David Posted February 21, 2019 Share Posted February 21, 2019 Thing is Ebb, he's with Bellator. No one is really shifting numbers for them, are they? I have no doubt he'll get a pop in Dublin, in much the same way as Joanne Calderwood or Paul Craig would do in Glasgow if they were headlining a show, but it doesn't mean they're huge stars. I don't imagine there's groups of fans in Ireland sitting at their laptops waiting on the tickets going on sale saying "Yaaas! Can't wait to get tickets for the Gallagher fight!" Look at the rest of the card, Bellator aren't exactly blessed with top names to begin with, never mind European names. The guy they have co-main is an example of that. It'll be a decent little event, but it's not must-see by any stretch. Gallagher is getting a bit of attention because he trains in the same gym as McG and because he likes to talk. He's a Poundland McG for me, right down to his ridiculous tattoos. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Egg Shen Posted February 21, 2019 Author Paid Members Share Posted February 21, 2019 Nobody said hes a huge star, but he has potential to be and definitely brings something extra that few other fighters bring to the table. MMAFightings Eurobash (which is hosted by 2 Irishmen) podcast this week said that when the Dublin show was announced they expected 4,000 in the 3Arena. As of the time of the podcast the top level of the Arena had been opened and there were 60 tickets remaining meaning there'd be a crowd or 8,500 on Saturday night, something has to be driving that. I know the SBG connection is huge and he's basically riding Conor's success coattails, but why not? if Bellator and Gallagher bring in a fraction of the McGregor fanbase they are doing alright. The fact that he likes to talk and is making a name for himself as a relative rookie is a credit to him. So many fighters in MMA fall in line and stay relative nobodies despite being very good fighters, Gallagher is a prime example of how you need to approach the fight business if you want to be successful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Carbomb Posted February 21, 2019 Paid Members Share Posted February 21, 2019 37 minutes ago, David said: Gallagher is getting a bit of attention because he trains in the same gym as McG and because he likes to talk. He's a Poundland McG for me, right down to his ridiculous tattoos. Then, in a way, this rather fits, no? With the best will in the world, Bellator is effectively a Poundland UFC. Now, all that's left is for One FC to come up with their own half-Irish, half-east Asian mouthy prick, and they'll live up to their reputation as being a Yenland UFC. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Egg Shen Posted February 21, 2019 Author Paid Members Share Posted February 21, 2019 every promotion needs one! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Posted February 21, 2019 Share Posted February 21, 2019 34 minutes ago, Egg Shen said: Gallagher is a prime example of how you need to approach the fight business if you want to be successful. The thing is, we're already starting to see what happens when more & more fighters go down this route. If everyone starts doing it, they'll stand out less & less, which means it'll become less successful, right? I've said it before, but when you think back through the history of MMA at the defining matches and feuds that really got your attention, what do you think of first? Chuck vs Tito? Tito vs Ken? GSP vs Hughes? Do you think you'd remember those matches and feuds so clearly if every fucker was at it back then? If every fight is a grudge match, if every fight is a big deal with guys talking shit, then it won't be long before none of them matters. I think they call it "hotshotting" in wrestling terms, don't they? There's a reason why the UFC numbers are down on average, and it isn't because there's not enough fighters chatting shit and wearing silly suits. It's because every event now needs a title, or two guys who swear blind that they really hate each other, and that they make more money in a day than their opponent does in a year. It all becomes really fucking old, really fucking quick. The titles mean nothing today, they're just props used in feuds. An afterthought in many ways. That wasn't the case back in the era where MMA was taking off. In essence, it's the attitude that you can't be successful without imitating someone else and trying to use a template to be successful that's fucking the whole business up. In a rush to stand out from the crowd everyone is now looking, talking, and acting the same. