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Or sorry, some kuukerii (demon) sent me that vid...Comment -
Wonderboy dec+165
Dustin-125Comment -
Tuivasa -140
Hall +195
Anyone else see a lot of value in Ryan Hall here? Maybe I’m a biased fan. Guy can take legs home with him with ease.Comment -
I think Dustin knocks out McIrish again. McGregor doesn't fight anymore, ring rust an issue.Comment -
McGregor fights closer to his style this time around. Not flat footed and plodding like a guy that just trained for a boxing match. He will get back to the in and out style with good movement to avoid leg kicks and create the angles. He can get another win off Poirier, if he executes these easy adjustments.GL
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I wouldn't call it easy because Dustin can take a punch and we know how fast Conor can gas. One overlooked angle that I was reminded of on youtube is that this will have a sellout crowd! Covid era fights had to be weird for these guys. Conor gets juice off of the crowd like no other! I think he'll stop him early 2nd RoundMcGregor fights closer to his style this time around. Not flat footed and plodding like a guy that just trained for a boxing match. He will get back to the in and out style with good movement to avoid leg kicks and create the angles. He can get another win off Poirier, if he executes these easy adjustments.GL
Like I said before, Conor is the more talented fighter. His ceiling was higher then Dustin's will ever be, but if McGregor lost it then he lost it. Its hard to fight twice in 4-5 years and be at the top of the food chain. This is not a part time gig. I'll go back to Tyson/Holyfield again. Mike Tyson would've decapitated Holyfield in his prime, but Holyfield beat him fair and square twice because he wasn't the same and didn't that aura anymoreLast edited by Fred The Hammer; 07-07-21, 10:58 PM.Comment -
Conor's MMA and boxing stances are completely different.
His MMA stance is balanced, relaxed, loose and flowy. He can dart in and out quickly. Strikes are delivered quick, accurate and easy.
Conor's boxing stance is tense, tight and unbalanced with his head too far forward (IMO). It being unbalanced and tight diminishes the power of his strikes.
No clue what Conor will look like coming out for this 3rd fight. No film of Conor hitting pads has yet been released afaik. Sometimes, if I see a short clip of them hitting the bag I can tell how they've been training.
Only guarantee here is the Paul brothers will have something silly to say afterward, no matter the outcome?Comment -
There's multiple trends, you decide which are the deciding factors:
McGregor defeated Poirier in the featherweight division.
Poirier defeat McGregor in the lightweight division.
This 3rd fight will be in the lightweight division.
McGregor has never lost two in a row in MMA.
I say slight edge to Poirer. But I prefer this safe bet:
HOW FIGHT WILL END: KO/TKO -240Comment -
Greg Hardy: "That's a guy (Derrick Lewis) who wasn't mentioned. But decided to grace his greasy fat popeye's chicken lips with my name."
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Iron Mike lost most of his steam when he fired the corner he had left after Cus' death. Rooney and Atlas would have kept him on track. He went with his brotherhood. When he is getting beat by Buster all they said in his corner is come on Mike, come on Mike, you can do it... No direction, no help just cheered him on. What a shit show! Mike didn't like Teddy. Teddy put a knife to his throat for doing or saying something about his family. What an animal! Teach him to sprawl and roll a bit and he dominates the UFC lt. hvwt. division.lol
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Kinda liking Gilbert Burns. Wonderboy getting old now.Comment -
Prelim write ups MMAMANIA..
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125 lbs.: Jennifer Maia vs. Jessica Eye
A rebound fight turned into a golden opportunity for Jennifer Maia (18-6-1) when top contender Joanne Calderwood stepped into face her on short notice, and the Brazilian capitalized in a big way by tapping “Dr. Kneevil” to jump the Flyweight queue. This set up a title shot against Valentina Shevchenko, but despite some early success, Maia wound up on the wrong end of a wide decision.
Half of her professional wins have come inside the distance, nine of them via submission.
Jessica Eye (15-9) breathed new life into her UFC career with a 4-1 Flyweight run, the sole loss coming to reigning champion Valentina Shevchenko. The turnaround wasn’t to last, and she now finds herself in an 0-2 hole.
“Evil” will enjoy two inches of height and reach on Maia.
At the end of the day, Eye really isn’t that bad of a fighter — the worst stretch of her UFC run took place above her ideal weight class and it’s not like she’s lost to bad Flyweights. Her boxing’s legit, at least, and she probably has the overall stand up edge against Maia.
