Official Conor McGregor thread (part 3) *Updated Warning in 1st Post Re:Boxing match

Mellor · 15-03-2017 06:00AM

wonderfullife wrote: »

Fair (on the medical retirements) but whichever way you spin it the team went from Cathal, Paddy and Ais to Artem, Charlie and John Phillips as their UFC reps below Conor. That's not a step-up in my book.

Not a step up at all. Paddy was a big loss imo, and Ais was consistently ranked in the top 15 of the division (albeit a shallow one).
But SBG could of realistically went from 4 to 1. Most small gyms do. Corret me if I'm wrong, but at one point there were 4 teams in Ireland with fighters signed to the UFC. How many are there now?

As for setting the bar high - I'm literally just going on what John has said in interviews. Maybe he sets the bar too high himself. He said many times in late 2014 and early 2015 that there's a new wave of UFC fighters coming and he expects to train multiple UFC champions in the next decade (i.e. Conor and someone else).

If somebody aiming to coach UFC level athlete isn't thinking like that, and aiming for that, then he (or she) should go back to coaching kids jiu jitsu.

Setting targets and goals is a crucial part of development, sports or otherwise. But I'd never see failing to hit a goal as a negative. In fact, if you hit your target too easily, you weren't aiming high enough, imo.

BUT - instead of saying it's down to pure luck who walks in the door, how about changing that? Link up with London Shootfighters and get Marcin Held, Marvin Vettori and Michael Venom Page in for a month and then send Gallagher, Artem and Makwan over there for a month. Or more regular link-ups with SBG Manchester and get Saul and Matt Inman over.

There are geographical and population constraints over what SBG Ireland can realistically do - but I see no reason they couldn't cultivate strong partnerships with UK based gyms an hour flight away to increase the quality of sparring.

That could work for fighters signed to the big leagues, as soon as you sign for the UFC/Bellator/WSOF you are swimming in a global pool.
But regional guys trying to get into the big time, just don't have that luxury. SBG Ireland and SBG Manchester are both under Matt Thornton, but there has been SBGi vrs SBGm fights in the past, simply because the pool is small.

How many times did somebody from Team Ryano fought somebody from SBG in the early days?

Gunni will likely maul Jouban this weekend but there can be no disputing the fact Jouban had the much higher quality of sparring partners and, in the long run, that's really going to inhibit SBG's progress. I'd take Machida and Strickland every day of the week over Luka and Charlie.

Who are these higher quality sparring partners Jouban had? Honest question, I've seen very little of his training.
He's with Blackhouse, but he's not down in Rio training with Silva and Jacare.
I seen a short his UFC training camp video, I didn'r recognaise anyone in Black house with him. He called in to a different gym for some karate with a Lyoto impersonator. :pac:
He's probably got solid rolling partners at 10thPlanet HQ

Pretty sure Gunni has been in Mjolnir for his camp.

Gamebred · 15-03-2017 05:16PM

https://www.instagram.com/p/BRqkYJCDrBa/

This guy, smh.

Subcomandante Marcos · 15-03-2017 05:37PM

Gamebred wrote: »

https://www.instagram.com/p/BRqkYJCDrBa/

This guy, smh.

Not working ðŸ˜”

Gamebred · 15-03-2017 05:44PM

Ah gallagher put up a post ''before you judge my skills remember I pay your social welfare'', cannot wait till his head is caved in.

AlmightyCushion · 15-03-2017 05:45PM

Gamebred wrote: »

Ah gallagher put up a post ''before you judge my skills remember I pay your social welfare'', cannot wait till his head is caved in.

He really doesn't do himself any favours.

callaway92 · 15-03-2017 05:59PM

What a complete bellend - He's after deleting it from Twitter too anyway. somebody must've told him to cop on

0byme75341jo28 · 15-03-2017 07:01PM

What kind of idiotic comment is that, embarrassing..

BOHtox · 15-03-2017 07:03PM

wonderfullife wrote: »

Fair (on the medical retirements) but whichever way you spin it the team went from Cathal, Paddy and Ais to Artem, Charlie and John Phillips as their UFC reps below Conor. That's not a step-up in my book.

As for setting the bar high - I'm literally just going on what John has said in interviews. Maybe he sets the bar too high himself. He said many times in late 2014 and early 2015 that there's a new wave of UFC fighters coming and he expects to train multiple UFC champions in the next decade (i.e. Conor and someone else).

I'm not having a pop at him (far from it) and I agree with what you're saying.

BUT - instead of saying it's down to pure luck who walks in the door, how about changing that? Link up with London Shootfighters and get Marcin Held, Marvin Vettori and Michael Venom Page in for a month and then send Gallagher, Artem and Makwan over there for a month. Or more regular link-ups with SBG Manchester and get Saul and Matt Inman over.

