KUN_AGUERO_KROOS
Legend
Platinum Level
I'm still very surprised that Joe Rogan being the MMA nerd that he is didn't realize Bruce Buffer screwed up announcing the judges decision.
Wonderboy is a f warrior, thought he was going to tap but he didn't.
About the main event, Alvarez went suicidal mode on Conor. You just don't exchange punches against him on the first round. It's like jumping off an airplane without a parachute. He was eating all those counters cause he went like Aldo. He kept saying before the fight that it was time to tell everyone there is no Santa Claus, but saturday night was early X-mas for Conor. Eddie played Conor's game and paid for it. Should've gone full DC x Anderson Silva mode. Boxing against Conor was very stupid idea and pretty sure not his coach's plan.
My prediction is khabib x ferguson, diaz x conor 3, and Aldo is the new fw champion.
Wonderboy is a f warrior, thought he was going to tap but he didn't.
About the main event, Alvarez went suicidal mode on Conor. You just don't exchange punches against him on the first round. It's like jumping off an airplane without a parachute. He was eating all those counters cause he went like Aldo. He kept saying before the fight that it was time to tell everyone there is no Santa Claus, but saturday night was early X-mas for Conor. Eddie played Conor's game and paid for it. Should've gone full DC x Anderson Silva mode. Boxing against Conor was very stupid idea and pretty sure not his coach's plan.
My prediction is khabib x ferguson, diaz x conor 3, and Aldo is the new fw champion.
KUN_AGUERO_KROOS
Legend
Platinum Level
why would he do that?
The same guy that ko'ed him in 13 seconds at 145, is more favorite at 155.
155 is Conor natural weight and Aldo would put himself in a bad position.
At 145, i think he can beat Conor. At 155, nearly impossible.
OzExorcist
Broomcorn's uncle
Bronze Level
I know I said above that Ferguson and Khabib have pretty similar UFC records so if you're going on that alone yeah, you could make a case for Ferguson over Khabib. It'd be razor close though: if those were the only two options and you were going purely on record then they've both got equally good claims, and it wouldn't be a mistake to go either way IMO.
Except... UFC fights aren't booked purely on records or sporting merit. And that's doubly true for Conor McGregor fights. And when you look at it like that, again if you restricted yourself to just those two, then the choice is Khabib and it isn't even close.
Neither guy has a huge profile outside the hardcore fanbase, but Khabib's following is bigger than Ferguson's. Ferguson doesn't seem particularly interested in promoting his fights either, whereas Khabib is rabid on the mic. You know he'll engage with Conor to build this fight up.
I think the only thing really in Ferguson's favour is that once they're in the cage he probably matches up with McGregor in a more "fun fight" way than Khabib. But the epic trash talking war Khabib and McGregor would engage in before the fight will trump that.
As others have pointed out above though, McGregor clearly has a lot more options than just Khabib or Ferguson. There's a featherweight fight with Aldo, Edgar or Max Holloway. There's a trilogy fight at lightweight with Diaz. There's an outside chance he fights for the 170 belt because LOL why not.
Like underdog and donkaments say, I kind of expect them to do the Diaz trilogy next. I guess we'll see though.
U
underdog140
Legend
Silver Level
Fans have been wanting Aldo to move up for years. This is good a time as any.
A 13 second KO only means the other guy has the ability to KO you. It doesn't show anything else. How the next fight plays out is anyone's guess. Possibly another quick KO ... Possibly not.
So as I see it ... Aldo can either challenge him at 155lbs / wait and see if Conor racks up a couple losses at 155lbs and runs back down to 145lbs and get his rematch then or just accept the fact that he will never get a chance to avenge a 13 second KO loss and continue fighting at 145lbs holding a belt and be a champion in a division that Conor will continuously ( Incorrectly ) remind everyone he ( Conor ) is the champion of.
OzExorcist
Broomcorn's uncle
Bronze Level
I suspect one of the reasons he won't do it though (aside from his insistence that he's retiring or wants to go do a different sport or whatever) is probably the same reason that's stopped him from doing it before: Aldo would be at a huge physical disadvantage.
