I took a flyer on Khabib by submission @ 3/1.
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But but but Herr Franz,
Khabib doesn't want to submit him. He wants to maul McGregor for 5 rounds and humble his arrogant ass.
Think there is better value in your bet vs. an opponent (in the future) when there isn't much 'bad blood'.
GL though.Comment -
UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov sits down with Brett Okamoto ahead of his fight with Conor McGregor at UFC 229. He discusses the infamous bus incident, what he’ll say in the Octagon, whether he wants to finish the fight quickly and more.
Notice the marks on his face. Tough training going on in camp Khabib.Comment -
Take a glimpse back at some of Conor McGregor's most memorable moments inside and outside of the Octagon.
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MMA Pros Pick
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^ Tony Martin is right about Anthony Pettis' decline beginning around the time USADA went into effect.
I don't think Showtime abused PED's though, I think his decline was more mental and more a result of him losing motivation & not being willing to put in the work.Comment -
^^^ Wrong thread dumb dumb. Guess I was right about the dumber forum members.Comment -
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MMA Mania prelim write up, part 1
135 lbs.: Yana Kunitskaya vs. Lina Lansberg
Yana Kunitskaya (10-4) appeared to have submitted Tonya Evinger for the Invicta title, only for the fight to be overturned to a “No Contest” because of a referee error. She went on to lose the rematch, and though she beat Raquel Pa’aluhi for the newly vacant belt soon after, she fell to Cris “Cyborg” in her Octagon debut.
“Foxy” has dispatched seven professional opponents via (technical) knockout.
Lina Lansberg (8-3)likewise debuted against “Cyborg,” succumbing to the Brazilian’s power midway through the second round. “The Elbow Queen” has since won two of three bouts, scoring decisions over Lucie Pudilova and Gina Mazany.
Half of her professional wins have come by form of knockout.
As dangerous as Kunitskaya is on the mat, this strikes me as a rough match up for her. “Foxy” does her best work in the clinch, where Lansberg excels, and the former isn’t a particularly potent wrestler. The fight will almost certainly take place at extremely close range, with Kunitskaya looking for knees and trips while Lansberg tries to slam home her signature elbows.
Kunitskaya could get the win in seconds should it hit the mat, but I don’t believe “The Elbow Queen” will let it get there. Sprawl-and-brawl wins the day for Lansberg, racking up shots in the clinch to earn the decision.
Prediction: Lansberg via unanimous decision
155 lbs.: Gray Maynard vs. Nik Lentz
The last few years have been less-than-ideal for Gray Maynard (13-6-1), who is just 2-5 in his last seven fights. He’s enjoyed a minor resurgence lately, however, defeating Fernando Bruno and Teruto Ishihara in two of his last three appearances.
This will be his first fight in 15 months and his return to Lightweight after three years at 145 pounds.
Nik Lentz (28-9-2) is 3-2 since his own return to Lightweight, most notably choking out Will Brooks to earn “Performance of the Night.” He last fought Swedish striker David Teymur in June, surviving some questionable tactics, but ultimately losing the decision.
“The Carny” will give up two inches of reach to Maynard.
Pre-2011, Maynard wins this fight nine out of 10 times. Back when he had the durability and confidence to march forward, swing heat, and straight-up power through his opponent’s sprawl for three minutes of uninterrupted grinding from guard. Nowadays, even a lackluster striker like Lentz is a knockout threat to him, and “The Carny’s” lackluster takedown defense looks sufficient to keep him afloat.
This fight essentially boils down to how trigger-happy Lentz gets with his guillotine. Maynard’s top control is still potent enough to win him a round if he winds up on top, so Lentz can’t afford to jump guard willy-nilly. So long as Lentz focuses on keeping it standing, I say he outworks Maynard and wobbles him once or twice to take home the decision.