That said, she doesn’t seem to have any counter if Maia decides to lean on her wrestling. “Evil’s” last four opponents have dragged her to the mat at least once each, and considering Maia’s jiu-jitsu prowess, the Brazilian probably doesn’t need more than one takedown per round to seal the deal. Maia can start slow, so it’ll likely wind up closer than it needs to be, but her ground game carries her to a narrow victory.
Prediction: Maia via split decision
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Watch ‘Countdown’ To UFC 264: ‘Poirier Vs. McGregor 3’
185 lbs.: Omari Akhmedov vs. Brad Tavares
Reeling from two consecutive knockout losses, Omari Akhmedov (21-5-1) battled his way into contendership with a six-fight unbeaten streak. Though he proved unable to overcome Chris Weidman in Aug. 2020, a second-round tapout of Tom Breese got him back on track and earned him his first stoppage win since 2015.
He has knocked out seven professional foes and tapped another six.
Now more than a decade into his Octagon career, Brad Tavares’ (18-6) only losses since 2015 have come against division standouts Robert Whittaker, Israel Adesanya and Edmen Shahbazyan. Though he spent more than one year on the sidelines after that most recent defeat, he cruised past Antonio Carlos Junior to re-enter the win column in Jan. 2021.
He’ll have one inch of height and reach on “Wolverine.”
On paper, Akhmedov is the exact sort of fighter Tavares thrives against. Indeed, the Hawaiian’s rock-solid takedown defense and strong striking fundamentals should allow him to shut down Akhmedov’s grinding attack and pick him apart on the feet. I’ll admit to regularly underestimating Akhmedov, but his recent run of success has largely come against people he could overwhelm in the clinch and top position ... and Tavares doesn’t seem to fit that bill.
To make matters worse for Akhmedov, Tavares’ cardio far outstrips his, so things will only get more one-sided as the fight progresses. While it wouldn’t be hugely shocking to see Akhmedov floor him with one of those big swings, expect a classic Tavares performance as he chews up the Dagestani with leg kicks and crisp combinations.
Prediction: Tavares via unanimous decision
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125 lbs.: Zhalgas Zhumagulov vs. Jerome Rivera
The 6-1 run for Zhalgas Zhumagulov (13-5) under the Fight Nights Global banner saw him defeat notable figures like Tyson Nam, Tagir Ulanbekov and Ali Bagautinov en route to winning and defending the promotion’s Flyweight title. He’s yet to taste victory in the Octagon, losing a controversial decision to Raulian Paiva and a more clear-cut one to Ali Albazi in two appearances.
He stands six inches shorter than “Renegade” at 5’4.”
Just three fights after suffering a horrific arm injury against Brandon Royval, Jerome Rivera (10-5) made his way to “Contender Series,” where he defeated Luis Rodriguez but failed to earn a contract. He ultimately reached UFC by stepping up on short notice, a decision that’s resulted in an 0-3 skid with two knockout defeats.
He has ended seven professional fights via submission.
I really do feel for Zhumagulov, who’s far more talented than his Octagon record would suggest. He deserved the decision against Paiva and turned in a really solid effort against Albazi, whom I consider one of the better Flyweight prospects in the game. This looks like a much more forgiving matchup, as Rivera lacks the wrestling skills to keep Zhumagulov on his back and is too defensively inept to survive the Kazakh’s blitzes on the feet.
Rivera’s only potential avenue to victory lies in his quality top control, but considering his aforementioned wrestling deficiencies and Zhumagulov’s scrambling skills, that’s a long shot. In the end, Zhumagulov tears him up with combinations for a quick finish.
Prediction: Zhumagulov via first round technical knockout
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185 lbs.: Yaozong Hu vs. Alen Amedovski (8-2)
China’s Yaozong Hu (3-2) began his UFC career as a Heavyweight, where he fell to Cyril Asker by second-round submission. “Bad Boy” dropped to 205 for his second effort, which saw him drop a decision to Rashad Coulter in Beijing.
This will be both his Middleweight debut and his first fight in more than 30 months.
Two first-round knockouts under the Bellator banner propelled Alen Amedovski (8-2) to UFC, where he fell short against Krzysztof Jotko in his debut. Then came John Phillips, who smashed the Macedonian just 14 seconds into the first round.
All eight of his professional wins have come by form of knockout.
On one side, we’ve got Yaozong, who got run over by Asker, spent much of his fight with Coulter as a punching bag, and has been out for almost three years. On the other, we’ve got Amedovski, who got grappled to death by Jotko, lasted less than a half-minute against the profoundly underwhelming Phillips, and has been out for almost two years.
