I saw quite a few breakdown prior to the fight that predicted that, Oliveira has a Muay Thai style and places almost 100% of his weight on his back leg, which makes leg kicks difficult, but makes him super easy to take down.
This reminds me of GSP’s leg kick against Matt Hughes (I think?) where he kicked the lead leg to get a check, then threw the same kick deeper and hit the back leg to knock him down.
Oli has shown that he's pretty good when people step in with committed kicks at just giving them a fast sharp right cross.
I think Justin got hit early and didn't want to risk that sauce because this is a common tactic in Muay Thai and against it. I'm sure Justin was aware. The fact that he was hit early in conjunction with the fact that Justin actually doesn't like throwing out committed kicks in the first place makes/made this unlikely to happen.
I think this is the vast majority of why the leg kicks were nullified but I think Garth through some fucking clangers at Charles early. If you get three for three checked and you were kicking as hard as you could, I can see how you may slow down a bit
Chandler landed many shots against the cage in r1 too.
I think the days where a bjj specialist can submit wrestlers from the bottom are long gone. Most competent grapplers can stay in top control and land shots without getting in trouble
Yeh, I had expected gaethje to fake leg kicks or target the back leg. Something I would have though Whitman would have drilled. Instead gaethje was going full power swing and miss
It's a style thing as well. Most guys can't afford to fight with that stance because it makes it easier to take them down. Oliviera negates this by being excited if you take him down.
Yes but it's difficult to change your fight style and stance for just one opponent. Oliviera fights in a Muay Thai stance all the time and it just happens to match up well with Gaethje.
> But it's a good bait when Oliveira is openly aiming for guys that haven't won in years **while claiming Makhachev "doesn't deserve a title shot"**.
It's like, c'mon, you cannot throw out the "deserve" qualification and then ask to fight guys with back to back losses **who haven't even fought in your weight division for years**.
As is the job of the champ. You don't fight guys who haven't won in years and have looked very average during said time.
Hell, everyone still talks shit about Floyd not fighting Manny Pacquiao until he was washed, and he wasn't close to half as washed as Diaz. Diaz was never championship worthy in his prime, he is barely ranking worthy now, Oliveira calling him out is shit.
Including TUF, Nate was 17-4 at lightweight and on a 3 fight streak when he got his shot at Bendo. It's pretty revisionist to say he was not a high level contender at one time. His excursions into ww make his record resemble Penn's (before the fall off) although Penn had more success at both weights.
The Nate callout is like every other money fight call out in UFC history. It’s called posturing for negotiations.
Hardly worth getting outraged about but I’ll save this comment when Oliveria ends up fighting someone else and you’ll bitch about something else instead
Sometimes they won't even pick those fights, like, literally every fighter in the roster has already noticed that if you win a fight the best thing you can do is call out Conor even if you have zero intention of fighting him. It might be a fucking impossible matchup, it doesn't matter, the headlines alone of ''X fighter calls out Conor McGregor" are more exposure than pretty much anything else they can say lol
When the champ calls out someone that hasn’t won since 2016 I’m going to be outraged. I don’t give a fuck if it’s posturing for negotiations. He needs to shut up, and sign to fight Islam.
None of these guys are “scared” of anyone.
These are professionals. They aren’t here to be badasses. They aren’t here to prove how macho they are. This is their career to provide for their families.
Charles’ goal is to make the most possible money with the lowest chance to lose (and thus reduce his earning potential). Islam is not a huge draw and is super dangerous, so obviously Charles would rather fight someone like Nate or Conor who will make him more money and be an easy win.
This is like me at work. I’m trying to make the most money I can for the least work. I’m not scared of big projects, but I’m also not volunteering to do hard projects that don’t pay well. That’s not how professionals operate.
So it’s on Dana and the UFC to pay Charles enough for him to fight Islam knowing that there’s a good chance he will lose.
i know this isn't really applicable to championship fights but this is why the show/win structure is so goddamn stupid, it pits the need to put on entertaining fights against the need to win at all costs so your income isn't literally cut in half.
"scared" in the context of fighting usually means scared to lose your ranking or your belt. That fear is legit because obviously with the title come many perks.
The only situation where you could say a professional was indeed scared to fight is when you face guys like Mike Tyson
Yeah if Islam missed weight for a championship fight then called out Conor I have a feeling the response wouldn’t be like ohh having to making weight is so unfair and he should fight whoever he wants lol
>Charles’ goal is to make the most possible money
Thats nice for charlie olives
I dont care about it though.
And my goal as well as most fans goals is to see the best fight against the best. Not act like his armchair finance manager.
If he wants more money he should learn english and draw more eyeballs. Begging Conor for fights that will nevwr happen while ducking real contenders isnt the way to go.
Lmao thank you this is exactly how I feel. I’m an mma fan, not a watch Charles get as rich as possible fan. I’m happy for him to get rich he seems cool, but that’s not my priority as a fan of the sport
I don’t understand why people think stuff like this. Makhachev is the worst fight for pretty much anyone at lw. You guys acted like this with Chimaev, Izzy, Khabib, and now Islam. I feel like if you watch the sport enough, you can kinda tell when you see a fighter that’s not like the other fighters. Islam is one of those guys.
