UFC 205: Conor McGregor AKA The Rule Maker & Record Breaker.

September 28, 2016September 28, 2016 Ray Mullan Entertainment, Home, Sports, Trending

UFC 205 is an upcoming MMA event on November 12^th 2016. There are many reasons as to why this event is significant; the main reason being the fact that it’s the first UFC event held in New York City after being controversially banned through gaming commission legislation, and, in turn, the first UFC event held in the legendary Madison Square Garden.

So how do you make a statement in such historic and significant circumstances? The UFC opted to allow Conor McGregor; current UFC Featherweight Champion fight Eddie Alvarez for the latter’s UFC Lightweight title. The UFC have also deployed two other title fights on this card; a UFC Welterweight Title fight between Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson and Tyron Woodley and a UFC Women’s Strawweight Title fight between Polish sensation Joanna Jedrzejczyk and the undefeated Karolina Kowalkiewicz.

To describe the fight card as “stacked” would be a massive understatement. The card, from top to bottom, is littered with champions, former champions and championship contenders. UFC 205 has the potential to be the greatest UFC event ever held, and is arguably the fight card that should have been on UFC 200.

Many raised eyebrows at the fact Conor McGregor is fighting Eddie Alvarez for his UFC Lightweight Title, rather than defending his own UFC Featherweight Title (which he has yet to do). UFC President Dana White had previously said that after McGregor fought Nate Diaz (the second time) that McGregor would either have to defend his UFC Featherweight Title “or give it up”. Sensationally, he’s avoided both and has landed himself a title fight in another division.

The move has set fight fans alight, and I have personally yet to see or hear of a disgruntled fan, with regards to this fight. With the professionals in the sport though, it’s caused a stir. Jose Aldo, UFC Interim Featherweight Champion, has asked for his UFC contract to be terminated, claiming “I no longer believe in Dana’s statement that Conor would have to give up one of the belts after UFC 205 since, from what we’re seeing, this type of decision is no longer in his hands, since now Conor is the one calling the shots”.

Jose Aldo’s frustration stems from the time held tradition that if an Interim title is active, the priority for the weight division is to unify both titles. It’s clear this hasn’t happened for a range of reasons (money the primary explanation), which has provoked a passionate response from McGregor’s bitter rival, whom McGregor actually knocked out in 13 seconds on December 12^th 2015.

Number One ranked UFC Lightweight Khabib Nurmagomedov was also left frustrated with the move, claiming “I have two bout agreements that b******* champ refuses to sign. I got used the whole time to make Conor and Eddie get on their knees and beg”. Nurmagomedov has been the number one ranked UFC lightweight fighter since April 2014, and has been constantly sidelined through injury. His belief was that, when healthy, he would be getting a UFC Lightweight Title Fight with Eddie Alvarez, since a UFC Lightweight Title fight was previously promised to him. Again, this hasn’t happened.

Although both Aldo and Nurmagomedov have credible reasons as to why McGregor shouldn’t get a UFC Lightweight Title Fight, the fact remains he has. McGregor was like a snake charmer at the UFC 205 press conference, and was seen to provoke a predominately American crowd to boo Americans (including his opponent Eddie Alvarez). Would it be a stretch to suggest his snake charming ways extend to the negotiation table, and facilitate all the great opportunities he has been afforded? That’s not for me to say.

I’m looking forward to witnessing history and seeing a showcase of MMA talent unrivalled by other MMA fight cards. But what I’m most looking forward to, is witnessing the circus that is “The Conor McGregor Show”, and seeing whether or not he can really become the third person in history to hold two UFC titles in two different weight divisions.

UFC 205 is on November 12^th 2016 from Madison Square Garden, New York. To find out how you can watch the fights, click HERE.

CM Punk Broke the Internet.

September 11, 2016September 28, 2016 Ray Mullan Entertainment, Home, Sports, Trending belfast, belt, Blog, blogger, championship, CM Punk, Cult of Personality, dana white, ireland, Irish MMA, jiu jitsu, journalist, Mickey Gall, mma, sports, ufc, UFC 203

As UFC 203 drew to a close, it was difficult to take my mind off the cataclysmic failure in which Phil Brooks had just endured.

For those wondering who Phil Brooks is, he’s known by most as CM Punk, a former professional wrestling champion and self proclaimed “Cult of Personality”.

The reason I call him by his real name, rather than his stage name, is to differentiate his past from his present. Nothing in his past could have prepared him for the stark realization that, when it comes to mixed martial arts, you’re either born with it or you’re the other 99.9% of the world.

Brooks got battered. There’s no debate about that. The bout lasted two and a half minutes and there wasn’t a second in the fight when he wasn’t being dominated.

BATTERED: Phil Brooks being pummelled by welterweight prospect Mickey Gall.

It was hard to watch at times. Just seconds in, it was abundantly clear that this experiment wasn’t going to have a happy ending for the Chicago native. And although the fight proved brutal, it also proved necessary.

