UFC 196: McGregor vs Diaz

[seanz25]

Someone has threatened to shoot McGregor based upon his comments made towards Diaz.

 

http://fansided.com/2016/02/24/ufc-gun-threat-conor-mcgregor-ak-47/

 

McGregor vs Twitter maniac for UFC 200?

[David]

I thought using the term "cholo" was a bit over the line to be honest. But he's got history for that kind of thing, when he called Siver a Nazi as well.

 

Not the brightest spark.

[herbie747]

 

Not if he wins the FW, LW, and WW titles - that would be a legacy nobody else could equal. Way more than just being a longterm defending champion.

 

Being honest though Herbie, do you really think he's going to be competitive at welterweight against the guys who compete at the top of that division? You're talking about a champion who competed comfortably at middleweight, and who has been known to walk around at 200lbs.

 

There comes a point where a great big guy is always going to better a great little guy. 

 

McGregor for me is a natural 155lbs fighter from what I've seen of him. He can be competitive at that weight.

 

Can he be competitive against fellow fighters who are small at welter, such as Nate Diaz? Absolutely.

 

But against the likes of Lawler? Hendricks? Wonderboy? Tyrone Woodley? Damien Maia? I can't see it.

 

The real fight for McGregor is the Dos Anjos fight (although, he'd maybe be better served giving it the patter he was at the presser, saying that Dos Anjos has lost his shot etc and see if RDA maybe losses to a Pettis, Ferguson or Alvarez. I think those guys pose Conor less problems than RDA does), so let's see where he goes after the Diaz exhibition bout.

 

I agree - all I'm saying here is if that's his goal (3 belts in 3 divisions at the same time) & he achieves it, it'll be way more impressive than being a long-defending champion in 1 division.

 

What if he wins all 3 titles then retires? He keeps saying he's not hanging around.

 

"Lawler? Hendricks? Wonderboy? Tyrone Woodley? Damien Maia?"

He could maybe beat Lawler - but not all of those guys - of course not. And if he does win the WW title from Lawler, and I were him, I'd GTFO of the WW division before losing it so it'll add to my legacy.

[herbie747]

Someone has threatened to shoot McGregor based upon his comments made towards Diaz.

 

http://fansided.com/2016/02/24/ufc-gun-threat-conor-mcgregor-ak-47/

Love the first comment underneath it.

[David]

 

 

Not if he wins the FW, LW, and WW titles - that would be a legacy nobody else could equal. Way more than just being a longterm defending champion.

 

Being honest though Herbie, do you really think he's going to be competitive at welterweight against the guys who compete at the top of that division? You're talking about a champion who competed comfortably at middleweight, and who has been known to walk around at 200lbs.

 

There comes a point where a great big guy is always going to better a great little guy. 

 

McGregor for me is a natural 155lbs fighter from what I've seen of him. He can be competitive at that weight.

 

Can he be competitive against fellow fighters who are small at welter, such as Nate Diaz? Absolutely.

 

But against the likes of Lawler? Hendricks? Wonderboy? Tyrone Woodley? Damien Maia? I can't see it.

 

The real fight for McGregor is the Dos Anjos fight (although, he'd maybe be better served giving it the patter he was at the presser, saying that Dos Anjos has lost his shot etc and see if RDA maybe losses to a Pettis, Ferguson or Alvarez. I think those guys pose Conor less problems than RDA does), so let's see where he goes after the Diaz exhibition bout.

 

I agree - all I'm saying here is if that's his goal (3 belts in 3 divisions at the same time) & he achieves it, it'll be way more impressive than being a long-defending champion in 1 division.

 

What if he wins all 3 titles then retires? He keeps saying he's not hanging around.

 

"Lawler? Hendricks? Wonderboy? Tyrone Woodley? Damien Maia?"

He could maybe beat Lawler - but not all of those guys - of course not. And if he does win the WW title from Lawler, and I were him, I'd GTFO of the WW division before losing it so it'll add to my legacy.

 

 

If he becomes a 145lbs & 155lbs champion and is at least a credible force at welterweight he'll have cemented his legacy. Actually winning the title wouldn't be required in my eyes. No one will have come close to doing even that.

[Chunk]

I thought using the term "cholo" was a bit over the line to be honest. But he's got history for that kind of thing, when he called Siver a Nazi as well.