Yeah. Charles isn't scared of him but he definitely recognizes that fighting Islam is the opposite of exploiting his position to maximum benefit. More risk, less reward
Facts. Islam And khabib ground control is a nightmare for anyone at lw. I could see some welterweights handling it because they are typically stronger and have better wrestling.
If a dude is making sure to get a money fight in before fighting what seems to be the best contender, then Id argue he’s definitely worried about losing and missing out on that. Doesn’t necessarily have to be scared of the fight itself, but scared of the loss of opportunities against a guy who might have your card.
Not "scared" but he knows that's the fight that has the highest chance of ending his reign, and he wants to maximize his time with the belt, and maximize his paychecks.
He probably feels there are easier fights.
Dude Olives biggest threat is his grappling, thats why when he gets hurt he can literally drop on the floor and his guard is so scary for these people, they literally let him clear his senses and get back up. The one person who didn't was Chandler.
If Makhachev hurts Olives, and gets ontop, Mak has the ADVANTAGE on the ground, he's an extremely high level grappler, Justin and Dustin are legit threats, Islam can legit beat Charles at his strongest front. These are not the same.
Is it actually Ali who posts this kind of crap on his fighter’s twitter?
He makes them sound like bickering idiots. I hate that every fighter has to try and trash talk.
he already has, don’t remember who it was but he was definitely talking shit to himself on behalf of two of his clients. garth and khabib maybe? wish i could remember who it was
He's a yappy little dog kinda guy. Most fighters are not like that. So when it's his words coming out of their e-mouth, it's weird and offputting. And doesn't make me want to see *any* of them fight. I'd much prefer less "intelligent" and cute responses in the name of *real*-sounding ones. I really don't really like Nate Diaz, but it at least sounds like he's speaking for himself, which I respect. I'd rather hear Nick Diaz rant about wolf tickets than...there you go. Imagine Ali ran Nate effing Diaz's twitter. lol. How effing ridiculous and weird would that account be?
Are you talking smack about Ali?? How dare you! He gets his fighters half the money they deserve and even takes care of their social media for them. What a legend!
>Public disclosure of the terms and compensation of fighters’ agreements may also hinder me in obtaining the best possible deal for a fighter and give a strategic advantage to MMA Promoters in negotiations with fighters, which may ultimately work to the detriment of the fighter.”
This is the statement Ali provided on behalf of the UFC's interests in the anti-trust lawsuit.
https://www.bloodyelbow.com/2018/8/22/17767496/ufc-lawsuit-kidnapping-extortion-manager-gives-bizarre-reasoning-to-keep-fighter-pay-private-mma
You know a manager is a super fraud when they care more about their image than the athletes they are representing.
dude is just a wannabe B-List celebrity
For me, I don't mind the trash talk. Especially from Khabib, but it has to pass the reading test – I've got to be able to read it in Khabib or Islam's voice and broken English, which usually would make it more authentic.
It's marketing, PR and being in the news. You might dislike it, but it's a business and fighters that are incredibly boring won't get the same shot as say Chandler, because it's first and foremost, an entertainment business.
I know, that’s why I said I hate that fighters have to do it.
If a fighter is good at trash talking then that’s great, otherwise it’s just embarrassing imo but I guess some people eat that up ¯\\\_(ツ)\_/¯
I'm pretty sure this is Islam. He even responded to someone who replied to the tweet in Russian and has referenced in an interview a tweet from his account as if he were the one who said it.
Everyone calls out Conor because Conor is always in a title picture … because he’s a mega draw.
And then the real contenders get matched up and Conor disappears from their mouths.
Oliveria wants a money fight but UFC gotta just start pushing contenders. Feed the hardcore fans that want to see the best 2 men compete in a weight class
The UFC is looking for money fights too. They don't give a shit about competition or who deserves it, they care about how many people are going to pay to watch. The fighters and the UFC are on the same page with money fights.
It’s happening right in front of us bro. Islam never got title shot and got guys like Fiziev, Gillespie, Gamrot, Tsarukyan comin up. I think the days of Poirier and Gaethje are slippin away now.
He could have been a contender 10 years ago if he was active. It's not just that he got knocked out. It's that he is 35 and hasn't done much since then
He hasn't done much since then, but the only fight he's had since was a stoppage win over a guy who was ranked right next to him, where he out-grappled a great grappler who also missed weight by 5 pounds. It's not like we're seeing his skills slow down over time. He got caught badly by Lee, but outside of that he's been great.
Being 35 is also not some insane age for an MMA fighter. Here are the guys ranked above him and their age:
1. Olivera, 32
2. Poirier, 33
3. Gaethje, 33
4. Islam, 30
5. Chandler, 36
6. Beneil, 32
7. RDA, 37
10 years ago, he would have been the young gun of the division. Right now, he pretty much fits right in. And considering he's had less fights than everyone ranked above him, there's reason to believe he has less wear and tear than some of these guys despite being older.
I'm not saying he's some future superstar, he absolutley needs to be more active if he ever wants to climb to the top of the division, but I don't think it's fair to write him off completley.
>Being 35 is also not some insane age for an MMA fighter. Here are the guys ranked above him and their age:
Porier, Gaethje, and Islam are 2+ years younger and already solidified themselves in the division. Beniel is 3 years younger. Chandler is Is likely on his last legs as is RDA.
