UFC 189 -Chad Mendes v Conor McGregor

scudzilla wrote: »

Statement from Aldo

For three months, I trained three times a day. I invested my time and money, bringing training partners from Brazil and other countries, to do the best training camp of my life so I would be ready to defend by belt for the eighth time on July 11. Unfortunately, I fractured my rib during a training session, which I can prove from an official medical report, and besides trying my best to fight, I was forced the other way and that made me really sad. Only I, my family, coaches and teammates know how hard I worked to represent Brazil again.

My decision was made in respect to the UFC and the fans that today see me as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world. I couldn’t fight without being 100 percent physically and with a rib injury that could get worse if I got hit in the ribs. Many people told me to fight anyway because of the money I could make, but I wouldn’t sell myself for any money, no matter how much. I fight for love and I do it for my country. Money comes in second place, it’s like a shadow: when you try catching it, you can’t, but when you move forward, it follows you. Money ends some day, but legacy and things you do becomes part of the history, and that’s what I value the most.

I’m the UFC champion since April 2011, defended my belt seven times in four years, and will do it for the eighth time in 2015, an average of twice a year. And I’m not even mentioning WEC, a Zuffa-owned company, like the UFC, where I became the champion in 2009 and put my belt on the line twice in less than a year. That why I can’t agree with UFC’s decision to have an interim champion in my division citing the five opportunities that I couldn’t defend my belt.

If those fights had occurred, I would have done 12 title fights in four years in the UFC, an average of three fights a year, something that no other UFC champion did. A UFC champion rarely does three title defenses in one year. So that can’t be the main reason why they are creating an interim title, but the UFC is a private company which I work for, so I can’t complain about its decision, but I can’t say I agree either.

As of my opponent, who told me to step up and fight like a man, I can’t say anything about a man that imitates a TV series character (Travis Fimmel, from Vikings). That’s really who he wanted to be, because he’s probably ashamed of being who he really is, so he imitates his lines, his style and this actor’s tattoos. He’s an artist, but not from martial arts, but cheap comedy. It’s disrespectful with the actor, and with real athletes. He should look for a stage and not an Octagon. The Octagon is my kingdom and there’s place for only one king, which is me. If he wants to participate, he can be the joker he already is.

If he beats Chad Mendes, the only thing he will have is a toy belt to show his friends, drunk in his country’s bars, because that’s what an interim belt represents to me: a toy. I am the champion.

What a tit

goodolegill wrote: »

I'm really at a loss to see the odds for this fight. Mc Gregor 4/6 - Mendes 11/8

History
Mendes record in the UFC has been amazing, 17 wins and 2 losses. Those losses coming against the champ Aldo
Of those 17 wins, in the current rankings - he has fought No. 1 (2 losses)(25-1)

And has beaten the following

No 4 - Lamas (15-4)
No 6 - Swanson (21-7)
No 9 - Lentz (25-7)
No10 - Guida (32-15)

Mc Gregor's record - has beaten No 14 Siver (22-11)

He has beaten Porrier who was No. 5 at the time but has now moved back up to lightweight as he admitted as
a 180 trying to make 145 left him in too weak a state to compete.

Mc Gregor has beaten everything that has been put in front of him convincingly but his opposition has been cherry picked
for him. In a sense it was madness that a guy who has done very little in terms of opposition got the chance for a title fight.
So in terms of the quality of fighters faced - I'm sure there is little doubt that Mendes has been in with the tougher people,
therefore he has proved his pedigree. Maybe Conor is in that class but he has yet to prove it.

Styles

Looking at styles - this is the wrong match up for McGregor, the opposition he has faced have all wanted to trade blows with
him and that's been a big mistake. Conor's striking is incredibly good and his shot accuracy is among the best in the division
and he has punished them in the only way he knows how. But he does drop his hands and takes a lot of risks in his leg striking
with his balance, from what we see in the gym - his balance looks amazing but Mendes is a guy who finished SIXTH in NCAA
wrestling championship. This guy is a wrestler first and a mma fighter second, his explosive burst from his back foot to
the drive is phenomenal and that will be his sole purpose of the night to get Conor on the ground.

Granted Mendes has only had 2 - 3 weeks training camp to get ready for this fight but also Conor's gameplan has been thrown
out the window. Aldo was gonna be happy to trade shots with McGregor but Mendes knows with the reach advantage - he
can't afford to do that. The odds are crazy, I would of had them both a pick'em at 10/11 but now i'll be lumping on Mendes,
Mc Gregor's two losses have been submissions granted a few years ago but they were fairly quick and routine while Chad has
lost twice - once where he walked onto a savage Aldo knee and secondly in a close WAR against Aldo which was fight of the
year.

People are getting led by the nose to think Conor is the second coming from what he has done so far

He has fought weak opposition
Lost twice to submissions
He is fighting a guy who is his Kryptinite in an all american wrestler
Leaves that chin exposed to a guy whose standup has got better

11/8 is begging to be backed

scudzilla wrote: »

What a tit

but1er wrote: »

Well he is going around saying its the real belt