The Official UFC Thread

[muppet]

Hard to get my head around this wanting an equity stake in the UFC talk from McGregor.  Just cant see that happening any time soon.  Of course he's in a postion to earn lots more money from them but how can a current fighter have a stake in the company? That just wouldnt work.

Yeah, there's be a pretty big conflict of interest right there!

Agreed, but he could create some sort of option that matures at a later date.

[gallsman]

Hard to get my head around this wanting an equity stake in the UFC talk from McGregor.  Just cant see that happening any time soon.  Of course he's in a postion to earn lots more money from them but how can a current fighter have a stake in the company? That just wouldnt work.

I thought the inference here was that, with this child on the way, he was angling at retirement?  No?

I didn't get that sense at all. Too much money to be made.

[JimStynes]

What was the thing that Alvarez was on about during the press conference, something about McGregor is having two children?

[Syferus]

I've not watched Alvarez before but what I read about him I expected a much better battle but what I saw was very disappointing. Eddie hardly threw anything worthwhile at him and when he did have him down on the canvas I expected that to get a lot more interesting.
CmcG does seem very accurate with his punches but did Alvarez not leave himself very open to them? Like I've said I only watched a few of McGregors fights so I don't know a lot about this sport but personally I'd love to see a rematch between him and Aldo who looks like he has not been treated that fairly with the smash and grab of his title and then McGregor started messing around with Diaz which was entertaining but looked like a ploy to avoid defending his own belt.

Now McGregor has his two belts but is calling out to his UFC bosses that he helped create this show and he wants his cut of the business now. Money talks in these types of sports and keeping their cash cow on side means a lot more success for this business and the fighters who can retire after one big pay day. I am not dismissing McGregor and what he has done to get this far but I just fear money has taken over the real business of fighting and that's why we've saw another quick finish with neither fighter looking too bad.

Jesus.

[nrico2006]

I've not watched Alvarez before but what I read about him I expected a much better battle but what I saw was very disappointing. Eddie hardly threw anything worthwhile at him and when he did have him down on the canvas I expected that to get a lot more interesting.
CmcG does seem very accurate with his punches but did Alvarez not leave himself very open to them? Like I've said I only watched a few of McGregors fights so I don't know a lot about this sport but personally I'd love to see a rematch between him and Aldo who looks like he has not been treated that fairly with the smash and grab of his title and then McGregor started messing around with Diaz which was entertaining but looked like a ploy to avoid defending his own belt.

Now McGregor has his two belts but is calling out to his UFC bosses that he helped create this show and he wants his cut of the business now. Money talks in these types of sports and keeping their cash cow on side means a lot more success for this business and the fighters who can retire after one big pay day. I am not dismissing McGregor and what he has done to get this far but I just fear money has taken over the real business of fighting and that's why we've saw another quick finish with neither fighter looking too bad.

The chances of the top fiuhters facing off is high in the UFC though, although money talks but it is obviously far worse in boxing where money seems to be the key reason now for any fights the world champions take. 

As for Aldo, a part of me thinks he should have got another fight but if you were looking at it from a boxing perspective for example, if a fighter was knocked out in the first round there would not be many thinking he deserved a rematch.

[Smokin Joe]

For those wondering about whether the UFC is rigged or not did you see Cage Warrior Unplugged?  It was on BT Sport on Saturday night before the UFC.

That looked like a total fix.

There were joint main events.  Both fights went to points and the reigning champ / British fighters were given the decicions in both contests.  The first one seemed like a coin flip to me, but the second one looked like a clear win for the American "Juicy-J".  However, he was up against what seems like the great big Cage Warrior hope in Paddy Pimblett, and I guess there was no chance that their main man was going to be beaten on points.

That seems like a big problem re the integrity of sport at that level, ie its in their commercial interests to create and hone superstars.  Awarding them a points defeat doesn't really work in that circumstance!!!

[lurganblue]

Hard to get my head around this wanting an equity stake in the UFC talk from McGregor.  Just cant see that happening any time soon.  Of course he's in a postion to earn lots more money from them but how can a current fighter have a stake in the company? That just wouldnt work.

I thought the inference here was that, with this child on the way, he was angling at retirement?  No?

I didn't get that sense at all. Too much money to be made.

Cant see that being the case at all. in the same press conference he made a big deal of only being 28 and still in great shape considering the game he is in. no plans for retirement yet i would say. For me the shares in the company is a complete no go and he is just perhaps leveraging an even bigger deal

[gallsman]

For those wondering about whether the UFC is rigged or not did you see Cage Warrior Unplugged?  It was on BT Sport on Saturday night before the UFC.

That looked like a total fix.