Remember he's not even really that big of a featherweight. He's only 5 ft 7 with a 70 inch reach, which puts him at a disadvantage to literally everyone in the lightweight top 15. In a select few cases the difference is only smally (1" height, same reach vs RDA, for example). But in many others it ranges from big to utterly comical (5" height, 6" reach vs Nate Diaz anyone?)
Is he technically a better fighter than a lot of lightweights? Sure. But he's still fighting at a big disadvantage.
Of course if we're talking about him moving up there just to fight Conor, not other lightweights, then we already know how much of a size advantage Conor will have over him.
Here's the main thing though: McGregor-Aldo 2 clearly only happens if Conor wants it to happen. And the only way I can see him wanting it to happen is at featherweight, if he decides he wants to defend that belt. Conor isn't short of other fights at lightweight so he's got no reason to fight Aldo there.
Rincewind
Visionary
Silver Level
U
underdog140
Legend
Silver Level
While I tend to agree with most of your post, lets not forget Aldo wanted to go up and challenge for the LW belt in the past but Dana was going to make him drop the 145lb belt first. So Aldo decided against it. So as we already know, he is willing to go up. He was the one and only 145lb champion for a very long time. He would do just fine at LW despite being a little undersized for it.
Aldo actually had some weight cut issues in the past. And like you said, Conor is even bigger. I doubt Conor ever makes 145lbs again unless he has no other choice ( gets beat out of the 155lb division ).
Conor will pick who he thinks generates the most money and is the less risk to hurting his "brand". Which is why he is willing to fight bigger guys. He needs an excuse when he loses. He has already proven he will take what he sees as the easier fight if given the chance. He proved that the moment he choose to fight an unprepared Nate Diaz over other fight ready opponents at UFC 196.
OzExorcist
Broomcorn's uncle
Bronze Level
I know what you're getting at, but IMO that stuff was all just talk - and talk at a point where there wasn't really any talking worth doing at 145. We don't know if he was ever serious about doing it or not - I suspect not, but we'll never know.
Back then, that talk was only happening because he'd "cleaned out" the featherweight division. That was then. I think it's pretty clear now though that the only good reason for Aldo to move up to 155 at this stage would be for a fight with Conor. There's zero reason for him to move up and fight any other lightweight.
So it all really comes back to does Conor want to fight Aldo again? And after that, does Aldo want to fight Conor again? My guess is he will if he's smart, because money. What weight class it would happen at is only really a consideration after those two questions get answered.
Yes he absolutely picks fights that are going to draw the most eyeballs and make him the most money. That's just smart business.
But I think the argument that he takes the "easier fight" gets harder and harder to make each time.
Did the UFC give him easy matchups in the leadup to his first title challenge? Sure - though the fights with Poirier and Holloway don't look like such layups in hindsight. But after that:
- He signs on to fight Aldo, the toughest fight in the division. And ends up fighting Chad Mendes, a horrible style matchup for him, on a bum knee and short notice.
- He fights Aldo, who is still the toughest fight in the division.
- He signs on to fight RDA, another tough fight. Ends up fighting Diaz a rangy southpaw who was never a good matchup for Conor (YMMV, see below).
- He fights Diaz again, after we know it's a bad matchup for him
- He fights Alvarez. Probably the best/easiest matchup for him here in terms of style and physicality. But Conor doesn't get to choose who holds the belt he's trying to win, so you can hardly fault him for that.
The only time there you can really argue that he "chose" an "easier" fight is the first Diaz fight. And absolutely your mileage may vary, but I don't think it was a particularly easy matchup.
More to the point though, there were four names in the mix for that fight after RDA pulled out: Diaz, Cerrone, Pettis and Frankie Edgar (http://www.mmafighting.com/2016/2/2...jured-out-of-ufc-196-main-event-fight-against)
Frankie was injured so that wasn't a real option. IMO Pettis was by far the easiest matchup of that bunch, but he didn't take him. That leaves Diaz and Cerrone, and he chose Diaz.
