Final week was a down battle week and, unsurprisingly, folks didn’t care to speak about UFC Perth. This week, nevertheless, is healthier, as UFC 320 is upon us, that includes two high-quality title fights.
So, in fact, let’s speak concerning the nonetheless solely theoretical UFC White Home card and why Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler is sensible for it.
Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler at UFC White Home
“Why would the UFC wish to e book Chandler versus Conor for the White Home? If they need Connor, due to the star energy, why not have Max Holloway signify the US and have him battle Connor? Give Conor a correct sendoff into retirement. At the least it could be a extra compelling battle. Chandler is meh.”
Sir. Conor vs. Max is a SUBSTANTIALLY much less compelling battle than Conor vs. Chandler. If Conor fought Max, it could be one of the egregious ass-kickings we’ve seen in years. Personally, I feel Max is now definitively on the downslope of his profession, and he would TROUNCE McGregor in brutal style. If the MMA Gods ever noticed match to e book that matchup, I’d take out three mortgages on my home to guess it on Max, whatever the worth.
Chandler, in the meantime, is definitely form of fascinating. In idea, Chandler ought to beat McGregor by tackling him a bunch. However Chandler is without doubt one of the most no-defense-having fighters within the UFC proper now, and that makes him extraordinarily prone to McGregor, who’s a one-trick pony at this level, however it’s trick.
However greater than the matchup itself, it’s a matter of who Conor will deign to battle. If the UFC needs him on this card — and I feel they do, or, extra to the purpose, I feel President Trump will need the largest star within the sport to headline the occasion that can be synonymous with him — then they’ll should conform to whoever he needs to battle, mainly. And McGregor appears to wish to battle Chandler. Which, frankly, works out. Chandler really makes a ton of sense to battle on this card as probably the most basic American fighter of this era. The dude is mainly an American Gladiator.
And whereas I don’t give Chandler a lot credit score, he would completely convey the suitable power to this spectacle of a battle card. Can’t you simply see him strolling out, dripping in Apollo Creed regalia, with a bald eagle on his shoulder? Of all of the fighters who’re going to lean into UFC White Home, Chandler is the man most definitely to take all of it the way in which. I actually hope it occurs.
“What do you concentrate on the UFC commentary groups? And the way would you enhance their broadcasts, should you really feel enhancements are mandatory?“
I feel most UFC commentary groups are unhealthy, however it’s not their fault.
Sports activities commentary is a troublesome job, far more so than it appears. That goes doubly so for UFC commentary, which is outrageously lengthy. Give it some thought, an NFL recreation lasts round 4 hours, with round 150 performs in a recreation. First off, 4 hours is HALF the time of a UFC broadcast, and second off, an NFL broadcaster has their speaking factors neatly damaged down into 150 increments. Right here’s a play, and we react, then perhaps fill some air till the following. There’s none of that within the UFC. It’s 5 minutes of motion, adopted by a brief break, after which proper again to it. For EIGHT hours! That’s asking lots for anybody to remain that locked in for that lengthy.
The opposite main problem going through UFC commentators is that they aren’t broadcasters. The true broadcasters are all excellent at their jobs, and whereas the fighters can be good, they at all times have an expiration date. After a couple of years within the sales space, fighters grow to be caricatures of themselves, like an previous band enjoying the hits. (Although, for what it’s value, Mike Goldberg was an precise broadcaster, and he was the worst about this.) Folks love Brian Stann for his work within the sales space, and I agree, however I additionally suppose we love him as a result of he left. Had he caught round for one more 5 years, he, too, would’ve changed into Joe Rogan.
If I might counsel something to the UFC about their commentary groups, it could be to 1) cut up up duties between a prelims and essential card workforce, and a pair of) rotate in fighters far more often. There is no such thing as a scarcity of UFC fighters who might convey new or completely different perception to the sales space, and the UFC shouldn’t simply run the identical 4 folks on the market each week.
Merab Dvalishvili, All-Time Nice
“I could also be alone on an island right here however I feel Merab could possibly be a High Ten all time fighter by the tip of his profession. In your esteemed opinion might you lay out an affordable path to get him to at the very least get to #10?”
He positively can, and it’s not a giant stretch to counsel it. He’s nearer than most individuals suppose already.
The measure of greatness in MMA (all sports activities, actually) is championships, and in MMA, meaning title defenses. It’s not the solely factor that issues, however it’s, by far, an important, and should you don’t agree, effectively, proceed to fly within the face of logic, motive, and established requirements.
So with that as background, there are six male fighters within the GOAT dialog. Decide any one in every of these six, and I’ll not agree, however I gained’t argue. Jon Jones, Anderson Silva, Demetrious Johnson, Jose Aldo, Georges St-Pierre, Fedor Emelianenko. So from that six, you might have 4 spots to play with for the rest of the highest 10.
Dominick Cruz and Khabib Nurmagomedov miss the lower as that they had bizarre, truncated careers — Khabib as a result of his father handed away, and Cruz as a result of he missed most of his prime on account of damage — however I imagine they each slot comfortably into the High 10. After which I spherical out the final two slots with Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway. Volk, I feel, is certainly a high 10 man, and Holloway has case for it. However so do others like Islam Makhachev, Daniel Cormier, Israel Adesanya, and Kamaru Usman. There are numerous good decisions, and it’s laborious to really feel too strongly about any of them.
If Merab retired tomorrow, he’d have an ideal resume, a UFC belt, and two title defenses. That’s run, however it’s not all-time. Nonetheless, he’s creeping up on that quick. Whereas folks (wrongly) are already calling him the bantamweight GOAT, Merab is making a run on the title held by Dominick Cruz. Cruz has 5 title defenses to his title that ought to actually be six since he by no means misplaced the belt within the cage. If Merab beats Cory Sandhagen, he’ll have three. If he provides one other one in and will get to inside two of Cruz, it turns into an actual dialog, and if he will get to 5 or 6, the controversy is over.
In order that’s the trail for Merab. Preserve racking up title defenses and declare the mantle of bantamweight GOAT, and he’ll de facto be a high 10 all-time fighter.
Thanks for studying, and thanks to everybody who despatched in tweets (Xs?)! Do you might have any burning questions on issues at the very least considerably associated to fight sports activities? You then’re in luck, as a result of you’ll be able to ship your tweets to me, @JedKMeshew, and I’ll reply my favourite ones! Doesn’t matter in the event that they’re topical or insane, simply as long as they’re good. Thanks once more, and see y’all subsequent week.