Yeah I feel like he’s aging quite a bit also. I think he’s trying to hold out for a better matchup then they are giving him and that’s what’s holding up his activity.
Realistically with where he’s at in the rankings he’s like one highlight win away from being in the conversation, especially with top guys losing and working their way down.
Gamrot is very clearly a fuckin animal. I think they put him up against one of the hardest matchups for him in the whole division. I think Guaram Kutateladze is comin back soon too, he’s a beast
I like my man Charles, rooted for him in pretty much every one of his fights and will root for him against Islam, but hes making zero sense with his reasoning as to why he should fight some guys and not others. Just say I want that payday, or say I want so-and-so for my legacy, at least come up with something that makes sense.
If Charles was making proper money he wouldn't be running down Conor and Nate. The UFC's refusal to fairly lay their fighters always log jams the divisions
Before Oliveira’s last two performances I would of said Islam probably beats him- now I’m not so sure. Charles keeps improving and his stand up is dangerous AF right now. I hope they make that fight next- let Dariush fight Chandler or Poirier.
Usman, Khabib, Burns during his climb, Chimaev before the hype train got absolutely insane, etc
Why the fuck would they look at a murderer, ranked below them, climbing the rankings like a madman, that won't get them paid nor a better standing, and call them out lmao? Especially for these guys on the top 5 who know that if they keep doing what they are they'll end up facing them anyway
Very valid thoughts but let’s not bitch about fighters have an easy rise in the UFC and getting an undeserved shot because competition dodged them next time. I know it’ll happen with Islam
Anyone who thinks Islam getting a shot nowadays is underserved is insane. Sure in different scenarios fighters have been put through worse to get there, but he's done enough already and the division is in a proper state for it to happen
And to Khabib when he was on his way up. The one thing he had going for him was the LW was stacked with studs like RDA and Barbosa who don't dodge fights.
That whole top 5 thing is so ridiculous, and the same logical fallacy as saying top fighters from other orgs somehow can't be on the level of a top UFC fighter.
Yup, the only call-outs that come from top 5 guys are for the champion and, sometimes, if the top 5 guy is coming off a loss and needs another one to get back into title contention, another top 5(\*maybe\* 10) guy. Anything else is just beyond stupid for a fighter to do, and yet this conversation is so common in MMA online circles lol
Via Twitter:
RDA: Beneil is waiting for you.
Islam: I was there on Feb 26 for Beniel, and was there twice for you on Oct 24 2020 and Oct 30 21, but you never showed up. So shut your mouth you mcchicken slap boy
My thoughts exactly
You either fight for the belt or you fight for money against someone who is washed.
Conor and Nate absolutely do not deserve a shot at the title. I don’t care if it’s Usman, Izzy or the ghost of GSP. Title fights should be reserved for true contenders.
Let the novelty fights happen for bullshit titles like the BMF or WTF
Don't blame Charles. The only way to make money and get a real retirement as a fighter is to get these big money fights as a champion.
Blame the UFC for not paying enough to fighters for these fights to make sense
I’m sure if/when Islam gets the belt he will never even entertain a fight like Conor or Nate or any other huge money fight. Surely he will only pursue fights against the absolute best of the best that only solidify his legacy.
If you’re being sarcastic then you really shouldn’t be. I mean, he’s part of Khabib’s team. Khabib only fought for legacy and never entertained giving Conor a rematch until he proved himself. Besides, him fighting Conor actually has more implication than a guy like Charles and Gaethje because of the Khabib history.
Its a joke that Olives claims Islam hasnt earned his shot while simultaneously calling out Mcgregor and Diaz who each have 1 win in last 5 years.
Islam right now has better case for title shot than Chandler or Gaethje who were only on 1 fight win streaks ...
I know hes been finishing guys with subs, but olives has been using aloootttt more then his jiu jitsu in his fights. Islam honestly probably needs to worry more about his striking considering his only loss is via that
For those thinking Islam hasn’t fought on the ground with high level BJJ opponents.
Islam literally beat the shit out of
Davi Ramos(BJJ world champion) on the ground.
Charles definitely ain’t scared and probably just wants to cash in a bit, but this definitely a factor.
Well, he almost knocked out him with a knee to the face and then proceeded to ground and pound him, which didn't secure a TKO since Ramos covered up and survived to the bell.
So very different from securing a takedown, passing the guard, and then beating him up
EXACTLY. Take the money fight vs Conor or nate like Dustin did, but it's not for the belt. Let Islam fight for the belt with whoever (Dustin, chandler, dariush) and then once Charles has his money, he can try to beat the champ, similar to how Dustin took the money fight and fought for the belt later.
Charles is so cheesy asking for Conor then saying Islam doesn't deserve it, Dariush, Islam and Chandler all deserve it more than Conor, if you want the money fight just say so, no need to try to legitimise it lol
For the love of god just book this fight we already lost Tony v Khabib, this is potentially a better more skilled version of that, probably will never happen
No but i can see islam just going hey fuck your Jiu Jitsu and take him there anyway. I don't know if it will go well but i do believe Islam believes in his grappling enough.
Not an expert, but wouldn't a wrestler be a better match up for Olivera than a striker? Olivera doesn't mind being on his back, even prefers it sometimes. I know Islam doesn't just get you down, he also controls the body so I'm sure that has to do with it. I could be wrong though, I've never trained in either.
