Official Excluding Main Event, rest of the card UFC 229 thread (Oct 6 2018)

**Thrilla** · 10-01-18, 01:24 PM

Event Background

The event is expected to be headlined by a UFC Lightweight Championship bout between the undefeated current champion Khabib Nurmagomedov and former featherweight and lightweight champion Conor McGregor.^[3] McGregor captured the lightweight title at UFC 205, when he was the reigning featherweight champion.^[4] McGregor never defended the title, as he took some time off in 2017 due to the birth of his first son and later venturing himself in a boxing match against Floyd Mayweather Jr. (in which he lost).^[5]^[6] The UFC originally planned an interim title bout between Nurmagomedov and The Ultimate Fighter: Team Lesnar vs. Team dos Santos welterweight winner Tony Ferguson, but it was canceled due to Khabib having medical issues related to his weight cut on weigh-in day.^[7] Ferguson eventually won the interim title at UFC 216 against Kevin Lee.^[8] Ferguson was then expected to meet Nurmagomedov at UFC 223, with the winner being crowned the undisputed champion (as McGregor would be stripped of the title as soon as the bout took place). In turn, it was scrapped once again (fourth time) as Ferguson got injured, and after several possibilities for an opponent, Nurmagomedov eventually won the vacant title against Al Iaquinta.^[9]^[10] That card was also marked by an attack on a bus containing several fighters scheduled to compete at the event (including Nurmagomedov and two teammates), performed by McGregor and his crew.^[11]

Jussier Formiga was previously scheduled to face Sergio Pettis in January 2017 at UFC Fight Night: Rodríguez vs. Penn. However, Formiga pulled out of the fight for undisclosed reasons.^[12] The pairing was rescheduled for this event.^[13]

Sean O'Malley was pulled from a bout against José Alberto Quiñónez due to a potential Anti-Doping Policy violation. Promotion officials have not confirmed if Quiñónez would remain on the card against a replacement or rescheduled for a separate event.^[14]

**Thrilla** · 10-01-18, 01:40 PM

Felice Herrig and those close to her talk about her Fighting Spirit.

UFC strawweight Michelle Waterson speaks about why she chose to become a fighter.

**Thor4140** · 10-01-18, 01:50 PM

i am in on Conor. Conor could get ragdolled here but hearing him talk i like that he sees the same holes in Kahibis game and i got the smarter fighter i believe. Yes Conor got taken down easily by Mendes a guy who can knock your head off. Khabib is a bull in a china shop and to me it plays right into Conors hands.

I also am taking Showtime. These odds are ridiculous. I love the way Tony fights but Showtime seems to be back on track. I only see Tony winning this if he gets the takedown which is a real possibility but he can also get subbed by one of the quickest Ju Jitzs guys out there. This is simply an odds play which i think are way out of whack. Gonna go with Little Showtime also. Just like his progression in the sport. Hate that these are not five rounders but what ya gonna do.

**Thor4140** · 10-01-18, 01:51 PM

Trilla is the Tony/Pettis fight a five rounder?

**Thrilla** · 10-01-18, 01:54 PM

Originally posted by Thor4140

Trilla is the Tony/Pettis fight a five rounder?

3 x 5 min.

**Thrilla** · 10-01-18, 01:58 PM

Tough to pick a winner in Herrig vs. Waterson. Seriously considering betting draw.

**Hugo de Naranja** · 10-01-18, 02:55 PM

Thanks for starting this thread Thrilla!

**Sirius** · 10-01-18, 08:35 PM

What about that official Locksmith thread, baby?!

...Fk outta here

Lets get it

**Thor4140** · 10-01-18, 09:32 PM

Thrilla meant well but the thread subject line looks like shit

**Thrilla** · 10-02-18, 12:15 AM

Originally posted by Sirius

What about that official Locksmith thread, baby?!

...Fk outta here

Lets get it

Go suck his ***

**Thrilla** · 10-02-18, 12:19 AM

Originally posted by Thor4140

Thrilla meant well but the thread subject line looks like shit

Had to make sure the dumber forum members could understand.

**Thor4140** · 10-02-18, 12:33 AM

Originally posted by Thrilla

Had to make sure the dumber forum members could understand.

**Demonata** · 10-02-18, 12:34 AM

Originally posted by Thrilla

Had to make sure the dumber forum members could understand.