Since he first challenged for a belt, I think the worst thing you can accuse Conor of in terms of taking "easier" fights is choosing Diaz over Cerrone on short notice. And when it comes down to it, I strongly suspect he made a decision based on which fight would do bigger business, not who the easier opponent was. But again, YMMV I guess. I'd be interested to know when else you think he chose the easy matchup in that stretch though...
U
underdog140
Legend
Silver Level
I guess the reasons for him to move up or not is a matter of opinion and perspective. He is a fighter that dominated his division for 10 + years, him moving up to test himself vs. bigger guys seems like reason enough to me.
I am going to say NO, Conor doesn't want to. Simply because it is hard to improve on a 13 second KO. There is a real possibility Aldo can beat Conor. He would be smart to avoid the rematch and risk having the first fight labeled as a fluke. Conor being the smart man he is knows this. But he will fight him again under certain circumstances. At least that is my opinion on it.
I don't fault him for it.
Of course he was going to fight Aldo. At the time Aldo was the champion of the division.
Of Course he was willing to fight RDA ... it was chance to make history and he had the 145lb belt on stand bye and an excuse of losing to the bigger man if he lost.
He was gift wrapped Mendes. Conor had a full camp while Mendes was the guy who had very little time to prepare. Still, Mendes is / was a dangerous style match up for him and Conor got the win. It was a solid win but it showed glaring wholes in Conors game.
Diaz was hand picked for Conor to show case his skills and lead Conor into a big LW title shot or a possible fight with GSP. The bad match up argument doesn't hold any weight. Not many gave Diaz a chance before the first fight. Including those that post in this thread. It has been awhile but Cerrrone wasn't the only fight ready person to throw his name into the hat. Diaz essentially went from his couch to the Octagon to fight Conor.
He fights Diaz again because of his Ego and barely gets the win. Conor didn't look good in either of these fights. Although they were both very entertaining fights.
He then gets gift wrapped a LW title shot after going 1-1 with a LW at WW and also gets to keep the FW belt in the processes .;... even though he is going on his third consecutive fight out of the division. Again this is a fight he has nothing to lose and everything to gain. And this are the type of fights Conor wants. Ones were he has an excuse for his loss. For example ... I was fighting the bigger man.
Him winning the LW belt was very impressive. I do admit that. Regardless of the road he took to get there he still needed to get the win himself and he did that.
Just about any other fighter would take that same road if giving the chance.
OzExorcist
Broomcorn's uncle
Bronze Level
AFAIK there were only three names seriously in contention to fight Conor after RDA pulled out - Diaz, Cerrone and Pettis.
Obviously every fighter between 145 and 170 with two brain cells and a Twitter account said they wanted to take that fight. But to the best of my knowledge those were the only three in real contention. I still maintain Pettis is by far the easiest fight of that bunch, so unless you disagree then it's not true to say that Conor took the "easiest" matchup in Diaz.
I think Diaz and Cerrone would've been about equal in difficulty but YMMV. And while yes, a lot of people and analysts picked McGregor to win the first Diaz fight, the good ones all highlighted what a problematic matchup it was. They certainly weren't saying it would be an easy fight for Conor. For example:
- Jack Slack (Fightland): http://fightland.vice.com/blog/mcgregor-versus-diaz-the-science-of-overcoming-size
- Conor Ruebusch (Sherdog): http://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/1/Preview-UFC-196-McGregor-vs-Diaz-101191
- Patrick Wyman (Bleacher Report): http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2620861-the-complete-guide-to-ufc-196-mcgregor-vs-diaz/page/8
Yeah I absolutely agree on that - even if Conor were to fight him again and win by, say, a reasonably convincing decision or even a later knockout, it's gonna be hard for him to look better than the 13-second KO.
IMO the only reason Conor would ever fight Aldo again is if he decides to defend the 145 belt, and he's forced to do it against Aldo because he's still the interim belt holder.
