IT’S BEEN AN interesting 24 hours and we’ve been here before.
Conor McGregor flew out to Los Angeles on Monday morning for his UFC lightweight title bout against Rafael dos Anjos at UFC 196 in Las Vegas on Saturday, 5 March.
However, on Monday evening I began to pick up on some rumours that claimed dos Anjos had picked up an injury. Later that night, Conor’s management team contacted me and confirmed that dos Anjos had broken his foot. He wouldn’t be able to fight.
Apparently he sustained the injury in training last Friday. I assume he gave himself the weekend to see if he could put weight on it, but obviously it didn’t heal. On Tuesday morning, a few other names were put forward as potential replacements. The response from Conor was as you’d expect: “It doesn’t matter, they’re all the same.”
I did find it somewhat interesting, however, that Jose Aldo and Frankie Edgar both turned it down. I seem to recall them insisting quite recently that they were willing to fight Conor “any time and any place”. Obviously they forgot to mention that 5 March in Las Vegas was an exception.
Back in September, Conor said something significant at the UFC’s ‘Go Big’ press conference. He told every contender from 145lbs to 170lbs to stay ready because it’s not uncommon for his opponents to pull out. There’s a pattern emerging that one fighter pulls out, another fighter steps in and then it’s passed off as being a short-notice fight. It’s not.
Six of Conor’s last 12 opponents have pulled out. Even if a certain fighter is not announced as Conor’s original opponent, every guy who’s in some way in the mix to face him in the future should be staying prepared, because there’s a 50% chance there’ll be an opening.
If you want to fight Conor McGregor, get ready — even when someone else has got the gig. There’s only a handful of names who could have received the call, so they should have been ready. There’s a lesson to be learned here for any guy who genuinely wants the opportunity.
In a time when so many fighters are unwilling to compete due to a wide variety of little issues — not enough notice, minor injuries etc. — Conor’s mindset is unique. He could have walked away from this without consequences but that never came into consideration.
In order to widen the search for an opponent, he committed to fight as high as 170lbs and that was it. That’s two weight classes up from his last fight, which only happened a couple of months ago. It’s a mindset that hasn’t been seen before and I doubt we’ll see it again.
I’m sure people have heard me saying this before, but we’ve never focused too heavily on opponents at Straight Blast Gym and this situation is yet another justification of that philosophy. When this happened previously, we went from fighting a kickboxer to a wrestler. Now, the switch is from a stocky grappler with some hard kicks to a tall boxer. You must be ready for every type of opponent.
As for Nate, if you look at his last fight — when he beat Michael Johnson by decision — Michael comes from a great team but he is quite new to striking, yet he still managed to land a lot of shots. Josh Thomson badly lit Nate up when they fought in 2013.
The Diaz brothers are known for walking through shots but Nate doesn’t quite have Nick’s ability to absorb punishment. It’s a different ball-game when you face somebody who has been striking for their entire life, as opposed to a wrestler who’s still trying to develop their striking. I think it will be an early night for Nate.
We don’t know just yet what will come after next week’s fight but I personally think the fight against Rafael dos Anjos still makes sense for the summer. Having said that, things can change very quickly between now and then — as we’ve seen since the Aldo fight — so who knows what will happen in the meantime?
It’s a crazy game and it’s becoming more and more difficult to predict. But I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t a lot of fun.
They seem to be going all out to stop the rot, will it work?
I don’t think it will work straight away but I think Blind is a very good signing. Very disciplined and will work very hard for LVG. Phil Jones really needs to buck up. If he can start doing the easy things right and start leading from the back, then I think a major defender isn’t needed. It’s positive rather than the negative shite we’ve been watching for a while. In saying that, Burnley could turn up and want it a lot more today and teach United a thing or two about desire.
Blind often played at CDM for Ajax and that is what United need the most good signing
Spot on there pal I think lvg will play him there
Shaw,Rojo,Blind..Any chance he’ll sign a right back?
Rafael, valencia, smalling and jones able to play there too! The problem was at left back which he seems to have fixed
Hes paid big money for 3 left backs,2 of which are versatile. Im trying to see how he’ll be able to play all 3 at one time
They’ve lost three left backs since January so makes sense. Plus, Rojo can play in the centre and Blind in holding midfield as well as CB.
Rojo likely to play centre or left in a 3 at the back, Shaw will play either left back or left wing back, Blind will play mainly Centre Mid, or infront of the back 3/4.
It’s also likely Shaw will in maybe a year or 2 end up as a out and out winger if he proves himself again like last season going forward
A great signing and nice to have some depth at left-back but as Jonjo mentioned in a comment the signature of a right-back is surely imminent now. Rafael is too much of a liability and Jones is more favourable at centre-back.
£14 million isn’t too bad considering United are getting a player that LVG has worked with and Blind will know how he coaches etc. Still United’s transfer policy is shocking. Letting a handful of players go at start of the window and then clearly failing to replace them. Leads to panic buying in the last few weeks. Then they pay over the odds because of it.
Seems to be a very overpriced deal?
More like a player that the likes of Newcastle would sign for 6/7million and then sell on for this kind if money.
