🥊 The UFC Info and Prediction Thread

[TopTort777]

My degen parlay picks...  I haven't made the bet yet so it's not final.

Torres
Magomedov
Sadykhov
Johnson
Aliskerov
Magomedov
Hasanov
Yakhyaev
Ruziboev
Reyes
Donchenko
Matsumoto
Nascimento

Remember how I was joking about event in Asia and picking Asian guys for your parlay? This time event is in Baku. Its a post Soviet country, there is a chance that match makers pick opponents in away that locals would win. Baku is a rich city. This is not first time event is held there. If there is still time, rethink about your picks and lean to locals with beard aka mountain guys aka Dagestani gen in dna Either a huge star or former top, or bearded guy. That would be my picks if I was to make it quick

P.s. Torres… interesting pick. I was with Fiziev. Gonna watch more closely this matchup.

[trendcoin]

Am I the only one who noticed that almost nobody talk's about Justin Gaethje's victory? Almost everyone talks about Ilia Topuria's loss. Or am I the only one who gets all the talk about Topuria on his news feed on every social platform?

I tried making a discussion after Justin Gaethje won the fight, but you did not respond back and hence I decided to look ahead to the next main event. ;)

Anyways, this guy, Ilia Topuria, is stuck in my head. I rewatched this fight for 100 times and the second round was an absolutely masterpiece, I've never seen such an amazing round (I'll be frank, I haven't seen much videos). The way Topuria was fighting in 2nd round, I'm in shock that Gaethje managed to survive and even stand on his feet on 3rd round and beat Topuria too harshly. But Topuria's skills are unimaginable good.

I understand that you are a die hard fan of Ilia Topuria, but think again, if it were a masterpiece, he wouldn't have gassed out completely. So no, it wasn't a masterpiece by Ilia Topuria in the second round, though he managed to dominate in that round, he blew himself out completely.

Ilia Topuria failed to adapt and did not even manage to understand the game plan when Justin Gaethje was targeting his right hand with kicks rather than going for his usual low kicks. If you compare him to legends like Jon Jones, Demetrious Johnson, GSP or Khabib, they would change their style mid fight and come up with a response on the fly and win the fight, we can call that masterpiece, but unfortunately not this.

For me, even though Gaethje won, Topuria is another level compared to him. It still doesn't odd up in my mind that Topuria lost. What an amazing performance the second round was. The did he allow him to walk to him with not protecting his face and letting Gaethje to hit him as much as he wanted? It doesn't make sense to me. He was probably looking for the right moment to reach him and was eating Gaethje's punches to catch that moment but he didn't and then he slightly paniced cause he wasn't able to win in fashion.

Since you watched this fight 100 times, you can go back and look at all of Ilia Topuria's past fights. He did not change anything in this fight against Justin Gaethje. He just walked forward, looking for his opponent to strike, so he could wait for a counter. Justin Gaethje simply did not play that game, and Ilia Topuria had no answer and quit on his stool.

It was a masterful performance by Justin Gaethje and a brilliant game plan by Trevor Wittman, the striking and head coach of Justin Gaethje.

Ilia was my favorite, just like everyone else’s; but like everyone else, I was wrong. However, I was happy about Gaethje’s victory because he’s given so much to this sport. I wish Dustin had won a title, too...

Ilia was talked about more because he had a huge ego. He celebrated before the fights. That’s why he was criticized so much, even more than Gaethje’s victory. I guess he won’t celebrate before fights anymore. In those days, it was really impressive, but now it’s just funny...

[pawel7777]

I think you got we-are-in-process-of-updating version Because when I have checked ranking, they looked same as they were, but only meta/media ranking switch appeared. Only difference is that in meta there are pound-for-pound rating, but in media it is not there.

Yeah, it's either this or Dana White saw my post, got ashamed and got that sorted. Well, it's not yet entirely sorted as there are still some bugs like missing numbers:





The bantamweight and the heavyweight only have 14 contenders each. There's a similar issue in the Media ranking as well.
This is a little bit embarrassing that big organisations like UFC and Meta would release that without basic proofreading.