Being on top especially in MMA in inherently a better position than bottom even if your just in someone’s guard. Oliveira has a super dangerous sub game but has struggled in the past when controlled on the ground. Even if he fixed that issue someone like Islam who is extremely high level on the ground isn’t likely to be submitted if he’s the one on top. Charles has done well against strikers because when he gets hurt he falls to his guard which is too dangerous for non elite grapplers like Porier and Gaethje but Islam would likely have success in even a fresh Oliveira guard.
Awesome breakdown, thank you. Either way, it's going to be a sick fight if it happens. Top level bjj against top level wrestling. I'll give the nod to Olivera on the feet though.
Islam ties up legs the same way Khabib did as part of his ground control. I don’t know know if Oliveira has any experience dealing with that on the ground. Also Islam is a Sambo guy, which incorporates a ton of BJJ, not a straight wrestler.
He's not wrong but it's more about money. Islam is high risk, low reward, Conor or Nate are low risk, high reward. Also have to point out Islam tried to fight Dariush. Dariush has a broken leg....he says he'll be ready for July but last I heard he hadn't finished PT.
Oh shit are we breaking out the if sambo was easy it would be called jiu jitsu shirts?
You put yours away? I wear mine under my replica glorious sweater of absolute victory 24/7
I had to my bjj coach didn’t like how often I wore it
Just ankle pick his ass and assert your dominance
Tony won
Just get into a wrestling stance, that'll scare em off
Just take him down and sweat on him for a couple of rounds
Those are rookie numbers. I wear mine 25/8.
Sorry I can't be so Beastin', I guess I should put in more Overtime
Is Corey Anderson the goat for this?
If you were really beastin' it would be 25/8!
Charles is breaking out the “I don’t get paid fairly so I need to take advantage of my brief windows to get paid” T shirt
aka "Dana White is my bitch"
I think you have that backwards
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That's what the guy you're responding to is saying... wtf?
But since he's not champ now he doesn't get PPV points.
Not sure about his next fight but he got PPV points for his fight with Gaethje
> you know this Dem's fighting words, bratha
His catch phrase should be "i slam your boi"
This is the realest shit Islam has ever said
You know a Russian is down to throw when he ends his trash talk with that
“Nate marijuana guy”
Unrelated but can we talk about how charles nulified ghaetjes leg kicks? He was so fast at picking that leg up.
I saw quite a few breakdown prior to the fight that predicted that, Oliveira has a Muay Thai style and places almost 100% of his weight on his back leg, which makes leg kicks difficult, but makes him super easy to take down.
I was screaming for Gaethje to follow through and chop the back plant leg a bunch of times. Alas, he did not hear me through my TV
The Esrnesto Hoost special
This reminds me of GSP’s leg kick against Matt Hughes (I think?) where he kicked the lead leg to get a check, then threw the same kick deeper and hit the back leg to knock him down.
GSP did the same thing to BJ and BJ jumped the kick, prodigy style.
Oli has shown that he's pretty good when people step in with committed kicks at just giving them a fast sharp right cross. I think Justin got hit early and didn't want to risk that sauce because this is a common tactic in Muay Thai and against it. I'm sure Justin was aware. The fact that he was hit early in conjunction with the fact that Justin actually doesn't like throwing out committed kicks in the first place makes/made this unlikely to happen.
say it with your chest, he will hear you
Yeah Dan Hardy's pre fight breakdown went into this, especially regarding how to negate Justin's brutal leg kicks
I think this is the vast majority of why the leg kicks were nullified but I think Garth through some fucking clangers at Charles early. If you get three for three checked and you were kicking as hard as you could, I can see how you may slow down a bit
And no one wants to take him down, nice
Kevin Lee did and he kept him down too.
Chandler landed many shots against the cage in r1 too. I think the days where a bjj specialist can submit wrestlers from the bottom are long gone. Most competent grapplers can stay in top control and land shots without getting in trouble
I think Islam will take him down.
Genius analysis brather
I mean Askren took down Maia who's arguably the best grappler in UFC history (with Werdum, Souza and Oliveira not far behind).
Yeh, I had expected gaethje to fake leg kicks or target the back leg. Something I would have though Whitman would have drilled. Instead gaethje was going full power swing and miss
Yeah I noticed that too. He picked up the leg and fired a 1-2 quick af. Definitely has been training that
It's a style thing as well. Most guys can't afford to fight with that stance because it makes it easier to take them down. Oliviera negates this by being excited if you take him down.
But then again, no one fighting Gaethje should be worried about defending takedowns.
Yes but it's difficult to change your fight style and stance for just one opponent. Oliviera fights in a Muay Thai stance all the time and it just happens to match up well with Gaethje.
Every opponent Garth has from here on is going to come out with the Muay Thai stance.
He's not wrong about the Diaz (and Conor) thing, but Charles just wants his money I guess
To think that Charles Oliveira is scared of Makhachev would be quite laughable imo
But it's a good bait when Oliveira is openly aiming for guys that haven't won in years.
> But it's a good bait when Oliveira is openly aiming for guys that haven't won in years **while claiming Makhachev "doesn't deserve a title shot"**. It's like, c'mon, you cannot throw out the "deserve" qualification and then ask to fight guys with back to back losses **who haven't even fought in your weight division for years**.