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Egg Shen Posted February 21, 2019 Author Paid Members Share Posted February 21, 2019 Yeah, but thats incredibly negative way of looking at it. Personalities sell, they always have and they always will, and when you have a strong personality, feuds will grow out of that, anticipation will build and fights will sell, people will see through the bullshit and the genuine charisma will shine through, Israel Adesanya is the best current example. Wanting everyone to stop talking shit and stop promiting themselves is a complete backwards way of thinking. To borrow another pro wrestling terms (because lets be honest, pro wrestling and mma promotion is necessarily the same thing), its about 'grabbing the brass ring'. James Gallagher has leap-frogged many fighters to get into the position hes in, and thats because hes self-promoting and making a name for himself outside of just being a talented young guy who fights in MMA. 99% of MMA fighters will never headline an event in their hometown in front of 8,000 people, Gallaghers doing it in his 9th fight. Timing, luck and who you know obviously ties in but thats the same in most aspects of life, Gallagher is in that position because hes earned it and worked for it. If you are bored of shit talking and McGregor copyists and just wish MMA would be just be about strict competition and finding out whos the best thats fair enough, but in my eyes that a very dull way of enjoying the sport. Ironically, theres a large portion of pro wrestling fans that want all the bullshit taken away from the it nd want it to be about being an athletic competition to see whos the best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Posted February 21, 2019 Share Posted February 21, 2019 10 minutes ago, Egg Shen said: Yeah, but thats incredibly negative way of looking at it. Personalities sell, they always have and they always will, and when you have a strong personality, feuds will grow out of that, anticipation will build and fights will sell, people will see through the bullshit and the genuine charisma will shine through, Israel Adesanya is the best current example. Wanting everyone to stop talking shit and stop promiting themselves is a complete backwards way of thinking. You're not getting my point. I'm not saying that everyone should stop talking shit and promoting themselves. I'm all for fighters showing some personality, but it will only really work when it's their own personality they're showing. What we're getting at the moment is a bunch of dudes who are all trying their best to play the same character, because they think that's what sells at the moment. Watching Justin Gaethje sit at a press conference and try to play billy big bollocks with James Vick, boasting that he's making big money and that Vick is a broke chump was fucking cringeworthy. Gaethje had main evented with his previous fight and wasn't even the biggest earner on a fucking FOX 1 card! Adesanya is a great example of what I'm talking about. Dude shows up to a press conference wearing a red checked shirt and a pair of Vans. He's not chatting shit about how much money he earns, how he's a businessman and all that jazz, is he? He's a breath of fresh air because he's simply being himself. He comes across as a cool dude who can throw hands, and who has a nasty streak to him. 19 minutes ago, Egg Shen said: To borrow another pro wrestling terms (because lets be honest, pro wrestling and mma promotion is necessarily the same thing), its about 'grabbing the brass ring'. James Gallagher has leap-frogged many fighters to get into the position hes in, and thats because hes self-promoting and making a name for himself outside of just being a talented young guy who fights in MMA. 99% of MMA fighters will never headline an event in their hometown in front of 8,000 people, Gallaghers doing it in his 9th fight. Timing, luck and who you know obviously ties in but thats the same in most aspects of life, Gallagher is in that position because hes earned it and worked for it. Gallagher is main eventing because Bellator are making a big push in the European market, and they're trying to feed off some of the McG effect. The lad is there because of who he trains with and because he's following that same tired blueprint that a lot of other fighters are. The difference here is that he's Irish and he trains with Conor. He even has the same type of shite tattoos. 