What I’m saying is that anything can happen here ... or at least anything that isn’t particularly impressive.
I’m leaning toward Amedovski. That’s because for all his faults, the man can genuinely thump, and Yaozong’s striking defense looked astoundingly poor last time out. Admittedly, Yaozong’s still just 26 and is fighting out of a great camp in Tiger Muay Thai, so he could very well have made some much-needed improvements during his time away. I try not to put too much faith in hypotheticals, though, so expect Amedovski to smash him early.
Prediction: Amedovski via first round knockout
145 lbs.: Ryan Hall vs. Ilia Topuria
A fortunate turn of events sent Ryan Hall (8-1) to The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 22 Finale despite a loss to Saul Rogers, and he made the most of the opportunity by dominating Artem Lobov in his debut. He has since won another three fights, becoming the first man to tap B.J. Penn in the process.
This will be his first fight in almost exactly two years.
Georgia’s Ilia Topuria (10-0) stepped up on short notice for an Oct. 2020 Octagon debut, which saw him defeat the red-hot Youssef Zalal on “Fight Island.” He returned to action less than two months later against Damon Jackson, whom he flattened with a vicious right hand midway through the first round.
His seven stoppages include five submissions.
As someone who’s deeply fond of watching ultra-specialized fighters defeat better-rounded opponents, it pains me to say that Hall’s in for it here. Topuria seemingly has all the tools to ruin Hall’s day — excellent wrestling, quality jiu-jitsu and some truly vicious punching power with which to punish Hall’s oddball striking. Hall needs to either land an early Imanari roll or pray that Topuria decides to test himself on the mat, because things will go very poorly for him otherwise.
All that said, Hall’s had two years to tighten up his game, so he might be able to surprise Topuria. Considering how lethal he is on the mat, he really only needs one opening. Still, it’s hard to see him getting one over on someone with this many tools. Respect for Hall’s ground game may stop Topuria from pushing for a finish, but that just means 15 minutes of patient destruction instead.
Prediction: Topuria via unanimous decision
170 lbs.: Carlos Condit vs. Max Griffin
Carlos Condit (32-13) — a former interim champion and perennial contender — seemed to be on his last legs after suffering five consecutive defeats from 2016 to 2018. Rumors of his career demise proved exaggerated, however, as he defeated Court McGee and Matt Brown for his first multi-fight win streak since 2012.
He has ended 28 professional fight inside the distance.
Max Griffin (17-8) initially struggled to find his footing in the Octagon, losing six of his first nine in the world’s largest fight organization. The last eight months have treated him a bit better, as he’s stopped Ramiz Brahimaj and Kenan Song in violent fashion.
“Pain” is the shorter man by three inches but boasts a slight reach advantage.
Like the vast majority of mixed martial arts (MMA) fans, I’m fond of Carlos Condit, but beating a decrepit Matt Brown and a Court McGee who refused to shoot a single takedown isn’t enough to convince me he’s back. Griffin — though inconsistent and a bit fragile — is skilled enough to at least stay afloat on the feet and has developed the offensive wrestling prowess to exploit Condit’s historically awful takedown defense.
To Condit’s credit, he’s still more than tough enough to absorb Griffin’s best shots and isn’t likely to get tapped. Still, even with a full 15 minutes to work, it’s hard to see him shutting down Griffin’s grind. In short, “Pain” takes the approach he used against Imadaev and defuses Condit with patient top control.
Prediction: Griffin via unanimous decision
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170 lbs.: Niko Price vs. Michel Pereira (25-11)
Niko Price (14-4) bounced back from his career-first loss to Vicente Luque with a 4-2 run that saw him score three “Performance of the Night” bonuses along the way. “The Hybrid” enters the cage this Saturday on a two-fight winless streak, however, falling to Vicente Luque in their ultra-entertaining rematch and suffering a “No Contest” against Donald Cerrone due to a failed drug test.
His 13 stoppage wins include 10 by form of knockout.
Though he started his Octagon run with a bonus-winning knockout of Danny Roberts, Pereira struggled to maintain momentum, dropping an upset decision to Tristan Connelly and getting himself disqualified against Diego Sanchez with an illegal knee. Subsequent efforts proved more successful, taking home “Performance of the Night” for his submission of Zelim Imadaev and handing Khaos Williams his first Octagon defeat.
He gives up three inches of reach despite being the taller man by one inch.
