2025 MMA General Discussion and Fight Announcements

[bov]

Jean Silva climbing his way closer to contention at 145, if he gets a big win against a ranked guy next he could be in the title picture by the end of the year.

 

[CDJ]

Hooker-Gaethje is off

 

[I am not exposed]

Hooker-Gaethje is off

That's a huge hit to the card. Damn.

 

[Chaels Arms]

I love Topuria going to LW to fight Islam and that's definitely what's going to happen. There's no way he vacated without a guarantee of a title shot.

I'm never going to complain about a UFC fighter going big game hunting. These guys need to maximize dollars while they're still healthy and can still accomplish big things. I think the days of for instance Adesanya fighting a nonentity like Jared Canonier just because he's there are fading. Topuria doesn't owe FW anything. Plus, from all I've read, his weight cut to FW is brutal.

It's not as if he's not taking risks here. He just lost the comfort of having a championship belt. The easier/safer path is to stay at FW. Islam looks completely untouchable. Topuria could very well get wrestle ****** into oblivion. Makhachev's got the name, he's got the lineage, he's got Saudi money backing him up. The fight will probably be in Riyadh on a massive card. Hopefully vacating the belt allows Topuria to commit fully to 155 which is something I don't think we saw with either Volk fight. I love it. I think it should be applauded.

 

[CDJ]

 

[I am not exposed]

I love Topuria going to LW to fight Islam and that's definitely what's going to happen. There's no way he vacated without a guarantee of a title shot.

I'm never going to complain about a UFC fighter going big game hunting. These guys need to maximize dollars while they're still healthy and can still accomplish big things. I think the days of for instance Adesanya fighting a nonentity like Jared Canonier just because he's there are fading. Topuria doesn't owe FW anything. Plus, from all I've read, his weight cut to FW is brutal.

It's not as if he's not taking risks here. He just lost the comfort of having a championship belt. The easier/safer path is to stay at FW. Islam looks completely untouchable. Topuria could very well get wrestle ****** into oblivion. Makhachev's got the name, he's got the lineage, he's got Saudi money backing him up. The fight will probably be in Riyadh on a massive card. Hopefully vacating the belt allows Topuria to commit fully to 155 which is something I don't think we saw with either Volk fight. I love it. I think it should be applauded.

Fair enough.

I do think it is a bit of no win situation for Islam. If he does win the fight, he will just get criticised for beating a 'smaller' fighter again.

 

[pistolpete11]

Bet everybody is now with me that 313 isn't that good of a card

 

[Chaels Arms]

Fair enough.

I do think it is a bit of no win situation for Islam. If he does win the fight, he will just get criticised for beating a 'smaller' fighter again.

Yeah probably but most fighters at LW currently with the exception of Arman are going to have asterisks like that attached to them.

I look at Topuria and he looks like he should be at LW which is not something I ever felt with Volk.

 

[bov]

Montreal is a great card so far. 2 belts on the line, Aldo vs Zahabi, BSD vs Alvarez, Burns vs Morales, Grasso vs Silva, Jasudavicius vs Andrade and more...just some really nice matchmaking.

 

[CDJ]

Montreal is a great card so far. 2 belts on the line, Aldo vs Zahabi, BSD vs Alvarez, Burns vs Morales, Grasso vs Silva, Jasudavicius vs Andrade and more...just some really nice matchmaking.

Can’t complain about that considering some of the cards they’ve been giving Canada

 

[bov]

Would be fun to see Topuria step in against Gaethje.

 

[aight]

Would be fun to see Topuria step in against Gaethje.

Fun for who? Not for Gaethje. Probably not for Khabib either, for that matter.

 

[Tobias Kahun]

Can’t complain about that considering some of the cards they’ve been giving Canada

Hopefully it doesn’t turn out like most Canada cards where 75% of the main card gets hurt and drops out

 

[CDJ]

Demian Maia is stopping by my BJJ gym for a weekend in a couple weeks, that’s gonna be sick

 

[CDJ]

Gaethje-Fiziev 2
Silva-Mitchell
Chito-Bautista
Hill-Rountree
Jacoby-Bruno Lopes
Zellhuber-Hubbard (Brener fell out so Thud steps in)
GM3-Tavares
CeeRod-Melky Costa
Inferior Tafa brother-Tokkos
Andrade-Jasudavicius
Iron Turtle-Naurdiev
Mo Usman- Hamdy
Kutateladze-Kaue Fernandes
Emmett-Murphy

All announced recently. Junior Tafa vs Tuco Tokkos is in the running for WOAT fight

UFC 314 is positively sexy at the moment

 

[Taytro]

Gaethje-Fiziev 2 is an absolute lose-lose fight for Justin. He already beat Fiziev, and Fiziev hasn't won a fight since then, Justin goes from fighting #6 to #11. Gaethje gets nothing if he wins, but gets pushed way back if he loses - all risk, no reward here. He's gotten the short end of the stick lately. Should have gotten the Islam fights instead of Poirier after KOing Poirier.