Prediction: Lentz via unanimous decision
170 lbs.: Ryan LaFlare vs. Tony Martin
Ryan LaFlare (14-2) entered 2018 on the heels of one of 2017’s most devastating knockout losses, a counter uppercut from Alex “Cowboy” Oliveira that left LaFlare out on impact. He got back in track this past April with a decision over Alex Garcia, improving his UFC record to 7-2.
He’ll have an inch of height and reach on Martin.
Despite wins in his previous three fights, Tony Martin (13-4) elected to make the move to Welterweight following a split decision loss to Olivier Aubin Mercier two Septembers ago. In his first appearance at the weight, he faced veteran grappler Keita Nakamura and walked away with a wide decision victory.
Half of his eight submission wins have come by keylock.
Though Martin is still a skilled striker and grappler, I’m not sure how far he can go at 170 pounds. A key component to his success at Lightweight was his sheer size and physicality, and while that wound up costing him in the cardio department early in his Octagon career, he appeared to have that problem fixed before abandoning ship.
In LaFlare, he faces an equally potent grinder, but one more accustomed to manhandling Welterweights. Martin’s striking advantage won’t play a huge factor when LaFlare is controlling the fight at close range, and I have more faith in LaFlare’s ability to stay effective for all three rounds than in Martin’s. Martin controls the early going before LaFlare wears him down in the clinch and takes control of the latter two rounds.
Prediction: LaFlare by unanimous decisionComment -
Not to take the Fan Boy Lightly
Khabib once a Fanboy and climbing stairs in the competition, I think McGregor should not take him lightly.
I might feel out of context but I have a good example of this.
If anyone here also watches MotoGP there is this 9 times world champion Valentino Rossi and there is this fanboy Marc Marquez.
I guess Rossi did take him quite lightly and Marc has now ripped him apart quite well for the past 4 seasons. I do not understand that it is a different sport but the context resembles.
McGregor did mention this fanboy thing in the press conference but he should be quite aware upsets will be there in the battle.
I am wondering how the environment would be for the spectators watching it live in the T-Mobile arena this Saturday.
Sadly have to be content to watch Khabib vs McGregor Live Online, got the PPV a little cheap from the UFC Philippine website for just $17.65. Still it cannot match the live experience but something is better than nothing.Last edited by lissi; 10-03-18, 08:18 AM.Comment -
MMA Mania prelim write up, part 2
125 lbs.: Sergio Pettis vs. Jussier Formiga
Sergio Pettis (17-3) was in the midst of a four-fight win streak, the longest of his UFC career, when he ran afoul of future champ Henry Cejudo and suffered a decision loss in Dec. 2017. Six months later, “The Phenom” welcomed Joseph Benavidez back to the Octagon and became the first man not named Demetrious Johnson or Dominick Cruz to defeat “Joe B.”
He has knocked out and submitted three opponents apiece, though none in his last 11 fights.
Jussier Formiga (21-5) fought back from close losses to Henry Cejudo and Ray Borg to choke out Ulka Sasaki in Saitama, setting up a fight with the surging Ben Nguyen in Perth. Formiga proved he was more than just a grappler by dropping the local favorite with a spinning back fist before locking up his favored rear-naked choke.
Indeed, eight of his 10 submission victories have come via rear-naked choke.
Pettis impressed me in a big way against Benavidez, but it was hard not to notice the rust Benavidez was sporting, and the latter still managed to take Pettis down twice. In fact, Pettis has been taken down in all but one of his UFC fights. Even Brandon Moreno — not known for his wrestling prowess — got him down four times.
He’s usually able to scramble up, but that’s just not an option here. When Formiga gets you down, he goes to your back and he stays there until either the bell rings or he gets his forearm under your chin. Pettis doesn’t hit hard enough to dissuade the Brazilian, who’s developed enough striking to set up his wrestling. Formiga’s impeccable back control wins him another one as he stays glued to “The Phenom” for huge chunks of each round.
