RE: UFC 202 McGregor Vs. Diaz Rematch And Why You Should Watch It
Conor is quite simply the biggest star, largest personality, and the most exciting fighter in the UFC. All of his fights are must watch. He is an incredible talent that is fighting a taller, heavier, and more durable man who already beat him. And despite Conor being the most exciting fighter in the UFC, Nate actually has the most post fight bonuses in UFC only history. I'm more excited for this than UFC 200 (to be fair, I'd have been more excited for Cormier vs Jones), and if you guys have any interest in MMA at all, this is one you should watch.
I think Conor should be a larger favorite than he is. He completely dominated the first ~7.5 minutes of a fight where he moved up 2 weight classes on short notice. I understand Nate took the fight on shorter notice, but Nate always trains, has cardio for days, and his style is less reliant on having a proper training camp. I think Conor is more cautious, adds more leg kicks (Nate's kryptonite), doesn't gas out this time, and picks him apart en route to a TKO/KO win.
And unlike boxing, this is not a 1 fight event. Anthony Johnson vs Glover Teixeira will likely be lopsided in favor of Johnson, but the winner will fight Cormier for the title. And Donald Cerrone is an exciting fan favorite that, when including his WEC fights, has more of the night (not to be confused with The Night Of) awards than any fighter in UFC/WEC history (Nate is 2nd overall when including WEC).
Conclusion: don't make other plans Saturday night.
This is such a good comment it deserves to be part of it's own blog.
I hated conor until the mendes fight, now i get it but still not rooting for him, have always loved nate, hope he wins again
Yes, much as I love Nate, I think it will be better if Conor wins, and a third matchup is set in stone. Although seeing Conor talk his way out of two losses could be the best television broadcast viewed in a long time.
As crass as Nate is, you can't help but love him! Check out this clip from Jimmy Kimmel if you haven't already seen it.
To be honest, I have no desire to see a 3rd fight. Conor is the 145 pound champion and he hasn't defended his belt yet and won't have a title unification bout with Jose Aldo for at least a year. 155 is the right division for him and I don't want to put Conor's career on hold during his prime for over a year while he battles Nate repeatedly. Let's see him vs top 155s, a rematch vs Aldo, and other fun stylistic fights instead.
Yes I would like to see those as well, and I think those will take place between a third fight if it happens, but they are just so damn entertaining that I couldn't refuse the option of a third fight.
I've never attended a fight (not legal in New York so I'd have to travel), but I'd love to see one in person someday. Watching on TV probably pales in comparison to watching live, but I do love Joe Rogan and Mike Goldberg commentating. They are a hilarious pair and quite knowledgeable (Rogan especially).
I lost the money myself on 5dimes, but they have a very shady way of dealing with US customers. It's pretty common I'm sure, but the legality is strange. The credit cards get charged to random names when you fund, and they request you not tell fed ex that a package contains a check from an offsite gambling site.
I do like 5dimes and they are well respected and helpful, I just wish there wasn't so much behind the scenes tomfoolery and that the USA would just allow gambling and take a small percentage of winnings cashed out and let it be legal. Similar to gains when you cash out stocks. But that doesn't seem likely in the near future.
Thanks. I used to feel the same way about Conor, but he completely won me over in the Poirier fight. I rarely bet MMA anymore, but I thought Conor was such a clear bet at slight favorite odds, and having money on him helped reduce my bias. His quick win followed by the postfight speech was all I needed, fan for life now.
Yes I actually lost about $40K (a lot for me, but was my fault) on an online site and the correspondences I after a few years with the company were quite enlightening. I found a glitch in an online blackjack game on 5dimes and that turned the odds in my favor, but like most unprofessional gamblers, instead of cashing out I found a way to up my betting and lose it all. I follow you, because I enjoy your gambling stories and find them fascinating.
I personally cannot control gambling myself, so I have stayed away from online sites, but may do a small amount for fun to make a few of the more boring Monday Night Football matchups a little more interesting.
Sorry to hear that. In your defense, had I found a glitch in an online blackjack game that turned the odds in my favor I would have a hard time not pressing my edge. My rationale for withdrawing winnings rather than upping my betting would mainly be with the site possibly not paying out due to the glitch and wanting to cash out winnings before they froze and confiscated them. Now that I reread your post, it's actually a bit unclear, did you go on a bad run and lose or did 5dimes confiscate your money?
I lost a lot after Full Tilt was insolvent. And some other random poker sites that never paid out.
I love the brand he is building. Not quite as big an ego as Mayweather, but it does fill out the room.
I bet the Rousey vs. Correia fight and won about $700, but find it unwise to gamble to to the nature of online gambling sites (I've had some shady interactions).
But Conor has really exploded onto the scene and it will be interesting to see the weight difference from last fight and how the dedicated training camp to prepare for Nate will affect the fight.
I'm a professional gambler and have had more than my fair share of negative experiences: had nearly 6 figures disappear on unregulated or insolvent sites (one of the reasons I'd worry for anarchy and a lack of regulation). But the reputable, transparent sites are fairly safe and if you can derive fun or in my case make your living on them, then it's worth having an amount of money you can afford on them.
Agreed. Great addition @daut44 . UFC recently sold out and needs a marquee player like McGregor. Hey that rhymes.
Playa Like McGrega ;)
While there are fighters that I feel may be more talented (Anderson Silva, Jon Jones, Demetrius Johnson) The way that Conor has built his brand is even more appealing than one of the most famous trash talkers of all time in Chael Sonnen Whose Daughter Passed Away Sadly Very Recently
Conor is 100% polarizing. You are either watching this fight to cheer him on or rooting for him to be absolutely dominated and taken down a notch. If Conor does win this may make for the most exciting 3rd matchup that I can think of.
Nate is not an eloquent speaker, but there is no questioning his hard work. Nate and Nick are both quite entertaining to watch, regardless of their records. They always bring 100% even if they are outmatched.
Absolutely! Get a bunch of guys/gals together, chip in a few bucks and watch the PPV or go out to a bar with other UFC fans.
Having watched the Holly Holm vs Ronda Rousey fight live at a local bar, I can attest that there is not anything quite like an amazing knockout from a complete underdog.
This fight could go one round or the distance. I think Conor will switch his game plan and be more tactical and less aggressive early on and feel Nate out. I think he will prevail, but Nate will not go down without an incredible effort on Conor's part.
I've moved firmly into the "Demetrious Johnson is the greatest fighter of all time" camp. But Conor, the best trash talker and more exciting fighter, who is willing to move around to any weight class taking superfights...how can he not be someone's favorite fighter? Even if they disagree with stuff he says (he is fucking brilliant)
Sad news about Chael's daughter, saw it pop up on frontrowbrian's twitter feed.
Yes I wholeheartedly agree. And could you imagine the talk that would go on social media and in person if Chael and Conor fought? It would be a gold mine.
He has a chest tattoo of a gorilla wearing a crown and eating a heart!