Toning down the acrobatics in favor of a mobile, pot-shotting style has turned Pereira from a sideshow into a legitimate threat, and that’ll be on full display here. He’s got the footwork and speed to run circles around Price, who’ll have all sorts of trouble getting his slugging going when Pereira refuses to stay in the pocket. So long as “Demolidor” keeps his composure, he’s got the tools to thoroughly neutralize and punish Price’s free-swinging offense.
Even if Price does manage to turn it into a slobberknocker, I trust Pereira’s chin a lot more than I do Price’s. In the end,. Pereira plays matador until the opportunity arises to shut the lights out.
Prediction: Pereira via second round technical knockout
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185 lbs.: Trevin Giles vs. Dricus Du Plessis
Though he got off to a red-hot 2-0 UFC start, Trevin Giles (14-2) left the sport for 1.5 years to become a police officer, then suffered consecutive submission losses upon his return. He’s since put together a three-fight win streak, most recently edging out late replacement Roman Dolidze in March 2020.
He gives up one inch of height and two inches of reach to “Stillknocks.”
Dricus Du Plessis (15-2) claimed titles in both EFC and KSW on his way to the Octagon, splitting a pair of fights with one of Europe’s best in Roberto Soldic in the process. His Octagon debut pitted him against former LFA champ Markus Perez, resulting in the latter’s first-ever stoppage defeat.
He has tapped nine professional foes and knocked out another six.
It remains as difficult as ever to get a proper bead on Giles. Though clearly skilled and capable of impressive feats of speed and power, he’s so prone to boneheaded moves that he could just as easily win or lose any given fight. He’s a far more technical striker than Du Plessis — whose defensive lapses could very easily get him thumped in short order — but “Stillknocks” has a similar blend of heavy low kicks, hard counters and good reactive takedowns that Dolidze used to great effect. If Giles fights as passively as he did last time out, Du Plessis will cruise past him.
While Giles just blasting Du Plessis into oblivion on the feet wouldn’t surprise me terribly, “The Problem’s” tentativeness and self-destructive tendency to engage with better grapplers on the mat look likely to bite him in the rear again. In short, Du Plessis busts up his lead leg and racks up top control for a comfortable decision.
Prediction: Du Plessis via unanimous decisionComment -
looks like you agree with me so you must be smoking some of the same shit. I like Tui to but besides Bless you can’t trust these Hawaiians to ever come in shapeComment -
LeMartin picks
O'Malley ITD -325
Tuivasa -128Comment -
I think Poirier submits Conor if he can survive Conor's early onslaught.Comment -
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Now Conor is calling Dustin "Buster Douglas". Like I said there is something to this Tyson-McGregor thing. One sat in a yacht while the other sat in jail, but when it goes it goes and you can't get it back. Conor should've set it up so after the fight with Floyd, he'd be back in the cage within a year. Too busy p h king around.Comment -
Aldana first fighter to miss weight this morning. I know she had foot surgery and COVID recently, I wonder if that played a part in the weight cut.Comment -
This is what I was thinking Jibby, Dustin submitted my former teammate with that nasty Darce choke (pablo Garza). I would love to see this.
Im thinking of playing the main event this way.
Conor TKO Rd1 - 1u
Dustin ITD .5u
Dustin by Submission .5u
What do you think?
Glad to see you back and hope you are well after the death in the familyComment -
Not hating on the Dustin ITD at +125 and McIrish 1st round finish at +350 as a hedge play.
Not sure about the DP sub though? DP might be pissed off enough to pound him out with fists on the ground if McIrish gasses and gets clipped in the later rounds. Mctalkcrap was talking shiiit about his wife.
DP sub prop is juicy though at +550.Comment -
Sorry I was just Uncle Chaelling. Yeah Poirier got better and McGregor made money since the first fight. Poirier got more weapons but McGregor with the revenge now. It's a 50/50 fight.Thrilla how? youve been around MMA for a long time.
Money is what motivated Conor because thats all he talked about on his way up. With his whiskey and investments what motivates him? Winning a fight? I dont think so...
He didnt look great against Poirier and we didnt see anything vs Cowboy. Conor doesnt like a fighter that can grind and Poirier can bring the heat.
Late round stoppage or sub Poirier
Haven't bet the fight yet but McGregor at +120 now maybe I will consider a stab or not.
What bothers me is where was the excitement for Poirier in the 2nd fight when he closed like +280? Betting that number was clear as daylight. I was like the only one? Lost some respect for this place since then.Comment -
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Hardy gonna get knocked out parlay thatComment -
Bet on the house on Poirier !!! McGregor nothing left but the left.Comment
