UFC 229 PBP/Discussion

So many people called me crazy in that I favor Ferg over any LW including Khabib. But cardio matters SO much when you are at the top tier where all the guys have elite skills. And Tony just has inhuman cardio. You can hit him and even look like you've hurt him but he will always recover in large part because he isn't tired. And he will mentally and physically break you because he will put on a pace that you cannot match. And he will have Khabib gasping for air by rd 4 even if Khabib has top position early in the fight.

I truly believe Tony is the best LW in the world. And it may sound silly, but I'm not even sure any of these other guys are close.

I still don't know what to make of that matchup. It's a crime that they were both healthy on the same card and didn't fight though
 
Tony uses his cardio as a weapon with constant unrelenting pressure. But it will be interesting to see if Tony can wear Khabib out when he's stuck in bottom positions. Khabib has a talent for trapping fighters in positions where they are effectively shut down. That MIGHT be enough to stifle Tony's best asset.

After seeing Khabib effectively need round 3 off last night to catch his breath (even after he controlled rds 1 and 2) I don't see it. Conor was tired too and couldn't push a crazy pace (which isn't his style anyway). Tony would have been all over Khabib in rd3 and odds are Khabib would have been even more tired due to how much more Tony would make him work on the mat. Tony would have been swarming Khabib in rd 3 and imo likely would have started drowning him with that relentless pressure.
 
After seeing Khabib effectively need round 3 off last night to catch his breath (even after he controlled rds 1 and 2) I don't see it. Conor was tired too and couldn't push a crazy pace (which isn't his style anyway). Tony would have been all over Khabib in rd3 and odds are Khabib would have been even more tired due to how much more Tony would make him work on the mat. Tony would have been swarming Khabib in rd 3 and imo likely would have started drowning him with that relentless pressure.

He went balls out trying to finish Conor at the end of 2, that's why he took 3 off.
 
He went balls out trying to finish Conor at the end of 2, that's why he took 3 off.

True, definitely that's part of it. But that's not the first time he's slowed down. If he tries to conserve energy vs Ferg so that he doesn't gas, he won't be able to do any damage and will be defending too much from top position instead of attacking. And he'll still be way more tired as the fight goes on.

I've said this for years now: Cardio is a weapon and Ferg knows he has way more of it than anyone else and has figured out how to utilize it.
 
After seeing Khabib effectively need round 3 off last night to catch his breath (even after he controlled rds 1 and 2) I don't see it. Conor was tired too and couldn't push a crazy pace (which isn't his style anyway). Tony would have been all over Khabib in rd3 and odds are Khabib would have been even more tired due to how much more Tony would make him work on the mat. Tony would have been swarming Khabib in rd 3 and imo likely would have started drowning him with that relentless pressure.


I also think tony can hang under khabib and do damage from the bottom. Khabib has to watch for elbows and subs. Plus how will kebab react to tonys mental game. Cucuy is legitimately autistic
 
I also think tony can hang under khabib and do damage from the bottom. Khabib has to watch for elbows and subs. Plus how will kebab react to tonys mental game. Cucuy is legitimately autistic

Yep. Tony is going to likely see a quicker decline than most guys due to his style where he forces everyone he faces into a war of attrition. It's not a sustainable way to fight if longevity matters to you. But while he's in his prime like he is now, he is a NIGHTMARE to deal with. He has good skills obviously, but skills just become less and less important when one guy is as fresh in round 4 as in round 1 and is pushing a brutal pace and the other guy is fading. It just becomes target practice.
 
Lol at breaking down Khabib vs ferg. You guys don't learn your lessons after 4 pullouts. That fight is cursed. I won't try breaking it down until they are in the cage.
 
Yep. Tony is going to likely see a quicker decline than most guys due to his style where he forces everyone he faces into a war of attrition. It's not a sustainable way to fight if longevity matters to you. But while he's in his prime like he is now, he is a NIGHTMARE to deal with. He has good skills obviously, but skills just become less and less important when one guy is as fresh in round 4 as in round 1 and is pushing a brutal pace and the other guy is fading. It just becomes target practice.

100% in agreement with you on this. I get the idea that Khabib may have been taking round 3 off against McGregor to conserve for rounds 4 and 5. But, imo this is still a strike against Khabib in a matchup with Ferguson. Not only is Ferg going to push a pace that Khabib hasn't seen before but taking rounds off against him is just not an option.

I'll be backing Ferguson if the fight gets made and I get the price I'm expecting. My biggest concern is the risks that he often takes with his grappling. He could end up in a bad position early in the fight. But, the longer it goes the more I believe the tide will turn Ferguson's way.
 
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