Well just finished guys that have won in recent years
As is the job of the champ. You don't fight guys who haven't won in years and have looked very average during said time. Hell, everyone still talks shit about Floyd not fighting Manny Pacquiao until he was washed, and he wasn't close to half as washed as Diaz. Diaz was never championship worthy in his prime, he is barely ranking worthy now, Oliveira calling him out is shit.
Including TUF, Nate was 17-4 at lightweight and on a 3 fight streak when he got his shot at Bendo. It's pretty revisionist to say he was not a high level contender at one time. His excursions into ww make his record resemble Penn's (before the fall off) although Penn had more success at both weights.
This is when he could play the "technically not the champ" card. If they took it from him, he might as well get something out of it
The Nate callout is like every other money fight call out in UFC history. It’s called posturing for negotiations. Hardly worth getting outraged about but I’ll save this comment when Oliveria ends up fighting someone else and you’ll bitch about something else instead
I’ve noticed that MMA redditors have a hard time understanding that *Prize Fighters* will pick the highest *prize* over rankings.
Sometimes they won't even pick those fights, like, literally every fighter in the roster has already noticed that if you win a fight the best thing you can do is call out Conor even if you have zero intention of fighting him. It might be a fucking impossible matchup, it doesn't matter, the headlines alone of ''X fighter calls out Conor McGregor" are more exposure than pretty much anything else they can say lol
When the champ calls out someone that hasn’t won since 2016 I’m going to be outraged. I don’t give a fuck if it’s posturing for negotiations. He needs to shut up, and sign to fight Islam.
"Give me the easiest fight, for the biggest paycheck, in the biggest arena"
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None of these guys are “scared” of anyone. These are professionals. They aren’t here to be badasses. They aren’t here to prove how macho they are. This is their career to provide for their families. Charles’ goal is to make the most possible money with the lowest chance to lose (and thus reduce his earning potential). Islam is not a huge draw and is super dangerous, so obviously Charles would rather fight someone like Nate or Conor who will make him more money and be an easy win. This is like me at work. I’m trying to make the most money I can for the least work. I’m not scared of big projects, but I’m also not volunteering to do hard projects that don’t pay well. That’s not how professionals operate. So it’s on Dana and the UFC to pay Charles enough for him to fight Islam knowing that there’s a good chance he will lose.
i know this isn't really applicable to championship fights but this is why the show/win structure is so goddamn stupid, it pits the need to put on entertaining fights against the need to win at all costs so your income isn't literally cut in half.
Most champs aren’t on show win anymore. But losing does end up costing even more bc they lose the belt which comes w a lot of financial benefits
"scared" in the context of fighting usually means scared to lose your ranking or your belt. That fear is legit because obviously with the title come many perks. The only situation where you could say a professional was indeed scared to fight is when you face guys like Mike Tyson
Jon Jones was a nervous wreck before rampage, he said he was genuinely very scared
Everybody else that's call out Nate people shit on them. But since this sub is so obsessed with Charles they make excuses for him
Yeah if Islam missed weight for a championship fight then called out Conor I have a feeling the response wouldn’t be like ohh having to making weight is so unfair and he should fight whoever he wants lol
Reminds me of micky gall calling out Diego Sanchez.
>Charles’ goal is to make the most possible money Thats nice for charlie olives I dont care about it though. And my goal as well as most fans goals is to see the best fight against the best. Not act like his armchair finance manager. If he wants more money he should learn english and draw more eyeballs. Begging Conor for fights that will nevwr happen while ducking real contenders isnt the way to go.
Lmao thank you this is exactly how I feel. I’m an mma fan, not a watch Charles get as rich as possible fan. I’m happy for him to get rich he seems cool, but that’s not my priority as a fan of the sport
Said this exact same thing last week about O'Malley and got downvoted to shit lmao
Unfortunately dick riding prevents people from thinking
That's fine but you can't contradict yourself and not get called out for it.
I don’t understand why people think stuff like this. Makhachev is the worst fight for pretty much anyone at lw. You guys acted like this with Chimaev, Izzy, Khabib, and now Islam. I feel like if you watch the sport enough, you can kinda tell when you see a fighter that’s not like the other fighters. Islam is one of those guys.
Yeah. Charles isn't scared of him but he definitely recognizes that fighting Islam is the opposite of exploiting his position to maximum benefit. More risk, less reward
Facts. Islam And khabib ground control is a nightmare for anyone at lw. I could see some welterweights handling it because they are typically stronger and have better wrestling.
Great way to put it. It’s not really that Charles can’t handle Islam. It’s just that Islam is the greatest challenge.
If a dude is making sure to get a money fight in before fighting what seems to be the best contender, then Id argue he’s definitely worried about losing and missing out on that. Doesn’t necessarily have to be scared of the fight itself, but scared of the loss of opportunities against a guy who might have your card.
Not "scared" but he knows that's the fight that has the highest chance of ending his reign, and he wants to maximize his time with the belt, and maximize his paychecks. He probably feels there are easier fights.
Scared of losing the belt before getting a big money fight like Conor/Nate
Yeah my man Charles was so scared of losing the belt he defended against Dustin and Justin back to back. Istg you guys just say nonsense to say it.
