The "Conor has no ground game" theory

[Fullmount Triangle]

tbh, he's shown fine guard passing ability on a 12 year old holloway and a rocked siver, but his sweep of Diaz is dramatically overblown. This isn't a Nogueira-esque sweep where it's set up and followed through, Nate took him down, Conor grabbed a leg and pushed up and momentum took it away from there. Pretending that Conor's BJJ is even good because of that is pretty goofy, even if you don't assume that Nate Diaz, never the physical marvel, didn't concede guard because he's comfortable there.

He's shown bursts of it on overmatched opponents, he's clearly not inept and it's not the magical key to beating him, but don't pretend like an escape or two against Mendes invalidates him getting embarrassed there.

 

[agibmxmma]

We've seen some flashes of skill from CM on the ground. The sweep of Nate Diaz in the first round comes to mind.

But why is it exactly that no one ever gives him credit for all the ground work he did in the Holloway fight? I thought he did a great job controlling position against a taller fighter.

Maybe because all of his L's come by way of sub, plus his last outing against Nate, and being that one of those men who beat Conor prior to UFC fights at 125, it would allow one to place a negative opinion on Conor's ground game.

 

[Zedy44]

I think its less technique and more the fact that he's just really confident in himself engaging someone on either his feet or the ground. I'm not saying that makes him good on the ground, but he seems to move with a purpose and confidence and that makes a huge difference in potentially akward situations.

 

[1King]

Nate is world class bjj has sub'd guys who are better on the ground then Conor. I agree with your assessment. I am not expecting a sub but I wouldn't be suprised if Nate can get it IF they spend any time on the ground.

I know Nate CAN get it. Don't think he'll keep pressing for a ground fight if Conor is trying to stand back up though. It takes a lot of effort to keep a fight on the ground if the other guy is stalling and not trying to engage. I think Nate is more likely to just say "alright bitch, lets bang." Lol

 

[GordoBarraBJJ]

The sweep of Nate Diaz in the first round comes to mind.

You mean the scramble which Nate just gave up or how about his awesome cage grabbing skills to avoid being swept himself.

 

[Spookv]

Because fighters with a ground game don't look at the ref for them to save there life after being only on the ground for 40 seconds. Fighters with a ground game defend, hand fight wrist control looks for sweeps, not look at Herb dean.

 

[Steve08]

The fact that Conor fans repeatedly fixate on the fact that he was able to sweep Nate while Nate was in a shitty, narrow stance with no base and his head well forward of his hips is truly hilarious. He showed good awareness and timing, but let's call a spade a spade.

people also like to conveniently forget that Holloway suffered an ankle injury in the first round well before Conor ever injured himself, and was still in no danger of being finished at any point.

 

[Spookv]

He also struggled with a 2 striped white belt or maybe blue in Holloway.

 

[Captain_Dammitt]

I think his ground game consists of sweeps and sub defenses to allow him to scramble and get to his feet.

Well I'm sure he doesn't care to stay on the ground that long but he does know the basics. I mean, he's probably not black belt level but if your game is on point you don't need a black belt. You just need to be able to implement your game plan.

 

[Hardkore]

Well I'm sure he doesn't care to stay on the ground that long but he does know the basics. I mean, he's probably not black belt level but if your game is on point you don't need a black belt. You just need to be able to implement your game plan.

I talk shit about his ground game but it's mostly to antagonize his fanboys, but of course he knows the basics

 

[Andrusz]

You must have a negative white belt under Machacho Alejandro Valdanerezitoestivez. None of those gifs show any real technique except his sweep of Diaz. The rest are just wild scrambles he just happened to come away from okay. Show the one of him begging Herb Dean for free stand ups while eating elbows under Mendes.

His escape against Mendes was great, wtf are you talking about? That wasn't just some "wild twist" you dipshit lol.

 

[Terry Crews]

His escape against Mendes was great, wtf are you talking about? That wasn't just some "wild twist" you dipshit lol.

2 week notice Mendes was gassed, idiot. Thanks for playing and losing though. Without you, none of this would be possible.

#KThanks

 

[TeamTanner]

But why is it exactly that no one ever gives him credit for all the ground work he did in the Holloway fight?

I'm not one who says Conor has no ground game but Holloway was a totally different fighter back then. If Conor fought Holloway now there's a decent chance he wouldn't even win. Holloway has improved dramatically over the last couple years and he's shown to be on the cutting edge of the sport.

 

[legedema]

Conor haters can only watch the second round of the Mendes fight and the second round of the Nate fight. They can't talk about what Conor did in his other fights, or in the first round of those fights.

haha and I guess you are just watching the first round of Nate vs. Conor and satisfy urself

 

[ilfirin]

Didn't Holloway get injured pretty early in that fight?

 

[ZAFARI]

Guess Joe rogan,eddie bravo and schaub are all wrong when they were breaking it down and said he swept him with an x guard

Joe "Ronda is a Once in Human History Athlete" Rogan?

Brendan "I would be a bad matchup for Brock Lesnar at UFC 200" Schaub?

Eddie "I was diagnosed with paranoia for fear of never smoking weed again" Bravo?

Yeah, those guys have never said anything crazy or wrong or just to sell a fight.

 

[Mob69]

I talk shit about his ground game but it's mostly to antagonize his fanboys, but of course he knows the basics

His sweep of Nate was excellent. And he did the right thing when Nate went for the guillotine in the following round; he would have spun into side control and escaped if Nate hasn't hooked his leg at the last second. Beautiful BJJ from Diaz to prevent the escape. Conor's BJJ is actually OK (I'm disregarding the visible guard issues in the Mendes fight and sympathetically attributing them to the knee injury).

 

[Phi-]

Do you think because Conor can ride a bike he can win the Tour de France?

 

[maleproblem]

Yup. Nate has submissions over legitimate BJJ black belts Kurt Pellegrino and Jim Miller. What do you think he's going to do if he gets a guy 13lbs lighter than him on the ground? My guess would be the same thing he did in the first fight.

Yeah but Nate got subbed by a pedo, so...

 

[WhatNOW]

LMAO Goes to Cage Warriors gif to find the one good footage of Conor's ground game against a guy who's probably collecting the shopping carts in the parking lot at Walmart now.

Let me know when you are capable of doing an ounce of what that guy accomplished