Obviously every fighter between 145 and 170 with two brain cells and a Twitter account said they wanted to take that fight. But to the best of my knowledge those were the only three in real contention. I still maintain Pettis is by far the easiest fight of that bunch, so unless you disagree then it's not true to say that Conor took the "easiest" matchup in Diaz.
I think Diaz and Cerrone would've been about equal in difficulty but YMMV. And while yes, a lot of people and analysts picked McGregor to win the first Diaz fight, the good ones all highlighted what a problematic matchup it was. They certainly weren't saying it would be an easy fight for Conor. For example:
- Jack Slack (Fightland): http://fightland.vice.com/blog/mcgregor-versus-diaz-the-science-of-overcoming-size
- Conor Ruebusch (Sherdog): http://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/1/Preview-UFC-196-McGregor-vs-Diaz-101191
- Patrick Wyman (Bleacher Report): http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2620861-the-complete-guide-to-ufc-196-mcgregor-vs-diaz/page/8
Yeah I absolutely agree on that - even if Conor were to fight him again and win by, say, a reasonably convincing decision or even a later knockout, it's gonna be hard for him to look better than the 13-second KO.
IMO the only reason Conor would ever fight Aldo again is if he decides to defend the 145 belt, and he's forced to do it against Aldo because he's still the interim belt holder.
Rincewind
Visionary
Silver Level
I love how bitter you are towards McGregor. Even the little credit you give him is given so grudgingly. So typical of the hate he is receiving world wide. For every success he enjoys there is an excuse from you and people like you. You cant seem to grasp that he gets the opportunities he gets based BOTH on merit and the exposure he brings to the sport. Who do you need him to beat before you acknowledge his greatness?
He IS a dual weight world champion.
He IS the richest and most successful athlete this sport has ever seen.
He IS about to to be named P4P no. 1 in the world.
Get over it.
FastOne
Legend
Loyaler
I've always liked Conor, always thought he was a very good fighter, ever since his first fight in the UFC. And time and time again, he has proven how good he is.
But people hate him and still say he's not good at all, just because he talks a lot... the thing is, he backs it up, whether they like it or not. He has a precision in his punches like no one else, he's fast and strong (Alvarez tried to take him down but just wasn't able to), and a cool head, always in control of his emotions, and aware of his opponent's.
Now, he has been clearly favored in the UFC because of the amount of money he generates, which I don't agree with. For example, I think Khabib should have fought against Alvarez and Conor should have defended his title against Aldo. And I think some people confuse that with how good he is: is not he's been given easy fights, he's been given the biggest fights, no matter how good the opponent (and he has fought some of he best).
But people hate him and still say he's not good at all, just because he talks a lot... the thing is, he backs it up, whether they like it or not. He has a precision in his punches like no one else, he's fast and strong (Alvarez tried to take him down but just wasn't able to), and a cool head, always in control of his emotions, and aware of his opponent's.
Now, he has been clearly favored in the UFC because of the amount of money he generates, which I don't agree with. For example, I think Khabib should have fought against Alvarez and Conor should have defended his title against Aldo. And I think some people confuse that with how good he is: is not he's been given easy fights, he's been given the biggest fights, no matter how good the opponent (and he has fought some of he best).
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U
underdog140
Legend
Silver Level
I am not bitter towards McGregor .. I don't get personal over sports. I am just calling it as I see it. He is a great self promoter and despite being shown lots of favoritism and favorable match ups / favorable circumstances that surrounded some of his high profile fights , he still needed to get the win against some tough opponents and he did that.
He gets the opportunities he gets based on one thing ... he makes the ufc lots of $$$$ .. No other reason. Lets not pretend like he earned the FW title shot and a LW title shot. He didn't earn it based on accomplishments. He got it because of the Money he can generate for the company.
1. His dual championship is a fraud. ( Unless he goes back down and defends ) He moved on from the FW division 3 fights ago. You can't be a champion in a division you don't fight in.