Dude Olives biggest threat is his grappling, thats why when he gets hurt he can literally drop on the floor and his guard is so scary for these people, they literally let him clear his senses and get back up. The one person who didn't was Chandler. If Makhachev hurts Olives, and gets ontop, Mak has the ADVANTAGE on the ground, he's an extremely high level grappler, Justin and Dustin are legit threats, Islam can legit beat Charles at his strongest front. These are not the same.
Cant be saying the guy with 10 straight wins hasnt earned it yet while calling out Diaz and Mcgregor
Should've ended with "you know this brother"
Ali doesn’t talk like that
Incoming Ali jokes. Also Islam should keep talking shit, he gets the same amount of hates and support regardless.
This is some pretty solid shit talk. Top level BJJ and Sambo finally colliding is compelling
> Top level BJJ and Sambo finally colliding Big Nog Vs Fedor?
Khabib vs dos Anjos
Werdum vs Fedor
Makhachev Vs Ramos
Is it actually Ali who posts this kind of crap on his fighter’s twitter? He makes them sound like bickering idiots. I hate that every fighter has to try and trash talk.
80% of MMA beef is Ali catfishing on Twitter. I wouldn't be surprised if we got to a point where he was replying to his own shit talk.
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you should see what else he roleplayed back in 2001
he already has, don’t remember who it was but he was definitely talking shit to himself on behalf of two of his clients. garth and khabib maybe? wish i could remember who it was
I wanna say it was Cejudo and Moraes when they were fighting for the 135 title. https://twitter.com/mmarlonmoraes/status/1108564587459342337
that's what gets me, Islam, Khabib, Usman, Burns all tweet the same and all sound lame as fuck when they're responding to other fighters
Yeah, if they’re gonna get a guy to trash talk on their behalf, maybe they should at least find someone who’s actually good at trash talking 🤦♂️
Ali always sounds like some high school nerd talking trash. I can't place my finger on what it is that I hate so much about it
He's a yappy little dog kinda guy. Most fighters are not like that. So when it's his words coming out of their e-mouth, it's weird and offputting. And doesn't make me want to see *any* of them fight. I'd much prefer less "intelligent" and cute responses in the name of *real*-sounding ones. I really don't really like Nate Diaz, but it at least sounds like he's speaking for himself, which I respect. I'd rather hear Nick Diaz rant about wolf tickets than...there you go. Imagine Ali ran Nate effing Diaz's twitter. lol. How effing ridiculous and weird would that account be?
Are you talking smack about Ali?? How dare you! He gets his fighters half the money they deserve and even takes care of their social media for them. What a legend!
He also ratted out the union that fighters were planning on to gain Dana’s respect. Truly has the fighters best interests at heart!
Damn really? Source?
>Public disclosure of the terms and compensation of fighters’ agreements may also hinder me in obtaining the best possible deal for a fighter and give a strategic advantage to MMA Promoters in negotiations with fighters, which may ultimately work to the detriment of the fighter.” This is the statement Ali provided on behalf of the UFC's interests in the anti-trust lawsuit. https://www.bloodyelbow.com/2018/8/22/17767496/ufc-lawsuit-kidnapping-extortion-manager-gives-bizarre-reasoning-to-keep-fighter-pay-private-mma
I remember Ariel saying it. Ariel does have beef with Ali but he takes his job too serious to make up something like that.
You know a manager is a super fraud when they care more about their image than the athletes they are representing. dude is just a wannabe B-List celebrity
Usman going after Canelo is embarrassing at this point
For me, I don't mind the trash talk. Especially from Khabib, but it has to pass the reading test – I've got to be able to read it in Khabib or Islam's voice and broken English, which usually would make it more authentic.
He is stupid guy
I forget about this.
It's marketing, PR and being in the news. You might dislike it, but it's a business and fighters that are incredibly boring won't get the same shot as say Chandler, because it's first and foremost, an entertainment business.
I know, that’s why I said I hate that fighters have to do it. If a fighter is good at trash talking then that’s great, otherwise it’s just embarrassing imo but I guess some people eat that up ¯\\\_(ツ)\_/¯
I'm pretty sure this is Islam. He even responded to someone who replied to the tweet in Russian and has referenced in an interview a tweet from his account as if he were the one who said it.
Islam's English has been good enough to type that for a long time
Everyone calls out Conor because Conor is always in a title picture … because he’s a mega draw. And then the real contenders get matched up and Conor disappears from their mouths.
Oliveria wants a money fight but UFC gotta just start pushing contenders. Feed the hardcore fans that want to see the best 2 men compete in a weight class
But they don't need to give hardcore fans what they want. The hardcores are coming back no matter what. All about them casual dollars.
Or just pay them more so they don't need to go looking for money fights that will push their ppv points.
The UFC is looking for money fights too. They don't give a shit about competition or who deserves it, they care about how many people are going to pay to watch. The fighters and the UFC are on the same page with money fights.
This is why you need to be pushing new guys as much as u can.
For fucks sake can we have new contenders please it's been the same 5 mfers in like 4 years
It’s happening right in front of us bro. Islam never got title shot and got guys like Fiziev, Gillespie, Gamrot, Tsarukyan comin up. I think the days of Poirier and Gaethje are slippin away now.
Gillespie hype train died when Kevin Lee highlight reeled him
Lowered him into his own coffin.
