after watching McGregor vs Mendes & RDA vs Pettis, I really like RDA's chances

[Hoop]

That is for sure RDA's path of victory. However, if Conor gets in the guy's head, as he has before, RDA may forget that he's an ace grappler, and just try and take McGregor's head off.
Nobody so far has been able to take the left hand though, and 25 minutes is a long time.
RDA looks like a beast right now, but I think it's equally likely he tries to get in a striking match for his ego, and gets put out.

I find the line of thinking 'we can only go on what we've seen so far' to be true and a logical one.

I don't think Conor has got inside Dos Anjos' head as a result of anything he said directly towards him - I found it hard to take him seriously in that shirt. They only done one press conference and that was it. I'm sure there'll be one more in the lead up to the fight, but usually by that point Conor is more chilled. Dos Anjos looked like he didn't want to be at the press conference like 99% of the fighters are. I thought Conor made a good point that Dos Anjos got heavy inbetween the Pettis & Cerrone fight and then he had to get back into camp almost straight after the Cerrone fight.

Anyway, I think a lot of the fighters are more aware now that Conor is a better fighter than what they first thought. They'll always say his ground game is poor because of the Mendes fight - but a lot of them don't take into consideration there was a lot of distractions & the injury in the build up to that fight, firstly. Secondly, Mendes is an elite wrestler, distractions or injury aside, I think he still would have taken Conor down. Early in the fight Conor stuffed a takedown when Mendes tried to lift him up around the waist - the other two he stuffed were when Mendes was gassed near the end and Conor did a nice sprawl at the start of the second. I think where there's still a bit of uncertainty is Conor getting off his back. Seen some folk mention that he waited for Mendes to gas and others saying he hadn't a clue what to do. I find it hard to believe that considering who he trains with that he doesn't know some of the basics of getting back up. I'm sure and hope we see it in this fight.

I thought from the Henderson, Diaz and Pettis fight we seen something different from Dos Anjos in each fight. His power, his own way of keeping the distance with the leg kicks, doing the right things at the right time, his striking and him walking through heavy kicks to the body. The Cerrone fight we learned as much as we did with the Aldo fight. I just hope the fight doesn't end early and goes at least 3 rounds. The big cut is going to be beneficial to Conor and like he said in his interview the other day, he's doing rounds with bigger training partners.

It seems like a short window of time for Dos Anjos to improve anything striking wise. So many ways this fight could go, but I think Conor's speed and feints will lead to him catching him out in the 3rd.

 

[Xplosive-Viking]

You're absolutely right, I've owned the fuck out of you until I got tired and moved forward.

Owned? You're definitely a child.

haha so mad he got owned.. this guy is clearly a teenager.

 

[djacobox372]

If RDA follows the Mendes gameplan then he wins.

If RDA stands with Conor, he's going to sleep.

If he stands with Conor, one of them is going to sleep--don't act like RDA's standup isn't ridiculously dangerous as well. Just ask Benson and Cowboy--two guys who are at least as durable as anybody conor has ever stopped.

 

[it is what it is]

It's a fucking Conor fan, what do you expect? They don't know shit about MMA. They're just high on a bandwagon, brand new to the sport and like all teenage punkass kids, they think they have everything figured out.

Don't you worry though, as soon as RDA scoops up this win in two weeks they'll be back to their fuckig Marvel and DC comics and whatever else is cool at the moment.

Lol. I literally had to recheck what I was reading on "Chad is far more dangerous on the feet than Pettis"

 

[NinjaNiK]

I really don't see the gap in stand up being so far that it's not competitive. McGregor took a lot more punches from Chad than I remember, and RDA was showing some smooth stand up and hard kicks. I was on the fence before, but I like RDA in this one.......of course McGregor has the power to render all the intangibles a moot point via separation of consciousness

I agree .. rewatching McGregor vs Mendes the other day made me literally LOL at the talk about RDA not being able to stand with Conor. Mendes with his dinosaur arms had no problem landing on Conor, and frequently too. Also, Chad ate many a left hand from Conor, so people acting like Conor is some across the board one punch KO artist need to stop it. That was a soft TKO win over Mendes, and Aldo helped Conor get that one punch KO, let's not pretend like he didn't.

