As sit here in Pembrokes Pines, Florida, preparing myself to do play by play for Titan FC 44 tonight, a variety of MMA headlines have caught my eye and have me thinking that all the drama many media outlets aim to create, could actually be benefiting the story lines they are feeding.
There’s the confusion and criticism of Georges St-Pierre. There’s the tempered excitement of the Conor McGregor and Floyd Mayweather bout moving one step closer to becoming a reality, to the return of Rory MacDonald as well as Jose “Shorty” Torres, arguably the best flyweight not signed to the UFC, headlining Titan FC 44, as he aims to defeat bantamweight champion, Farkhad Sharipov.
For Torres, many have wondered why he has yet to be called up to the UFC. Despite his undefeated 4-0 record, he also boasts a 24-1 record. He lost his first amateur bout, and has gone 28-0 since then. He defeated a UFC vet in less than 90 seconds in his last fight. It was an opponent who was rumoured to be going back to the big show.
Every step along the way, Torres’ opponents have become tougher and far more experienced, and each time, he has shown why he will be a force to be reckoned with. When he did not receive the call to the big show, he knew he had to face an even tougher opponent. A season vet. And with that being the case, why not temporarily move up a division and face the bantamweight champ. I mean why not?
Jose trains with TJ Dillashaw, one of the best 135 lbers on the planet, and more than holds his own against him. The theory, although basic, is that if Torres can bang with the best, then he should surely be able to bang with the far more experienced Sharipov, who is a monster in his own right.
There was a Canadian monster at one time names Rory MacDonald. Remember him?
Well “the next GSP” is returning to the cage vs. Paul Daley at Bellator 179. He was once regarded as the future of the welterweight division, basically the uncrowned champ at 170 lbs. He holds a victory over current UFC champ Tyron Woodley, as well as the number one contender Demian Maia. To say he could still be the best in the sport would not be a stretch.
The only problem was that he competed in the same era as Robbie Lawler. If you are a student of combat sports, you know, that for whatever reason or theory there may, every great fighter seems to have that one opponent who is their kryptonite. For Rory Mac, it’s the “Ruthless” one.
But for now, the past is the past and “Red King” will focus on “Semtex” and embark on what many believe will be an incredible run that will have the MMA media and fans crying a fowl that the Canadian is not in the UFC and instead, fighting elsewhere.
Speaking of not fighting in the UFC, we have moved one step closer to potentially never seeing Conor McGregor compete inside the octagon ever again.
UFC President Dana White has stated that he has come to terms with “The Notorious” for a boxing bout vs. Floyd Mayweather. No one really knows how difficult of a task that may have been, but now White has to deal with Mayweather’s team. And what I would do to make that a reality show.
One can just imagine the smooth and slick psychological tactics both sides will need to use to convince the other that this fight should be a go. Mayweather doesn’t need the money. Neither does Dana. Perhaps Conor doesn’t need the money as well, but rest assured, that payday is simply too sweet not to fight over (no pun intended).
Should a deal be struck and Conor’s dream dollar signs become a reality, I say “good luck” to ever seeing him in the UFC again. The pay days would be a fraction of what he would have made vs. Floyd. And if Conor should win - bye bye Irish guy from MMA cause a rematch would likely already be in the contract.
Should Conor lose and still be hungry to fight again, there is one name who could give him another solid payday: Georges St-Pierre.
While the Canadian is currently receiving a fair amount of criticism for not living up to the MMA media and fans’ expectations to confirm a date for his bout vs. Michael Bisping, his coach Firas Zahabi recently stated that Georges must still go through all of the USADA testing then will be more than ready to fight the champ.
There are many dynamics and angles we will never know about, but by all accounts, St. Pierre is still aiming to fight Bisping in the fall with his eyes also set on what will be deemed the biggest fight in UFC history: Conor McGregor vs. Georges St. Pierre - at the Rogers Centre in Toronto or Cowboy Stadium in Dallas.
Yeah … I said it.
