Conor McGregor thinks TJ Dillashaw is a snake in the grass, a child, and perhaps most importantly, a twerp. He’s been saying this for weeks now, and recent events seem to more or less confirm that he predicts deez tings. Why he’s been so persistent in pointing out Dillashaw’s disloyalty is a bit of a mystery, but personally, I think it’s because McGregor actually happens to like — and dare I say it, respect —Urijah Faber.
On last night’s (was it last night? Who gives a f*ck) episode of The Ultimate Fighter, McGregor’s constant needling of Team Alpha Male finally came to a head, by which I mean that it led to a rousing spat of pushy-shovsies filled with profanities, incredibly sexual threats, and laughter. The whole thing was just primo reality TV, really.
Conor McGregor thinks TJ Dillashaw is a snake in the grass, a child, and perhaps most importantly, a twerp. He’s been saying this for weeks now, and recent events seem to more or less confirm that he predicts deez tings. Why he’s been so persistent in pointing out Dillashaw’s disloyalty is a bit of a mystery, but personally, I think it’s because McGregor actually happens to like — and dare I say it, respect –Urijah Faber.
On last night’s (was it last night? Who gives a f*ck) episode of The Ultimate Fighter, McGregor’s constant needling of Team Alpha Male finally came to a head, by which I mean that it led to a rousing spat of pushy-shovsies filled with profanities, incredibly sexual threats, and laughter. The whole thing was just primo reality TV, really.
Video after the jump.
In case you were wondering, that’s Cody Garbrandt who stepped up to McGregor’s challenge. Apparently his version of “doing somethin’ about it” involves a little shoving, followed by absolute silence. It’s definitely a bold strategy, Cotton.
Perhaps the most damning evidence of the truths McGregor was spitting here is the fact that Faber said absolutely nothing in defense of Dillashaw, both while he was out of the room and once he had returned. Knowing what we do about Dillashaw and Faber’s relationship now, I dare say that Faber would’ve piled on even further.
In any case, the skirmish wasn’t exactly on the level of Chael Sonnen and Wanderlei Silva’s TUF Brazil brawl. At least in that they had the common decency to exchange open-handed slaps and double legs takedowns like men.
(“And IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII-EEEEE-IIIIIIIIIII will always love youuuuuuuuuuuuu….” via Getty)
Not too long ago, we passed along a video of Conor McGregor and Urijah Faber’s dual interview on FS1, which was easily the greatest interview the channel had ever seen ever. Though the two TUF 22 coaches maintained the kind of playful repartee that has injected a much-needed sense of levity into this season’s show, McGregor held nothing back when the subject of Faber’s Team Alpha Male teammate, TJ Dillashaw.
“You shouldn’t be letting him in your sh*t, cause he’s a snake in the grass,” said McGregor. “You brought him into [The Ultimate Fighter] thinking he was there to help you. He was there to help him. He’s not your boy. I sense disloyalty.”
Not a week later, Faber lobbed a slew of accusations at former Alpha Male coach and the man behind Dillashaw’s success, Duane Ludwig, accusing him of everything from racism to attempting to extort TAM in an effort to solve his own financial woes. And now, it appears the bottom has finally dropped out.
(“And IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII-EEEEE-IIIIIIIIIII will always love youuuuuuuuuuuuu….” via Getty)
Not too long ago, we passed along a video of Conor McGregor and Urijah Faber’s dual interview on FS1, which was easily the greatest interview the channel had ever seen ever. Though the two TUF 22 coaches maintained the kind of playful repartee that has injected a much-needed sense of levity into this season’s show, McGregor held nothing back when the subject of Faber’s Team Alpha Male teammate, TJ Dillashaw.
“You shouldn’t be letting him in your sh*t, cause he’s a snake in the grass,” said McGregor. “You brought him into [The Ultimate Fighter] thinking he was there to help you. He was there to help him. He’s not your boy. I sense disloyalty.”
Not a week later, Faber lobbed a slew of accusations at former Alpha Male coach and the man behind Dillashaw’s success, Duane Ludwig, accusing him of everything from racism to attempting to extort TAM in an effort to solve his own financial woes. And now, it appears the bottom has finally dropped out.
