McGregor McRetires? No. But let's talk about him anyway.

[David]

20 minutes ago, Carbomb said:

I agree with you for the most part, but I think this is overstating the case just a tad. He clearly has some distractions given that he's missed weight in the past - as he's demonstrated that that doesn't always happen, it's clear he's not always been quite as focused as he could be.

True, he doesn't "drink", but he does eat a fair bit of tiramisu, which contains alcohol - one of the reasons I dislike him as a bit of a hypocrite. All very well not fighting over Ramadan, but if you're that devout, you shouldn't even be touching tiramisu.

But like I said: I agree with you over the vast majority of your post. This is definitely not a guy McGregor should be stepping in the cage with after a two-year lay-off, especially with all the shit he's been getting up to. If he's really serious about fighting again, he should have a couple of matches against some dangerous gatekeepers; say, Edson Barboza, Beneil Dariush, Michael Chiesa or Paul Felder. Hell, give him an attempt to avenge his loss to Joe Duffy. If he shows he's still what he was before against them, then I'd say a match with Nurmagomedov would not only be worthwhile, but probably earn him more money - McGregor's amazing at trash-talk promotion, but I don't think anything he's ever said has promoted his matches better than his winning efforts.

I don't think it's a case of hypocritical, it's more a case of him making it work for him, which is how religion should be, in my opinion anyway.

But, moving on to other points, I think he's failed to make weight simply because he's one of those fighters who is probably better served by a 165lbs division. 

He's big at 155lbs, but small at 170lbs.

12 minutes ago, Silky Kisser said:

The absurdity of a McGregor v any of those guys has made me laugh. 

He's so far out in front of those guys, it's just never gonna happen. I can't see him fighting more than twice. Wasting 1 of those in a warm up against Michael Chiesa is lunacy. 

You're just not being imaginative enough mate, there's plenty of scope for something there.

A McGregor vs Chiesa "Brawl in a Bus" match, or a McGregor vs Chiesa "dolly on a rope" match, with said dolly suspended above the octagon. 

You're right though, in all seriousness. How can the UFC sell a McG vs Khabib fight right after McG gets strangled into unconsciousness by Chiesa?

Edited August 2, 2018 by David

[Carbomb]

4 minutes ago, David said:

I don't think it's a case of hypocritical, it's more a case of him making it work for him, which is how religion should be, in my opinion anyway.

But, moving on to other points, I think he's failed to make weight simply because he's one of those fighters who is probably better served by a 165lbs division. 

He's big at 155lbs, but small at 170lbs.

 

A McGregor vs Chiesa "Brawl in a Bus" match, or a McGregor vs Chiesa "dolly on a rope" match, with said dolly suspended above the octagon. 

You're right though, in all seriousness. How can the UFC sell a McG vs Khabib fight right after McG gets strangled into unconsciousness by Chiesa?

The religion thing: yeah, I guess, but my experience of Muslims like him is that that isn't how they think. And given his overall behaviour and how he comes across, to me he's just another wannabe-gangster using religion as a smokescreen and a sop for his excesses.

You're probably right about the weight division, but he has shown that he can make 155 before, and if his focus was as supreme as you say, this wouldn't be a problem for him.

 

You joke about my tune-up suggestions, but genuinely: what would you think would be the best course for a McGregor whose ability is now in question as a consequence of a two-year lay-off, comparatively dissolute lifestyle, and potential loss of motivation? Assuming he wanted to have a career at the absolute top level that went beyond a couple of matches. Not saying he does, but if he did?

[Bus Surfer]

23 minutes ago, Carbomb said:

I get that - from a money-making perspective, which is what he'd be more bothered about, he'd go straight for Khabib, and then maybe GSP for a last match. But like I say: if he was actually serious about fighting again, i.e. still having a fight career that goes beyond one payday with Khabib and maybe a bigger one with Georges, he'd take things a bit slower. It's not like he's in the twilight of his fighting years; guy's only just turned 30. 

All I'm saying is if he wants an actual chance against Khabib, rather than just an earner, his best bet is to do a couple of tune-ups, but not against scrubs. Sure, he's way ahead of all those guys, but that's the point: they're meant to be cannon fodder, but dangerous cannon fodder that won't only build him up, but also give him enough of a challenge that he can hone any dull edges he might have.

I don't disagree with what you're saying. A tune up fight would no doubt help him. But I can't imagine him getting out of bed for any of those guys. 

He was picky about who's 'life he'd change' before he made 100m from Mayweather. 

Edited August 2, 2018 by Silky Kisser

[Carbomb]

Just now, Silky Kisser said:

Is don't disagree with what you're saying. A tune up fight would no doubt help him. But I can't imagine him getting out of bed for any of those guys. 

He was picky about who's 'life he'd change' before he made 100m from Mayweather. 

Unfortunately, that's very true.

A shame - McGregor vs. Barboza or Felder would've been a fun little warm-up.

[Bus Surfer]

McGregor v Dariush. 

Imagine that on a big fuck off advertisement outside MSG

[jimufctna24]

The UFC have too much to lose by booking McGregor in a tune-up fight.. He would likely blitz the likes of Barboza and Chiesa, but it's not a risk the UFC want to take. It could needlessly spoil their cash-cow. 

Regarding McGregor's motivation/condition: 

Before the 2nd fight with Diaz, I recall Kavanagh saying that he and McGregor had drifted apart after the Aldo fight, but were now back on-track with one another. So he was prone to going off the rails a bit prior to his 2-year absence from the UFC. Did his mindset and priorities change a bit after the Aldo fight? Who knows. Perhaps he saw that as the pinnacle of his career. His ultimate goal if you like. Now, he might be solely concentrated on the money. Even during his early days he expressed the fight game was about "getting rich, and getting out"

However, while he has been "living the life" the past two years, he has seemingly kept himself in decent shape. He hasn't ballooned up in weight like Ricky Hatton did (which proved to be his undoing). Can he become as sharp as he once was? I am not really sure. Too many questions, not enough answers. But I wouldn't rule it out. He has a habit of proving people wrong. 