That said, can Conor KO RDA? Of course he can .. but RDA has nothing to fear in Conor, just some things to be cautious of. I see this fight as 60/40 in favor of RDA. Regardless of the actual outcome, I can't wait until this fight happens.

 

[ditchbankbandit]

Nobody can take that left hand shot

lol c'mon man, I'm sure you don't even believe that tripe. He has a wicked left for sure, but to say no one can take that left is silly as hell. Many, many, many men can take that left and keep coming--not saying that can KEEP taking that left but nevertheless. I would say no one can take those body kicks from RDA, ouch.

 

[NinjaNiK]

Nobody can take that left hand shot

As I recall Mendes took many left hands before the final TKO .. I suggest you go back and watch that fight and count how many lefts Conor landed, and that Mendes ate without getting a KO. Conor's left hand while potentially effective, is not magic.

 

[chitoortiz]

If he stands with Conor, one of them is going to sleep--don't act like RDA's standup isn't ridiculously dangerous as well. Just ask Benson and Cowboy--two guys who are at least as durable as anybody conor has ever stopped.

Aldo/Mendes > Benson/Cowboy

I'm not a Conor fan, I'll be cheering for RDA to win.

In no way, shape or form do I want RDA standing with Conor for very long.

I may be a Conor hater, but I respect his skills. Anybody 155 and under who stands with Conor will go to sleep. And it pains me to type those words.

 

[Cowboy Cerroliveira]

Wasn't Conor injured in that fight? Or was that just talk. Real question.

Conor was also injured in the Mendes fight...and Conor ko'd him.

So again...Max Holloway.

 

[Theproof]

Because Conor ko'd aldo in 13 seconds so none of his previous fights matter and Conor will ko all his opponents just by touching them with his left hand and everybodys heads coming clean off!

LOL exactly. Conor is not this one punch KO artist. Can he catch you and knock you out at any time if you foolishly get too sloppy and get caught at the right time? Of course. Fighter can take his shot though. The Aldo fight is the only fight in the UFC where you saw a KO like that.

The rest of his finishes where like this

He hit Dustin behind the ear.

Brandoa ate plenty of his shots before going down. The head kick that Conor landed actually was the beginning of the end in that fight.

Siver was getting beat up but ate plenty of shots for almost two full rounds

Mendes was getting beat up but at shots and was finished when he couldn't defend himself due to gassing

Brimage is a midget. At plenty of shots and got dropped when he got over aggressive and basically ran into Connors combos and didn't even pull back after he got hit with the first punch like he should have.

I'm not taking anything away from Conor. This is all very impressive. My point is, RDA isn't getting KO'd like Aldo. He can take Conors punches long enough to get his own shit in and long enough for a potential takedown to take place and that might be enough to spell doom for Conor.

 

[beephin]

Pettis has a great chin and is super tough. Can't believe he didn't get wobbled or crumble from one of those nasty body kicks.

So stoked for this fight.

 

[JKS]

That is simply not the case. RDA's wrestling is almost entirely cage dependent. Even then, he secures less than 50% of his attempts.

It is the case, all you have to do is watch his fights. He's had more than 20 in the UFC alone and there are many instances where he's hit takedowns of the cage. Does he land more against the cage?? Yah he does, quite a bit more but he is capable of a good double leg as well. No one is saying this guy is GSP.

 

[wisdom blows]

Actually physical prime for a male is around 23-25.

28-33 is considered athletic prime where your skill, mental and physical levels are all at its optimum balance

 

[Manchester Man]

If I was forced to I would pick RDA via grappling. That being said I think you're underestimating Conor's striking skill. If you watch his fights at 155 he is much more elusive and careful about being hit. He took shots from Mendes as he felt there was less risk in pressing the engagements.