2. I guess if you define success with $$$$ then I guess this is true. I would argue that what GSP and Anderson have done make them more successful accomplishment wise than what Conor has done.
3. It wouldn't surprise me any if he gets labeled the current #1 P4P fighter. He still has lots to do before I see him as such. He is no Anderson Silva or GSP. Two or three title defenses vs contenders who earned the shot would do it for me.
The only great performance I seen was his most current win. It was very impressive. His other top profile fights were against a short notice Mendes and two fights vs a win one lose one fighter. Plus a quick KO of Aldo.
____________________________________________________________
People can spin it anyway they want ... Diaz was given little chance vs Conor in the first fight. Of course some media will pick Diaz. It's the Media ..
Majority gave Diaz little chance.
OzExorcist
Broomcorn's uncle
Bronze Level
TBH I'm kind of on the fence with the "dual championship fraud" thing. No he hasn't defended the title since he won it. But on the flipside he only won it in December last year. Other champions have held titles for much longer than that without being active. So I can see both sides.
As for him being named the number one P4P fighter in the sport... it might happen, but I don't necessarily think it's deserved (and the UFC rankings are largely nonsense anyway). He's obviously very, very good. But is he as dominant or as adaptable as, say, Mighty Mouse or Cormier? Let alone someone like Jon Jones? Jedrzejczyk? I don't think so.
And that's not a knock on the guy - in fact, I think the fact there's a real chance he could lose pretty much any given match he takes is a huge part of his appeal. A McGregor fight is truly exciting, in part, because you don't really know what the hell is going to happen once the cage door closes.
Compare that to someone like Mighty Mouse (who I'm also a huge fan of). Pretty much every time he fights he goes in as a huge favourite. He's got great skills in pretty much every area of the game and it's beautiful to watch him work. But there's usually very little question going in over whether he'll win, and that makes his fights only a fraction as exciting as McGregor's.
Long story short I think McGregor is very possibly the most exciting fighter in the game today. But I don't think he's the #1 P4P fighter (though he's very likely in the top 5, top 10 at worst).
As for him being named the number one P4P fighter in the sport... it might happen, but I don't necessarily think it's deserved (and the UFC rankings are largely nonsense anyway). He's obviously very, very good. But is he as dominant or as adaptable as, say, Mighty Mouse or Cormier? Let alone someone like Jon Jones? Jedrzejczyk? I don't think so.
And that's not a knock on the guy - in fact, I think the fact there's a real chance he could lose pretty much any given match he takes is a huge part of his appeal. A McGregor fight is truly exciting, in part, because you don't really know what the hell is going to happen once the cage door closes.
Compare that to someone like Mighty Mouse (who I'm also a huge fan of). Pretty much every time he fights he goes in as a huge favourite. He's got great skills in pretty much every area of the game and it's beautiful to watch him work. But there's usually very little question going in over whether he'll win, and that makes his fights only a fraction as exciting as McGregor's.
Long story short I think McGregor is very possibly the most exciting fighter in the game today. But I don't think he's the #1 P4P fighter (though he's very likely in the top 5, top 10 at worst).
U
underdog140
Legend
Silver Level
Other champions didn't have three consecutive fights out of the division they are suppose to be the champion in. If you are a champion and active then be active in your own division. There was no injury stopping him from fighting. He simply choose not to. There has to be a defense in there somewhere or you lose the right to be called the champion.
Conor simply isn't a 145lb fighter anymore. And if you aren't a 145lb fighter ... you can't be the 145lb champion. If he gets to keep the belt while having a 4th fight out of the 145lb division it will be very comical. My stance will change if he drops down for his next fight and defends the 145lb belt. I will still not agree with him having 3 fights out of the division and getting to keep the 145lb belt but at least it will put some legitimacy to the claim of him holding two belts at the same time.
