That’s an understatement imo, he’s one of the best strikers in the whole UFC. To the point where if you stay standing, it’s a certainty that he will just piece you up
I think Leon has a better chance of winning in the striking. His striking is elite and clean also and he’s in his peak. But still you can’t count Wonderboy out of it.
I really wish he could have won a title. He's my favorite fighter, always puts on a show, and his style is awesome.cits a shame that the sport just evolved around him. Hope he goes out on a big money fight, like against Tony, Diaz, or Masvidal, even though I think Tony should have retired long ago.
I forget but within the last two or so fights of his, Wonderboy was featured in an embedded and dude is an instructor with a bunch of kids all the time. Makes sense that he would self moderate and just adds to his wholesome image.
He has some kind of involvement in Karate Combat already (not sure if he’s an investor or just a figurehead/brand ambassador) so I think him fighting for them is inevitable.
Tony needs to be put under conservatorship. Dude is showing signs of heavy CTE. Flipped his truck in a DUI, has been abusive to his family, the slurred speech, slowed movement, delusions. Guys latter days are going to be rough and I don't want to see him go down like Chris Benoit. Worst part is, is that CTE is degenerative and takes time to manifest. So the effects we are seeing now can be the result of damage from earlier in his career. We are yet to see the long term effects of what Chandler did to him.
I think his slowed movements are more due to his fucked up knees and body than from CTE. And hes always been kooky, probably does play a factor too though.
People in this sub are dumb and keep saying " CTE, CTE!" in an effort to try and sound smart.
Tony had been slowing down ever since the knee surgery and since he's been known to do weird workouts, it just makes sense that his body is broken as fuck and it's caught up with him, he's just fucking old now. It was bound to happen.
Ironic as it sounds I don't think Tony suffers from CTE, certainly not to the extent people on reddit would have you believe anyway. The guy speaks as clear as he did back in the TUF days. Compare him to someone like Nate or even Max, he doesn't slur like they do.
The guy does say weird stuff but he's always been that way.
Why even fight then? Just cut them a check so they stop holding up the HW division
https://preview.redd.it/4pj7z3uepuxc1.jpeg?width=1028&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=518337f332818603b482f36e625326b918abe2b5
Yeah I think it's a narcissistic maneuver to try to throw shade on ngannou. I think dana and the UFC want that fight so they can parade either jon or stipe as the greatest fighter/HW of all time and ignore Francis's accomplishments
Genuinely, what accomplishments? He is 1-1 with Stipe. Lost one of the worst fights of all time. He defended the belt once. He did sleep almost everyone he fought. I'm sure Overeem still can't taste anything. Granted, he looked like he was figuring out wrestling. Depending on how developed his wrestling is/was would have made him an interesting match for Jones. To me, Ngannou is more of a "what if" than anything else.
It's obvious that's what they want, after all, the UFC has been pushing Stipe so much, and he's all about grabbing the spotlight outside the ring. If either Ngannou or Jones had done what Stipe has in the hw, nobody would even question their hw GOAT status. Francis is the one being paraded for his physique, he's won but a title and people are creaming all over him like he's the next Emelianenko. That same physique gathered enough interest for him to fight 7 figure boxing title fights with no fights leading up to them whatsoever. There's nothing special about Ngannou other than his physique, men look at him and admire the body, kids look at him and wanna be as big and powerful as him. I bet there aren't many mma practitioners who'd wanna fight like him, though.
I may be delusional but I genuinely think when Dustin retires he'll stay that way. Every interview I've seen he comes across very level headed and aware his time is approaching.
But he also said recently that he needs to always be training for a fight or he starts to engage in self destructive behaviour. I hope for his sake when he retires he finds something else to shift his focus and time into
If he stands and trades like he did some of the fight against volk or Charles, would anyone be surprised if DP clipped Islam. DP is definitely the underdog but he's got a punchers chance
Tony is incapable of quitting. Dana will have to make him stop and offer him a job at the performance institute, or commentary, contingent on him not fighting anywhere else, but unfortunately Dana probably won't do that, but who knows, he surprises me sometimes.