Prediction: Formiga via unanimous decision
170 lbs.: Vicente Luque vs. Jalin Turner
A 1-1 run on The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 21 and subsequent loss to Mike Graves at the Finale gave way to a 6-1 run for Vicente Luque (13-6-1), all the victories by stoppage within two rounds. Since losing a decision to fellow top prospect Leon Turner, Luque has submitted Niko Price and knocked out Chad Laprise.
He has knocked out and submitted six opponents each.
Jalen Turner (7-3) earned six first-round victories, five of them knockouts to earn a spot on the “Contender Series” opposite Max Mustaki. Turner dominated the first round with his striking before a broken foot forced Mustaki to bow out before the second.
“The Tarantula” will have a four-inch height advantage over “The Silent Assassin.”
Turner looks like a quality young prospect, and though he’s making his first appearance at Welterweight after a career-long run at 155 pounds, I expect his 6’3” frame to hold up nicely at this new division. That said, I’m not entirely sure what UFC was thinking pitting him against one of the most devastating young talents in the entire organization.
Turner is worryingly easy to hit, falling into the standard Lanky Dude Pitfall of standing too upright and not moving his head, and can step too far inside when looking to work the body. Beyond having the wrestling and ground game to exploit these habit, Luque’s developed genuinely crushing power in his hands. The math isn’t too difficult here.
Prediction: Luque by first-round knockout
135 lbs.: Tonya Evinger vs. Aspen Ladd
Tonya Evinger (19-7) pounded out Irene Aldana for the Invicta Bantamweight title in 2015, then successfully defended it four times before making the jump to the UFC. Her Octagon debut saw her step up on short notice against Cris “Cyborg” and survive two full rounds against the Featherweight champ.
This will be the first fight for “Triple Threat” in 14 months because of injuries on both her and Ketlen Vieira’s parts.
Following an 8-1 amateur run, Aspen Ladd (6-0) debuted professionally in Invicta and went undefeated (5-0), toppling Amanda Cooper and Sijara Eubanks along the way. Her Octagon debut saw her take down Lina Lansberg and secure her fourth ground-and-pound victory.
She has been out of action for nearly a year after a blown weight cut scrapped her April fight with Leslie Smith.
Though Ladd still has a lot of work to do cleaning up her striking, she already has the tools needed to win this. Evinger thrives when she can control the wrestling, which figures to be an uphill battle against the younger Ladd. In addition, Ladd pushes a terrific pace, allowing her volume to compensate for technical shortcomings.
This just looks like a case of a veteran getting outworked by a younger, more active fighter. Unless Ladd’s new weight class has a major impact, she lands enough left hooks and controls enough grappling exchanges to get the win.
Prediction: Ladd via unanimous decision
155 lbs.: Alan Patrick vs. Scott Holtzman
Brazil’s Alan Patrick (15-1) has quietly assembled a 5-1 record during his five years in the Octagon, including an ongoing three-fight win streak. He was last seen returning from more than a year away to defeat Damir Hadzovic in Belem.
“Nuguete” will have two inches of height and five inches of reach on “Hot Sauce.”
Scott Holtzman (11-2) — a former hockey player — has gone 4-2 in the world’s largest fight promotion and will enter the cage this weekend on a two-fight streak of his own. He was last seen defeating Darrell Horcher in Fresno in Dec. 2017 on the Brian Ortega vs. Cub Swanson-led card.
Three of his five stoppage wins have come via (technical) knockout.
Patrick is a horrendously boring fighter, but you can’t argue with results. “Nuguete” has scored 19 combined takedowns in his last three fights, meaning the fight goes to the ground when, if, and how he wants it to. Though Holtzman is the sharper striker, his defensive grappling hasn’t caught up with the offensive part, and the need to get inside of Patrick’s reach to land strikes opens him up to those endless takedowns.
Patrick likely isn’t long for the sport at age 35 and doesn’t have the time to develop the striking needed to fully exploit his length, but this is an extremely winnable fight for him. Indeed, steady takedowns carry him to another decision victory.