Conor simply isn't a 145lb fighter anymore. And if you aren't a 145lb fighter ... you can't be the 145lb champion. If he gets to keep the belt while having a 4th fight out of the 145lb division it will be very comical. My stance will change if he drops down for his next fight and defends the 145lb belt. I will still not agree with him having 3 fights out of the division and getting to keep the 145lb belt but at least it will put some legitimacy to the claim of him holding two belts at the same time.
OzExorcist
Broomcorn's uncle
Bronze Level
*shrugs*
Sure, I get all that. But on the other hand, McGregor is a one-of-a-kind fighter. No other champion has had three fights outside of their division because no other fighter before McGregor has been capable of pulling it off. You can't really apply the standards of past champions to him because literally nobody has been able to do what he's done.
The UFC did the right thing by installing an interim belt to keep the division ticking over in the meantime (in theory - keep in mind Aldo has shown zero interest to date in defending that belt or fighting anyone else at 145 either). And let's be honest, if McGregor weren't the 145 champion then that division goes back to being pretty dull anyway. Aldo v Holloway is the only interesting top-of-division fight you can really make there without McGregor.
Sure, I get all that. But on the other hand, McGregor is a one-of-a-kind fighter. No other champion has had three fights outside of their division because no other fighter before McGregor has been capable of pulling it off. You can't really apply the standards of past champions to him because literally nobody has been able to do what he's done.
The UFC did the right thing by installing an interim belt to keep the division ticking over in the meantime (in theory - keep in mind Aldo has shown zero interest to date in defending that belt or fighting anyone else at 145 either). And let's be honest, if McGregor weren't the 145 champion then that division goes back to being pretty dull anyway. Aldo v Holloway is the only interesting top-of-division fight you can really make there without McGregor.
U
underdog140
Legend
Silver Level
No-body did what he done .... You can't be serious. No fighter is going to say No to the road that Conor was given. All standards past champions should 100 % be applied to Conor. I agree he should be given a little extra pull due to the money he brings in but that is not what is going on here.
And it seems like everyone is forgetting about B.J. Penn. He did everything Conor has done years ago. And he did it vs a much more dominate champion than Conor did.
Anderson is a one of a kind fighter. GSP ... Ronda .... It is way too early to even consider Conor as one. If we are talking monetary value alone. Than I could agree with the one of a kind remark, he is at the top due to his personality or at least the personality he portrays.
The right thing would have been to make Conor defend the 145lb belt. They did the second best thing. UFC Made an interim belt with the intention of having a Champion vs. Champion match between Aldo/Edgar and Conor. The winner of that interim fight was promised a fight with Conor. We seen that didn't happen. I don't blame Aldo one bit for sitting out and waiting for Conor.
Lets not blame an interim champion for keeping a division on hold when the so called "champion" is an active fighter... and not defending "his belt".
OzExorcist
Broomcorn's uncle
Bronze Level
Once again we're gonna have to agree to disagree on some of this stuff - but on others, the facts just plain don't back up your arguments.
Conor is the only simultaneous two-division champion the UFC has ever had. Period. Literally nobody has ever done that before.
As for "no fighter is going to say no to the road Conor was given" are you kidding? First of all it's simply not true. BJ Penn is the only other one to have even attempted it and he fell just short - all respect to him for taking that shot though.
But aside from Penn? GSP said no to exactly this path for years. If he wanted to he could have fought Anderson Silva any number of times and you know they wouldn't have made him drop the welterweight belt. He was asked about it multiple times, and each time he always had a reason for not doing it (generally a variation on "I wouldn't be able to come back to 170 afterwards").
And Anderson Silva took multiple fights at 205, but only ever against cupcake matchups, never for the belt. If he wanted to fight for the 205 title they would've booked it in a heartbeat against whoever was the champ at the time. Randy Couture probably could have done it at 205/265 if he wanted to as well.
Second, though: beyond those few there's only a very, very short list of fighters who could've been given the opportunity in the first place.
We've discussed Aldo and 155 before. I suspect even if he did want to do it they would've stripped him of the 145 belt because he didn't have the promotional sway of any of the other fighters we've just mentioned... and there's your sticking point.