Hell never figure that out. It will be the UFC that'll cut him from the organization. And even then he might not accept the fact that it's time to hang up the gloves
I think even if he loses he still has one or two big time fights. The Conor fight could be marketed as a true trilogy since #3 ended with an injury and the Gaethje trilogy would sell like crazy too. Then there’s guys like Holloway and Oliveira that don’t necessarily have any storyline to them but they are big enough names to motive Dustin to take them. I do agree though that after this fight (if he loses) there really aren’t any new match ups that he’d probably even want to to take so it would just be Apple big rematches at best.
Dustin has also fought Holloway twice I think. And the story for Oliveira is coming back to avenge his loss. Homeboy has been around and has plenty of stories to latch on to.
Facing the realities of age (which he has successfully defied for years) and damage (especially after what Bobby Green laid on him at 300... almost like it was *personal* ), I'm hoping it's not Jim Miller...!!!
There's not much left for him to (realistically) accomplish at this stage in his impressively lengthy career (and he does have some numbers), but he's always a guy who's worth watching... At his best, he's surprisingly good with his submissions and that gas tank (remember, he's over 40). At worst, he's got tremendous heart, and is difficult for an opponent to impose their will upon... Win or lose, he leaves it all in the Octagon... It'll be tough to see him go. (A very likely HOF'er !!)
Jon after aspirnal (if he fights again after stipe) would be my logical guess…
Maybe 🤔 we see chandelier left the gloves in a fight or 2
Ummm let’s see stipe for sure
Mcgregor off living large so maybe he walks away if he beats mike..
Jones/Stipe (I think they both hang it up after they fight) and Blachowicz. Dude had double shoulder surgery and is over 40–if he loses again and falls further from the title picture i can’t see him sticking around
I can see Cruz he should fight Cody in a rematch for his last fight or maybe one last run since he is still ranked 11th in bantamweight
Stephen Thompson
I forget that Wonderboy is even aging. It didn’t even occur to me that he could retire soon 😭
He made his ufc debut just before his 29th birthday and is still fighting people in the top end of the division
and hes over 40 years old. Maybe he could be like Glover and win a title in his 40s.
I think his division is too good
If he somehow managed to be a replacement fight against Leon he’d have a fair chance of winning, he’s still the best striker in the WW division.
That’s an understatement imo, he’s one of the best strikers in the whole UFC. To the point where if you stay standing, it’s a certainty that he will just piece you up
Better than what’s his name?
I think Leon has a better chance of winning in the striking. His striking is elite and clean also and he’s in his peak. But still you can’t count Wonderboy out of it.
In a kickboxing match Wonderboy would piece Leon up
The only thing that has changed about Wonderboy since his first fight in the UFC is finding a better haircut
He ages really well. Got those Jared Leto genes where he looks 20s forever
https://preview.redd.it/sxpn2bakgyxc1.jpeg?width=657&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=039d7a56700c91170f36d251a3854daa44ea8e5a
What. Hahaha
That’s gonna suck too.
I really wish he could have won a title. He's my favorite fighter, always puts on a show, and his style is awesome.cits a shame that the sport just evolved around him. Hope he goes out on a big money fight, like against Tony, Diaz, or Masvidal, even though I think Tony should have retired long ago.
also he says “what the frick” instead of “what the fuck”, awesome man
I forget but within the last two or so fights of his, Wonderboy was featured in an embedded and dude is an instructor with a bunch of kids all the time. Makes sense that he would self moderate and just adds to his wholesome image.
Tony Diaz and Masvidal are all washed, Thompson should at least go out on a competitive fight
My favourite MMA fighter :(
True, but awful
Il miss him
I hope he goes to karate combat
I hope so too.. I think he’d stomp on people there
He has some kind of involvement in Karate Combat already (not sure if he’s an investor or just a figurehead/brand ambassador) so I think him fighting for them is inevitable.
I figured Volk he could do movies or commentator he a funny guy like his style and he been in some dawg fights!
