I've been an MMA fan since UFC 1 live in 93 (I'm also a brown belt in BJJ and cross train in other arts) and I'd have to disagree with you about no one ever being on Connor's level as a counter striker.

Anderson Silva didn't always play the role of counter striker, but he did often did and i think he was a FAR superior striker to Connor, and Israel Adesanya is also a higher level striker than Connor.

There are also several other fighters who sometimes but didn't always play the role of counter striker that were on his level like Machida, Liddell, Crocop and from a purely technical standpoint even Piotr Yan, and probably others I can't think of at the moment.

Connor is great, but it's now become evident I think that he's never going to rule the division again.

155 is just SO stacked right now and it's practically a tossup as to who could take over between guys like Poirer, Chandler, Gaethje, Charles Olivieria and Islam Machachev, and that's IF Khabib doesn't come back, which I recently heard that he might, and then there's also guys like Connor, Lee, Ferguson, RDA, etc.

Machachev looks like almost a carbon copy of Khabib and they train together and Khabib thinks Machachev will be champ next and after his last performance I don't doubt that he could be champ.

My personal favorite, being a BJJ guy myself, is Olivieria, who doesn't get NEARLY enough respect, but he should after what he did to Ferguson, and now it looks like if everything goes as planned that Chandler is going to fight Gaethje which should be an absolute WAR.

I've got Gaethje in that one personally, though it could go either way. Many people are super high on Chandler after his last win and yes, he's a great fighter, but he took some bad losses in Bellator, especially to Patricio Pitbull who TKOd him and who once fought at 145lbs, so if the fight stays on the feet I think Gaethje's going to get the better of him.

I think we could potentially be seeing the title change hands a few times, but the 2 guys I'm most looking at to be at the very top are Oliviera and Machachev in my personal opinion.

Andy Dalton

I'm not sure why, but the UFC gave it to Chandler instead of Gaethje. Doesn't really make any sense to me since Gaethje is both the bigger draw and more deserving of the fight.

So I was watching auto racing tonight because, well, it's a sport (sort of anyway) and because it happened to be "what was on."

You had a guy leading the race with two laps to the finish when a caution comes out. Instead of cruising to an easy win, he goes to pit road for fresh tires, and basically takes himself out of the race and hands the victory to fucking Jerk Keslowski on a silver platter.

WHY Chase Elliot, WHY???
Stupid, stupid, stupid decision. He just cost himself the race! That would be like in baseball, intentionally walking in the winning run in the bottom of the 9th inning- that's how dumb that was.

That is true. But imagine a manager actually doing that!!!!!!

Anyone else excited for baseball season? The Mariners will probably not be very good this year, but they've got some really hot prospects that could lead them into the future. Hope springs eternal!

James Paxton: 1 inning pitched, Tommy John surgery. Kyle Lewis starts the season on the DL. Marco Gonzales gets blown up in his first two starts. The Seattle Mariners are a 6 month long punch in the dick.

I've never been a Mariners fan but I do seem to remember around 2001 or so (more than 15 years ago anyway?) where they won an astronomical number of games, like 115+ wins! Only to get bounced out of the playoffs by an obviously inferior team, I can't remember now if it was the Red Sox or the Yankees or which team it was (Like I said I don't follow the Mariners) but I still felt pretty bad about it. I'd rather see the best team win it all as they are more "Deserving" so to speak.

I've never been a Mariners fan but I do seem to remember around 2001 or so (more than 15 years ago anyway?) where they won an astronomical number of games, like 115+ wins! Only to get bounced out of the playoffs by an obviously inferior team, I can't remember now if it was the Red Sox or the Yankees or which team it was (Like I said I don't follow the Mariners) but I still felt pretty bad about it. I'd rather see the best team win it all as they are more "Deserving" so to speak.

Not withstanding the fact that the previous post is almost a year old, this is why you pit for fresh rubber if you need it. Some points is better than zero points.

Talk of the European Super League is interesting. It has gone down about as well as COVID. A European competition with no relegation for the founding clubs, and basically no pathway in for the rest of Europe. Teams like Arsenal haven't even competed in the top tier of European football for something like 5 years. AC Milan even longer if I am correct.

Reaction from pundits like Gary Neville has been of disgust and anger. What has the reaction been like from other countries besides the UK?