In regards to my upcoming fight camp, I will be doing my training in Colorado. The last six years at Team Alpha Male have been irreplaceable and my brothers there will forever be family to me. I thank each and every one of them for helping me along the way and being a part of this journey we’ve shared. This is not the end of being a part of the Team Alpha Male family, but a new chapter in my career.
I will be spending my next full training camp with Team Elevation as they’ve offered me an opportunity that I couldn’t pass up, with an incredible coaching staff and state of the art facilities.
I want to thank everyone for the continued support as this has not been a decision I’ve taken lightly.
As it just so happens, that Godfather-esque opportunity Dillashaw mentioned happens to include a boatload of cash. The bantamweight champion talked to Stud Show Radio (audio below).
“I was going to go out there and train no matter what for this fight camp. I was going to go back and forth like I did last time. Except last time I paid a lot of money to do that. I had to rent a house while I was out there, I had to pay coaches while I was out there, I had to pay out a lot of money out there to do my fight camp, half at Alpha Male and half at Elevation Fight Team,” said TJ.
“Well now Elevation Fight Team came to me and they want to pay me good money to train with them.” he continued. “They’re offering to pay me to train instead of me paying to train. This sport is growing so much I feel that is the way it should be. Really if anyone else was in my situation they’d take the exact same deal.”
So once again, it appears that Conor McGregor has predicted deez tings. His reaction to yesterday’s news was about as subtle as you’d expect from the “Notorious” interim champ.
Well one thing’s for sure: *Every* night is red panty night at the McGregor household. The guy can’t stop talking about them — it’s as if he doesn’t even understand that black panties are objectively sexier according to every top scientist across the globe. COME ON, CONOR.
Anyways, this seems like an unnecessary (not to mention, slightly disloyal) move for Dillashaw, if you ask me, considering the fact that Cruz is going to shatter his tibia or some sh*t before this fight ever actually happens. But with Team Alpha Male currently without a coach, what other options does TJ Dilly have left?
Being a Jiu Jitsu black belt with a penchant for heel hooks, it would be easy to compare TUF 22 competitor Ryan Hall to Rousimar Palhares, and we’re sure that many an MMA website out there already has. Thankfully, that’s where the comparisons begin and end, as last night’s fight between Hall (of team Faber) and Team McGregor’s Frantz Slioa proved outright that not all leglock masters are homicidal lunatics incapable of empathy.
Being a Jiu Jitsu black belt with a penchant for heel hooks, it would be easy to compare TUF 22 competitor Ryan Hall to Rousimar Palhares, and we’re sure that many an MMA website out there already has. Thankfully, that’s where the comparisons begin and end, as last night’s fight between Hall (of team Faber) and Team McGregor’s Frantz Slioa proved outright that not all leglock masters are homicidal lunatics incapable of empathy.
Video after the jump.
As for the rest of last night’s episode, Dana White dropped something of a bomb (by TUF standards, at least) in announcing that not only would each coach be allowed to bring one fighter eliminated during the preliminary fights back (McGregor went with teammate/countryman Artem Lobov, obviously, while Faber took Johnny Nunez), but that the least exciting fighter will be kicked out of the house after the first nine fights conclude.
“I’m looking for guys who wanna fight,” said White. “I’m looking for guys who wanna perform. I looking for guys who wanna be world champions. That’s what this show is all about. We aren’t looking for guys who will hold onto a guy’s leg for three rounds and make it to the finals.”
You hear that, guys? The TUF house don’t need no stinking “strategies.” They just want dudes swinging them bungalows until someone goes down. So what if you emerge too injured to fight 3 times in 10 weeks? SUCK IT UP, PUSSIES.
In the trash-talking department, Urijah Faber told the “Notorious” one that he looked like “orange cotton candy.” McGregor quickly fired back by mocking Faber’s style, which he accurately described as that of “a 50-year old retired skateboarder.” Compelling stuff.
(The gang engages in a rousing game of Fuck, Marry, Kill: Dana White, Ronda Rousey, and Bigfoot Silva)
I may not having been putting much faith into the 22nd season of The Ultimate Fighter, because, you know, it’s the 22nd goddamn season of The Ultimate Fighter (Unofficial tagline: “Where not even the coaches fight, because whatever, fuck you.”), but after seeing Conor McGregor and Urijah Faber‘s amazing interview on last night’s edition of UFC Tonight, I might just have to see how this season plays out. It’s a testament to both the salesmanship of McGregor and the unflappable likeability of Faber.