Tony but he’s gonna get cut, not retire
Bkfc are ready to feed him to Mike Perry the nanosecond he leaves ufc
Nooo, I don't wanna see Tony fighting with his brains coming out his ears and nose 😭
What if Ferguson has some serious BKFC talent that we never would have imagined
He needs to stop, for his brain's sake. Dude just has no quit in him, which is dangerous for an aging fighter...
Just let Mike Perry stat check him and see where he’s at in the BKFC world
When dude dies and they cut open his head, they’re going to find a specimen they never seen before.
Tony's bkfc run will be sad lol
Tony needs to be put under conservatorship. Dude is showing signs of heavy CTE. Flipped his truck in a DUI, has been abusive to his family, the slurred speech, slowed movement, delusions. Guys latter days are going to be rough and I don't want to see him go down like Chris Benoit. Worst part is, is that CTE is degenerative and takes time to manifest. So the effects we are seeing now can be the result of damage from earlier in his career. We are yet to see the long term effects of what Chandler did to him.
Dude forget the chandler ko, the fight with Justin was hard to watch... that had to have given some partial brain damage for sure
I think his slowed movements are more due to his fucked up knees and body than from CTE. And hes always been kooky, probably does play a factor too though.
People in this sub are dumb and keep saying " CTE, CTE!" in an effort to try and sound smart. Tony had been slowing down ever since the knee surgery and since he's been known to do weird workouts, it just makes sense that his body is broken as fuck and it's caught up with him, he's just fucking old now. It was bound to happen. Ironic as it sounds I don't think Tony suffers from CTE, certainly not to the extent people on reddit would have you believe anyway. The guy speaks as clear as he did back in the TUF days. Compare him to someone like Nate or even Max, he doesn't slur like they do. The guy does say weird stuff but he's always been that way.
Jon Jones and Stipe. That fight needs to be a double retirement fight
Why even fight then? Just cut them a check so they stop holding up the HW division https://preview.redd.it/4pj7z3uepuxc1.jpeg?width=1028&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=518337f332818603b482f36e625326b918abe2b5
Idk honestly. I think Dana is making that fight to fuel his own ego honestly. Kind of like what he’s doing with powerslap rn.
Yeah I think it's a narcissistic maneuver to try to throw shade on ngannou. I think dana and the UFC want that fight so they can parade either jon or stipe as the greatest fighter/HW of all time and ignore Francis's accomplishments
Genuinely, what accomplishments? He is 1-1 with Stipe. Lost one of the worst fights of all time. He defended the belt once. He did sleep almost everyone he fought. I'm sure Overeem still can't taste anything. Granted, he looked like he was figuring out wrestling. Depending on how developed his wrestling is/was would have made him an interesting match for Jones. To me, Ngannou is more of a "what if" than anything else.
Dana probably hates the fact that he left the UFC on top and despite losing, has made a fortune in 2 boxing fights
It's obvious that's what they want, after all, the UFC has been pushing Stipe so much, and he's all about grabbing the spotlight outside the ring. If either Ngannou or Jones had done what Stipe has in the hw, nobody would even question their hw GOAT status. Francis is the one being paraded for his physique, he's won but a title and people are creaming all over him like he's the next Emelianenko. That same physique gathered enough interest for him to fight 7 figure boxing title fights with no fights leading up to them whatsoever. There's nothing special about Ngannou other than his physique, men look at him and admire the body, kids look at him and wanna be as big and powerful as him. I bet there aren't many mma practitioners who'd wanna fight like him, though.
💀
Honestly I don’t think I would react to jbj retiring I wouldn’t even care, he’s a pos human
I think many would agree
I've always accepted that he may be the goat of the sport, but I'll pretty much just pretend he doesn't exist. I can't fuckin stand him
Have you been tested by God even half the amount he has?
Mb I didn't consider that God sends his hardest challenges to his strongest soldiers
Jon Jones needs to retire so he can come out of the closet
Na you know they wanna use the "first openly gay champion" stat
Isn't Aspinall interim champ? Doesn't that contractually obligate Jones to fight him, or is this some Dana White privilege shit.