I like the idea with the switch, but I'm not sure if they're going to carry on with both or if they're planning to discontinue the Media ranking at some point. I think it's just a temporary solution and they will move to the AI ranking, as there's no point of having two different ones existing in parallel.
There are some differences between those two rankings. I think the most notable is Pereira being listed as a number 4 heavyweight contender and number 1 light heavyweight contender in Meta, while Media doesn't list him within the heavyweight at all and lists him 3rd in the light heavyweight.

[bbc.reporter]

What is everyone's speculation on the future of the big headed Topuria? It certainly appears that his inner personhood has certainly been defeated. We might witness his body return in the octagon, however, this will not be the same person anymore. This is his first time to receive this type of defeat and it might bring more questions in his mind.

I reckon this will be Paddy the baddy's chance to challenge the big headed Topuria! They have lost their fights against Justin Gaethje hehehe.

I think we need first to get information what has really happened with his face. Does not look like simple bruises and broken nose. Until we get full description of his injury, we cant predict how much time it will be needed for him to recover. Topuria used to tell that he wants to get titles, legacy and retire young. That "young" sounds confusing. He might retire after his loss, or after next fight, or 1-2 years, while he is in top peak form. Not 100% sure if Paddy is going to be next opponent. It will take 6-12 months for Topuria to recover. Paddy already is waiting-recovering half a year after beating from Gaethje. Will Paddy be ready to wait a year to fight Topuria?

Yes it appears that the eyeglasses that was given to the big headed Topuria might not be simple bruises. Also agree that this will take longer months to heal. Paddy the Baddy might not wait for him, however, I am looking at the rankings on lightweight and the schedule of fights and it appears that because the big headed Topuria has lost his last fight, he might be given an offer to fight the loser of Paddy the Baddy vs. Benoit Saint Denis. The loser might be Paddy the Baddy hehehehehe.

[TopTort777]

It is a big question what Gaethje is going to do next. Year ago he was talking about retirement. In the internet it was hyping idea that he was blackmailing ufc with either he gets a title fight or he quit (he is a big star for ufc, each his fight he gets a bonus for performance). First he was thrown against Paddy, and being a huge underdog, he beat him. As if with that fight ufc wanted to shut his mouth, but he has spoiled all the strategy :d Paddy vs Topuria suppose to be a huge fight, as they already have a hate. Now Gaethje has beaten huge star Topuria He will probably lose his title defence and retire. Or surprise us again

[Synchronice]

Nothing much interesting is going on in UFC octagon, but outside big news about Dustin Poirier and his arrested in Georgia for public drunkenness 
I didnt know this is illegal in state of Georgia, but he can face up to a year in jail and pay the fine.
Dustin retired from MMA last year and it is not easy for everyone to adjust for new life situation.
https://www.mmafighting.com/ufc/495825/dustin-poirier-reportedly-arrested-for-public-drunkenness

He did stupid things in the airport, wanted to fight with the guy. Yes, we know that Dustin is an amazing fighter and he can beat 99.99% of the population but when you are a fighter, you should not use this skill against average citizens. Maybe Conor was right, Dustin played a nice guy.
Anyways, we unlocked a new mythical fighter, Dustin Bones Poirier

I had to double-check if it's not April 1st today.
The UFC made a big announcement of replacing their traditional rankings, which were created by a media panel, to AI powered rankings, which they launched in cooperation with Meta.

Pound to pound rating is still only available in media rating, it's not available in AI ranking. It would be interesting to see how AI would rank pound to pound fighters.

I tried making a discussion after Justin Gaethje won the fight, but you did not respond back and hence I decided to look ahead to the next main event.

Sorry, I probably missed your post. I would really love to discuss about this fight.