You have a convict hugging a terrorist as your profile picture so I figure you are talking about yourself. You're thread title is like an old man rambling on.

**Kermit** · 10-02-18, 12:43 AM

Originally posted by Thrilla

Had to make sure the dumber forum members could understand.

I have never actually met(or seen in person) a Trump supporter who wore one of those stupid tacky red Trump "Make American Great Again" hats.

I do still see a lot of dumbfuklks driving around with Clinton/Kaine 2016 stickers on their cars like there is still hope.

**Thrilla** · 10-02-18, 08:18 PM

MMA Pros Pick

**Sanity Check** · 10-02-18, 09:29 PM

Originally posted by Thrilla

Had to make sure the dumber forum members could understand.

Nice scripted fake news.

One thing is for certain, a lot of people run for their safe spaces the second facts get dropped.

That's something you see a lot from Hillary supporters/leftists/democrats. They know their perspective and lies don't hold up under scrutiny.

History, truth & facts are all on Trump's side.

**Thrilla** · 10-02-18, 10:49 PM

^^^ Fukker why did you wait 24 hours?

Useless

**Sanity Check** · 10-02-18, 10:56 PM

Originally posted by Thrilla

^^^ Fukker why did you wait 24 hours?

Useless

The only useless thing is the media which publishes thousands of fake news stories every week while avoiding the real issues like why healthcare is expensive or unaffordable.

Your relationship with the media is an abusive one where they try to keep you as uneducated and uninformed as possible so they can more conveniently set you up to be fkd over later. They never cover anything real.

**Thrilla** · 10-02-18, 10:56 PM

Originally posted by Sanity Check

^ 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.

**Demonata** · 10-03-18, 12:48 AM

Pettis is looking really good in training. Looks like Ferguson isn't even taking fight seriously.

**Sanity Check** · 10-03-18, 01:06 AM

Originally posted by Demonata

Pettis is looking really good in training. Looks like Ferguson isn't even taking fight seriously.

If you want a second opinion on that.

I think Anthony Pettis watched the 1st embedded & saw Ferguson playing with the wing chun dummy using that deep tissue massager on his leg & I think Pettis is beginning to doubt himself knowing he's one of the lesser athletic fighters in the UFC going up against someone who should have a good advantage there.

Its hard for Pettis to say he's one of the better athletes @ 155 when he has been run over by Clay Guida, RDA and many others on their athleticism alone.

**firekillex** · 10-03-18, 02:45 AM

the man who has literally the most athletic highlight strike in MMA possibly isnt a good athlete

to land a flying off the cage head kick is literally the definition of athletic lollll

**Sanity Check** · 10-03-18, 05:57 AM

Originally posted by firekillex

the man who has literally the most athletic highlight strike in MMA possibly isnt a good athlete

to land a flying off the cage head kick is literally the definition of athletic lollll

Well, I know some of you like to "make fun" of my "conspiracy theories".

Here's a "conspiracy theory" for you.

"Conspiracy Theory":
#1 Anthony Pettis hates wrestling. He admitted that he gave up training wrestling 100%.
#2 Part of the reason Pettis hates wrestling is he never had underwent the correct strength and conditioning program to develop the muscle groups and athleticism he needs to be a successful wrestler.
#3 Pettis also never had the correct program to develop cardio as a wrestler.

There are different types of athleticism. The type needed to do a showtime kick is different from the type needed to be good @ wrestling or MMA.

Pettis has always lacked athleticism in the wrestling department & looked like someone who lacked the motivation to put 100% into preparation for his camps. When you put the two together it might not be too hard to explain how RDA, Clay Guida, Max Holloway, Dustin Poirier, Eddie Alvarez and others out-hustled Pettis.

Not to say that Pettis isn't a good fighter but somewhere along the line he seems to have checked out mentally and quit fighting.

**Thrilla** · 10-03-18, 07:05 AM

Originally posted by Thor4140

i am in on Conor. Conor could get ragdolled here but hearing him talk i like that he sees the same holes in Kahibis game and i got the smarter fighter i believe. Yes Conor got taken down easily by Mendes a guy who can knock your head off. Khabib is a bull in a china shop and to me it plays right into Conors hands.

