involved are fascinating. Ellenberger is, well, as his name suggests, a juggernaunt. Macdonald on the other hand is a supreme talent who comes across as a complete psycho. Â Should be an amazing fight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members wandshogun09 Posted July 25, 2013 Author Paid Members Share Posted July 25, 2013 And like I said before, Ellenberger brings two things we haven't really seen Rory have to really deal with yet. Big KO power, and really good wrestling. He really hasn't faced anyone with the type of skillset Ellenberger has. And if you look at their records, Rory might have the better win/loss ratio, but I'd say Ellenberger has had the harder route. The fucker fought Condit in his UFC debut for fuck's sake. Marquardt, Shields, Kampmann, Hieron, Sanchez. I'd say that's a rougher schedule than Rory has had. Two of which were blown up lightweights in Penn and Nate Diaz. Â Not taking away from Rory, he's clearly very talented and improving all the time, but Ellenberger is the more battle tested IMO. Saying that, his cardio hasn't looked good in some fights and I'd say Rory has the more varied set of skills, especially on the feet. Â I'm picking Rory on points. But I wouldn't be too shocked if Ellenberger waffles him and lays him out really, especially if Rory starts with the Ali shuffle again like he was doing against BJ Penn. Â On Rory's psycho-ness, as creepy as he seems it really does seem so forced to me. I said earlier in the thread, if you go back even just a year or so ago, he wasn't doing the serial killer faces and stuff and doing his hair up like a sinister Prince Charles. It's a carefully manufactured image. Smart, but I get the impression it's all a bit false. Unlike say, Luke Cummo who seems genuinely not the full shilling. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members lambyUK Posted July 25, 2013 Paid Members Share Posted July 25, 2013 Sorry Wand, I completely disagree. Â It makes zero sense for MacDonald or even his PR team fabricating this creepiness. If you want to be a global brand as a fighter, creepiness is not an endearing term to sponsors. There's nothing he particularly does to warrant the creepiness, he just simply is by the tone of his voice. Â It's also since he's attempted to look more stylish that the creep factor went to 10. I personally feel that in his attempts to actually become more stylish, his weirdness has become more emphasised. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimufctna24 Posted July 25, 2013 Share Posted July 25, 2013 On Rory's psycho-ness, as creepy as he seems it really does seem so forced to me. I said earlier in the thread, if you go back even just a year or so ago, he wasn't doing the serial killer faces and stuff and doing his hair up like a sinister Prince Charles. It's a carefully manufactured image. Smart, but I get the impression it's all a bit false. Unlike say, Luke Cummo who seems genuinely not the full shilling. Its not fake sadly Wand. Â Jordan Breen was saying last week how he interviewed him a few years back, maybe about 2009 and it was the most difficult interview he has had. Not because Rory is argumentative, but because in Jordan's words Rory is a bit "weird" and very socially awkward. Â Rory doubt will ever be GSP in terms of being personable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members wandshogun09 Posted July 25, 2013 Author Paid Members Share Posted July 25, 2013 Ha, maybe I've read it wrong then. But when he first came into the UFC, there was none of this. He seemed quiet but in interviews he came across normal to me. He didn't seem comfortable with the media but he didn't seem weird or anything at all from what I saw. Unless that was the fake Rory? Maybe now he's more comfortable and this is him letting his personality out. Jim's Jordan Breen story adds some weight to that. Â It's also since he's attempted to look more stylish that the creep factor went to 10. I personally feel that in his attempts to actually become more stylish, his weirdness has become more emphasised. Â This is true. It definitely coincided with him playing dress up with Mike Ricci and slicking his hair. He looks like a murderer now - not the Benoit raging type - the type who plans it out with graphs and diagrams, ensnares his victim, offs them, fucks the corpse then dices the body up and eats it with rice or whatever. Or maybe chips and mushy peas if he's not in the middle of a training camp. Then plots his next kill-fuck-dinner. Â Either way, there's definitely something unsettling about him for me. Something not quite right with him, I can't put my finger on it, nor would I want to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pryko Posted July 25, 2013 Share Posted July 25, 2013 Gonna watch Road to the Octagon tomorrow along with all the other pre-UFC videos. Quite looking forward to this card now it's just around the corner Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Egg Shen Posted July 25, 2013 Paid Members Share Posted July 25, 2013 Yeh its the whole dress up thing thats turned the creep factor. You get the impression that Mike Ricci's always been a bit of a chocolate boy, styled up poncey type but not Rory, its almost like Ricci's adopted him and decided to give him a makeover. The fact that Rory doesn't seem entirely comfortable with it all is what makes it unsettling. Â ....that said, id fuck the shit out of his girlfriend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members wandshogun09 Posted July 25, 2013 Author Paid Members Share Posted July 25, 2013 A chocolate boy? never heard that one before. Â ....that said, id fuck the shit out of his girlfriend. Â Then Rory would fuck your lifeless, cold, grey body. While gnawing on pieces of your dead flesh and laughing maniacally. