Sports Update

In the world of sports, I've been loosely watching the Summer League of NBA, and the Knick acquisitions performing. I actually will be eager to see how this upcoming season plays out. This past weekend was one of the few joys in Fight weeks I've had in a while. With all of the upsets, it was good to see my boys pull through. Connor McGregor, Keith Thurman, and Robbie Lawler all delivered in their performances, in spectacular fashion.

 Robbie Lawler was defending his new title, and silencing any who doubted him still. He was facing a game  opponent in Rory MacDonald.  The fight started very methodically, and was called dull in the start, when it wasn't. Chess escapes fools. It ended with fireworks, and Robbie KO'ing Rory after some explosive standup, having been rocked himself at one point. I like the wrinkles Robbie has added to his game with very smooth boxing, and level changing. His takedown defense is getting even better. Not only does he stuff the takedowns, he makes you pay dearly with counters in the process.

 Keith Thurman has been under the microscope as a potential Mayweather opponent for a while, especially after his several rants calling Floyd out. I wasn't a fan of the matchup myself, but Keith id definitely improving. I didn't like how slow and defenseless he looked in his last fight with Robert Guerrero, who hurt him late in that fight. In this fight, he faced a small looking Luis Collazo. At first, it seemed like a mismatch. Collazo starts slow, and waits to explode. When Collazo lets his hands go, you can see why he stopped a game Ortiz and Berto. He has hard, relentless shots, and a very hard chin. Keith actually stepped his game up. His defense was excellent, and he really didn't take clean shots upstairs. It wasn't until the 5th that we saw him in trouble. He took the kind of liver shot that stopped De La Hoya, and would have stopped most people. How he stayed up is beyond me, but his defense afterward, recovery, and offensive wizardry, really impressed me. He survived the round, then came out and controlled the very next round, leading to a corner stoppage. He apparently had a wrist injury. Like Teddy Atlas said, I didn't see explosive power there much, which could be due to the wrist, but as far as technique, I definitely see an argument for a Mayweather fight there. It would be interesting, but I would rather he fight Khan first. That fight, at this point would be good.

  Lastly, I have to mention the greatest magic of them all- my boy Connor. Connor McGregor is a great warrior. He is living proof that belief takes you far. And not blind belief. I mean drive. Ever since he was in Ireland, he as known he would be champion. With all of the tests in front of him, it's hard to see a way for him to dominate like he promises each time, and yet he always has. When he was set to face Aldo, I felt that he might fade and crumble in that fight. Aldo pulled out due to rib injury, and was replaced by Chad Mendes. I honestly felt that Chad was the tougher fight for Connor, and I still do. Chad hurt and tested Aldo in both of their fights, and has the added wrinkle of being a great wrestler. That's a recipe for a Connor nightmare. Yet, Connor says he has no worries, and promises to cut Chad in half, and the first thing I say to myself is, "How the heck is he going to do that?" Chad is a complete fighter who will test even the greatest and most perfect fighter, if not destroy them. But Connor is special. Just watching his media workouts, I was blown away. He isn't just talk. He takes it back to the very basics of martial arts and technique. He has polished his movement and strikes in such a way, you just don't see that anymore from most fighters. The kind of perfect kicks and punches and just the right time, that most fighters dream of throwing, Connor can throw at will, anytime, perfectly, in rapid succession if need be. He has taken it back to what it truly means to master technique, not just learn it. I was shouting and on my feet watching some of the back kick counter combos he was putting together at the workout. All of that artistry went completely over the heads of the viewers, who didn't know what they were seeing, so resorted to talking about girlfriends in the background. I knew that it was what made him amazing.

  When Connor started the fight, his standup was on display immediately. Not since Jon Jones have you seen a fighter who's timing and striking is amazing at every moment till Connor. Carlos Condit and Josh Thompson are up there, but Jon and Connor are in a class themselves in how majestic they execute. When it was looking bad, Chad resorted to his takedown game, which I thought would be a problem for Connor. He got the takedowns, and went for elbows, and grinding. I was worried that would be it. Connor showed that he can maintain control, even from bottom position, and also took some nasty shots very well. He was taken down a few times, and always found a way to stand. His striking was so amazing that he still seemed to edge the rounds. Then in the 3rd round, when Chad got another takedown, it seemed that he would grind to some kind of finish, but Connor found a way to stand again, and delivered a decisive straight that leveled Chad and ended the fight. It was the kind of amazing that Connor promised and always delivers. When he got the belt, he was in tears. I don't know if Aldo has what it takes. Connor McGregor is everything I told people he would be.