MMA Red Ass UFC 243 Edition
or Let Me Share My Grievances
Folks, remember that the plan here is to offer paid subscriptions starting on Nov. 1. The ratio of posts will be two free blogs for every one fancy paid blog.
The cost of the subscription is $6 per month or $60 per year. If you sign up on or before November 1, you get a 20 percent discount that’ll last, well, forever. So, something to ponder.
Here’s the link to the discount offer:
Please feel free to share these free blogs. Any additional subscribers I can pick up help out. Yes, even free subscriptions. Thanks, ya’ll.
MMA Red Ass UFC 243 Edition
——-
Well, That’s A Stretch
If you watched the UFC 243: Countdown video, you might have heard some not entirely accurate representations of the Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Al Iaquinta fight that took place at UFC 223. The most egregious statement was this one:
“Nurmagomedov has since emerged as the most dominant figure in MMA, but Iaquinta proved to be Nurmagomedov’s toughest test to date.”
When I heard that, I had to rewind the video to make sure those words were written in the script. They were. After rolling my eyes back into focus, I checked the record (Bud) and yup, Nurmagomedov won that fight by scores of 50-44, 50-43 and 50-43. Sure the fight went the five-round distance, but that only seemed to happen because Nurmagomedov treated the bout like a sparring session. The champ took the opportunity in that contest to get some striking reps in. How am I sure of this? How about the fact that he attempted nine takedowns in the first two rounds and six in the final three stanzas? There’s also the final landed strike count, which favored Nurmagomedov 172 to 43.
Look, we know the UFC plays fast and loose with history, but no one is going to remember that fight as a tough test for Nurmagomedov.
——-
No, But Probably Yes
So, T.J. Dillashaw thinks that once he comes back from his two-year USADA mandated hiatus after getting popped for EPO, he should waltz right back into a bantamweight title fight?
“Me. When I come back. That’s why they need me back, they need someone to cause some fire, cause some rift,” the disgraced ex-champ told Helen Yee. “That is my weight class, I had to give that belt up and fair enough, I understand. I fucked up, and I had to relinquish it. But I didn’t lose. That’s my belt. I’m still calling it my belt. I’m still the champion of the world. When I come back, I will reclaim it.”
A few things on this. Dillashaw didn’t have to relinquish the title. He could have allowed the UFC to strip it from him. He’s not the champ. If Dillashaw plans to come back and play the role of a flaming asshole (“cause some rift”), well, that’s not showing any remorse for attempting to cheat. Lastly, if Dillashaw would have defeated Henry Cejudo, which the UFC seemed to want, he would have fucked up two weight divisions.
There’s no way this cat should strut back into the UFC and get a title fight. Which means he probably will.
——-
That’s A Bad Look
A few days ago, Tim Bissell from Bloody Elbow reported that former UFC fighter Anthony Johnson had a warrant out for his arrest for not showing up to a scheduled appointment. Bissell even included the document from Palm Beach County in the story. Despite that, Johnson took to Instagram to more or less call the story “fake news.” Johnson then took it one step further and threatened “media clowns.”
“Everyone, I’m okay, nothing is going on.Media as usual don’t know the facts and what’s true. Nobody did a fact check they just started writing just to get hits. One day someone in the media is gonna regret not putting the facts and yapping just to yap just cuz they read something. Then y’all media clowns are gonna run with your tail between your legs. Watch.”
Johnson didn’t clear up the “facts,” so that’s a head-scratcher. Also, for a guy who just completed his third court-mandated counseling session, it’s a bad look to threaten folks.
Just sayin’
——-
That’s Not Correct
If you’re going to Tweet something that says “UFC record,” maybe make sure you tweet actual UFC records and not overall MMA records. UFC is not MMA. MMA is not UFC. This kind of thing doesn’t help educate those that might be somewhat unfamiliar with MMA.
——-
One Fighter Will Make A Lot Of Money Saturday
The last time Gennadiy Golovkin fought in New York’s Madison Square Garden, the attendance was 12,357. Golovkin reportedly made close to $15 million for that fight. GGG knocked out Steve Rolls in the fourth round of that fight.
On Saturday, GGG fights Sergiy Derevyanchenko at MSG. He’ll once again take home about that much.
On the same night, Robert Whittaker and Israel Adesanya will fight in front of a crowd that will probably be close to three times the size of the crowd at MSG. For that, the two will be lucky if their combined pay is in the neighborhood of the $7.5 million in cash GGG will get.
Someone is going to make a lot of money at Saturday’s UFC 243 fight card. Rest assured, it’s not the fighters.
——-
This Is Silly
I know I Tweeted about this, but it bears repeating. Why are people associated with MMA so into the whole “Alpha” and “Beta” thing? I mean, even Frank Lester and Mike Winkeljohn got into that bullshit talk during their text message exchanges around the falling out in Jon Jones’ camp, a story that was excellently reported by MMA Fighting’s Steven Marrocco.
Remember when you were in school and there was that kid who bragged about how smart they were? Yeah, that person was never as smart as they thought. That’s what this kind of talk sounds like to me, insecurity. The tough guy or gal doesn’t need to brag about it. They know and you know, there’s no need to advertise it.
Also, if a person is confident and you think you’re going to cut them to the core by calling them “beta,” well, that says a lot more about you than it does about the person you’re attempting to denigrate.