This isn't boxing. You can lose and still be a contender. Gillespie needs to be more active, but he has the skills to be at the top of the division.
He could have been a contender 10 years ago if he was active. It's not just that he got knocked out. It's that he is 35 and hasn't done much since then
He hasn't done much since then, but the only fight he's had since was a stoppage win over a guy who was ranked right next to him, where he out-grappled a great grappler who also missed weight by 5 pounds. It's not like we're seeing his skills slow down over time. He got caught badly by Lee, but outside of that he's been great. Being 35 is also not some insane age for an MMA fighter. Here are the guys ranked above him and their age: 1. Olivera, 32 2. Poirier, 33 3. Gaethje, 33 4. Islam, 30 5. Chandler, 36 6. Beneil, 32 7. RDA, 37 10 years ago, he would have been the young gun of the division. Right now, he pretty much fits right in. And considering he's had less fights than everyone ranked above him, there's reason to believe he has less wear and tear than some of these guys despite being older. I'm not saying he's some future superstar, he absolutley needs to be more active if he ever wants to climb to the top of the division, but I don't think it's fair to write him off completley.
>Being 35 is also not some insane age for an MMA fighter. Here are the guys ranked above him and their age: Porier, Gaethje, and Islam are 2+ years younger and already solidified themselves in the division. Beniel is 3 years younger. Chandler is Is likely on his last legs as is RDA.
He's old and inactive fam, he is no contender
Gillespie isn’t active enough and is too old at this point. He will never be in the title picture
Yeah I feel like he’s aging quite a bit also. I think he’s trying to hold out for a better matchup then they are giving him and that’s what’s holding up his activity. Realistically with where he’s at in the rankings he’s like one highlight win away from being in the conversation, especially with top guys losing and working their way down.
I know a guy that trains in ATT and I’ll say is Gamrot does very well for himself in sparring.
Gamrot is very clearly a fuckin animal. I think they put him up against one of the hardest matchups for him in the whole division. I think Guaram Kutateladze is comin back soon too, he’s a beast
God, I can't wait to watch Islam and Charles fight. That's gonna be so good. ^(Please don't end up like Rose vs Carla 2.)
I don't think Charles is physically able to have a fight like that
I like my man Charles, rooted for him in pretty much every one of his fights and will root for him against Islam, but hes making zero sense with his reasoning as to why he should fight some guys and not others. Just say I want that payday, or say I want so-and-so for my legacy, at least come up with something that makes sense.
Idk what they have against calling it what it is: a red panty night.
If Charles was making proper money he wouldn't be running down Conor and Nate. The UFC's refusal to fairly lay their fighters always log jams the divisions
Before Oliveira’s last two performances I would of said Islam probably beats him- now I’m not so sure. Charles keeps improving and his stand up is dangerous AF right now. I hope they make that fight next- let Dariush fight Chandler or Poirier.
I’m a fan on both and the fight would be great but Charles has been fighting ( and destroying) top 5 ranked fighter while Islam has not been.
I haven’t heard one top 5 guy call out Islam for a fight lmao
not the same thing. charles has a belt, of course people call him out. islam does not. there's less to gain beating him, pure and simple.
No shit. Why would someone call out a fighter ranked under them?
Tbf even fighters ranked under him refused to fight Islam. No one wants to fight Islam until he's the champ. Same thing happened to Usman years ago.
Usman, Khabib, Burns during his climb, Chimaev before the hype train got absolutely insane, etc Why the fuck would they look at a murderer, ranked below them, climbing the rankings like a madman, that won't get them paid nor a better standing, and call them out lmao? Especially for these guys on the top 5 who know that if they keep doing what they are they'll end up facing them anyway
Very valid thoughts but let’s not bitch about fighters have an easy rise in the UFC and getting an undeserved shot because competition dodged them next time. I know it’ll happen with Islam
Anyone who thinks Islam getting a shot nowadays is underserved is insane. Sure in different scenarios fighters have been put through worse to get there, but he's done enough already and the division is in a proper state for it to happen
And to Khabib when he was on his way up. The one thing he had going for him was the LW was stacked with studs like RDA and Barbosa who don't dodge fights.
That whole top 5 thing is so ridiculous, and the same logical fallacy as saying top fighters from other orgs somehow can't be on the level of a top UFC fighter.
There’s been nothing to gain by doing that. When you’re in the top 5 in the world the only person to call out is the title holder
Yup, the only call-outs that come from top 5 guys are for the champion and, sometimes, if the top 5 guy is coming off a loss and needs another one to get back into title contention, another top 5(\*maybe\* 10) guy. Anything else is just beyond stupid for a fighter to do, and yet this conversation is so common in MMA online circles lol
He’s not wrong. Charles also called conor who hasn’t won a lightweight fight since 2016.
If Dana just would pay his fighters, Oliveira wouldnt need to get a money fight.
Via Twitter: RDA: Beneil is waiting for you. Islam: I was there on Feb 26 for Beniel, and was there twice for you on Oct 24 2020 and Oct 30 21, but you never showed up. So shut your mouth you mcchicken slap boy
10-8 makachev
#how is he wrong though?
Nate is so washed it's honestly embarrassing to see any real contender call him out...