This fight, along with other examples (James Toney VS Randy Couture & Jose Canseco Vs Hong Man Choi immediately spring to mind) are reminders to the general public that, although the term “mixed martial arts” has the word “art” in it, there’s nothing artistic about being punched in the face.

MMA is savage. On the same card, viewers witnessed a man’s finger becoming so badly dislocated that, when the footage is paused, you can clearly see a bone sticking out. Viewers also witnessed Alistair Overeem, a man with over 15 years of MMA experience, being unapologetically knocked unconscious. This isn’t a game folks.

The Phil Brooks experiment, if nothing else, provoked opinions. On one side, many admired the man for chasing his goals and following his dreams. On the other, many seen his move into professional fighting as cocky, arrogant and ignorant. He’s always been considered a controversial character and his move into MMA was cut from the same cloth.

Brooks said, “In life, you go big or you go home” after the fight. It was an admirable act of courage to step into the octagon and the man deserves respect for that alone. But there’s nothing more humbling in life than a punch to the face. And unfortunately for Brooks, he learned that the hard way on several occasions.

His Rocky story didn’t have a happy ending. His face and ego were left battered and bruised. And his reputation? Well, he’s always been known as an entertainer and his journey has certainly entertained fans and spectators alike. So, credit to him.

It’s not clear if we’ll see Phil Brooks back in the octagon. But if we do, I hope it’s to promote a Wrestlemania, rather than to venture into a world that rewards the few and condemns pretenders through violence.

His record reads zero wins, one loss. And with his 38^th Birthday fast approaching, I just can’t see that improving anytime soon.

Gary Neville: Lost in Translation?

March 31, 2016March 31, 2016 Ray Mullan Entertainment, Sports, Trending, Uncategorized belfast, blogger, England, Football, Gary Neville, ireland, journalist, La Liga, Manager, Sacked, Soccer, Social commentary, Valencia

The news that Gary Neville had been sacked as manager of Valencia has not come as a shock to many. His disastrous run saw only 10 wins in 28 games, with the former Manchester United captain actually losing more games than he had won. Valencia’s league performance was especially worrying, with Neville only winning 3 of his 16 games in La Liga.

The statistics surrounding his managerial tenure are for dire reading. But, like most sports, although results are what go on to define you, they really don’t tell the full story.

Valencia is a club in turmoil and has been for many years. They’ve not came close to winning a trophy since winning the Copa Del Rey in 2008 (that’s 2907 days for all you statisticians). They’ve also had 7 managers in the last 4 years and seem reluctant to give any of these managers the time or space to set a footballing philosophy. Managers simply don’t have the time to turn it around, and when you consider the fact they’ve not won silverware in such a long time, it begs the question; Why?

Gary Neville was always subject to an uphill battle. The nationalistic Spanish press was all over him from day one, with him eventually saying, “I said before I came that I would be judged in five months. I have been judged in six weeks”.

He often seemed shaken at press conferences, often looking unsure of himself when he was fielded questions in Spanish. When he gave his answers in English, which subsequently had to be translated to Spanish for the Spanish Press and fans to understand, the moment was gone. His passionate answers seemed to lose their effectiveness. “I’ve only ever been one way in football and that’s to win every match”, he claimed in his first interview as Valencia Manager. Many were cynical from the beginning.

Maybe it was a case of the job being “too much, too soon” for Neville to cope with. He perhaps could have come better equipped for the job. As previously mentioned, his lack of experience with the Spanish language (or Spanish football for that matter) meant he would have problems. He couldn’t take team talks or even communicate effectively with his predominantly Spanish team due to the language barrier. Instead he relied on translators and pre-prepared liaison to get his messages across. Perhaps his words of wisdom lost their magic.

His team tactics were often subject to both experimentation and injuries. With a manager coming in halfway through a footballing season, it is expected he has a concrete idea of how the team are going to play and line out. This didn’t seem to be the case, as Neville opted to experiment with five different formations in his first eight league games, trying out 4-3-3, 5-3-2, 4-4-2, 4-1-4-1 and 4-2-3-1. Injuries to Diego Alves, Enzo Perez, Jose Gaya and Sofiane Feghouli also didn’t help team performances.

And with faltering team performances came the impending passionate response from Neville. But this response ended up being his eventual undoing.

His downfall came from his own words. His own beliefs. He set himself up for scrutiny by basing his employment on the ideal that he’d turn it around, and turn it around quickly. He wasn’t shy about telling the fans of his plans to make the club great again. His claims of immediate success unfortunately didn’t happen, and the cool, calm and collected Neville was made to look foolish with his words of optimism.

Fan support wavered. Once believers in Neville, they began boo’ing the Englishman venomously. They didn’t see the product Neville had professed about. They didn’t care for his passion. All they had seen was their football club in crisis mode, losing games to lesser opposition on a consistent basis. And with club legends such as Santiago Cañizares and Gaizka Mendieta openly condemning Neville, it was only a matter of time before he was shown the door.