Ilia Topuria failed to adapt and did not even manage to understand the game plan when Justin Gaethje was targeting his right hand with kicks rather than going for his usual low kicks. If you compare him to legends like Jon Jones, Demetrious Johnson, GSP or Khabib, they would change their style mid fight and come up with a response on the fly and win the fight, we can call that masterpiece, but unfortunately not this.

Could he change his style? Definitely, but what made him lose was his ego. He made a prediction that he would beat him in two minutes, ignored his own defense and went naked in front of him, so got kicks on the face and on eyes. In 2nd round, he did the same, got lucky and could really finish the fight but I don't know why he did the wrong move. Suga's coach explained well how Ilia could beat Justin in the second round. Did you watch that video?

Justin Gaethje simply did not play that game, and Ilia Topuria had no answer and quit on his stool.

It was a masterful performance by Justin Gaethje and a brilliant game plan by Trevor Wittman, the striking and head coach of Justin Gaethje.

I agree with you.

[tokeweed]

My degen parlay picks...  I haven't made the bet yet so it's not final.

Torres
Magomedov
Sadykhov
Johnson
Aliskerov
Magomedov
Hasanov
Yakhyaev
Ruziboev
Reyes
Donchenko
Matsumoto
Nascimento

Remember how I was joking about event in Asia and picking Asian guys for your parlay? This time event is in Baku. Its a post Soviet country, there is a chance that match makers pick opponents in away that locals would win. Baku is a rich city. This is not first time event is held there. If there is still time, rethink about your picks and lean to locals with beard aka mountain guys aka Dagestani gen in dna Either a huge star or former top, or bearded guy. That would be my picks if I was to make it quick

P.s. Torres… interesting pick. I was with Fiziev. Gonna watch more closely this matchup.

Lolol. 

Well since these degen parlays are long shots anyway, let's go for it!    I will over the event roster and pick all the bearded, Dagestani, mountain guys.  Hopefully there's an underdog there somewhere to make the line a tad higher. 

Here are some vids to watch.

Rafael Fiziev vs Ignacio Bahamondes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMgVtMxusfw&pp

Manuel Torres vs Grant Dawson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FubjPQzq9Y0&ra=m

Enjoy...

[Pumared]

I think you got we-are-in-process-of-updating version Because when I have checked ranking, they looked same as they were, but only meta/media ranking switch appeared. Only difference is that in meta there are pound-for-pound rating, but in media it is not there.

I like the idea with the switch, but I'm not sure if they're going to carry on with both or if they're planning to discontinue the Media ranking at some point. I think it's just a temporary solution and they will move to the AI ranking, as there's no point of having two different ones existing in parallel.
There are some differences between those two rankings. I think the most notable is Pereira being listed as a number 4 heavyweight contender and number 1 light heavyweight contender in Meta, while Media doesn't list him within the heavyweight at all and lists him 3rd in the light heavyweight.

In my opinion, Poatan being ranked fourth in the heavyweight division is reasonable. If I'm not mistaken, it was his first fight in the category and he didn't get to show much. So it's fair. In the other category, he fought more and proved his worth more. He's just not at the top because he doesn't have the belt.

[eaLiTy]

~
Ilia was my favorite, just like everyone else’s; but like everyone else, I was wrong. However, I was happy about Gaethje’s victory because he’s given so much to this sport. I wish Dustin had won a title, too...

I am also a fan of Ilia Topuria's clean striking, his left hooks to the body are a sight to behold. Even in his fight against Justin Gaethje, he ripped those left hooks to the liver, and anyone else would have dropped from those strikes. The mental toughness of Justin Gaethje is out of this world. Since you mentioned Dustin Poirier, it is sad to see his struggles following his retirement.

Ilia was talked about more because he had a huge ego. He celebrated before the fights. That’s why he was criticized so much, even more than Gaethje’s victory. I guess he won’t celebrate before fights anymore. In those days, it was really impressive, but now it’s just funny...