How many other division champions have there been in the history of the UFC who were 1: legitimately capable of fighting in another weight class and 2: had the promotional pull to make it happen? Maybe Jon Jones at 205/265? Joanna could if there was a women's 125 division but right now there's not.
I don't think the classic-era 205 champs like Tito and Liddell were any real chance of fighting outside their division. Matt Hughes never showed any interest in fighting outside of 170 AFAIK.
So it's all well and good to say "no fighter is going to say no" to the opportunities Conor has had. But there's only been maybe half a dozen fighters in the history of the company who've been worthy of that opportunity in the first place. Of them, only Penn actually took a shot at it.
So... yeah. Capable of winning championships in multiple weight classes and actually did it, instead of trying and failing or offering excuses why he wouldn't like everyone before him. And did it while also breaking earnings records left right and centre. Can't apply previous standards, Conor is one of a kind. Fact.
Conor is the only simultaneous two-division champion the UFC has ever had. Period. Literally nobody has ever done that before.
As for "no fighter is going to say no to the road Conor was given" are you kidding? First of all it's simply not true. BJ Penn is the only other one to have even attempted it and he fell just short - all respect to him for taking that shot though.
But aside from Penn? GSP said no to exactly this path for years. If he wanted to he could have fought Anderson Silva any number of times and you know they wouldn't have made him drop the welterweight belt. He was asked about it multiple times, and each time he always had a reason for not doing it (generally a variation on "I wouldn't be able to come back to 170 afterwards").
And Anderson Silva took multiple fights at 205, but only ever against cupcake matchups, never for the belt. If he wanted to fight for the 205 title they would've booked it in a heartbeat against whoever was the champ at the time. Randy Couture probably could have done it at 205/265 if he wanted to as well.
Second, though: beyond those few there's only a very, very short list of fighters who could've been given the opportunity in the first place.
We've discussed Aldo and 155 before. I suspect even if he did want to do it they would've stripped him of the 145 belt because he didn't have the promotional sway of any of the other fighters we've just mentioned... and there's your sticking point.
How many other division champions have there been in the history of the UFC who were 1: legitimately capable of fighting in another weight class and 2: had the promotional pull to make it happen? Maybe Jon Jones at 205/265? Joanna could if there was a women's 125 division but right now there's not.
I don't think the classic-era 205 champs like Tito and Liddell were any real chance of fighting outside their division. Matt Hughes never showed any interest in fighting outside of 170 AFAIK.
So it's all well and good to say "no fighter is going to say no" to the opportunities Conor has had. But there's only been maybe half a dozen fighters in the history of the company who've been worthy of that opportunity in the first place. Of them, only Penn actually took a shot at it.
So... yeah. Capable of winning championships in multiple weight classes and actually did it, instead of trying and failing or offering excuses why he wouldn't like everyone before him. And did it while also breaking earnings records left right and centre. Can't apply previous standards, Conor is one of a kind. Fact.
U
underdog140
Legend
Silver Level
Like I have already said .... Conor holding two belts at the same time is smoke and mirrors.
B.J. Penn didn't fall short. Penn beat Gomi. He then went on to fight Matt Hughes for the WW title and won. Which at that point in time he was ranked as the number #1 LW in the world and at the same time was the UFC WW Champion. Lets not forget the UFC LW division was removed for awhile. If there was a FW division back then. B.J. could have very well of held 3 belts.
He then left the UFC. When he returned he faced GSP and Hughes. The number 1 and number 2 WW of all time. He also went on to fight Fitch who at the time was 2nd only to GSP in the WW division. He also captured the LW belt and defended it 3 times. Which is more than any other LW has been able to do.
So far Conor has captured the FW belt in a fight that lasted 13 seconds and captured the LW belt. He has yet to defend either.
Like I said... B.J. has already done what Conor is trying to do for the "first" time.
Conor completely drains himself to make 145lbs and is more of a natural LW. On the other hand B.J. isn't a big LW and is better suited for the FW division. Conor has not yet faced the competition or came up against the size disadvantages B.J. Penn has faced.