Mind you, if he somehow beat Khabib, it would probably be his finest hour in MMA. Khabib is unlike anything he, or any other Lightweight, has seen before. 

[David]

20 minutes ago, Carbomb said:

The religion thing: yeah, I guess, but my experience of Muslims like him is that that isn't how they think. And given his overall behaviour and how he comes across, to me he's just another wannabe-gangster using religion as a smokescreen and a sop for his excesses.

You're probably right about the weight division, but he has shown that he can make 155 before, and if his focus was as supreme as you say, this wouldn't be a problem for him.

You joke about my tune-up suggestions, but genuinely: what would you think would be the best course for a McGregor whose ability is now in question as a consequence of a two-year lay-off, comparatively dissolute lifestyle, and potential loss of motivation? Assuming he wanted to have a career at the absolute top level that went beyond a couple of matches. Not saying he does, but if he did?

When you're cutting it so painfully close as far as a weight cut goes, any number of things can fuck that up. An injury during camp that affects cardio and road work, catching a virus, various things. It's not always a case of focus when it comes to making weight.

I don't really think he's a "wannabe gangster" either, he's simply, as the Americans like to say, a product of his environment. 

I'm obviously hazarding a guess here, but I don't think that part of the world really churns out too many well-adjusted young men. You've probably seen the documentaries filmed in the place he comes from, it's not a nice place to grow up.

He's a bad motherfucker, and I don't mean that in a "cool, check him out he's rad" kinda way, I mean it in a "few life choices away from being filmed sawing some Belgian reporters head off with a rusty old machete" kind of way.

Dudes like him are on a different wavelength to the rest of us, including McG, who can try various mind games, but he's dealing with someone who's not wired like the rest of us who were raised in relative comfort and safety.

His focus is primarily on winning fights for the honour it seems to bring him and his father, that's what I've gathered. He isn't spending cash on a life of luxury, and he's not really looking as though the regular trappings of being a UFC fighter apply to him.

Essentially, he's a one-off. And someone who, if a battery of psychological tests were run on him, would probably churn out some pretty disturbing results.

As for a tune-up fight, it was never going to happen. 

He isn't interested in a career at the top as a fighter, he's interested in making as much coin as he can, period.

If there was another fight out there that was as attractive as this, he'd take it. There isn't though, aside from the Diaz fight which is already there for him whenever he wants it.

[wandshogun09]

10 minutes ago, jimufctna24 said:

Before the 2nd fight with Diaz, I recall Kavanagh saying that he and McGregor had drifted apart after the Aldo fight, but were now back on-track with one another. So he was prone to going off the rails a bit prior to his 2-year absence from the UFC.

Yeah, and even earlier than that, I'm sure I remember Kavanagh saying that Conor nearly jacked MMA in before he even got to the UFC at one point. He stopped showing up at the gym and Kavanagh had to go and convince him to get his arse back in gear. He's always had these lapses where he's maybe lost focus, gone off the grid and wanted to disappear and do his own thing. Of course, this time he had that Mayweather paycheque so it's different. But it's something he's got form for. 

Obviously, Khabib and Diaz are the two no-brainer opponents for McGregor. Those fights have to happen. I still wouldn't be surprised if GSP vs McGregor happens at some point though. That's a blockbuster anywhere and GSP has toyed with the idea of going down to 155. It could happen at 155 or 170 or somewhere in between. But it's a fight I think all parties would want. To be honest, I don't think GSP would be entertaining the possibility of cutting down to 155 at this stage in his career if not for that potential McGregor payday dangling there.

I could see that being McGregor's road now actually. Fights Khabib - gets smashed. Rubber match with Diaz - 50/50 at this point, IMO. If he beats Diaz he fights GSP - gets smashed. Retires. 

[David]

The GSP fight at a catchweight or even at welterweight would be a good fight, as GSP isn't a particularly big welter really, despite him bumping up to middle in his last fight.

[wandshogun09]

Imagine that fight in Canada? The crowd would be so one-sided it'd be like the start of the Hart Foundation 10 man tag at Canadian Stampede. 

[Keith Houchen]

5 hours ago, David said:

Lean, lean, lean!

Conor "The Dragon" McGregor.

[Tamura]

Never mind, already posted in a random thread.

Edited August 4, 2018 by Tamura

[tiger_rick]

One minute long and they can have my money.

 

[Hannibal Scorch]

McGregor is going to get his smashed isn't he and then he'll be done won't he?

[ColinBollocks]

I think it will all come down to how Khabib handles McGregor's power early doors.

For all his many gifts, Khabib's game plan to get you against the cage is to basically keep coming forward, which obviously leaves him open for damage. Khabib and his camp have all said he realises this is a mistake against McGregor and will be looking to change that up, but it's all good in practice, come fight time who knows if Khabib can rid this habit. If Conor is still close to where he was when he battered Alvarez, then if there is a slight opening he'll definitely find it.

Khabib has shown he's got a good chin on him, which you expect McGregor will properly test out early doors.

For what it's worth, a lot of top level MMA fighters and coaches fancy McGregor's chances. In particular TJ and Ludwig are of the opinion Khabib is too slow on the feet and McGregor will find it easy to exploit this.

Again, can't wait.

Edited August 9, 2018 by ColinBollocks