There were joint main events.  Both fights went to points and the reigning champ / British fighters were given the decicions in both contests.  The first one seemed like a coin flip to me, but the second one looked like a clear win for the American "Juicy-J".  However, he was up against what seems like the great big Cage Warrior hope in Paddy Pimblett, and I guess there was no chance that their main man was going to be beaten on points.

That seems like a big problem re the integrity of sport at that level, ie its in their commercial interests to create and hone superstars.  Awarding them a points defeat doesn't really work in that circumstance!!!

The Pimblett fight was a disgrace by all accounts. Most of the opinions online had him losing four of the five rounds. Pimblett's manager is the Cage Warriors CEO or something...

What was the thing that Alvarez was on about during the press conference, something about McGregor is having two children?

Alvarez said that McGregor's announcement was that he was having two kids but that his wife (presumably he meant his girlfriend Dee Devlin) wasn't having twins, i.e. he'd knocked someone else up. No idea if it's true or not but would guess it was probably just bullshit to try and rattle McGregor in the lead up to the fight.

[Tyrone Gaa]

McGregor is advertised to be in Cookstown this weekend at a night club.  I presume then he will be attending UFC Belfast and making his way to Cookstown after the event

[Hound]

For those wondering about whether the UFC is rigged or not did you see Cage Warrior Unplugged?  It was on BT Sport on Saturday night before the UFC.

That looked like a total fix.

There were joint main events.  Both fights went to points and the reigning champ / British fighters were given the decicions in both contests.  The first one seemed like a coin flip to me, but the second one looked like a clear win for the American "Juicy-J".  However, he was up against what seems like the great big Cage Warrior hope in Paddy Pimblett, and I guess there was no chance that their main man was going to be beaten on points.

That seems like a big problem re the integrity of sport at that level, ie its in their commercial interests to create and hone superstars.  Awarding them a points defeat doesn't really work in that circumstance!!!

I would still maintain there are far less dodgy decisions in MMA than in boxing, one of the main reasons why I now find MMA more interesting.  I would have given the decision against Pimblett, but it wasn't clearcut, and when you're fighting a champion in his home venue, then you have to be convincing. Juicy-J was a bit too cautious in the end.

Unreal scenes at the end when Pimblett puked all over the ring during his post fight interview. Good job it was the last fight!

[Walter Cronc]

Lads any idea who could possibly be at the UFC event in London (March 2017)?

Is it likely to be local fighters or could any title fights take place?

[Hound]

Hard to get my head around this wanting an equity stake in the UFC talk from McGregor.  Just cant see that happening any time soon.  Of course he's in a postion to earn lots more money from them but how can a current fighter have a stake in the company? That just wouldnt work.

I thought the inference here was that, with this child on the way, he was angling at retirement?  No?

I didn't get that sense at all. Too much money to be made.

Cant see that being the case at all. in the same press conference he made a big deal of only being 28 and still in great shape considering the game he is in. no plans for retirement yet i would say. For me the shares in the company is a complete no go and he is just perhaps leveraging an even bigger deal

I think he may have missed the boat in terms of equity. The previous owners are the ones with the $4 billion in their back pockets. The new owners have lumbered the company with debt, so the company is effectively worth nothing at the moment (i.e. $4 billion of assets, $4 billion of debt).

It is a bit surprising the new owners didn't talk to him prior to the takeover, as he's the biggest earner for UFC, so presumably the future cash flow projections that came up with the big valuation included revenues he'd generate, so they should have wanted to lock him down.

Be interesting to see what they offer him. I'd imagine the UFC would like him to go again in the Spring, but I'd say he's preparing to play hard ball and would happily sit out for 9-12 months or until he gets a big increase.

[Hound]

Lads any idea who could possibly be at the UFC event in London (March 2017)?

Is it likely to be local fighters or could any title fights take place?

Not a numbered event, so unlikely to be any title fights. So a card similar to Belfast (although probably better than Belfast), rather than similar to Manchester. The upside of that is it should be on in the evening time, rather than in the middle of the night like Manchester was.

[Walter Cronc]

Lads any idea who could possibly be at the UFC event in London (March 2017)?

Is it likely to be local fighters or could any title fights take place?

Not a numbered event, so unlikely to be any title fights. So a card similar to Belfast (although probably better than Belfast), rather than similar to Manchester. The upside of that is it should be on in the evening time, rather than in the middle of the night like Manchester was.

Cheers Hound. Think I'll go anyway.

[The Gs Man]

McGregor is advertised to be in Cookstown this weekend at a night club.  I presume then he will be attending UFC Belfast and making his way to Cookstown after the event

I call bullshit on this one.

Even if he turns up at UFC Belfast, who in their right mind would leave the event just to turn up at a nite club in Cookstown, never mind a multi-million pound earning global superstar?

I bet it turns out to be that lad who does the McGregor impression.