B.J. >>>>>>>>>>>>> Conor
When I say any fighter will take the road that was giving to Conor I mean. The match ups and favoritism he has gotten. A title shot after beating a mid tier guy in Denis Siver .... A chance to make history served to him on a silver platter with another championship fight he never earned. Yeah ... your right .. no-one would except that but Conor ...lol.
And like I pointed out before. The match-ups Conor is accepting are ones that are in his favor or ones he will have an excuse for his loss. He is no where near a fight anyone at any weight B.J. Penn. Who has fought everywhere from FW to fighting Machida at HW.
B.J. Penn didn't fall short. Penn beat Gomi. He then went on to fight Matt Hughes for the WW title and won. Which at that point in time he was ranked as the number #1 LW in the world and at the same time was the UFC WW Champion. Lets not forget the UFC LW division was removed for awhile. If there was a FW division back then. B.J. could have very well of held 3 belts.
He then left the UFC. When he returned he faced GSP and Hughes. The number 1 and number 2 WW of all time. He also went on to fight Fitch who at the time was 2nd only to GSP in the WW division. He also captured the LW belt and defended it 3 times. Which is more than any other LW has been able to do.
So far Conor has captured the FW belt in a fight that lasted 13 seconds and captured the LW belt. He has yet to defend either.
Like I said... B.J. has already done what Conor is trying to do for the "first" time.
Conor completely drains himself to make 145lbs and is more of a natural LW. On the other hand B.J. isn't a big LW and is better suited for the FW division. Conor has not yet faced the competition or came up against the size disadvantages B.J. Penn has faced.
B.J. >>>>>>>>>>>>> Conor
When I say any fighter will take the road that was giving to Conor I mean. The match ups and favoritism he has gotten. A title shot after beating a mid tier guy in Denis Siver .... A chance to make history served to him on a silver platter with another championship fight he never earned. Yeah ... your right .. no-one would except that but Conor ...lol.
And like I pointed out before. The match-ups Conor is accepting are ones that are in his favor or ones he will have an excuse for his loss. He is no where near a fight anyone at any weight B.J. Penn. Who has fought everywhere from FW to fighting Machida at HW.
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Rincewind
Visionary
Silver Level
Post above confirms two things.
1. You have a massive hate-erection for McGregor.
2. You're very ignorant of the way MMA has changed if you are really trying to stack up BJ Penn against McGregor. Totally different times.
Also FWIW, McGregor earned his title shot after beating the #5 ranked Poirier as well as the #10 ranked Siver. At the time Aldo had already fought and beaten the rest of the then top 5 (Mendes, Edgar, Swanson & Lamas). Anyone having a go at McGregor's path to title shold maybe have a look at the path by his nearest rivals at the time when they got there title shots.
Frankie got a shot coming off 2 losses, when he was a divisional newcomer with NO previous fights in the FW division. Yes thats right, he got a title shot in his first fight at FW.
Mendes first title shot came off a string of decision wins against 3 cans, and his second title shot came after beating the #8 and #9 ranked contenders in Lentz and Guida.
If you include Mendes then Conor beat the #5, #10 & #1 ranked contenders in that order on his route to the undisputed title. If you think still Conor had an easier route to the title shot than either of those two named above then youare just blatantly ignoring the truth.
Rincewind
Visionary
Silver Level
20 minutes of guys who were so sure that Eddie Alvarez would boss McGOAT and send him back to the FW division. So many so called experts and pro's that just wouldn't or could not allow themselves to see his true greatness.
And look out for the guy at 7:40 who really knows whats up!! Funny
And look out for the guy at 7:40 who really knows whats up!! Funny
Rincewind
Visionary
Silver Level
So, apparently now because RDA had such a bad weight-cut before his fight with Alvarez, that means Alvarez was not really the champion and by extension Conor doesn't deserve to have the 155 belt!!
You gotta love Sherdog forums!!
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
You gotta love Sherdog forums!!
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA