Official MMA Appreciation Thread

[[MERIT]]

Originally Posted by Ol’ Qwerty Bastard

yeah what's the scoop on askren? i hear big things but have never seen him fight. really excited for him to debut.

He actually went to the same college as I did. He's a wrestler-turned-fighter. Dude is undefeated. He sticks to his bread and butter; taking down his opponents and implements ground and pound. He has a great personality. If you watch any interview with him, it's hard not to love the guy.

He's making his UFC debut against Robbie Lawler [28-12-0-1 MMA, 13-6 UFC] at UFC 235 on March 2nd at the T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada [part of the Las Vegas Strip].

[Ol’ Qwerty Bastard]

oh nice, lawler fight should be a good one.

[[MERIT]]

Originally Posted by Ol’ Qwerty Bastard

oh nice, lawler fight should be a good one.

I have mixed feelings. As a fan, I want to see them stand up and strike it out, but as a former fighter, I want to see Askren take him down and dominate him.

[[MERIT]]

Karl Roberson [7-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC] is stepping in to fight former Shooto South America 220-lb Champion and UFC Light Heavyweight Championship challenger Glover Teixeira [27-7 MMA, 10-5 UFC] in a light heavyweight bout at UFC On ESPN+ 1 on January 19th, after Ion Cutelaba [14-3-0-1 MMA, 3-2 UFC] withdrew from the fight due to injury.


2-time UFC Heavyweight Champion and current Bellator heavyweight Frank Mir [18-13 MMA, 0-2 BMMA] will make his professional wrestling debut on April 4th at Josh Barnett's "Bloodsport" event in Jersey City, NJ.

[Ol’ Qwerty Bastard]

wait frank mir is wrestling now lol wtf is this turn of events

never stood out as being very charismatic so i'm a bit surprised

[[MERIT]]

Originally Posted by Ol’ Qwerty Bastard

wait frank mir is wrestling now lol wtf is this turn of events

never stood out as being very charismatic so i'm a bit surprised

Mir isn't doing well in MMA at the moment. He's on a 4-fight losing streak and hasn't won a fight since July of 2015. He's lost 8 of his last 10 fights.

If he wants to do pro wrestling, he needs to fuck off from MMA altogether. If he wants to do MMA, he needs to devote all of his time and attention to it.

He's never been "Mr. Personality," so I'm guessing that this pro wrestling stunt is just a way to make a quick buck.

[[MERIT]]

Former Shooto Middleweight Champion, 4-time Cage Rage Middleweight Champion, 11-time UFC Middleweight Champion and GOAT contender Anderson Silva [34-8-0-1 MMA, 17-4-0-1 UFC] says that he is interested in a rematch with 2-time IFC U.S. Welterweight Champion, former WEC Welterweight Champion, former IFC Americas Welterweight Champion, former ISKA MMA Americas Welterweight Champion, former EliteXC Lightweight championship challenger, 4-time Strikeforce Welterweight Champion and 2-time UFC Welterweight Championship challenger Nick Diaz [26-9-0-2 MMA, 7-6-0-1 UFC]. The two first fought at UFC 183 in January 2015, with Silva winning by unanimous decision. The win was later overturned to a no-contest after Silva tested positive for PED's and Diaz tested positive for cannabis. Diaz hasn't won a fight since October 2011 and hasn't fought since January 2015. He has been serving a lengthy suspension for a positive drug test.



2002 Dangerzone Light Heavyweight tournament winner, former Dangerzone Light Heavyweight Champion, former Gladiator Challenge Light Heavyweight Champion, former WEC Middleweight Championship challenger, 2-time UFC Middleweight Championship challenger, former UFC Light Heavyweight Championship challenger and current Bellator fighter Chael Sonnen [31-16-1 MMA, 2-2 BMMA] recently earned his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt under former ISKA MMA Americas Heavyweight Champion, former IFL Heavyweight Championship challenger and former KOTC Heavyweight Championship challenger Fabiano Scherner [11-11-0-3 MMA, 0-2 UFC].