 

[Tobias Kahun]

Gaethje-Fiziev 2
Silva-Mitchell
Chito-Bautista
Hill-Rountree
Jacoby-Bruno Lopes
Zellhuber-Hubbard (Brener fell out so Thud steps in)
GM3-Tavares
CeeRod-Melky Costa
Inferior Tafa brother-Tokkos
Andrade-Jasudavicius
Iron Turtle-Naurdiev
Mo Usman- Hamdy
Kutateladze-Kaue Fernandes
Emmett-Murphy

All announced recently. Junior Tafa vs Tuco Tokkos is in the running for WOAT fight

UFC 314 is positively sexy at the moment

Both Tafa's shouldnt be in the UFC.

Gaethje-Fiziev 2 is an absolute lose-lose fight for Justin. He already beat Fiziev, and Fiziev hasn't won a fight since then, Justin goes from fighting #6 to #11. Gaethje gets nothing if he wins, but gets pushed way back if he loses - all risk, no reward here. He's gotten the short end of the stick lately. Should have gotten the Islam fights instead of Poirier after KOing Poirier.

He's most likely getting a pay increase for taking this fight rather than sitting out.

He likes to fight twice a year anyways

 

[CDJ]

Gaethje-Fiziev 2 is an absolute lose-lose fight for Justin. He already beat Fiziev, and Fiziev hasn't won a fight since then, Justin goes from fighting #6 to #11. Gaethje gets nothing if he wins, but gets pushed way back if he loses - all risk, no reward here. He's gotten the short end of the stick lately. Should have gotten the Islam fights instead of Poirier after KOing Poirier.

It’s not ideal but people know Fiziev is very good, apparently they’ve been trying to get Fiziev a fight for 6-8 months and nobody is biting. Fiziev is surprisingly opening up as the favorite

 

[Taytro]

It’s not ideal but people know Fiziev is very good, apparently they’ve been trying to get Fiziev a fight for 6-8 months and nobody is biting. Fiziev is surprisingly opening up as the favorite

Gaethje is 36, just got his chin cracked for what feels like the first time in forever by a featherweight and he's going up against a dangerous striker with real KO ability. I don't like Fiziev and do like Gaethje but I can understand the Vegas lines. I just don't understand why Justin does this, or what this does for his future. IMO a win over any other top 15 guy does more for him than another win over a guy he recently beat, who has only moved backwards (on paper) since their last fight.

I just want to see Gaethje vs Islam so my opinions reflect that lol.

 

[CDJ]

Gaethje is 36, just got his chin cracked for what feels like the first time in forever by a featherweight and he's going up against a dangerous striker with real KO ability. I don't like Fiziev and do like Gaethje but I can understand the Vegas lines. I just don't understand why Justin does this, or what this does for his future. IMO a win over any other top 15 guy does more for him than another win over a guy he recently beat, who has only moved backwards (on paper) since their last fight.

I just want to see Gaethje vs Islam so my opinions reflect that lol.

Yeah I want him to get the easiest path to the title possible and this is definitely not that. I was sneakily hoping for Dariush lol

 

[I am not exposed]

It’s not ideal but people know Fiziev is very good, apparently they’ve been trying to get Fiziev a fight for 6-8 months and nobody is biting. Fiziev is surprisingly opening up as the favorite

Yeah he hasn't fought since September 2023! I recall that was a unusual stoppage. Fights with Gamrot are normally pretty weird.

 

[CDJ]

Yeah he hasn't fought since September 2023! I recall that was an unusual stoppage. Fights with Gamrot are normally pretty weird.

Blew out his knee

It’s interesting. Gaethje won last time but he’s a little older and just got chin-checked. On the other hand Fiziev is coming off a knee injury and he’s a who relies on his explosiveness so he’s going to be a question mark too

 

[I am not exposed]

Blew out his knee

It’s interesting. Gaethje won last time but he’s a little older and just got chin-checked. On the other hand Fiziev is coming off a knee injury and he’s a who relies on his explosiveness so he’s going to be a question mark too

That's right! Gamrot celebrating was pretty cringeworthy.