21 minutes ago, Egg Shen said: If you are bored of shit talking and McGregor copyists and just wish MMA would be just be about strict competition and finding out whos the best thats fair enough, but in my eyes that a very dull way of enjoying the sport. Ironically, theres a large portion of pro wrestling fans that want all the bullshit taken away from the it nd want it to be about being an athletic competition to see whos the best. No, I'm bored of McGregor imitations, plain and simple. I want to see guys promote themselves in a unique way, and not just be lazy about it, thinking if they stick on a tight fighting suit with a pocket square and a pair of oversized shades they can prattle on about being "businessmen" and making money while they live in rented accommodation in Nowheresville USA and earn 6 figures if they're lucky. Give me an Adesanya any day of the week, who has his own style and his own way of doing things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Carbomb Posted February 21, 2019 Paid Members Share Posted February 21, 2019 23 minutes ago, David said: He even has the same type of shite tattoos. Agree 100% with your post. But can you name any MMA fighters who don't have shite tattoos? I can't. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Posted February 21, 2019 Share Posted February 21, 2019 9 minutes ago, Carbomb said: Agree 100% with your post. But can you name any MMA fighters who don't have shite tattoos? I can't. Yeah, but there's the type of tattoos you see on fighters like GSP, Randy Couture, or even some of the fighters you see with sleeves and suchlike. Those are a personal taste, each to their own and all that jazz. But a fucking jungle cat on your chest? That's a whole different story. The answer to your question by the way, is Khabib 😉 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimufctna24 Posted February 21, 2019 Share Posted February 21, 2019 (edited) 17 minutes ago, David said: But a fucking jungle cat on your chest? That's a whole different story Mousasi on McGregor Quote ‘I think the fame got to his head. If you put a tiger and a gorilla and your name on your chest and belly, you’re retarded. ‘Come on. That’s not normal behaviour. Btw, I don't think Mousasi or Fedor have tattoos either. Neither did Keith Jardine for much of his career. Edited February 21, 2019 by jimufctna24 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Carbomb Posted February 21, 2019 Paid Members Share Posted February 21, 2019 17 minutes ago, David said: Yeah, but there's the type of tattoos you see on fighters like GSP, Randy Couture, or even some of the fighters you see with sleeves and suchlike. Those are a personal taste, each to their own and all that jazz. But a fucking jungle cat on your chest? That's a whole different story. The answer to your question by the way, is Khabib 😉 In a way, you might be right, in that he doesn't have any.  Just remembered one, actually: Max Holloway. Always liked that Polynesian design style. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith Houchen Posted February 21, 2019 Share Posted February 21, 2019 Speaking of shit tattoos.  Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members wandshogun09 Posted February 21, 2019 Paid Members Share Posted February 21, 2019 (edited) 28 minutes ago, jimufctna24 said: Btw, I don't think Mousasi or Fedor have tattoos either. Neither did Keith Jardine for much of his career. Anderson Silva, BJ Penn, Cro Cop and the Diaz brothers as well. Got to say I’m with Dave on this. Personalities will always drive what’s popular in combat sports but when you’re coming off as a poor man’s something else you’ll never be a truly big star. It might attract a bit more attention and sell a few more tickets in the short term but there’ll be a ceiling on it IMO because people will mostly see through fakes. And Gallagher comes across like he’s really faking it. He’s playing at being Conor McGregor and it’s cringey as fuck. It doesn’t ring true. Personality sells...when it’s actually your personality, not your mate’s. Edited February 21, 2019 by wandshogun09 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Egg Shen Posted February 21, 2019 Author Paid Members Share Posted February 21, 2019 (edited) yeh, i dont disagree that Gallagher is McGregor-lite and copying the schtick might not be to everyones tastes. The backlash he gets proves that. I dont fault the guy for his effort though, not one bit. As for Dave claiming hes fed up with the sport being a bunch of McGregor imitations, is that even true? Who else is out there pretending to be Conor? As for Adesanya, i agree 100% the guy is fucking money. I was banging on about him on here whilst he was still in Glory, guys got something special. Edited February 21, 2019 by Egg Shen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Egg Shen Posted February 21, 2019 Author Paid Members Share Posted February 21, 2019 1 hour ago, jimufctna24 said:  Btw, I don't think Mousasi or Fedor have tattoos either. Neither did Keith Jardine for much of his career. Keith Jardine!? what a random name to include 😄 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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