Ilia Topuria went a step further than any of the fighters regarding his pre fight rituals. All the fighters who go too far are always mocked after they lose. For instance, Ronda Rousey, Israel Adesanya, Conor McGregor, Luke Rockhold, Cody Garbrandt, Sean O'Malley were all mocked and trolled brutually after their losses.

Ilia Topuria failed to adapt and did not even manage to understand the game plan when Justin Gaethje was targeting his right hand with kicks rather than going for his usual low kicks. If you compare him to legends like Jon Jones, Demetrious Johnson, GSP or Khabib, they would change their style mid fight and come up with a response on the fly and win the fight, we can call that masterpiece, but unfortunately not this.

Could he change his style? Definitely, but what made him lose was his ego. He made a prediction that he would beat him in two minutes, ignored his own defense and went naked in front of him, so got kicks on the face and on eyes. In 2nd round, he did the same, got lucky and could really finish the fight but I don't know why he did the wrong move. Suga's coach explained well how Ilia could beat Justin in the second round. Did you watch that video?

All the great fighters have a big ego. For example, there are fighters like Jon Jones, during his fight against Vitor Belfort, he was caught in a armbar. Even though Jon Jones elbow was hyper extended, the ego of Jon Jones refused to let him tap and he pulled out of that lock and his hand was compromised, yet he finished the fight against Vitor Belfort with the same kimura lock. That demonstrates peak ego and the clarity needed in these tough situations to produce something extraordinary. Ilia Topuria was a great fighters, but when faced adversity for the first time, he quit. He never tried to change his style on the fly like other fighters we have seen.

The only reason I am pointing this out is because, some of the new media and new fans were hyping Ilia Topuria as the best fighter ever. The claims that, he could possibly defeat the old legends easily, like Khabib did not bode well with me.  

[TopTort777]

I think you got we-are-in-process-of-updating version Because when I have checked ranking, they looked same as they were, but only meta/media ranking switch appeared. Only difference is that in meta there are pound-for-pound rating, but in media it is not there.

I like the idea with the switch, but I'm not sure if they're going to carry on with both or if they're planning to discontinue the Media ranking at some point. I think it's just a temporary solution and they will move to the AI ranking, as there's no point of having two different ones existing in parallel.
There are some differences between those two rankings. I think the most notable is Pereira being listed as a number 4 heavyweight contender and number 1 light heavyweight contender in Meta, while Media doesn't list him within the heavyweight at all and lists him 3rd in the light heavyweight.

In my opinion, Poatan being ranked fourth in the heavyweight division is reasonable. If I'm not mistaken, it was his first fight in the category and he didn't get to show much. So it's fair. In the other category, he fought more and proved his worth more. He's just not at the top because he doesn't have the belt.

This seems fair to put him on 4th place. He is worse than Gane lol. Not Sure if he could beat Aspinall, Volkov or Pavlovich. Rest might also give him a tough fight. Would be illogical to put him right below Gane. How it would look, guy with 0-1 record in heavyweights is second in top. Such credit of trust can only get Lesnar Who was given a title fight after 3 fights only with 2-1 record and being totally new to MMA.

[pawel7777]

(...)
In my opinion, Poatan being ranked fourth in the heavyweight division is reasonable. If I'm not mistaken, it was his first fight in the category and he didn't get to show much. So it's fair. In the other category, he fought more and proved his worth more. He's just not at the top because he doesn't have the belt.

I don't have a problem with him being ranked 4th. They have to consider his achievements from lower weight classes, he would be outside of the top 15 after his first fight and first loss in the heavyweight.
I'm not sure how I feel about the same fighters being ranked in more than one weight class category. I think they should make a one-fighter, one-weight-class rule, it seems like an unnecessary blockage of the space for emerging new talents.

(...) Such credit of trust can only get Lesnar Who was given a title fight after 3 fights only with 2-1 record and being totally new to MMA.