 

Not the brightest spark.

 

Am I the only one that's lived a sheltered enough life to have never heard that term before?

[Dead Mike]

Am I the only one that's lived a sheltered enough life to have never heard that term before?

 

 

It's a derogatory term for a latino gang member. It's akin to calling Jon Jones a crip or gangbanger because he's black.

[wandshogun09]

I always thought Frankie Edgar had the best shot at becoming the first three weight UFC champion (155, 145 and 135). But a lot of shit would have to play out right to make that happen and I'm not sure he'll ever actually drop to 135. He was always the one who I thought had the most realistic shot at it though.

 

But McGregor might well do it. He's done 145, obviously. Dos Anjos is going to be a hard as fuck challenge but I wouldn't count him out. Then if you look at 170, if the landscape is still as it is now if/when McGregor gets to that, as crazy as it sounds I honestly think Robbie Lawler is a doable task for McGregor, just because Lawler is almost certainly going to stand with him. That's not to say Lawler couldn't win that fight on the feet, course not, Lawler's a killer. But it at least would be a fight that stylistically plays to McGregor's strengths. It's not like he'd be going up in weight to fight GSP or something. That style is much more problematic for him on paper.

 

I think David is right about 170 though. I think McGregor could at least be competitive with Lawler. I think the Nick Diaz fight is a good fight for McGregor. And even Johny Hendricks, I've got a feeling he might be on the decline. But if McGregor came up against a Woodley, Lombard, Maia, MacDonald or a returning GSP, I think the size and weight combined with those guys' styles would be a bit too much for Conor. Lightweight will probably be where he's in his absolute best shape to compete at.

 

Tell you what though, just thinking about a few potential McGregor fights at 170 and my balls are tingling. McGregor vs Matt Brown, McGregor vs Wonderboy, McGregor vs Cerrone, McGregor vs Nick Diaz (this one NEEDS to happen). There's legs to a McGregor welterweight run, even though it probably wouldn't be wise to make it a long term thing.

[d-d-d-dAz]

I'm with Wand.

 

Conor could very well backdoor the welterweight title. I, personally, think Robbie Lawler is a better fight for McGregor than Diaz. But, when he comes across like a really freaky athlete at 170, he could be in serious trouble.

[wandshogun09]

McGregor vs Condit. There's another surefire awesome fight at 170.

 

I haven't been able to keep up with my MMA news much this week, has there been any word on Lawler's next fight yet? Last I heard it was looking like Lawler vs Woodley but that was a while ago. I wouldn't be at all surprised to see McGregor get fast-tracked to a title shot at 170, late this year/early next. Depending on what happens with Dos Anjos at 155 first, of course. It's not like there are loads of contenders backed up at 170 right now. Condit might retire (has there been any more about that?), Hendricks is out of the picture for the time being, MacDonald's rebuilding, Lombard's coming back from a drug suspension so he'll have to earn his way back into the mix with a win or two off the gas. Who does that leave for Lawler? It's really only Woodley and Wonderboy right now, isn't it? Once McGregor spanks Nate, he's already 1-0 at welterweight. I could easily see him leap-frogging his way into the title mix.

 

In an ideal world, I'd like to see it go something like this...

 

•March - UFC 196: Nate Diaz at 170

•July - UFC 200: Rafael Dos Anjos at 155 for the title

•December - UFC #whatever: Nick Diaz at 170 (winner gets a title shot, fuck it)

•Then around March/April 2017, hopefully Lawler vs McGregor or Nick Diaz for the welterweight title.

 

Obviously, getting way ahead of myself and shit like this very rarely plans out. It's all a big longshot. But that's what I'd like to see. Won't be at all surprised if McGregor never goes back to 145 now, I think Frankie Edgar's missed out on the McGregor Millions (poor bastard).

 

I know Nick Diaz doesn't 'deserve' to be coming back straight into the title mix but whatever. I think the UFC might go that route. If Lawler is still champ, you really can't go wrong with a Conor McGregor vs Nick Diaz #1 contenders fight. Then you either get Lawler vs McGregor or Lawler vs Diaz 2. And you know Diaz will go for it. He's all about the big fights these days and a money fight with McGregor followed by a title shot against Lawler is enough to keep Diaz comfy and stoned out of his little mind for life, easy.