There are geographical and population constraints over what SBG Ireland can realistically do - but I see no reason they couldn't cultivate strong partnerships with UK based gyms an hour flight away to increase the quality of sparring.

Gunni will likely maul Jouban this weekend but there can be no disputing the fact Jouban had the much higher quality of sparring partners and, in the long run, that's really going to inhibit SBG's progress. I'd take Machida and Strickland every day of the week over Luka and Charlie.

Maybe he doesn't believe it himself. If you were an average fighter in SBG would you rather Kavanagh tell you "the world is your oyster, you can make it big. Keep following your dream" or would you rather him say "You're extremely average, very limited, not athletic enough to make it to the highest level" etc. He's obviously gonna say the former. He uses the same approach when talking to the media.

Even fans of a football club would not be impressed if a manager said "these are better than us, we're never gonna win". You play to your strengths, you keep the belief and you never know you might get the win. Stephen Kenny has that Dundalk team stepping on to the pitch thinking they're invincible. Similarly, Ranieri last year at Leicester. Did you think there was a team they feared playing?

Of course Kavanagh is going to have the attitude he does and I bet he doesn't give two shíts when anyone tries to put him or his team down.

wonderfullife · 15-03-2017 07:10PM

Gamebred wrote: »

Ah gallagher put up a post ''before you judge my skills remember I pay your social welfare'', cannot wait till his head is caved in.

This coming from a man who jacked in school at 15 and relied on handouts from his parents and charity from John in letting him stay rent free in his apartment.

wonderfullife · 15-03-2017 07:23PM

BOHtox wrote: »

Maybe he doesn't believe it himself. If you were an average fighter in SBG would you rather Kavanagh tell you "the world is your oyster, you can make it big. Keep following your dream" or would you rather him say "You're extremely average, very limited, not athletic enough to make it to the highest level" etc. He's obviously gonna say the former. He uses the same approach when talking to the media.

Even fans of a football club would not be impressed if a manager said "these are better than us, we're never gonna win". You play to your strengths, you keep the belief and you never know you might get the win. Stephen Kenny has that Dundalk team stepping on to the pitch thinking they're invincible. Similarly, Ranieri last year at Leicester. Did you think there was a team they feared playing?

Of course Kavanagh is going to have the attitude he does and I bet he doesn't give two shíts when anyone tries to put him or his team down.

Stoke away in winter. Always Stoke away :pac: (Kidding, stupid cliche).

Everything you said above is perfectly fair and reasonable - to an extent.

I wasn't trying to put John down, my overall point is (besides Conor) the team has regressed and gone backwards since he made bold statements in 2015 and it might come to a head soon if results go against Gunni, Makwan and Artem. When I say come to a head I mean he might want to re-evaluate training partners (not methods).

Remember, he confidently made 3 predictions in Dec 2015:

1. Conor will beat Aldo inside 2 rounds (Tick)
2. Gunni will prove he's the "Best MMA Grappler of ALL TIME (by outclassing Maia on top)" (ummm)
3. Gunni will be the 2nd SBG UFC World Champion by the end of 2016 (eeek).

In fact, if you look back at a lot of the predictions he has made over the years, there's one constant: Everything he claimed about Conor came to fruition. Everything he said about everyone else, didn't (yet).

My point is there's a big danger that Conor's achievements skew the evidence for how the team is progressing and if you take an holistic view of the records on the fight-team, it's been a ropey few years in the Pro Ranks at the elite level (UFC, Bellator, WSOF, Invicta etc).

I would imagine if he wants to evolve in his Coaching Career and reach the next level of producing multiple champions, then the quality of training partners is the glaringly obvious weakness SBG have compared to other elite teams.

He's clearly an extremely talented Coach but in my opinion he really needs Gunni, Makwan and Artem - someone other than Conor - to step up and do the business for him at an elite level.

EDIT: I really want him to succeed and do well. It's an inspirational journey what he has done for Martial Arts in Ireland and I want him to keep succeeding.

ASOT · 15-03-2017 07:26PM

Gamebred wrote: »

Ah gallagher put up a post ''before you judge my skills remember I pay your social welfare'', cannot wait till his head is caved in.

Hahahahahahahhaha what a gob****e.

EagererBeaver · 15-03-2017 07:31PM

wonderfullife wrote: »

My point is there's a big danger that Conor's achievements skew the evidence for how the team is progressing and if you take an holistic view of the records on the fight-team, it's been a ropey few years in the Pro Ranks at the elite level (UFC, Bellator, WSOF, Invicta etc).

Too much thinking here about the performance of the "team" in my book. Regardless of what people call it, it's a gym. It's not a team sports. They might be friends, sparring partners, coaches or pupils but one thing they are not is teammates.

wonderfullife · 15-03-2017 07:37PM

EagererBeaver wrote: »

Too much thinking here about the performance of the "team" in my book. Regardless of what people call it, it's a gym. It's not a team sports. They might be friends, sparring partners, coaches or pupils but one thing they are not is teammates.