I also am taking Showtime. These odds are ridiculous. I love the way Tony fights but Showtime seems to be back on track. I only see Tony winning this if he gets the takedown which is a real possibility but he can also get subbed by one of the quickest Ju Jitzs guys out there. This is simply an odds play which i think are way out of whack. Gonna go with Little Showtime also. Just like his progression in the sport. Hate that these are not five rounders but what ya gonna do.

**Sanity Check** · 10-03-18, 07:42 AM

Originally posted by Thrilla

Cute.

I'll contend:

Bulls raised in the wild would have smashed those shelves and the china on them.

Bulls raised in captivity however have long since learned not to collide with obstacles like the steel bars of their cage & so they avoid the shelves.

The myth is still valid if you're using wild bulls that haven't been domesticated for the same reasons you wouldn't expect a house broken dog to pee on your rug.

**Demonata** · 10-03-18, 09:04 AM

Originally posted by firekillex

the man who has literally the most athletic highlight strike in MMA possibly isnt a good athlete

to land a flying off the cage head kick is literally the definition of athletic lollll

Lmfao yeah man anyone that says Anthony Pettis is not athletic makes no sense at all. I have an Anthony Pettis autographed glove and he's one of my favorite fighters and he has plenty of wins with high athleticism.

**firekillex** · 10-03-18, 11:36 AM

the only thing i can agree is Pettis is not the strongest mentally fighting thats for sure, he has a ton of skill and him stopping wrestling is actually smart imo, you will never catch up to these guys whove wrestled since they were kids and youre just losing time on striking/grappling work which was making him even worse, he got into his own head.. Of course hell never be a long reigning champ if he doesnt train wrestling but he will rattle of wins again against the right stylistic opponents. Tony is like Pettis but with some wrestling , and heart only problem is hes coming off a major knee injury and hes coming back super fast.. i think +300 Pettis is worth a small dart shot imo due to the circumstances, if it was both guys full health its Ferg all day but with that injury and how fast hes coming bck to the cage i think its worth a small shot especially since he does get hit and Pettis has a little momentum coming into the fight, even though he isnt the best at fighting backwards and we know Ferguson will pressure him

**JIBBBY** · 10-03-18, 12:53 PM

So is this the Event thread now? I'm a little lost?

**Thrilla** · 10-03-18, 03:23 PM

Originally posted by JIBBBY

So is this the Event thread now? I'm a little lost?

Do you want me to spell it?

**JIBBBY** · 10-03-18, 03:47 PM

Ok write ups - Prelims MMA MANIA -

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
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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 decision

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
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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
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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
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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 decision

Current UFC “Prelims” Prediction Record for 2018: 138-64

**Thor4140** · 10-03-18, 04:51 PM

Originally posted by Sanity Check

Nice scripted fake news.

One thing is for certain, a lot of people run for their safe spaces the second facts get dropped.

That's something you see a lot from Hillary supporters/leftists/democrats. They know their perspective and lies don't hold up under scrutiny.

History, truth & facts are all on Trump's side.

There is a guy in the political section that post about 50 of Trumps lies a day. Why don't you show us all how smart u are. He challenges every imbecile like you and they all run for cover. Go for it Einstein. You can do it unless you are a complete fraud like any sane person in here thinks. To actually think Trump is an honest man might be the dumbest thing ever posted on this site and that is saying a lot. Yes our press sucks here but to think this bum is telling the truth is about as far the fuk out there as it gets.

**Sanity Check** · 10-03-18, 05:31 PM

Originally posted by Thor4140

There is a guy in the political section that post about 50 of Trumps lies a day. Why don't you show us all how smart u are. He challenges every imbecile like you and they all run for cover.

Give me a name.

**Sanity Check** · 10-03-18, 08:41 PM

Originally posted by Thor4140

There is a guy in the political section that post about 50 of Trumps lies a day. Why don't you show us all how smart u are. He challenges every imbecile like you and they all run for cover. Go for it Einstein. You can do it unless you are a complete fraud like any sane person in here thinks. To actually think Trump is an honest man might be the dumbest thing ever posted on this site and that is saying a lot. Yes our press sucks here but to think this bum is telling the truth is about as far the fuk out there as it gets.

I used to argue politics. I saw it as a way to learn & help create a better future for myself & people I care about.

My way of thinking seems to be mostly dead and forgotten to the world.

Done arguing politics for awhile, unless someone really wants me to.

**firekillex** · 10-03-18, 09:12 PM

MMA thread nobody cares