[[MERIT]]

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2-time GFS Lightweight Champion, former WEC Lightweight Champion and 2-time UFC
Lightweight Champion Anthony Pettis [21-8 MMA, 8-7 UFC] is moving up to the welterweight
division to face 2-time UFC Welterweight Championship challenger Stephen "Wonderboy"
Thompson [14-3-1 MMA, 9-3-1 UFC] at UFC On ESPN+ 6 on March 23rd in Nashville.

Both fighters are coming off of losses. Pettis has fought as low as 148 pounds [in a failed
attempt to make weight for a UFC Featherweight Championship fight against Max Holloway
at UFC 206 in December 2016] and as high as 157.5 pounds [in his catchweight bout againt
Michael Chieasa at UFC 226 in July 2018]. Thompson will be the much bigger fighter. I don't
see this going well for Pettis. Pettis' skill set aside, sometimes a size and strength advantage
just cannot be overcome, especially against someone as skilled as Thompson. I'd definitely
take Thompson to win via TKO.


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A lightweight bout between 3-time Renaissance MMA Lightweight Champion and former Ring Of Combat Lightweight
Champion Edson Barboza [20-6 MMA, 14-6 UFC] and 6-time WSOF Lightweight Champion Justin Gaethje [19-2 MMA,
2-2 UFC] is being targeted for some time in March [either Nashville's UFC On ESPN+ 6 or Philadelphia's UFC On ESPN 2].

Both fighters are on a 1-fight win streak. This is a tought one to call, but no doubt that it would be a great fight!


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3-time Invicta Flyweight Champion and current UFC Flyweight Jennifer Maia [15-5-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC] was issued a 6-month
suspension by the USADA for testing positive for drugs used to mask PEDs. It was supposedly caused by a tainted supplement.


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Former Ring Of Fire Women's Bantamweight & Flyweight Champion, former Fight To
Win Women's Bantamweight & Flyweight Champion and former UFC Women's
Bantamweight Championship challenger Cat Zingano [10-4 MMA, 2-4 UFC] has
appealed her recent TKO loss to former Roshambo MMA Featherweight Champion
and former Invicta FC Featherweight Champion Megan Anderson [9-3 MMA, 1-1
UFC] that occured at UFC 232 last month.

Zingano caught a legal kick to the eye in the first round and was unable to continue,
resulting in a loss. She feels that it should be considered an eye gouge and have the
result be overturned to a No-Contest. It was definitely unfortunate and an accident.
The language of The Unified Rules Of Mixed Martial Arts isn't super clear on this one,
so she may have a leg to stand on, especially considering that it occurred less than
half way into the first round. It will be intersesting to see how this one plays out. It will
be up to the California State Athletic Commission. Here is a copy of her appeal:

https://usatmmajunkie.files.wordpres...eal-letter.pdf


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A heavyweight bout between Curtis Blaydes [10-2-0-1 MMA, 5-2-0-1 UFC] and Justin Willis [8-1 MMA, 4-0 UFC] is in
the works for UFC On ESPN+ 6 in Nashville on March 23rd.

Blaydes lost his last fight in horrible fashion [a 0:45 TKO courtesy of Francis Ngannou], while Willis is on an 8-fight win
streak. I'd take Willis in this one, boys.


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Asia's largest MMA organization, Singapore-based ONE Championship, has added Japanese MMA legend Genki Sudo
[16-4-1] to its commentary team. Sudo will be joining Michael Schiavello and former fighter Mitch Chilson [4-2-0-1 MMA,
2-2-0-1 OFC] as the voices of ONE Championship. Sudo last fought in December 2006 for K-1.


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[[MERIT]]

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Former UFC Welterweight Championship challenger Darren Till [17-1-1 MMA, 5-1-1 UFC]
will face former AFC Welterweight Champion and former Strikeforce Lightweight
Championship challenger Jorge Masvidal [32-13 MMA, 9-6 UFC] in a welterweight bout
on March 16th at UFC On ESPN+ 5 in London.

Till is coming off of a loss to UFC Welterweight Champion Tyron Woodley, while Masvidal
is on a 2-fight losing streak and hasn't won a fight since January 2017.

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[The Batlord]

Has everybody who's won like four matches been champion of something?