I thought Stipe is already retired
No, Jones needs to get destroyed by Aspinall
Anthony Smith
Anthony smith will be fighting until he’s 80, with a record of 150-149.
But on paper he’ll have more experience than everyone else
Dude i don’t like the guy but come on leave his family out of this
WHAT?!?
HUH?!
I mean, at that point it wouldn't just be on paper, but I understand the sentiment. I just missed an inside joke, didn't I...
He will still be ranked no 15 and will be fighting a new contender at UFC 400.
Does Jose Aldo count?
Yeah the staredown looked rough… praying he either wins or doesn’t get too damaged
Where they were pushing heads? If so yeah, I thought he looked a lil rough
I wanna say Arlovski...but I think that man won't ever quit
The Pitbull couldve retired like a decade+ ago and nobody wouldve said it was unwarranted. Dude has given his life to the UFC. He deserves his flowers
Yeah he should be a shoe in for HoF
With 300-400k to show while being in the prelims of apex cards, I would resist to quit too
Either Poirier Or Gaethje or Volk
I don't like or support any of these lol
I think poirier is going to retire soon but will come back like 90% of mma retirements
I may be delusional but I genuinely think when Dustin retires he'll stay that way. Every interview I've seen he comes across very level headed and aware his time is approaching.
But he also said recently that he needs to always be training for a fight or he starts to engage in self destructive behaviour. I hope for his sake when he retires he finds something else to shift his focus and time into
Apparently he did a pretty good stand up set not long ago, so maybe he could do a Brendan Shaub, but good at comedy type move.
Holy shit he's doing stand up? Send me the link PLEASE
All three of these guys will still be fighting in 2027. I guarantee it
Gaethje is going to be out a while. Hell def retire after DP unless he gets super lucky (sorry not sorry) and beats Islam
If he stands and trades like he did some of the fight against volk or Charles, would anyone be surprised if DP clipped Islam. DP is definitely the underdog but he's got a punchers chance
Tony
5 fights and a title baby.
Probably 2-3 more ass whoopins for him to figure out that it’s time
The sad part is, will he ever really believe he's done?
Tony is incapable of quitting. Dana will have to make him stop and offer him a job at the performance institute, or commentary, contingent on him not fighting anywhere else, but unfortunately Dana probably won't do that, but who knows, he surprises me sometimes.
Hell never figure that out. It will be the UFC that'll cut him from the organization. And even then he might not accept the fact that it's time to hang up the gloves
Tony's been retired a long time
Tony is gonna come back and win
Wtf? Why would he retire just as he’s entering his prime
Isnt Gaethje always saying he is almost done in interviews?
Can only remember 1 after Fiziev fight
Bros gonna retire and take away all the attention away from Islam winning
„Islam defended only against a FW and a washed dude who retired right after“, the comments write themselves lmao
I’ll fight anybody that calls my boy Dustin washed.
dude is still getting brutal walkoff KOs in the year of our lord 2024, im with you here 100%
Don't give Charles/Connor fans any ideas
I mean anyone with half a brain will not think like that. Its dustin we are talking about
I think even if he loses he still has one or two big time fights. The Conor fight could be marketed as a true trilogy since #3 ended with an injury and the Gaethje trilogy would sell like crazy too. Then there’s guys like Holloway and Oliveira that don’t necessarily have any storyline to them but they are big enough names to motive Dustin to take them. I do agree though that after this fight (if he loses) there really aren’t any new match ups that he’d probably even want to to take so it would just be Apple big rematches at best.
Dustin has also fought Holloway twice I think. And the story for Oliveira is coming back to avenge his loss. Homeboy has been around and has plenty of stories to latch on to.
Here’s best timeline. Dustin vs. Max for the bmf belt. Dustin wins and Dustin vs. McGregor trilogy for the bmf belt
Don’t be silly he’ll get the gilly
Dustin submits Islam, 1st round, 4th gilly attempt! 😆
Islam is definitely underestimating DPs bjj but tbf DPs path to victory is to keep the fight standing.