Prediction: Patrick via unanimous decisionComment -
More importantly what people miss about that fight is just how terrible Conor's cardio really is when he's matched with a wrestler that will put his weight on him. First, Conor was so worried about the takedowns in the first round, that Mendez pretty much even won the stand-up exchanges in the first round. But the important part is that if you watch that fight, you will see Conor already gassed at the beginning of the second round, coming out of his corner. Look at the exchanges he throws before getting taken down by Mendez in the second. He's tired. Sure we all know what happened after that, but Mendez was taking that fight on a week notice, right? If Conor is good for three rounds tops before his power punch flies away in a boxing match, he will be sure to gas very early against a wrestler. I don't see him having anything other than a puncher's chance in the first round only. That is it.
I don't like when they match up a pure wrestler and grappler against a pure striker and boxer... Well if you are betting on it I guess it's fun to watch and win money in that light..
It usually plays out the wrestler/grappler takes down the stand up striker.. Lays and Prays for the duration of the fight or you get the sub or pound out on the ground.. Those fights typically can be boring as hell..
When you match a striker against striker or a grappler against grappler then it's more interesting because then you're playing to the fighters strengths in that same department..
My take anyway on stylistic match ups like this...
I remember when McGregor fought Chad Mendes... Chad put McIrish on his back pretty easily.. He gassed and McGregor finally clipped his chin... Khabib is at another level then Chad IMO...
This is what you will see happen...
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Anybody else eyeballin the fook out of that Pettis/Ferguson OVER 2.5? I think it's at -130 right now. Yum Yum.Comment -
Just take Conor by KO in the first. That will probably be his best and only shot.Comment -
I don’t know who I’m going to play here depends who they want to winComment -
Mcgregor had a torn acl in the mendes fight. And khabibs stand up is literally nowhere near mendes its such a different approach for this fight not to mention conor has gotten way better. Alvarez shot too late in their fight but i still think it wouldve been the same. Like my coach says “you hit an olympic wrestler hard enough he shoots like a college wrestler, you hit him and he misses another takedown he becomes a high school wrestler and crumbles.”
Also in response to that gif: khabib doesnt shoot doubles
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Good luck StrictlyPaypal
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Khabib by sub is the call...Comment -
I said to herr Franz earlier that Khabib doesn't want to finish him and let him off so easily.
But..
I have a gut feeling when Khabib is putting on the mauling. McGregor could go into "tap like chicken" mode by offering his back/neck or something.
Dude's got 100 mil+ in the bank. Something might have changed after the Mayweather fight. Need evidence he still got his fighters spirit / heart.Comment -
Yes when Khabib puts McGregor on his back and starts get full mount and pounding on his face he will then turn over and give his back and neck up.. Just like he did to Nick Diaz...
I could absolutely see that happening!!!! On the flip McGregor has an outside chance of landing something big standing but I'm not betting on that, probably not hedging with it either..
1039 Nurmagomedov wins by submission +375
1037 McGregor wins by TKO/KO +185 Comment -
I think its going to be khabib winning by tkovground qnd pound with his elbows. I say mcgregor tires out with khabib smithering him and in round 3 khabib hits him with enough ground strikes that ref stops it.Comment -
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Conor by TKO. Lost a lot betting against him. Learned my lesson. Khabib couldnt even finish Al Iaquinta. All I need to knowComment -
It's a weird one. A lot of money are bet on Khabib. UFC obviously wants Connor to win. They also appointed shady ref Herb Dean for this fight who can stop the fight quickly after Connor somehow knockdowns Khabib.Comment -
Lmao you are sying like Al Iaquinta is a nobody. This dude is tough as nails. He is also a wrestler. Connor doesn't have toughness and will power of Iaquinta. Look how easy he gave his back to Diaz and tapped right away. If you want to see what will happen to Mac Chicken than rewatch Khabib fight against Barboza.
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McMuffin couldn't even hurt little Floyd...which is hilarious.Comment