 

Dos Anjos will probably fuck that scenario up though by beating McGregor. The 170 fights could still happen and would still be tremendous though. Just might mean the 'Tree weight champion' thing might go out of the window.

[lambyUK]

Great short movie about McGregor & his rise - by Sports Illustrated:

http://www.the42.ie/sports-illustrated-short-film-conor-mcgregor-2623647-Feb2016/?utm_source=twitter_self

 

The guy is such a class act - 1 of a kind.

 

Here's the youtube link for the video Herbie posted. It's a great little video too.

 

 

I have to say, despite his odd slip up with some of the things he says, he truly is great guy as the video implies. I met him briefly a while back at the weigh ins for the manchester card on two occasions.

 

John Kavanagh says throughout the video that there isn't a photo he wouldn't take with a fan, and that's completely true. I was standing outside when the UFC fighters were getting ushered to the awaiting bus and it was absolutely pissing it down. Security were pushing fighters hard to get on the bus, but when I asked for a photo, Mcgregor basically shoves security to stop in the pissing down rain to take a photo with me, along with other fans along the barriers. He refused to miss a single person.

 

My mate and I also walked up to the hotel where we were told the fighters were staying (I think it was actually MOM who posted it here where they were) and Mcgregor came down to the hotel reception and talked to every single fan who wanted to talk. He was incredibly humble and down to earth. 

My words to him were brief and I said something like "it's a pleasure to meet you and to shake the hand of a future UFC champion". He just came across as a very genuine and nice guy. 

[wandshogun09]

Yeah, me and my wife (girlfriend at the time) saw him at the O2 when we went to the Gustafsson vs Manuwa show. He was there because Neil Seery was fighting on the card. Between fights we were walking around the arena getting drinks and stuff and McGregor was walking through to the back with his missus. He was great with anyone who stopped him, couldn't have been more approachable and nice to them. We didn't bother him because he was getting mobbed but we just sort of nodded and waved as he went past us and he just gave us a wink and a wave.

 

There was no more to it than that but we walked away thinking he seemed proper sound and on the level. Didn't seem big headed in the slightest. Now that was early into his UFC run, he was only two fights deep in the UFC and out with the knee injury at the time, he wasn't the star he is now. Maybe he's gone all Billy Bigtime since but he doesn't strike me as the type from bits you hear and read about him away from the cage. For all his talking and self promoting, some of it coming across a bit stupid or cunty, it seems like everyone who actually meets him comes away loving the bloke. I read an interview with Makwan Amirkhani the other day about his recent training at SBG and he said McGregor is mega respectful and humble away from the cameras. He clearly just amps his personality up to 11 to promote himself.

[David]

To be fair, I don't think I've met many UFC fighters that were arseholes. 

 

I've met the likes of Ross Pearson, Bisping, Cub Swanson, Clay Guida and obviously the Scottish contingent and to a man (and woman) they were all brand-new. Even got a photo with both Caroline Pearce and John Gooden from BT Sports, and both were kind enough to actually drop what they were doing and pose for a photo with me as a team when they were on opposite sides of the bar at the time.

 

I've no doubt McGregor is the same. In fact, there's probably less chance of him being a Billy Bigtime now as it would have gotten out on social media. I've heard absolutely nothing bad about the guy as far as fan interaction goes.

 

Same goes for his coach, John Kavanagh. Met him in Glasgow. Top bloke.

[wandshogun09]

Oh Ross Pearson is a gent as well. Met him at the Gus-Manuwa show. We were right by the BT Sports studio thingy. GAD was a fucking cretin as you'd expect. Never met him but you could just tell. The poor makeup girl looked utterly defeated every time I looked over at various points of the night. He kept talking to her, I suspect either moaning about something (probably telling her she was doing his makeup wrong) or leching after her. He looks the type to lech after a girl young enough to be his daughter. But yeah, Pearson was great. My missus met Joanne Calderwood as well and said she was lovely.

[Cousin Jim Bob]

I've met GAD a few times with work and he has been cool to everyone whatever their level. He knew his shit when I chatted to him about boxing as well. He seemed a nice guy tbh.

 

Sorry lol......