MMA/UFC thread

[Cruz_del_Sur]

My other dream fight, in case you're wondering, is Pereira vs Chimaev at middleweight (or whatever). It'll never happen, i know.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

I guess i wasn't clear. My point wasn't specifically about Ireland. I used Ireland because, well, we were talking about CM. But the argument, i believe, is universal. If you are really, i mean really good at what you do and what you do happens to be a somewhat popular or high value added endeavor, changes of you getting away with murder are rather high. Conor, Maradona, Mayweather, Tyson, Balotelli, Suarez, McEnroe, Keane... the list is endless.
As much as i hate it sports are a form of entertainment and controversy appears to entertain a LOT of people. People, i sadly but undoubtedly believe, look the other way. I am using the word 'believe' rather generously there, as there is a gargantuan amount of evidence to support this.
Of course behaving like an arse will make you lose some fans. But my point is that the meaningful increases or slumps in popularity generally come from winning or losing, rather than being a good or a bad person.



I'd love to see the Irish viewership numbers for his fight vs Khabib and see if that looks reasonable or not. My anecdotal experience: i'd guess mma is more popular in Brazil than in Ireland, and i've never seen brazilians prepare for a ufc event the way the irish did when Conor was fighting. It wasnt just about how histrionic they were. It was about sheer numbers. Including (and specially) his fight against Khabib.
But again, anecdotal and i havent seen the any figures.

My argument is impossible to prove as it is counterfactual by construction, but here it goes: had he won his fight against Khabib, people wouldnt have given a flying turd about his dealings with gangs or his abuses (overall figures, course). His problem, popularity wise, wasnt that he was an arse. The problem was that he lost. The how didnt help either.

Anyway

Not sure about Belal. My dream fight was Khamzat vs Shavkat and last weeks fight kinda destroyed that idea. I have read some people claiming he had a knee injury but you it's hard to know what to believe at this point.

I think MMA fans who'd watched him from the start stuck with him and he was still huge for the Khabib fight. But I think he'd lost a lot of people who were fans from the Mendez, Aldo and Alvarez fights. I wanted him to lose that Khabib fight and liked nothing about it with the shenanigans afterwards.

I think Aldo or Mayweather (although many saw that for the farce it was) was probably his peak in terms of popularity here whereas he grew elsewhere after.

He was mostly hated here soon after, most were turning this way but punching an old man in a pub was the real ticker. I remember being in Boston in 2020 and many people I spoke to would bring up McGregor and be shocked when I told him he wasn't liked at home.

His popularity dwindling here has very little to do with his fighting falling off and is at an all time low after his recent civil case.

 

[Cruz_del_Sur]

Have to share

 

[Yulia]

I wanted him to lose that Khabib fight

It's funny... because from my side I wanted rather Khabib to loose,also because I didn't like his personality etc. And I didn't really know Conor before, that time I had an impression "ah,just a good fighter and a funny hooliganic guy, looks like a nice person in general". Weird how appearance can lie sometimes...I would never think something bad about McGregor just looking at him for the first time. Maybe just his nervous demeanor can "alert" at the beginning

 

[Cruz_del_Sur]

And this is why Volk is the greatest ever.



I could make a case for Khabib and Islam too, tho. Thing is, Volk's case is more, how should i put this... 'romantic'. In the sense that he had it all, and risked it almost unnecessarily. Khabib didnt do that, but he had a hell of a reason for doing so, granted. And Islam? I'd admit he'd on track. Time will tell. I could put them all in the same boat.

I used the term unnecessarily on purpose here, to create a tension with what i am about to say next. He didnt have to, but in a way, he had no choice. Keyword being 'he'. If you want to beat the best you need to take chances. Not many can claim 'anyone, anytime, anywhere'. He is one of those. I cant think of another one that can make such a claim AND also destroyed a division. He gave Max 3 fights. Who does that? 99% of the fighters would have skipped the 3rd fight. 99% would have not tried to fight the greatest fighter of the division above his. 100% would have skipped the rematch against that same fighter on short notice. He didnt.

Short notice, injuries, weight class, location, travelling, the lot. Judges, critics or someone thought he got lucky with a result? Ok, let's do it again. He didnt give a ****. He wanted to fight. He wanted to win.

It'll come across as a corny-as-fvck cliche, but i couldn't help thinking of 'if'

'If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
⁠And never breathe a word about your loss'

I know the tweet is probable just for show, but the narrative fits his actions. And I know i am an inch away from turning my posts into some sort of the volk appreciation society kind of thing. Apologies. He's earned it, tho.