The MMA thread

[lemmingjames]

Bellator Newcastle is being shown live on CH5 tomorrow night, think it starts at 10

[DocJock]

From the next week, Bellator is being shown on Sky Sports. Looking forward to MVP/Daley already!

[Don1]

Really looking forward to that one.

[DocJock]

Great event from Melbourne. Good wins for Israel and Simon.

Shame about the main event, I hope Whittaker gets back soon and batters Gastelum for his lack of class, waving Cejudo's belt around.

[Don1]

Kelvin is a little tosser. I had really warmed to him after his weight cutting insults/attempts, but that is just classless.

Israel was right on the money both fighting and talking.

Rest of the card was pretty good, some quick finishes and some good longer fights. Feel for Mark Goddard, smilin' Sam should defend or move rather than put a thumb up....

[biggbn]

Velasquez had apparently looked dreadful in training? Thoughts? A fit motivated Velasquez destroys the hype train nganou in my opinion but if he is just taking money fights, nganou is the wrong kinda huckleberry to make your pension against

[DocJock]

I think Nganou's hype was busted when Miocic took him to school, but yeah, he's not a guy to take lightly.

[Don1]

Agreed. Will be an interesting fight.

[Don1]

A brace of Bellators on Sky this weekend. A lot of firsts for me. The first heavyweight fight I have fast-forwarded (Kongo fight). How did Cro-Cop get neurologically cleared to fight (first time I have wondered that). Next time I hope the fight lives up to the hype (not the first time... but glad the victor won (and I have trained with Semtex).

Roll on the UFC in a few hours.

[DocJock]

More action in the women's fight than the men's put together!

Cro Cop and Big C looked like the middle aged men they are.
MVP deserved his win after a poor first round, but was the most passive I've seen him.

[Ridealong]

UFC 235 - Jon Jones v Anthony Smith
Can you believe Jones still has left over traces of steroids in his body (from July 2017) and the strict Nevada State Athletic Commission still sanction this fight.

[Zarco]

Ridealong said:

UFC 235 - Jon Jones v Anthony Smith
Can you believe Jones still has left over traces of steroids in his body (from July 2017) and the strict Nevada State Athletic Commission still sanction this fight.

As I understand they are such tiny trace amounts (pecograms?) that it has been deemed he will not be receiving a performance enhancement, and it is not evidence of another dose since 2017. Rather it is trace amounts of that same dose that he has already served punishment for.

I'm an avid fan of the Joe Rogan Experience podcast, and this has been covered in some depth. I realise on the face of it, it doesn't seem right.

As ever with John Jones though, there is no smoke without fire. He has definitely tainted his legacy with all these positive results.

Surely Anthony Smith is a lamb to the slaughter anyway in this fight......

[Zarco]

I hadn't actually watched the fight when I made that previous post!

Just watched a few highlights on YouTube. Robbie Lawler is a badman. Has got to be the one of my favourite fighters of all time. Ruthless ground and pound.

[Don1]

A bad ref stoppage again, a new champion and a man who has spent 52 seconds in the cage in three fights, injuring himself celebrating. Throw in some good fights, it's looking interesting.

[Aphex]

I thought I was going to see micky gall get murdered live on tv last night

[Don1]

Oh dear. What a pity.

[Ridealong]

Don1 said:

A bad ref stoppage again, a new champion and a man who has spent 52 seconds in the cage in three fights, injuring himself celebrating. Throw in some good fights, it's looking interesting.

If you are talking about the bulldog choke finish, to be fair "the loser" arm seems to go limp, if the referee did ask him if he is alright he should off give the thumps up.

[Zarco]

Still a bad stoppage though.

[Don1]

I thought it was bad in real time, then watched it again and changed my mind.

Did the referee change the course of the fight and finish it prematurely? Yes. Did Herb have any other choice? No. I put it in the same one as Smilin' Sam Alvey with Marc Goddard a few weeks ago.

The losing party showed what an absolute champion and gentleman he is by protesting, then sucking it up. What a star, something other fighters could learn from (Smilin' Sam I'm looking at you).

[Zarco]

I think Herb did have a choice but it was a split second decision and even the best get it wrong from time to time.

Lawler did show his class during and after the fight. He came seriously close to ending Askrens undefeated status in the first 30 seconds of his UFC career.