Well, yeah that's obviously correct but globally most fighters do consider themselves part of a team and Coaches, Journalists and Fans all assess them as a team. Nobody gives a monkeys if ATT have a good record for gym members losing weight.... they judge them as a fight team. There's a majority of fighters out there who flat out refuse to fight a team-mate in their own weight class regardless of money.

EagererBeaver · 15-03-2017 07:59PM

I know they think of themselves as part of a team but the reality is that they're not. No amount of training with McGregor is going to turn every Joe from Phibsborough walking in off the street into a UFC champion. It's simply not fair to judge the Kavanagh on that basis (and your know by now i don't have much time for any of them). The SBGi name and rep, realistically, rises and falls with McGregor's fortunes. The sheer weight of numbers in terms of catchment will always weigh against them.

jcd5971 · 15-03-2017 08:02PM

Gamebred wrote:

Ah gallagher put up a post ''before you judge my skills remember I pay your social welfare'', cannot wait till his head is caved in.

fecking bellend, it will be glorious to see him get knocked out and end up back on the dole queue he's single handedly proper up

Gamebred · 15-03-2017 08:37PM

Funny considering Conor was still on welfare when he was signed to the UFC, 20 going on 12 is Gallagher.

martyos121 · 15-03-2017 09:12PM

Gamebred wrote: »

Funny considering Conor was still on welfare when he was signed to the UFC, 20 going on 12 is Gallagher.

Is that how many brain cells he has? :pac:

Gamebred · 16-03-2017 01:18AM

https://twitter.com/UFCrelated/status/842167713267105792

wonderfullife · 16-03-2017 02:43AM

Gamebred wrote: »

https://twitter.com/UFCrelated/status/842167713267105792

You can actually see the moment where he almost said "there's talks ongoing" and he checked himself.

And I'm sure the only reason he's "allowing" the fight to happen is so Conor can get rich....... I'm sure it has nothing to do with the tens of millions it'll make the UFC :rolleyes:

Gamebred · 16-03-2017 09:28AM

Then again Dana saying its going to happen means the complete opposite hes probably playing games, although Schaub makes a great point Dana as a promoter would love to have it on his cv biggest fight of all time.

Boom_Bap · 16-03-2017 01:32PM

Dana's tune has certainly changed over the last few months

Not only does it bring him in loads of cash, there is a potential to get more people watching the UFC off the back of it.

froog · 16-03-2017 03:30PM

i don't think dana has much say anymore tbh. if WME council of elders think they will make serious money, they will go for it.

there only worry would be conor never coming back to UFC after this fight. if this fight doesn't happen he is much more likely to come back to UFC.

Too Tough To Die · 16-03-2017 03:43PM

Of course he'll come back. He won't want to go out looking like a rank amateur in his last fight. Restore some pride, then get out.

Lukker- · 16-03-2017 04:25PM

froog wrote: »

i don't think dana has much say anymore tbh. if WME council of elders think they will make serious money, they will go for it.

.

So nothing has changed since the Fertitta's

froog · 16-03-2017 04:32PM

Lukker- wrote: »

So nothing has changed since the Fertitta's

ya true enough, he was always mainly a figurehead who acted like a bossman.

Burial. · 16-03-2017 04:37PM

Ohhhhh Ruby

Mellor · 17-03-2017 12:08AM

froog wrote: »

ya true enough, he was always mainly a figurehead who acted like a bossman.

He's was the president of the company, with a minority share.
He's now the president of the company with an equivalent profit share.

He was never top banana, but he had, and still has, a powerful senior position.

wonderfullife · 18-03-2017 04:43AM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQeISn7ttek

Conor made a beeline for ESPN Lead Boxing guy Dan Rafael, probably because Dan came out saying Conor has 'less than zero' chance against Floyd.

It started off in good spirits.... not sure about the rest.

AlmightyCushion · 18-03-2017 05:10AM

wonderfullife wrote: »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQeISn7ttek

Conor made a beeline for ESPN Lead Boxing guy Dan Rafael, probably because Dan came out saying Conor has 'less than zero' chance against Floyd.

It started off in good spirits.... not sure about the rest.

Conor, not just a great fighter but also a pedant when it comes to statistics.

wonderfullife · 18-03-2017 05:15AM

AlmightyCushion wrote: »

Conor, not just a great fighter but also a pedant when it comes to statistics.

Ha! Dan also penned a column in December 2016 saying there is "absolutely no chance" the fight ever even happens as, quote, "it's such a mismatch I doubt it would be sanctioned".

I'm starting to buy into this concept about Conor holding grudges! So that's Tom Egan out of the picture for life for whatever he did :pac:

Official Conor McGregor thread (part 3) *Updated Warning in 1st Post Re:Boxing match

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