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimufctna24 Posted July 25, 2013 Share Posted July 25, 2013 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members wandshogun09 Posted July 26, 2013 Author Paid Members Share Posted July 26, 2013 I can see this being one of them cards that people aren't that arsed about but will turn out great. Like the last Birmingham show. When you look at the fights, I can see Lawler vs Voelker, Guillard vs Danzig, Edwards vs Cruickshank, Masvidal vs Chiesa, all being really exciting. Then you've got Carmouche opening the show against Andrade who looks quite promising. Julie Kedzie is usually in fun fights, same with Aaron Riley. And the main and co-main events should be quality.  Who's everyone picking for the main card? I think it's quite difficult because we don't know a great deal about John Moraga or Jessica Andrade. Moraga is dangerous and Andrade has fought loads in her short career which could benefit her.  I'm picking  Mouse by decision Rory by decision Lawler by KO/TKO Carmouche by decision  Playing it safe picking the favourites, but I could see me going 4-0 or 0-4 there. Moraga and Andrade are dangerous underdogs, Ellenberger is a big test for Rory and Voelker always has a chance against a banger. Good matchmaking on this card, especially considering all the pullouts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DannRead Posted July 26, 2013 Share Posted July 26, 2013 The Mrs and I just watched Road To The Octagon and I must say it was very good (although perhaps 5-8 minutes too long). Â Although I'm not convinced it will happen I'd like to see Moraga take this just to add a little bit more interest in the division and give the office something to bite on and a a re-match is always good for that. Â McDonald is certainly more calculated but there's something about betting against Ellenberger that just doesn't feel right, maybe it's because this is one of his few fights that as far as I'm aware actually has gone to plan as originally announced. It's certainly the hardest fight to call. I'll going to go with the person who I actually want to win which is Ellenberger. Â I've also gone for Voelker over Lawler (I think the Mrs talked me into expecting the upset in that one even though it feels so so wrong), Carmouche over Andrade and Chiesa over Masvidal. Â Also watched the extended preview for 163 which is a fun little 10 minute thing. Â Looking forward to the weekend! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DannRead Posted July 26, 2013 Share Posted July 26, 2013 Mouse by decision Rory by decision Lawler by KO/TKO Carmouche by decision  Playing it safe picking the favourites, but I could see me going 4-0 or 0-4 there. Moraga and Andrade are dangerous underdogs, Ellenberger is a big test for Rory and Voelker always has a chance against a banger. Good matchmaking on this card, especially considering all the pullouts.  That's exactly how I feel and I can't remember the last time I felt like this going into a show.  If it goes to a decision I think you're right about McDonald. In fact I think you're right (despite my predictions lol) for the most part. Moraga intrigues me though and though it's only a 3 inch reach advantage I can see him making good use of it. Although I wouldn't be surprised to see Johnson take it via decision I'm actually quite confident in Moraga for this fight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members wandshogun09 Posted July 26, 2013 Author Paid Members Share Posted July 26, 2013 Yeah, Moraga might have what it takes. I've only seen one fight of his (vs Cariaso), and he looked great. I like that he's a finisher as well. Cariaso is no pushover himself and Moraga was very impressive. And like we said, he's only lost once and that was 3 years ago to John Dodson. Â I just haven't seen enough of him to make me too confident in picking him here. Johnson is so fast and technical, and he's great at winning the points game. We haven't seen Moraga handle the 'championship rounds' yet either so that could be a factor. We'll see. It's an interesting one though. The thing that I think adds some excitement in this fight is that Moraga is a finisher and Johnson has been hurt in his last couple of fights. Benavidez hurt him and Dodson rocked him a bunch of times in his last fight. Maybe Moraga can do it as well? But I'm sticking with a Mighty Mouse points win. Â I would love to see Ellenberger KO Rory. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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