When taking the Valencia job, he claimed. “If I’d have turned down this job, I could have said goodbye to credibility in football because it’s a massive club”. This quote in itself describes Neville; A fierce competitor with huge wells of confidence. He believed this was his chance to shine.

His final game, a lacklustre 2-0 defeat at home to Celta Vigo was the final nail in the coffin. His team looked uninspired. He looked lost. And the fans, with their white handkerchiefs at the ready, boo’d Neville out of the Mestalla Stadium.

The real sadness from this story is the “what could have been” factor of the sacked football manager. Managers are often in and out of a job before anyone can even process what’s going on. It’s a fickle sport, with fickle fans and fickle businessmen. Realistically, four months is not nearly enough time to prove your worth in any line of work. Neville may feel hard done by, but in the long run, if Valencia don’t drastically transform their entire club, it may prove to be the luckiest break he’s ever had.

Ronda Rousey; Revolutionary, Evolutionary, Transcendent. Also beats people up for fun.

August 9, 2015August 10, 2015 Ray Mullan Entertainment, Home, Sports, Trending bethe correia, Brazil, Fighting, Mike Tyson, mma, Rio, Ronda Rousey, ufc, UFC 190, Women's MMA

If Ronda Rousey were to disappear into obscurity tomorrow, she would still go down as one of the most influential sports figures of all time. Rousey’s a character that you only need to listen to for a few seconds to realize that she’s another level. A superior level. Both physically and mentally. Her mental toughness was developed at a young age, having had problems with her speech as a child. This, along with being the daughter of a legendary Olympian Judoka shaped her into the person she is today. A champion.

For me, her fight career is secondary to what she represents. She has personified the American dream through perseverance and hard-work. Her “never say die” attitude is something that will go on to inspire anyone who cares to watch and listen to her.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAY2XIr1hU4

On August 1^st 2015, she faced Bethe Correia, an aggressively brash competitor and undefeated Brazilian that talked the talk and, prior to this fight, seemingly walked the walk. She dismantled two of Rousey’s close friends in Shayna Baszler and Jessamyn Duke. This, along with her controversial trash-talk (which Rousey claimed to allude to Rousey’s father’s suicide) made this fight simply unmissable.

Another factor in this fight was the fact that Rousey decided to fight Correia in her native Brazil. Brazil is incredibly nationalistic, and when UFC fighters from outside Brazil fight there, the crowd often chant “Uh vai morrer”, which is Portuguese for “You’re going to die”. It’s also worth noting that it’s not customary for a champion to fight the challenger in the challenger’s home country. Put yourself in Rousey’s shoes; How thrilled would you be about walking through a crowd that wished for your death? Doesn’t sound pleasant, right? Ronda Rousey isn’t a normal human being though, and seemingly those variables didn’t do anything to her confidence.

The main talking points of the fight were three fold; Firstly, Ronda Rousey’s entrance was one of the most terrifying things I’ve ever seen. I’m not one for putting much merit into “psyching out” an opponent by a fight entrance, but this was something reminiscent of Mike Tyson’s entrance for his Leon Spinks fight. The reception she received sounded similar to a Justin Bieber concert (personally I’m not a fan of the Biebs), which seemingly rattled Correia. As she arrived to the cage, it was apparent Correia’s confidence had waned.

Another talking point was the strategy Rousey implemented. She usually fights with the strategy of forcing her opponent to grapple with her. Rousey’s Olympic pedigree in judo makes her impossible train for and defend against, therefore she usually exploits her world-class Judo skill-set. In this fight however her approach was reminiscent of legendary Brazilian MMA legend “Wanderlei Silva”, in that her focus was on winging as many punches toward her opponent’s head as she could, without having much technique behind them. She got hit, but she hit more, totally disregarding the risk of being damaged by her opponent.

The third talking point was the spectacular finish to the fight. Rousey delivered a crisp two-punch combination to Correia’s head, which left her faceplanted on the mat, in the very first round. The word “devastating” is overused in combat sports, but for this occasion, i’d say it’s the perfect description. As the referee pulled Rousey away from Corriea, she was heard sarcastically saying “don’t cry” to her unconscious opponent, adding insult to injury and putting a stamp on the fight. Not only did she beat Correia at her own game, but she looked menacing doing it. And not only did she knock out an undefeated and highly touted challenger, but she also put the rest of the division on watch. I think the lesson here is, don’t make Ronda Rousey mad.

Similar to Conor McGregor, Mike Tyson, Muhammad Ali, King Kong and even Jesus Christ, she’s a polarizing character. With regards to her competition, she dominates on a regular basis. Think about this; she hasn’t once come close to being vulnerable to defeat, something that is rare in a sport with so many ways to lose. She has not only advanced the fight game, but she’s also a vehicle for female empowerment through her achievements inside and outside the cage. I think she’s undoubtedly one of the most inspirational characters of the 21^st centaury, and at 28 years old, she’s really only getting started.