UFC 309

RoyalCelt

I woke early to watch this on TNT to find it's only on TNT Box office which means I'd need a regular sky subscription to access? Also mentions Discovery+ but I don't think that's available in Ireland.

Anyone watching this?

Carcharodon

decent card so far, that Oliviera fight was crazy, he looked so impressive but hats off to Chandler for hanging in there and almost pulling off the craziest comeback ever because Chandler was dominated for 4 rounds

Jones made easy work of Stipe, Stipe looked super old obviously, jones did look excellent to be fair, impressive.

RoyalCelt

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122848497#Comment_122848497

Do you think Jones looked a little slow also? His takedown of Stipe was so sneaky and you rarely see skills like that at heavyweight. Hard to know how an Aspinal fight would go.

Carcharodon

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122848506#Comment_122848506

It was hard to tell because Stipe looked so slow, I did think Jones got caught a few times and if he was facing a more dangerous fighter then he could have problems

Jones looked very good, just a level above, those kicks where amazing. He can make even great fighters look ordinary, I think Aspinal has all the tools to beat Jones but Jones is so good at figuring out fighters in the Octagon, could never bet against him. If Jones stays healthy and in shape and out of trouble, he will be hard to stop.

RoyalCelt

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122848524#Comment_122848524

I think if Jones stays active and fights Aspinal in the next 6 months he'll improve in terms of speed from the Stipe fight. He had to turn and reset a few times. Stipe didn't have the gas to pursue him each time. Aspinal will probably chase him down.

walshb

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058381054/ufc-309

I made same mistake a few cards back. I knew this one had to be box office…

Didn’t pay for it. Any link to it?

Edit: got decent YouTube link

RoyalCelt

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122848782#Comment_122848782

I would have happily paid if it was made accessible. Instead I got a really good working link to watch it live anyway. Their loss. When my TNT sub runs out I think I'll just leave it. They create too much hassle for Irish viewers.

eagle eye

I don't think you could make a call on Stipe's conditioning and speed. He was fighting the GOAT, whose still the p4p best in the UFC. He is just so good. I mean you could say the very same thing about Gane.

Stipe carries 50lb of weight up multiple flights of stairs five days every week. Firefighters are in great shape all the time.

Jones is just such a smart fighter, stays at distance with leg kicks and jabs then jumps in and gets off a few shots and he'll take you down if it suits him. I have always watched him with awe.

Oliveira needs to get his shot at the title, I think he's the only one who could possibly beat Makhachev.

Couldn't believe there was no takedown attempt in the Nickal v Craig fight.

barryribs

He's already getting ahead of ducking Aspinall

eagle eye

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122849498#Comment_122849498

What did he say that led you to that conclusion?

RoyalCelt

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122849426#Comment_122849426

I think the Armenian has a chance also.

Another smart tactic of Jones after he throws a combo if he's vulnerable he'll happily run away From the exchange and reset. You'll not get him standing and banging you in a war especially at heavyweight.

Ngannou and Aspinal the two most dangerous match ups. He'll probably vacate the belt and fight Pereira before retiring. Unless the UFC throw 20 mill at him to fight Aspinal.

barryribs

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122849594#Comment_122849594

Why does he want more money to fight Aspinall?

RoyalCelt

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122849957#Comment_122849957

The reality is he doesn't really want to fight him. If it's to happen he probably wants to more then double his pay to about 25M assuming it draws the expected PPV.

If they're going to keep paying him his estimated 10M per fight he'd rather fight an easier match up in Pereira.

Wishful thinking but imagine he was to defend his belt 2 more times against Aspinal and Pereira he'd equal Stipe's record and be one off the record. Won't happen though. He's already the GOAT and can just hand pick legacy fights like Pereira before riding off into the sunset.

I suspect the UFC might turn to the Saudis to cover his paycheck and they'll have it in Saudi.

eagle eye

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122849957#Comment_122849957

Did he say he wants more money to fight Aspinall?

Carcharodon

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122850879#Comment_122850879

yea, he actually did… but how he said it makes a lot of sense, i actually kind of agree with him, Jones has a legacy, fighting Aspinal is a risk, he is younger, heavier and very athletic, and also Jones isn’t wrong in saying that Aspinal isn’t exactly a big draw, obviously most fans know him but he imhasnt broken into the main stream. Jones said that Piera makes a lot of sense cos of age and promotion but I also think cos he knows he has a clear path to defeat him, fighting someone that’s never had a heavyweight fight…he will definitely take the Aspinal fight if the money is right, i genuinely think Jones isn’t afraid of anyone, he is very smart

eagle eye

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122851291#Comment_122851291

He's smart to want a bigger cut of ppv money and he's also incredibly smart in the octagon. I agree with you that he's not afraid of anyone. It doesn't matter how dangerous they are, he'll find their weakness. He's never ducked anybody.

Carcharodon

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122851332#Comment_122851332

agree and also Jones probably has 1 or 2 fights left, he clearly isn’t the same fighter from his prime but is that good he can find a way to win. So, I think you can’t really call him out over Aspinal, he has proven that he is probably the best ever, so fighting an elite heavyweight in his prime when he is past his is a massive risk, I honestly don’t disagree with his logic, I love Aspinal and Iam sure it’s frustrating that Jones has held up the division but Jones has earned that right, I can definitely see anyone’s point that he has only 2 heavyweight fights and doesn’t really have the right to act like he has a right to act like he owns that division when others have been in the trenches for years, it’s nuanced I guess

Homelander

Michael Chandler is just crazy. Out of his six UFC fights he had 5 post-fight bonuses, speaks for itself.

Just wish his fight IQ was a bit better, even at 38 he's still very dangerous.

He needs a fairer fight next time around. Apart from Tony he's lost to Gaejthe, Porier, and Oliveria twice. Literally some of the toughtest killers in the world.

