General MMA Chat/News mk3 - **No Spoilers Use Event Threads**

ASOT

US2 wrote: »

I dont think it is? He had to build a hotel, gyms, the actual venue. Its exactly what he said it would be

From what I can tell it's a designated area of Yas Island that will be used exclusively for the fights and blocked off to the public.

It's the same venue as 242 and they are already contracted to bring events to UAE so two birds with one stone.

https://twitter.com/TheZaneSimon/status/1270468491435368448?s=19

Dana put a spin on it, I doubt he had to build much. Still great that we will get events though.

DrPhilG

Whelo79 wrote: »

Yeah I'm a little disappointed with fight Island. Not the line up but the island aspect is a little underwhelming. I was expecting a small island in the middle of nowhere, with the UFC actually building a landing strip and small venue etc. Yas Island is a well known venue hosting previous UFC events and F1 races.

Agreed, didn't Dana say he "had secured a private island"? Definitely gave the impression that it was some Jurassic Park style island in the middle of the Pacific, where only the fighters and their camps could enter.

Its a bit anti climactic.

EagererBeaver

Whelo79 wrote: »

Yeah I'm a little disappointed with fight Island. Not the line up but the island aspect is a little underwhelming. I was expecting a small island in the middle of nowhere, with the UFC actually building a landing strip and small venue etc. Yas Island is a well known venue hosting previous UFC events and F1 races.

You were expecting the UFC Fyre festival?

What does it matter what or where it is? It's an island that will have fights on it.

robwen

Mehaffey1 wrote: »

3am here is 6am over there I believe? Would be tough I'd imagine to go starting a fight card at 1am local time. Saying that, Dana will follow the money and if that's the most profitable option then that's what will happen.

Wasn't Khabib v Poirier around 9 or 10pm here?

ASOT

robwen wrote: »

Wasn't Khabib v Poirier around 9 or 10pm here?

Yeah the main card started at 7pm.

Whelo79

EagererBeaver wrote: »

You were expecting the UFC Fyre festival?

What does it matter what or where it is? It's an island that will have fights on it.

Ultimately it doesn't matter, but the sight of several light aircraft landing on a small makeshift airstrip on a tiny tropical island, followed by wide eyed bewildered fighters emerging from the plane carrying their gym bags on their shoulder and trudging their way across the white golden sands and through some tall palm trees, to their makeshift accommodation had a certain 'battle royale' feel about it.

Yas Island is a tourist venue that already has a Radisson Hotel, a Crowne Plaza hotel. I live next door to a bloody Crowne Plaza. I was expecting fighters to be living in a beach hut for fecks sake!

eagle eye

I wouldn't be getting too excited about that card just yet. I just have a feeling that more fighters are going to join Jones and Masvidal on the sidelines.

US2

eagle eye wrote: »

I wouldn't be getting too excited about that card just yet. I just have a feeling that more fighters are going to join Jones and Masvidal on the sidelines.

They've signed bout agreements, hardly going to pull out over money after signing to fight?

I see leon Edwards turned down the Usman fight after spending months begging for it and only recently complained about burns being no1

Mellor

Whelo79 wrote: »

Yeah I'm a little disappointed with fight Island. Not the line up but the island aspect is a little underwhelming. I was expecting a small island in the middle of nowhere, with the UFC actually building a landing strip and small venue etc. Yas Island is a well known venue hosting previous UFC events and F1 races.

I understand what you mean about being anti-climatic. But it was always going to be an existing venue. Just for the logistics of lights, cameras, comms.

Doing it in a marquee on the sand, surrounded by torches, with Dana in big throne made from skulls. That's what we wanted

EagererBeaver

Confirmed that main card for 251 will begin at 6am local time, so 3 am in Ireland. Disaster.

Sofiztikated

Mellor wrote: »

I understand what you mean about being anti-climatic. But it was always going to be an existing venue. Just for the logistics of lights, cameras, comms.

Doing it in a marquee on the sand, surrounded by torches, with Dana in big throne made from skulls. That's what we wanted

I was really thinking about a mysterious fog around this rickety old ship in a dock, fighters getting on, portals to a hell dimension, a showdown between a man that turns **** to ice and a guy that fires a living chain spear out of his hand, and Goro.

Like proper Mortal Kombat ****.

But nooooooo...... we get this realistic, properly thought out, business decision.

Sofiztikated

EagererBeaver wrote: »

Confirmed that main card for 251 will begin at 6am local time, so 3 am in Ireland. Disaster.

Thought as much.

Realistically, its 42 ****ing degrees RIGHT NOW over there. It's 30 at 6am.

I know everywhere is air conditioned, but **** me.

DrPhilG

Plus there are no fans attending presumably (although I'll bet there will be a few of the ultra wealthy owners of the island who will sneak in) so affecting attendances isn't an issue. PPV is the money maker for this so I'm not at all surprised that it's at usual US time.

If they've done it for events that did have crowds, then no way they wouldn't do it for an empty venue.

Must be a bitch for fighters though, getting their body clock adjusted and fighting against daylight.

