Dana White talks Conor McGregor vs Khabib Nurmagomedov

[BeerCityBandit]

I agree, except where you confuse intelligence with cowardice.

Fighting with little to gain and a lot I lose = not smart

Fighting with a lot to gain and little to lose = smart

Don't be mad because Conor is smarter than you would like him to be.

Oh yeah, he's smart as shit. I think people just prefer the "anyone, any time" mentality out of their fighters. Especially champions.

 

[209since1978]

Untrue.
He picked the Nate fight because he underestimated Nate and knew Nate had no training camp at all. He then arranged for the fight against the lightweight to he at welterweight, to have an inbuilt excuse. An excuse we've heard plenty of: "Raah rah this lightweight was three times my size; amazing behemoth raah rah"
Worst case scenario: He loses at welterweight, keeps his featherweight belt and his lightweight aspirations.

Then he lost and chose to rematch Nate at welterweight. Seems really brave, but honestly, what were the options? Live with having been bested?
Worst outcome: He loses again to a guy who's got his number and sinply says: "Oh well, welterweight isnt for me."

Then he chose not to defend his belt at featherweight (really bad worst case scenario!) or to work his way up to a lightweight title shot, but immediately went for the champ. Worst case scenario: "Oh well, this champion dude is just really good and I'm a featherweight anyway."

Now he's started to mouth off to Woodley, all the while ignoring every contender in his weight classes. Worst case scenario when he loses to Woodley: "Oh well, he's just 10x my size and really good, and I'm still the champ at LW anyway."

Last time Conor took a chance was when he accepted short notice Mendes for the interim title. That loss to a smaller dude without the belt to fall back on or any inbuilt excuses could've really hurt his career.

Then he got the belt and started becoming a calculating bitch.

I'm not saying he's scared of anybody. He's a fucking elite cage fighter. But despite apoearances to the contrary, from a strategic point of view he manages his career like a humongous pussy.

Dam, spot on.

 

[GOD...frey Jones]

The "He doesn't draw" argument doesn't work. Conor is the megastar here, he's the one bringing in the viewers. $$$$$$$$ and lots of it will be made regardless. How much a rivalry/fight draws also has a lot to do with the chemistry two guys have with one another.

This stemmed from a comment that "Conor v Khabib is the biggest fight the UFC can make". That's just not the case. Some people may think it's the most interesting fight the UFC can make, but it's not the biggest.

Obviously any Conor fight is going to be big but the UFC's only concern is selling as many PPV's as possible and there's plenty of fights for Conor that will pull in bigger numbers than Khabib.

 

[Joshua8531]

isn't Khabib due a long injury lay off anytime soon?

BETTER hope for your boy

 

[Taric]

Yeah he had nothing to lose fighting Nate Diaz twice. He's had plenty to lose every time out. He's challenged himself every time.

When he lost to Diaz, he kept his belt, his LW ranking, and was just as big of a draw because of the "bigger opponent" angle.
Excluding pride, he had absolutely nothing to lose because he lost nothing when he did lose. If he did, he wouldn't have been able to fight for the LW title that very same year.

 

[Lockard The GOAT]

This stemmed from a comment that "Conor v Khabib is the biggest fight the UFC can make". That's just not the case. Some people may think it's the most interesting fight the UFC can make, but it's not the biggest.

Obviously any Conor fight is going to be big but the UFC's only concern is selling as many PPV's as possible and there's plenty of fights for Conor that will pull in bigger numbers than Khabib.

Just selling a shitload of PPVs is enough reason, especially when it's against a guy who is arguably the rightful #1 contender anyway. Besides, the biggest money fights don't always happen right away and what exactly are those money fights anyway? Diaz 3? Welterweight Title shot against Woodley? I'm not even certain the latter would outsell Conor/Khabib, tbh.

 

[kflo]

When he lost to Diaz, he kept his belt, his LW ranking, and was just as big of a draw because of the "bigger opponent" angle.
Excluding pride, he had absolutely nothing to lose but he lost nothing when he did lose.

who else has done it? if there's nothing to lose, who else has asked to move up and fight above their championship weight?

 

[209since1978]

What narrative did I change? You're alleging the statement made by dana was a lie, so what did I change??Several fighters took to twitter asking for the fight. You think cerrone gives a shit he had another fight lined up...

And look at who khabib and ferg ended up fighting yet you think they wouldn't fight connor because they were "positioning for a shot" whatever the fuck that means...because your implying beating the guy who was scheduled to challenge for the belt and the biggest name in the sport wouldn't help

You connor strokers are hilarious, pretending nate diaz was the only one who was willing to step in.

Why lie to yourself? Several fighters offered to fight him and they asked diaz. Fact.

To be fair, Nate made the most sense money/interest wise for Conor to choose but it didn't hurt that I'm sure Conor thought Nate would be an easier match up than some of the other fighters on their list

 

[Taric]

who else has done it? if there's nothing to lose, who else has asked to move up and fight above their championship weight?

Every fighter, not named Chael Sonnen and Brock Lesnar, in the history of ever has ever received a title shot the same year they lost.
Losing to Nate clearly didn't effect his career negatively in any way shape or form. Most fighters, when they lose, need to get a win streak going again before even talking about the title.