For close to 15 minutes, the two coaches playfully bickered about everything from pay-per-view numbers to whether or not TJ Dillashaw is a “snake in the grass,” all while hosts Kenny Florian and Brian Stann tried to contain their laughter and occasionally chimed in. But what separated this interview from most was the near complete lack of malice between the two — perhaps because they aren’t actually scheduled to fight anytime soon. It was like watching two old friends argue about who was the better high school athlete, in that you could sense a mutual respect underneath it all (despite McGregor’s early assertion that Faber was “harmless”). Even when McGregor was aiming his best zingers at the members of Team Alpha Male, Faber never rose above the level of “slight amusement.”
(The gang engages in a rousing game of Fuck, Marry, Kill: Dana White, Ronda Rousey, and Bigfoot Silva)
I may not having been putting much faith into the 22nd season of The Ultimate Fighter, because, you know, it’s the 22nd goddamn season of The Ultimate Fighter (Unofficial tagline: “Where not even the coaches fight, because whatever, fuck you.”), but after seeing Conor McGregor and Urijah Faber‘s amazing interview on last night’s edition of UFC Tonight, I might just have to see how this season plays out. It’s a testament to both the salesmanship of McGregor and the unflappable likeability of Faber.
For close to 15 minutes, the two coaches playfully bickered about everything from pay-per-view numbers to whether or not TJ Dillashaw is a “snake in the grass,” all while hosts Kenny Florian and Brian Stann tried to contain their laughter and occasionally chimed in. But what separated this interview from most was the near complete lack of malice between the two — perhaps because they aren’t actually scheduled to fight anytime soon. It was like watching two old friends argue about who was the better high school athlete, in that you could sense a mutual respect underneath it all (despite McGregor’s early assertion that Faber was “harmless”). Even when McGregor was aiming his best zingers at the members of Team Alpha Male, Faber never rose above the level of “slight amusement.”
Video after the jump.
After watching this interview, not only am I guaranteed to tune in for the first few episodes of TUF 22 (which is more than I could say for the past dozen incarnations or so), but I’m already drafting up the pilot of a buddy cop drama starring these two.
“One’s a perpetually arrogant loudmouth and former beat cop from the mean streets of Dublin. The other is Matthew McConaughey’s kid brother. Together, they are The Mouth & The Chin.”
Summer is winding down, which means we’re in the latter stages of 2015. It also means football season is finally here. But do you know what else it means? There’s still a whole slew of mixed martial arts fights that we have to look forward to, so with that in mind, here are the top 10 fights that you, Potato Nation, should check out or – at the very least – set your DVR to as we wind down the year:
Summer is winding down, which means we’re in the latter stages of 2015. It also means football season is finally here. But do you know what else it means? There’s still a whole slew of mixed martial arts fights that we have to look forward to, so with that in mind, here are the top 10 fights that you, Potato Nation, should check out or – at the very least – set your DVR to as we wind down the year:
(Countdown to UFC 191: Andrei Arlovski vs Frank Mir, via the UFC.)
Both of these guys are in the midst of a career resurgence – and probably the second or third such resurgence for Mir. Both are also riding multiple-fight win streaks, and the winner of this fight has to be considered the top contender in UFC’s heavyweight division. But given what we’ve seen lately with title shots in the UFC, who knows?
(Highlights from Dantas vs. Galvao 1, via Bellator.)
Galvao memorably made Joe Warren scream in pain at Bellator 135 earlier this year, securing the bantamweight title in the process. Dantas succumbed to Warren in a previous title fight, but secured another shot after besting Mike Richman at Bellator 137. Oh yeah, Dantas also happens to hold a vicious knockout victory over, you guessed it, Marcos Galvao. Both of these guys can finish their opponent by either knockout or submission, so don’t expect this fight to go to a decision.
Freire has been a thorn in Straus’ side, already getting the better of him on two separate occasions. Besides his losses to Freire, Straus has been on an absolute tear in Bellator, winning all but one fight. Straus is chomping at the bit for redemption against Freire, and I expect this fight to be teeming with animosity and fireworks.