US2

What a few weeks Gilbert Burns is having. Maia, Woodley and Usman in the space of 3 months

derfderf

US2 wrote: »

What a few weeks Gilbert Burns is having. Maia, Woodley and Usman in the space of 3 months

Very likable bloke too. I'm not sure if he can handle Usman, but i hope he does well.
He put as much of a beating on Woodley as Usman did, so I won't count him out.

ASOT

derfderf wrote: »

Very likable bloke too. I'm not sure if he can handle Usman, but i hope he does well.
He put as much of a beating on Woodley as Usman did, so I won't count him out.

He really will fight anyone also.

His social media is great.

eagle eye

derfderf wrote:

Very likable bloke too. I'm not sure if he can handle Usman, but i hope he does well. He put as much of a beating on Woodley as Usman did, so I won't count him out.

His brother Herbert is pretty tidy too going by his two displays so far.

Mellor

ASOT wrote: »

He really will fight anyone also.

His social media is great.

https://www.twitter.com/GilbertDurinho/status/1270478721372155905

:pac:

eagle eye

Has Nate joined Jones and Masvidal?

US2

eagle eye wrote: »

Has Nate joined Jones and Masvidal?

Joined them where ? None of them retired. All still in USADA testing pool. If you retire thatd be the first thing you do is get out of that as you have to be in a certain location at all times ?

DrPhilG

eagle eye wrote: »

Has Nate joined Jones and Masvidal?

Might as well. Twat spends more time whining that he does fighting.

eagle eye

US2 wrote: »

Joined them where ? None of them retired. All still in USADA testing pool. If you retire thatd be the first thing you do is get out of that as you have to be in a certain location at all times ?

On the money thing?

Personally I see this movement for more money growing. You have two champions, well three if you include that stupid bmf best who are giving out about not being paid enough. That's Jones, Cejudo and Masvidal.

I'm sure others will join them. I'm sure Usman is not getting much out of his next ppv and Burns will be getting very little out of it. I'm sure there are loads of them who are considering joining Jones et al.

The smart move is to try start a union like they have in all the major sports in the US.

DrPhilG

Will it work though?

The UFC have been criticised for this for years. They know they're the biggest fish in the pond and nobody can compete with their pay.

They're also not afraid to let big names walk. Mighty Mouse, Rory McDonald, Ben Henderson etc.

Mighty Mouse has run off 3 straight but against nobodies. Henderson initially went 1-3 after the UFC. McDonald has had mixed results and now left Bellator.

Has anyone played the money game with the UFC, walked away and done well? Yes Johnson has dominated but the level of competition isn't up to scratch.

There have been attempts to start a union way back to Couture's time.

finglashoop

DrPhilG wrote: »

Will it work though?

The UFC have been criticised for this for years. They know they're the biggest fish in the pond and nobody can compete with their pay.

They're also not afraid to let big names walk. Mighty Mouse, Rory McDonald, Ben Henderson etc.

Mighty Mouse has run off 3 straight but against nobodies. Henderson initially went 1-3 after the UFC. McDonald has had mixed results and now left Bellator.

Has anyone played the money game with the UFC, walked away and done well? Yes Johnson has dominated but the level of competition isn't up to scratch.

There have been attempts to start a union way back to Couture's time.

Need the big names for union to start .

eagle eye

DrPhilG wrote: »

Will it work though?

The UFC have been criticised for this for years. They know they're the biggest fish in the pond and nobody can compete with their pay.

They're also not afraid to let big names walk. Mighty Mouse, Rory McDonald, Ben Henderson etc.

Mighty Mouse has run off 3 straight but against nobodies. Henderson initially went 1-3 after the UFC. McDonald has had mixed results and now left Bellator.

Has anyone played the money game with the UFC, walked away and done well? Yes Johnson has dominated but the level of competition isn't up to scratch.

There have been attempts to start a union way back to Couture's time.

They need a bunch of Champions and no.1 contenders to get it off the ground I think.
If McGregor decides to go with them it's huge, if they get the likes of Adesanya, Usman, and Nunes on boards, add in Shevchenko, Colby, Burns and Costa. I think that would be powerful enough to make it a very serious group.

US2

finglashoop wrote: »

Need the big names for union to start .

GSP was involved in one a few years ago. Have heard nothing about it since it was announced.

It's simple really, dont sign a 7 fight contract and then look for money 1 fight in to it

If you bring in big numbers you'll be paid as McGregor proved

EagererBeaver

What GSP was involved in was the MMAFA, where the second A was "Association". As independent contractors (whether you agree that's what they are or not is irrelevant) they aren't legally entitled to unionize.

eagle eye

EagererBeaver wrote:

What GSP was involved in was the MMAFA, where the second A was "Association". As independent contractors (whether you agree that's what they are or not is irrelevant) they aren't legally entitled to unionize.

How does that work with NFL, NBA, NHL and MLB players then?

US2

eagle eye wrote: »

How does that work with NFL, NBA, NHL and MLB players then?

Are they employees of the team/franchise?

EagererBeaver

eagle eye wrote: »

How does that work with NFL, NBA, NHL and MLB players then?

They're employees.