 

[Joshua8531]

Untrue.
He picked the Nate fight because he underestimated Nate and knew Nate had no training camp at all. He then arranged for the fight against the lightweight to he at welterweight, to have an inbuilt excuse. An excuse we've heard plenty of: "Raah rah this lightweight was three times my size; amazing behemoth raah rah"
Worst case scenario: He loses at welterweight, keeps his featherweight belt and his lightweight aspirations.

Then he lost and chose to rematch Nate at welterweight. Seems really brave, but honestly, what were the options? Live with having been bested?
Worst outcome: He loses again to a guy who's got his number and sinply says: "Oh well, welterweight isnt for me."

Then he chose not to defend his belt at featherweight (really bad worst case scenario!) or to work his way up to a lightweight title shot, but immediately went for the champ. Worst case scenario: "Oh well, this champion dude is just really good and I'm a featherweight anyway."

Now he's started to mouth off to Woodley, all the while ignoring every contender in his weight classes. Worst case scenario when he loses to Woodley: "Oh well, he's just 10x my size and really good, and I'm still the champ at LW anyway."

Last time Conor took a chance was when he accepted short notice Mendes for the interim title. That loss to a smaller dude without the belt to fall back on or any inbuilt excuses could've really hurt his career.

Then he got the belt and started becoming a calculating bitch.

I'm not saying he's scared of anybody. He's a fucking elite cage fighter. But despite apoearances to the contrary, from a strategic point of view he manages his career like a humongous pussy.

Agreed

 

[ALAN PARTRIDGE]

BETTER hope for your boy

Who's my boy? only person I talk about on here is Ronda.

 

[kflo]

Every fighter, not named Chael Sonnen and Brock Lesnar, in the history of ever has ever received a title shot the same year they lost.
Losing to Nate clearly didn't effect his career negatively in any way shape or form. Most fighters, when they lose, need to get a win streak going again before even talking about the title.

Gus, Edgar, randy, machida are just a sample of names either coming of a loss (or 2) or only one fight removed from a loss. Of course there are others as well.

Again no one else has tried it. Asked for it.

 

[GOD...frey Jones]

Just selling a shitload of PPVs is enough reason, especially when it's against a guy who is arguably the rightful #1 contender anyway. Besides, the biggest money fights don't always happen right away and what exactly are those money fights anyway? Diaz 3? Welterweight Title shot against Woodley? I'm not even certain the latter would outsell Conor/Khabib, tbh.

Yes both Diaz III (the decider) and Woodley (potential 3 weight champ) would sell way better. It's the storyline that gets the casuals involved which takes PPV's to the next level. Conor v "some Russian guy who I've never heard of and can't pronounce his name" just doesn't sell to the mass market.

Why do you think Khabib has never even headlined a Fox card? Because he's not a draw.

I'm talking purely from a UFC business perspective. I personally want to see Conor v Ferguson. That's not going to happen either though.

 

[Lockard The GOAT]

Yes both Diaz III (the decider) and Woodley (potential 3 weight champ) would sell way better. It's the storyline that gets the casuals involved which takes PPV's to the next level. Conor v "some Russian guy who I've never heard of and can't pronounce his name" just doesn't sell to the mass market.

Why do you think Khabib has never even headlined a Fox card? Because he's not a draw.

I'm talking purely from a UFC business perspective. I personally want to see Conor v Ferguson. That's not going to happen either though.

And you know this how? You won't know how invested casuals will be in it until their fight is actually announced and built up. Not every fight or PPV topples the last anyway, it's just impossible. Every big name, boxing or MMA, fights lesser names, it's the way it goes. Ali didn't jump straight into a rubber match with Frazier after he beat Foreman, he fought Chuck Wepner and a couple other nobodies. Same goes with his rubber match with Ken Norton. Mayweather vs Pacquiao happened five years after it should have. Etc.,etc. Conor will fight either Khabib or Ferguson in his next fight or the one after next, bank on it.

 

[andy9432]

Conor needs to finish his unfinished business with Nate.

 

[GOD...frey Jones]

And you know this how? You won't know how invested casuals will be in it until their fight is actually announced and built up. Not every fight or PPV topples the last anyway, it's just impossible. Every big name, boxing or MMA, fights lesser names, it's the way it goes. Ali didn't jump straight into a rubber match with Frazier after he beat Foreman, he fought Chuck Wepner and a couple other nobodies. Same goes with his rubber match with Ken Norton. Mayweather vs Pacquiao happened five years after it should have. Etc.,etc. Conor will fight either Khabib or Ferguson in his next fight or the one after next, bank on it.

You're comparing apples with oranges. I actually hope he fights either one of those guys in the next couple, I'm just not so sure it happens. Time will tell.

 

[Lockard The GOAT]

I agree, except where you confuse intelligence with cowardice.

Fighting with little to gain and a lot I lose = not smart

Fighting with a lot to gain and little to lose = smart

Don't be mad because Conor is smarter than you would like him to be.

The 'smart' thing isn't always the desireable thing. Imagine every human always playing it as safe as possible at all times and never having courage or taking risks (something Conor prides himself on taking.) Intelligence is only one of many human traits.

 

[giusti825]

I agree. But khabib was out way too long. IMO he lost to tibaue

So what. I'd argue that even if the tibau decision had gone the other way.....23-1 deserves a title shot....

You know what .....now that i think about it.....name any fighter who needed more consecutive wins to get a title shot....