July MMA Q&A discussing UFC 189, the new Reebok kits, fighters on steroids, and more.
The year is half over and the MMA landscape, especially in the UFC, is a changing. Let’s open up the floor for questions.
Did Jose Aldo make the right call in pulling out of the fight against Conor McGregor?
Yes. I don’t care how much money UFC was willing to pay him to stay in the fight or how much money he was going to make from the fight and possible rematch, no amount of money is worth further damaging your health. Aldo has a broken rib. He would’ve been a sitting duck for McGregor, who is a pressure striker with power. MMA fighters already have a short shelf life and Aldo’s is shorter than most given his injury history. There was no need to put himself in further danger for extra money. The guy might have a track record when it comes to complaining about money, but it’s not like he’s broke. He’s financially stable enough to where he could make the decision to pull out of the fight and not have to worry about how his next meal is going to come.
But Dana is pissed at him.
Dana is pissed at everyone.
BUT JOSE ALDO HAS PULLED OUT OF FIVE TITLE FIGHTS!
Because he’s not stupid and doesn’t go into fights injured. Maybe that’s why he also the most successful champion in the past five years outside of Jon Jones. Dana loves burying his top stars so it’s not shocking that he buried Aldo for pulling out of the fight. Dana White is a man with many flaws and his pissed off reactions to things beyond his control is by far is biggest.
As much as Dana wants to deflect blame to Aldo and his camp for the injury, they don’t look good in this either. Initially, a Brazilian doctor told Aldo that his rib was fractured, but a UFC doctor told him that it was just a bruise. After a week, an American doctor confirmed that the rib was broken. So either the UFC employs a moronic doctor or he was told to say it wasn’t as bad as it was in order for the fight to take place. Either way, their handling of the whole thing was very bush league.
Are you still excited for McGregor vs. Chad Mendes?
Obviously not as much as McGregor vs. Aldo, but Mendes is still a very tough test for McGregor. If McGregor wins, it gives him more credibility as the top contender, something that has been questioned ever since he was named as the title challenger. If Mendes wins, it puts a possible permanent hold on Aldo vs. McGregor, which would be a huge financial loss for all parties involved, but it also puts an end to the McGregor hype, which a lot of people are sick of.
How about Robbie Lawler vs. Rory MacDonald?
This should be the main event since the real title is on the line and not some toy like Mendes vs. McGregor, but again, UFC makes up the rules as they go. That should be an exciting fight even though Georges St. Pierre is still the real champion.
Rory MacDonald isn’t Georges St. Pierre?
No, he’s the more talented version.
How about those new Reebok jerseys?
What a failure that whole thing turned out to be. They don’t look cool, there’s no customization, and every name is wrong or misspelled. They’re also $95, which is a lot to pay just to wear someone else’s full name on your back.
Aren’t all sports jersey’s expensive?
Sure, but no one looks like a goof wearing a Cam Newton or Sidney Crosby or Kevin Durant or Mike Trout jersey and it’s something that you can wear for every game. Plus, you’re not only supporting that player, but you’re supporting the entire team. If you buy a Chris Weidman jersey, your chances to wear it are pretty limited and you’re really only supporting Weidman. I guess you’re also supporting the UFC, but you already do that by spending $50 on their mediocre PPVs so why spend an extra $95 on a jersey.
Why are they called kits?
Because they include gloves and shorts.
So it has nothing to do with soccer?
No, Dana hates soccer. It’s a sport played by three year olds that the UFC surpassed in popularity many years ago.
Does everyone in the heavyweight division suck?
Yes. Cain Velasquez was supposed to be the dominant heavyweight of this generation, but he only fights once every two years and can’t string together enough title defenses to be considered great. Fabricio Werdum has shown remarkable improvement at such an age, but I don’t know how long that’s going to last, especially with the new drug testing policies kicking in.
Are you saying Werdum is on steroids?
I think just about every fighter is on steroids, which is why it doesn’t surprise me when anyone fails a test. I don’t have any hard evidence, but Werdum has always been an above average heavyweight who is now an elite heavyweight despite being 37-years-old. I don’t even care if he’s on steroids as I think all fighters should be able to use PEDs in a regulated fashion. If he’s not on anything, then good for him. And if he is on something, then good for him for still beating the test.
How do you explain the fall of Lyoto Machida?
Age.
How come Fabricio Werdum keeps getting better with age?
I’m not doing this again. Most fighters start to decline in the mid-30s. Machida is 37 and his whole style was based on movement and timing. The older you get, the slower you get. Machida was noticeably slower for the last two years now and fighters are finally able to catch-up to him. It’s sad to watch, but it happens to every fighter until they eventually retire.
Was Kimbo vs. Shamrock fixed?
No. It was Kimbo vs. Shamrock. Both are elite fighters and well-versed in all aspects of MMA. Kimbo has never been submitted and Shamrock hasn’t finished a chokehold since 1996. So it’s not unreasonable to think that Kimbo managed to find a way out of the choke before finishing the fight with his fists. Kimbo has unheard of power in his hands. He hit Shamrock so hard that it opened up the cut that forced Shamrock out of the first fight, seven years ago.
Are you sure it wasn’t fixed?
On a scale of Shamrock vs. Tito to Shamrock vs. Franklin, this was Shamrock vs. Gracie.
Who should Kimbo fight next?
Gracie.
Which one?
Pick one.
Royce?
Sure.
Rickson?
Sounds good.
Robby?
That’s a dream fight.
Besides the two UFC 189 title fights, which fights should we be looking forward to in July?
Off the top of my head, I can’t think of any. That’s not meant to be a joke, I honestly just don’t know who is fighting this month. However, after doing some research, I see that T.J. Dillashaw vs. Renan Barao 2 is taking place at the end of the month. That’s a good fight until one of them gets hurt training dangerous kicks in the next couple of weeks and we end up with Miesha Tate vs. Jessica Eye as the main event.
Have you been watching The Ultimate Fighter?
……….
Seriously. It’s been really good this year.
……….
It’s Camp vs. Camp instead of fighters.
……….
IT’S GOOD DAMNIT!
Well, when UFC starts regulating training camps, this camp vs. camp thing won’t matter. If you guys have nothing but Ultimate Fighter questions left, then it’s time to wrap this thing up. I’ll take one more question.
When is Samer Kadi coming back?
He returned to help preview Kimbo vs. Shamrock. When another fight of that magnitude comes along, he’ll return again.
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