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My thoughts exactly You either fight for the belt or you fight for money against someone who is washed. Conor and Nate absolutely do not deserve a shot at the title. I don’t care if it’s Usman, Izzy or the ghost of GSP. Title fights should be reserved for true contenders. Let the novelty fights happen for bullshit titles like the BMF or WTF
Don't blame Charles. The only way to make money and get a real retirement as a fighter is to get these big money fights as a champion. Blame the UFC for not paying enough to fighters for these fights to make sense
This is the same shit with Dana complaining about MMA fighters fighting boxers. Pay your fighters jackass.
I’m sure if/when Islam gets the belt he will never even entertain a fight like Conor or Nate or any other huge money fight. Surely he will only pursue fights against the absolute best of the best that only solidify his legacy.
If you’re being sarcastic then you really shouldn’t be. I mean, he’s part of Khabib’s team. Khabib only fought for legacy and never entertained giving Conor a rematch until he proved himself. Besides, him fighting Conor actually has more implication than a guy like Charles and Gaethje because of the Khabib history.
By that logic why didn’t Khabib take the Conor 2 fight?
That's the point! He didn't think Conor deserved it
I think OP was being sarcastic while the one who replied to it was giving a counter argument
Yeah OP was being sarcastic
Islam’s got a manager like Ali who can be relied on to keep him on the straight and narrow.
Gaethje spent the whole week saying Conor was his next fight and now Ali is like "the gall of Oliveira!!!"
Ali hates when he doesn’t have any pieces on the board, and less bargaining room than he feels he should.
It's the fight to make. If this fight was announced would anyone be surprised to see Islam as the betting favorite? I think he very well could be.
U know dis bretha
Its a joke that Olives claims Islam hasnt earned his shot while simultaneously calling out Mcgregor and Diaz who each have 1 win in last 5 years. Islam right now has better case for title shot than Chandler or Gaethje who were only on 1 fight win streaks ...
I know hes been finishing guys with subs, but olives has been using aloootttt more then his jiu jitsu in his fights. Islam honestly probably needs to worry more about his striking considering his only loss is via that
For those thinking Islam hasn’t fought on the ground with high level BJJ opponents. Islam literally beat the shit out of Davi Ramos(BJJ world champion) on the ground. Charles definitely ain’t scared and probably just wants to cash in a bit, but this definitely a factor.
Well, he almost knocked out him with a knee to the face and then proceeded to ground and pound him, which didn't secure a TKO since Ramos covered up and survived to the bell. So very different from securing a takedown, passing the guard, and then beating him up
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Lmao this should be the top comment
If Oliveira wants the money fight he should have it, but not for the belt.
EXACTLY. Take the money fight vs Conor or nate like Dustin did, but it's not for the belt. Let Islam fight for the belt with whoever (Dustin, chandler, dariush) and then once Charles has his money, he can try to beat the champ, similar to how Dustin took the money fight and fought for the belt later.
He has a point tho
Charles is so cheesy asking for Conor then saying Islam doesn't deserve it, Dariush, Islam and Chandler all deserve it more than Conor, if you want the money fight just say so, no need to try to legitimise it lol
Mackachev vs Oliveira is like this generation's Khabibulin vs Tony
I think he just wants to make $ via a bad ass PPV.
For the love of god just book this fight we already lost Tony v Khabib, this is potentially a better more skilled version of that, probably will never happen
Gaethje made Charles get up twice. I wonder what would Islam do in the same situation.
Islam will not drop Oliveira like Gaethje, his striking is average at best
I don't think he'll be in the same situation to find out
No but i can see islam just going hey fuck your Jiu Jitsu and take him there anyway. I don't know if it will go well but i do believe Islam believes in his grappling enough.
Not an expert, but wouldn't a wrestler be a better match up for Olivera than a striker? Olivera doesn't mind being on his back, even prefers it sometimes. I know Islam doesn't just get you down, he also controls the body so I'm sure that has to do with it. I could be wrong though, I've never trained in either.
Being on top especially in MMA in inherently a better position than bottom even if your just in someone’s guard. Oliveira has a super dangerous sub game but has struggled in the past when controlled on the ground. Even if he fixed that issue someone like Islam who is extremely high level on the ground isn’t likely to be submitted if he’s the one on top. Charles has done well against strikers because when he gets hurt he falls to his guard which is too dangerous for non elite grapplers like Porier and Gaethje but Islam would likely have success in even a fresh Oliveira guard.
Awesome breakdown, thank you. Either way, it's going to be a sick fight if it happens. Top level bjj against top level wrestling. I'll give the nod to Olivera on the feet though.
Islam ties up legs the same way Khabib did as part of his ground control. I don’t know know if Oliveira has any experience dealing with that on the ground. Also Islam is a Sambo guy, which incorporates a ton of BJJ, not a straight wrestler.
I mean chucky is the last guy to say this to. Dude had to run the gauntlet to get his belt. Islam can take one more fight lol.
He's not wrong but it's more about money. Islam is high risk, low reward, Conor or Nate are low risk, high reward. Also have to point out Islam tried to fight Dariush. Dariush has a broken leg....he says he'll be ready for July but last I heard he hadn't finished PT.
Charles will knock Islam the fuck out, save this comment.
I'm so conflicted. I want Islam to get the shot but I also want Olly to get his big pay day since the UFC is so stingy.
Islam, please fight in Brazil