Unless Askren losses a fight soon it behooves the UFC to acquire him. An undefeated welterweight who has been champion of multiple other noteworthy organizations not being signed because of a personal grudge looks petty and foolish apt ales away credibility.
"You don't have to be perfect, just dont be fraudulant"
With Brazil, USA, Canada, Ireland, Japan and Poland in the mix, we have what's most likely the most nationally-diverse list of contenders ever (could've been rounded out very nicely with Sweden barring some rumbling awesomeness).
I like where this is going. Good for the sport.
EDIT:: Also, for the first time on a LONG time every single one of the 11 champs has an actual date in the calendar year. Barring changes, 2015 is looking top notch so far.
* Edited at 02.19.2015, 10:28 AM ET *
"Hay lohh you Mike, ay lov you Mike. Hyou say somesing like di fo me, and naw I say you ... I LOV YOU! See you som. Boy." -- Yoel Romero, UFC 205
Rory obviously has the skills. He was competitive in both his losses. It seems like he lacks some toughness and loses focus. I think this fight will be very competitive but I wonder how Rory reacts in the late rounds, especially if he's taken a lot of damage. We know Robbie has that insane toughness, which makes me favor him.
"Beating people up is a positive thing –Tank Abbott"
There's only 70 picks made so far, though, so the percentages might change closer to fight time when over 1,000 picks are in.
Edit: By the way, the original Ronald McDonald was played by Willard Scott, later to be the long-time weatherman on NBC's Today Show.
* Edited at 02.20.2015, 3:48 PM ET *
"I shall not cause harm to any vehicle nor the personal contents thereof, nor through inaction let that vehicle or the personal contents thereof come to harm. It's what I call the Repo Code, kid. "
Well, the odds are now open and Rory is the favorite... For now. He will obviously not be the favorite at fight night, and the fight is too far from now to warrant any kind of bet, but it is interesting to see that the public sees Rory as the next GSP. I don't. The talent gap between them is HUGE.
"Let's just say if we fought again I wouldn't need to keep my hands up." - Luke Rockhold on Michael Bisping's punching power
^Agreed. Rory MacDonald is excellent, but in reality he's just a poor man's GSP. He's just as well-rounded as GSP but GSP was just better at everything than Rory, I don't see anything Rory does that GSP can't do better.
The thing is, Rory already lost to Robbie and fairly recently too. Has he really shown improvement yet?
@Anik, well I don't think Rory has shown any technical or physical improvements but him losing to Lawler actually felt like more of a mental state. He got used to stifling and controlling fighters to a cautious and calculated decision. Lawler was too big, explosive, aggressive, athletic, skilled and determined to let someone do that. Lawler is a man willing to die on his shield. Rory got overwhelmed, things weren't going how they usually did for him and Lawler began to take control of the fight, took the risks and reaped the reward. I think the question is, can Rory find his tenacity and eagerness that he had when he was younger? Because Lawler never lost it and is still improving as I type this.
* Edited at 03.09.2015, 11:08 AM ET *
"If I have a goal, then it is to escape from this literalism. I'll never achieve it; in the same way that I'll never manage to describe what really dwells within my character, although I keep on trying."
But every fight after the Robbie Lawler fight were fought the same way as they were prior, Rory still continues to be satisfied with controlling and stifling fighters. Taking Maia and Woodley to decisions and recreating Mir/Cro Cop with his fight against Saffiedine aren't exactly proofs of Rory MacDonald overcoming his so-called 'mental state'.
I picked Lawler because I think he is a better fighter than MacDonald. That and because Rory has shown nothing in his previous three fights that will swing the stylistic matchup in his favour.
"Let's just say if we fought again I wouldn't need to keep my hands up." - Luke Rockhold on Michael Bisping's punching power