 

[0hm]

It is the case, all you have to do is watch his fights. He's had more than 20 in the UFC alone and there are many instances where he's hit takedowns of the cage. Does he land more against the cage?? Yah he does, quite a bit more but he is capable of a good double leg as well. No one is saying this guy is GSP.

That wording/language connotes that the ratio is somewhat balanced. It is surely not. The overwhelming majority of RDA's takedowns come off of the cage. His wrestling is just not anywhere near solid in the absence of that crutch. This is why Conor is going to run through him, in my eyes.

 

[JKS]

That wording/language connotes that the ratio is somewhat balanced. It is surely not. The overwhelming majority of RDA's takedowns come off of the cage. His wrestling is just not anywhere near solid in the absence of that crutch. This is why Conor is going to run through him, in my eyes.

I dont understand how you would get the impression that its balanced?? Here, let me repeat myself....."does he land more against the cage?? Yah he does, QUITE a bit more" ....so to clear it up, quite a bit more means its lopsided the other way. But again it doesnt matter because he still has a very good double leg at any point. Just a cause a fighter doesnt use it, it doesnt mean he's not capable. Aldo is a excellent grappler but he rarely grapples, Overeem has terrific takedowns but he hardly uses em and so on and so on.

Anyways, about this fight RDA is more than capable of taking Conor down anywhere. Middle of the cage, against the cage, in the seats or in the locker room. If Conor applies pressure and moved forward with is volume of strikes, along with his wide stance, that is a perfect set up to be taken down, and if he sits back and lets RDA move forward it plays right into RDAs strength. So chances are that Conor will be planted on his butt at some point, which is a grim scenario cause as we've seen in the past he's pretty ineffective of his back.

Conor has a good shot in the standup to knock him out but he's got 2-3 rounds to do it and if the takedowns come it will make it tougher and tougher to land that shot. The analysts and media see this, they're not stupid and thats why they're picking RDA to win.

 

[UJustGotChaeld]

RDA just needs a few leg kicks to change everything.

I remember them saying that about another fighter Conor faced.

 

[bigpunch]

I remember them saying that about another fighter Conor faced.

The other fighter didn't throw any leg kicks. I'm just saying RDA's leg kicks are strong as fuck. What you're saying is like if Conor happens to not land his left hand on RDA, I start saying after that his left hand can't change a fight.

 

[Andy Anderson]

LOL exactly. Conor is not this one punch KO artist. Can he catch you and knock you out at any time if you foolishly get too sloppy and get caught at the right time? Of course. Fighter can take his shot though. The Aldo fight is the only fight in the UFC where you saw a KO like that.

The rest of his finishes where like this

He hit Dustin behind the ear.

Brandoa ate plenty of his shots before going down. The head kick that Conor landed actually was the beginning of the end in that fight.

Siver was getting beat up but ate plenty of shots for almost two full rounds

Mendes was getting beat up but at shots and was finished when he couldn't defend himself due to gassing

Brimage is a midget. At plenty of shots and got dropped when he got over aggressive and basically ran into Connors combos and didn't even pull back after he got hit with the first punch like he should have.

I'm not taking anything away from Conor. This is all very impressive. My point is, RDA isn't getting KO'd like Aldo. He can take Conors punches long enough to get his own shit in and long enough for a potential takedown to take place and that might be enough to spell doom for Conor.

People who act like Conor is Rumble Johnson is just insane

 

[MVP89]

I remember them saying that about another fighter Conor faced.

Conor's going to be push kicking RDA's lead leg, and catching him with uppercuts if he fights like he did against Pettis.

People comparing Conor to Pettis is desperation imo. They so want the fight to be similar but in reality Pettis and Conor aren't even vaguely similar.

Then again these are the same people who think he only has a left hook.