See I see this totally differently and couldn't disagree more.

General population is stupid. Why would they be excited to see a guy that they feel Conor embarassed? It's like if a NFL team beats another by 40 are mouth-breathers talking about variance? That's how they viewed that fight, one way beat down and Aldo isn't close to his level.

It's like I would've like to see Cat get another shot against Ronda but the general population would've thought that was ridiculous.

And big bro Diaz lost to Condit and then got a title shot against GSP and it was GSP's biggest PPV ever that he headlined. He lost and then got a title shot ... and it was huge.

i see it unfolding multiple ways. Your idea is just as viable for sure, mine was playing along with the theme of 'rematch' or redemption fights, but for progression sake and assuming Dana is smarter than he looks, then your idea makes more sense.

Adding on to my earlier point, what happens at 145 if Conor sits at 155 and takes on the deeper, stronger division, going RDA, then likely Diaz, maybe even Pettis or Khabib, in this theory even a potential RDA rematch sits much further out with that division than for Aldo at 145 imo.

How long before he returns to 145 for Aldo or Edgar? Do you see him bouncing back and forth, or letting an interim champ exist?

All contingent on him actually winning (I put him at a bigger dog than the market) but it's just because of 200 that I'm talking about this. Aiming to be the biggest UFC event ever so the stakes are raised.

Otherwise he's already stated his goal is to bounce back and forth. He did say he was debating a rematch with Aldo or Frankie before going to 155 so it's not like he's holding himself to a precise ABAB pattern tho.

He wouldn't allow an interim belt. The interim belt against Mendes was preposterous and only established to legitimize Conor. You have to sit out a very long time normally otherwise.

How big are the stones on conor. Can pretty much choose his opponent and takes rda on 2 months.

Might be insane

Oh it's prbly def hubris

I mean couldnt he have had cerrone as a massive payday, way better style matchup, and a "warmup" 155 bout?

Cerrone coming off loss tho

Diaz was the play for the reasons that you're listing

If the RDA fight hadn't happened I'd def agree with you. Fight still sells though.

yeah sorry i meant to say diaz, guess was jus thinking about the rda/cerrone fight

cerrone could still 'apply' via UFC standards too though? anderson fought forrest off of a loss

sure, like I posted before elder Diaz got a title shot off of a loss. Gus did too against Cormier.

Ain't no rules, just guidelines.

Conor is just limited by his vocal goals is all. Him saying he wants to get the 155 strap and then fighting Cowboy are incongruous. Anderson never said he was going for the 205 belt.

Stolen from Twitter, just amazing:

i totally agree with you but imo condit clearly won that match.
And if both fighters has equal amount of "shot damage" than clearly the more active fighter should be the winner...

You guys serious ?

So McGregor and RDA already accomplished in like 3 or 4 fights what Anderson, Jones, and GSP took years to accomplished ?

And if it is only because he won in more than 1 weight class, you could class BJ Penn in there as well which imo is certainly not has good as GSP, Anderson and Jones.

Btw, 145 and 155 is not as difficult to move up and down compared to 170 to 185 and 185 to 205...
Especially taking into account the champions that were present on top of that all over the years (Hughes, Franklin and Liddell were dominating before the other 3 came in as well).

Ask Frankie Edgar and couple others to see if 145 and 155 is such a huge leap.
It is difficult but surely not enough to make this a decisive factor for the GOAT.

I guess you overlooked the word "potential".

Selective reading ftw

To SUB's point, it's silly to disregard Conor as a possible future GOAT if he starches RDA, or worse if he Dillashaw/Barao's him for 5 rounds.

He's not the best fighter ever because his resume is short, but that doesn't mean that he's not sprinting down that path with a solid RDA win.

Tough to compare fighters historically. A lot of the divisions were far weaker just 5-10 years ago. GSP/Silva doesn't seem that long ago but it really was a different era. Neither had a ton of comp in their divisions. Especially GSP.

And if you just go by resume then it is gonna be tough to do what GSP/Silva and even Aldo did. Comp is just a lot tougher now.

Officially locked in my 2k on McGregor. New and 2 in 2016!

Yeah big time .

Last notable win for GSP : Condit, Diaz and Hendricks ( yeah i know imo it was basically a draw but anyway he did not lost..)
His last fight 2 years ago not like 5 or 10...

Last for silva : Sonnen ( i mean he still crushed almost anyone he was fighting except his last fights vs Jones and Silva...Sonnen did beat Shogun Ruya in 2013 still) and Belfort.

You telling me all those guys are not still relevant ?

Silva is gone because of age now anyway but i am pretty sure GSP would still dominate his division beside 1-3 guys...

About the competition getting tougher?
It is not that different, Jones still dominated his weight class like the other 2 previously... Yes the background did get better but the champions still get better as well.
Point is when champion do not stop working ( like so many unfortunately do, so they stop getting better) to stay ahead of the curve, domination happens, in any sports.

I got it, but still GOAT is far off from 2 or 3 fights.
Any fighter can fight 1 or 2 times the fight of his life.

ps: btw i was speaking a bit in generalization of this idea because, if YOU did notice, there was 2 quote !
And the "potential" was not in there for 1 of them...

Btw the fight i want to see is this guy :
http://www.ufc.com/fighter/Khabib-Nurmagomedov

vs McGregor or RDA.

Has long this guy did not lost a freakn match and already beaten up RDA, how can you speak of road to GOAT...
Btw i love Connor do not get me wrong but imo, khabib should crush Mcgregor after in saw how mendez did control connor on the ground in the 2nd round.
Khabib is a freakn beast man...
Anyway, Jones is much further ahead for this title if he can smarten up...

JBJ is the GOAT that all should be measured against.

I just want Khabib healthy MMA is better when guys like Cruz and Khabib aren't broken all the damn time

yeah it is close but imo not just there yet but awfully close, if he beats like Cormier again and 1 or 2 other tough fights i am with you.
Fedor was something...like 31-1-1 and basically beat everyone.
GSP too, i mean if he would come back and kick hendricks and lawler ass what would you say after ?

Not really saying those guys don't have tons of quality wins but they did get a lot of fights against guys that just wouldn't be in the picture today.

Guys like Cote, Alves, that brit who talked a ton of trash with the red hair or whatever....I mean nowadays if you are champ you really get no fights off. That is what I meant by it will be tough to accomplish what those guys did because of era.

Going like 5 years without a loss because of having to maintain such a high baseline of consistency.

Even if Connor is unreal and just smashes expectations, staying ontop for 5+ years seems extremely difficult now.

JBJ has basically beaten everyone and completely dominated everyone but Gustafson. He has won most of his fights by a very large margin against the best in the world. GSP and Fedor have losses and either quit or got beat once MMA became ultra competitive.

Khabib? MMA is better with guys like him assfcking his opponent for 3-5 rounds?

wtf, no one is acknowledging the word 'peak' also (same thing happened in EDF)

If I meant their whole career or list of accomplishments that word would've been omitted

It's like TMac had a higher peak than Kobe but Kobe had the ldo better career