If Woodward hadn’t advertised how much money we had to spend we wouldn’t be held to ransom like this!
Or if they hadn’t shown their intentions by paying stupid money for Luke Shaw at the start of the transfer window
Or if we got players in before letting the likes of Vidic and Ferdinand go!
We then have the bad results of the start of the season and everyone can see the desperation.
It has nothing to do with Woodward. I think he is aptly priced going by the rates players are priced at these days and taking into consideration Blind’s performances at the world cup.
Really! Woodward announcing that we had 200 million to spend has no influence on clubs holding out for higher fees?
The selling club has all the power when it comes to selling player to United at the moment because we’ve left it late to get players in, and have showed our hand too quickly!
I agree Evra and Ferdinand were on the decline but I wouldn’t have let Vidic go before next season while he brings the youngsters up to standard or quality new players in.
We didn’t have to be in this situation! Vidic could have got us through the first part of the season?
Rojo still has third party ownership issues never mind work permit issues.
We left ourselves without a defence at the start of the season, and now our arse is in the wind as we scramble for players!!!!
If that’s not Woodward who is it???
John, are you shouting?
Not yet I’m only 2/10 on the Delia meter at the moment!
If I were shouting, I’d write LIKE THIS!
John united are going to have to overpay another couple of times yet. They lost their negotiating power because of Woodward big mouth, years of underinvestment driven by the glazers and now a poor run of results.
Things are starting to shape up now though. I have no doubt LVG will get them going on a run at some point. The question is when …..
Sorry John, I do agree with some of what you are saying. I should have said I don’t think Blind is overpriced. When I heard Ajax wanted a minimum of 20 million I thought here we go again in relation to the extortionate price paid for Dj Maria and probably Shaw too. So I was surprised when 18 million was announced. I do agree with what youare saying about advertising the money the club are willing to spend and I would liken it to Chelsea’s ability to somehow get 50 million from PSG for David Luiz, but everyone knows PSG have adequate funding so hey, why not!? Also similar to Real Madrid paying top dollar to secure big names at the club. They have the money to do so. It’s activity like this that is in my opinion inflating the football player economy so that’s why I don’t think Woodward is solely responsible.
Declan, I agree with you, hopefully VIdal next!
Here hoping John though time is getting tight now for that deal. Hernandez as part of deal might make juve bite. Who knows
Good man Stephen!
Although Madrid balance it out with the odd bargain 20 million for Kroos. When we do our homework we get a Solskjaer or a Hernandez or even a Ronaldo (price wasn’t bargain basement but look what we sold him for).
When we haven’t planned properly we have to do a panicked shopping spree.
Our team has been evolving for years and we shouldn’t have been in shock that Giggs, Evra, Ferdinand, got old there understudies should be in before they are out?
Looked poor for Ajax v psv last weekend
Stephen, I also think you are right, there is a team if people that make the decisions behind the scenes, they should be advising a little better, but Gill was a bit more clued in?
It’s one of those, that if he stays for 10 years and is successful it was cheap!
But if he fails to adapt to the premier league we could be selling him for half the price we bought him for!
Liam, I’d say his mind was on United this deal has been in the pipeline! Van Der Sar had had several trips to Carrington representing Ajax!
I’d say he didn’t want to risk injury before the transfer!
Well Gill and Ferguson were a class act as far as transfers and finance are concerned. Great ability to buy an unknown starlet and turn them into a decent player. It was the same with the youth system, they knew what they were at. LVG will be the same I reckon but he needs to become comfortable with the club. It takes time. Especially in regard to the youth system, that doesn’t just come overnight.
Yes but that activity is conducted by the scouting network, and we didn’t loose that with Gill/Ferguson.
I agree LVG will get all that right, but he’s been forced into buying at high prices.
If it doesn’t work in the first year, the press will come out with you’ve spent 200 million and there will be a witch hunt.
I would have hoped LVG having been around the block and having contacts in the footballing world could have pointed out a few players we didn’t know about!
Shaw and Herrera were signed from long term targets.
Di Maria was a signing we had to do to boost fans confidence and prove we can sign the best.
I would put Daley Blind as LVG’s first proper signing?
In my opinion Moyes got rid of very important back room staff. Rene, Mike Phealan, among many and replaced with Phil Neville.
Players began to loose confidence in the coaching started to fight amongst themselves and the dressing room split.
Bidi said if he knew LVG was coming in he wouldn’t have left.
*vidic
LOL combination of sausage fingers and predictive text
Yes , the bright lights and big pockets were probably playing on his mind
Really need a midfielder before deadline day,seen song is in talks with west ham,surely he would of been a cheap short term solution.
£14 million ain’t too bad a deal these days for a very good versatile player.
£13.85 million if you are to believe Sky Sports News.
Another left back and now the most expensive team in pl history Jesus United are shocking
Ah Ian. Thought you could do better than that. Who do you support ?
Very solid signing, I think the United new members of the united squad although over priced are fantastic signings. If we could get de Jong or Vidal and a right back now it could be the league. ….
im very disappointed by this news feed