Give him someone like Saint Denis or Paddy Pimblett.

Stipe vs Jones was a big let down for me. Stipe looked so slow and out of his depth, and while Jones looked reasonably good, I didn't see anything to suggest he'd be a favourite against Tom Aspinall.

Overall I found the card pretty mediocre at best.

RoyalCelt

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122851763#Comment_122851763

They tried rewarding him with a fairer fight in McGregor 😂

Eoinbmw

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122851332#Comment_122851332

He ducked Ngannou and is ducking now!

He beat a jaded Stipe and beat a very average heavyweight for the title!

He has proven nothing at heavyweight and needs to fight and beat Aspinal to be the goat!

eagle eye

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122851817#Comment_122851817

He is the GOAT and there's nobody even close to him.

He wanted more money. He wasn't on big money with only one fight left on his contract. As it turned out Ngannou wanted more money as well. That fight was never going to happen unless White paid both of them.

I'd guess at this stage that potential PPV numbers will play a big part in his decisions as to who he fights. I think Pereira and Aspinall are the two biggest names for him.

I'd guess Pereira will be next because it'll be a huge fight. That'll leave Aspinall time to fight Gane. Then they can meet, if Aspinall beats Gane.

RoyalCelt

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122852269#Comment_122852269

Yeah 2 fighters wanting crazy money is very unlikely in a non McGregor title fight. If Aspinal is willing to retain his current contract the UFC might be willing to throw Jon 20-25M especially if the Saudis got involved. The gate alone for a Jones V Aspinal match up would be around 20M.

eagle eye

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122852338#Comment_122852338

As much as I hated seeing it Jones being all over Trump was a very smart move. He gets all Trumps supporters to love him after that.

The GOAT showing huge respect for the President elect is a massive thing.

Aspinall is probably afraid of Dana ultimately because Dana is pro Jones. If i was Aspinall I would be going down into the muck with promos on all sorts of platforms about John's personal and criminal history. Get Jones so riled up that he wants the fight.

Brussels Sprout

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122852481#Comment_122852481

Might even get a presidential pardon for whenever he inevitably ends up in trouble with the law again after letting the mask slip and showing his true self.

eagle eye

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122852504#Comment_122852504

If Jones and Pereira get it on then Aspinall should fight Gane. He hasn't fought anybody special to this point. Everyone he's met lost to one of the other ones except Volkov who also lost to Gane.

He needs to fight Gane to prove he's legit.

Eoinbmw

Jones has to fight Aspinal he is the interim it's simple that's how it works unless we really are going pro boxing style!

RoyalCelt

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122852866#Comment_122852866

If Jones flights Pereira next he'll vacate the heavyweight belt. They might do a superfight and put a BMF belt on the line but it should be Aspinal Vs Gane for the belt.

eagle eye

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122852921#Comment_122852921

A champion coming up a division always gets priority. He won't lose the belt if he fights Pereira. We've seen that happen many times.

RoyalCelt

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122852957#Comment_122852957

Considering Aspinal has won the interim and now defended it, if they make Aspinal defend it again it will truly take the piss. Worse then any boxing politics.

I think they're probably regretting giving Aspinal the interim now in the first place. They should have just made his Pavlovich fight a contender match up and then the Blaydes fight would have just been to settle the score and stay active.

eagle eye

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122853022#Comment_122853022

He should have fought Gane, how that fight hasn't happened is a mystery. He should never have gotten an interim belt without fighting him.

Eoinbmw

Gane is against Volkov next no guarantees Gane gets the win here!

Gane is 0 and 2 in title fights I'm not sure he should be in the conversation!

The Heavy weight title has to be put to bed 1 belt! then they can do the Peirera fight!

For Me Jones v Aspinal is a massive fight and a 50 50 fight,I think it would do savage numbers!

eagle eye

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122853060#Comment_122853060

I don't think it would do the numbers him vs Pereira would do. And that fight can happen at heavyweight or a catch weight and it'll get done first and he won't lose his belt. Dana loves money and he'll want the biggest fight possible.

For all Aspinall has done to this point he's still not a big name. Gane is a bigger name than him.

Eoinbmw

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122853137#Comment_122853137

I respectfully disagree with regard Aspinal and Ganes popularity, Tom is making waves in America!

You might be right about the next wash grab fight but I think it's bad for the sports integrity if the top 2 heavyweights don't fight next!

akelly02

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122853137#Comment_122853137

Gane is not a bigger name than Aspinall.

The only people that dont want to see a heavyweight unification ( that is what interim belts are for , right?) are seemingly yourself and jon jones.

The Nal

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122852906#Comment_122852906

McGregor fought Alvarez for the title at 155 in his first fiht in that division. They'll make the fights that make the most money. The interim champ is a load of bollocks anyway.

eagle eye

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122853170#Comment_122853170

I want to see it. I'm just saying that Dana will make sure the bigger fight happens first. And Aspinall will have another fight to try and make him a bigger draw while that happens if it's not him and Jones first.

And I think Jones will beat both.

Homelander

I cannot see how the next fight could be anything other than Jones and Aspinall to have any credibility.

I mean it's the Interim champ and the champ. In what world would there not be a unification fight unless someone was injured.

McGregor v Alvarez isn't the same as there wasn't an interim champ being ignored unless I am mistaken.

eagle eye

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122854176#Comment_122854176

Remember the Covington one where he was looking to put it back for six weeks and they stripped him of it and gave Till the title bout against Woodley.

Years ago Lesnar got a shot at Couture when Big Nog was interim.

GSP and Bisping got it on when Whittaker was interim.

I know there's more than that but as you can see money is all Dana cares about. An interim belt is a big deal unless there's a bigger fight to be made.