7. David Branch vs. Teddy Holder (World Series of Fighting 23 – Sept. 18)
(Holder vs. Thiago Silva, WSOF 19.)
Holder emphatically made his presence known in WSOF, stepping in as a last-minute replacement against Thiago Silva and needing all but two minutes to knockout Silva in both men’s organizational debut. Knocking out a dangerous (literally) fighter like Silva in two minutes? I’d say that warrants a title shot. Holder and Branch are squaring off for WSOF’s inaugual light heavyweight title, with Branch boasting an undefeated record in WSOF and getting the best of fighters like Paulo Filho and Yushin Okami. Both guys like to stand and bang, so I don’t think it’s a stretch to say this fight probably won’t go the distance.
Putting this fight here is more or less a sentimental pick, given the stature of the two guys involved. Hendo showed the world he’s not quite finished yet by brutally knocking out Tim Boetsch in the first round earlier this summer. Belfort was demolished by UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman in his last fight, but had a highlight-reel knockout of Hendo in their previous meeting. These guys are surefire hall of famers and at the latter end of their careers, so you want to catch them while you can. Especially when they’re facing each other.
5. Bellator: Dynamite (Sept. 19)
This is an entire card you should check out, not just one fight. Bellator is partnering with GLORY kickboxing to put on a joint card on the same night. The arena will house both the Bellator cage and GLORY’s kickboxing ring, right next to each other. Simply put, this is a combat sports fan’s wet dream. The Bellator portion of the card will feature a light heavyweight tournament with fighters like Phil Davis and Muhammad “King Mo” Lawal. Liam McGeary will defend his light heavyweight title against Tito Ortiz, and Bellator’s Paul Daley will actually compete in a GLORY kickboxing match against Fernando Gonzalez. If you love combat sports, you do not want to miss this event.
4. Justin Gaethje vs. Luis Palomino II (World Series of Fighting 23 – Sept. 18)
(Gaethje vs Palomino 1 highlights, via Youtube)
These two engaged in an absolute war earlier this year. They traded bomb after bomb after bomb and pummeled each other mercilessly. Gaethje scored a third-round TKO victory, but Palomino’s tremendous heart and aggression against Gaethje secured him another chance at the gold. Their first meeting has been one of the less-heralded fights of 2015. But after this sequel, both of these guys should be household names.
These two are probably the two best middleweight fighters in the world right now. They’ve been circling each other for a while now and after Weidman’s demolition of Belfort and Rockhold running through Lyoto Machida in their previous bouts, the time is now for Weidman and Rockhold to go toe-to-toe for UFC’s middleweight title. These guys are sharing the UFC 194 with Jose Aldo and Conor McGregor. While that fight will likely get the lion’s share of the promotion, Weidman/Rockhold has all the making of a classic. Neither man gives an inch and will bring everything they have to the table. This will be a terrific fight to watch.
It may have suffered a slight setback thanks to an unfortunate thumb injury, but simply put, if you like violence, you will enjoy this fight. Both Lawler and Condit enjoy rearranging their opponent’s faces – Lawler with Rory MacDonald, and Condit with Thiago Alves. Expect nothing less than a brutal, bloody, punishing affair with this one. There will be no strategy, no gameplan. If any fight encompasses the saying “Two men enter, one man leaves,” it’s this one. Just sit back, relax and enjoy violence in its purest form with this one.
(Aldo vs. McGregor promo, once again via BrattMamley)
The fight EVERYONE’S talked about. This was supposed to happen at UFC 189 in July, and even had a world tour to go with it. Unfortunately, Aldo had to pull out right before the fight with an injury. McGregor defeated Chad Mendes for the interim featherweight title, and will now face Aldo to determine UFC’s true featherweight champion. The hype surrounding this fight will be off the charts, and it will be almost a full calendar year before the anticipation for this fight really kicked into gear. Aldo and McGregor are the two best featherweights in the world. It is long past time for these two to square off, and it can’t come at a better time than just before the holidays. Merry Christmas to all of us.
Chris Huntemann writes about mixed martial arts in the state of Maryland. He also opines on various topics within UFC, Bellator and World Series of Fighting. Check out his blog, and follow him on Twitter: @mmamaryland.