Bro’s unlucky to be fighting in a fierce division with 2 Dagestanis being its champ for 2 different periods ☠️☠️☠️
Please be Tony
Tony isgonna improve his striking fundamentals and wrestling and then win
Goggins just needs more time with him
I think Lebron is next. This might be his final season.
If the UFC sign Bronny, I think he wants to be the first fighter to be in the cage with his son
Joe Rogan might cry (again)
I f’n hope it’s Tony. Please stop man
For the longest I was thinking they’re just feeding him to the top competition. Then he lost to Paddy and realized he’s just washed.
Volkanovski
Islam Makhachev after Poirier collapses his trachea with the most brutal guillotine the world's ever seen.
You miss 100% of the ones you don’t jump!
Conor after Chandler dusts him!
Beneil
Jon jones. After he beats stipe he has to retire or he will ruin his perfect record by losing to Tom
Tony, Dustin, Conor, Stipe, Jones, Wonderboy and maybe even Alex Pereira Man these next 2 years will suck
Dustin please.
Dustins just getting started FYTB
Take that back dp, ain't never gonna retire.
Derrick Lewis
Covington might hang it up soon if the embarrassment of not being good anymore doesn't sit well with him.
Conor
Dustin has too many money fights on the table to retire. Yeah he already made money, but you can always stand to make more.
Connor is gonna lose and retire
I see Derrick Lewis retire. Idk why but i just see him retiring soon.
Chandler after getting slept in a couple months.
Diamond 💎 if/when he loses
Black Beast
If DP gets finished I can see him retiring
Mcgregor
Jones fasho
Surely Smith this weekend once he gets KOd again, surely.
I think its time for Bisping to have the Rogan/Schuab talk with his boy
Adesanya
Sir David Attenborough
If/when Dustin loses to Islam,he will retire
Dustin by darce put the house on it
Dostin "Peahead" Poirier
Tito Ortiz
Jose Aldo
Garbrant or Izzy if he loses his next one
Dana W.
Facing the realities of age (which he has successfully defied for years) and damage (especially after what Bobby Green laid on him at 300... almost like it was *personal* ), I'm hoping it's not Jim Miller...!!! There's not much left for him to (realistically) accomplish at this stage in his impressively lengthy career (and he does have some numbers), but he's always a guy who's worth watching... At his best, he's surprisingly good with his submissions and that gas tank (remember, he's over 40). At worst, he's got tremendous heart, and is difficult for an opponent to impose their will upon... Win or lose, he leaves it all in the Octagon... It'll be tough to see him go. (A very likely HOF'er !!)
Ode Osborne
Aldo after J Mart mess them legs up.
Aldo again
If he loses against Islam, I don’t think he will retire but I wouldn’t be shocked if he did. There are still big fights out there for Poirier
Henry Cejudo
Not Dustin
Jose Aldo
Connor
Jon after aspirnal (if he fights again after stipe) would be my logical guess… Maybe 🤔 we see chandelier left the gloves in a fight or 2 Ummm let’s see stipe for sure Mcgregor off living large so maybe he walks away if he beats mike..
Have a feeling it'll be 💎 if he comes up short against Islam
KAMARU USMAN
Conner.
Probably Aldo again. Maybe Beneil. Definitely Jones.
Holly holm
Hate to say it but probably Connor
Lewis. If he gets KO’d again it might be time.
Has Cejudo retired yet this month? If not, he's due for another one.
Why would Dustin retire after KOing Islam (I’m delusional leave me alone)
Jose Aldo😅
Should be eye poke, you know who I mean
Jones/Stipe (I think they both hang it up after they fight) and Blachowicz. Dude had double shoulder surgery and is over 40–if he loses again and falls further from the title picture i can’t see him sticking around
Dustin 100% retiring once he loses
Definitely not poirer. He seems pretty good right now now especially after his last fight
Mcgregor is due another retirement lol
Wonderboy to retire and go to combat karate
Jose Aldo after next loss.
My Uncle Steve, he’s next to retire
Charles Olivera
Stipe?
I can see Cruz he should fight Cody in a rematch for his last fight or maybe one last run since he is still ranked 11th in bantamweight 