Are we going to pretend that was not the best decision ever? The Lesnar era was the peak of UFC's heavyweight. I still can't get over the fact that they failed to make Lesnar Vs Fedor. Fedor was also in his prime back then and I believe there have been serious talks, but somehow it fell through.

[OgNasty]

(...)
In my opinion, Poatan being ranked fourth in the heavyweight division is reasonable. If I'm not mistaken, it was his first fight in the category and he didn't get to show much. So it's fair. In the other category, he fought more and proved his worth more. He's just not at the top because he doesn't have the belt.

I don't have a problem with him being ranked 4th. They have to consider his achievements from lower weight classes, he would be outside of the top 15 after his first fight and first loss in the heavyweight.
I'm not sure how I feel about the same fighters being ranked in more than one weight class category. I think they should make a one-fighter, one-weight-class rule, it seems like an unnecessary blockage of the space for emerging new talents.

If the fighter will actively fight in either weight class, I don't see a problem with them being listed in multiple places.  They need to be willing to fight at that weight though.

I also think 4th in heavyweight sounds about right.  I'm not sure where else he would be expected to be.  He didn't win, so obviously he isn't 1st.  They also need to give him a path to grow in the division, so they won't make him 2nd.  4th just seems like a nice safe spot to place him until he finds out where he truly is.

[bbc.reporter]

It is a big question what Gaethje is going to do next. Year ago he was talking about retirement. In the internet it was hyping idea that he was blackmailing ufc with either he gets a title fight or he quit (he is a big star for ufc, each his fight he gets a bonus for performance). First he was thrown against Paddy, and being a huge underdog, he beat him. As if with that fight ufc wanted to shut his mouth, but he has spoiled all the strategy :d Paddy vs Topuria suppose to be a huge fight, as they already have a hate. Now Gaethje has beaten huge star Topuria He will probably lose his title defence and retire. Or surprise us again

I am certainly very much certain that Justin Gaehtje will fight Arman Tsarukyan! I am also quite certain that Arman will have the victory on that fight and he will have a defense of his championship against the big headed Topuria.

I have also predicted before that Arman will win against Topuria if they will fight and this prediction has presently becoming having a higher chance, I reckon.

[TopTort777]

(...) Such credit of trust can only get Lesnar Who was given a title fight after 3 fights only with 2-1 record and being totally new to MMA.

Are we going to pretend that was not the best decision ever? The Lesnar era was the peak of UFC's heavyweight. I still can't get over the fact that they failed to make Lesnar Vs Fedor. Fedor was also in his prime back then and I believe there have been serious talks, but somehow it fell through.

Lesnar era and UFC of that time was one of the best years for UFC Rare events but each event was a real banger. As far as I remember, they failed during negotiations with Vadim Finkelstein, Fedors managers and owner of M1 promotion. UFC have offered millions, but M1 promotion never agreed for a contract deal. They wanted it to be 1 fight only deal and wanted piece from PPV. Once again greed spoiled everything.

[Synchronice]

All the great fighters have a big ego. For example, there are fighters like Jon Jones, during his fight against Vitor Belfort, he was caught in a armbar. Even though Jon Jones elbow was hyper extended, the ego of Jon Jones refused to let him tap and he pulled out of that lock and his hand was compromised, yet he finished the fight against Vitor Belfort with the same kimura lock. That demonstrates peak ego and the clarity needed in these tough situations to produce something extraordinary. Ilia Topuria was a great fighters, but when faced adversity for the first time, he quit. He never tried to change his style on the fly like other fighters we have seen.

The only reason I am pointing this out is because, some of the new media and new fans were hyping Ilia Topuria as the best fighter ever. The claims that, he could possibly defeat the old legends easily, like Khabib did not bode well with me.  

Ilia's case is different. He knocked out 3 legends in a row and he did it quickly. I'll say my opinion honestly and correct me if I'm wrong. Ilia Topuria's mistake was that he allowed Justin Gaethje to punch him in the face (ilia basically did nothing to protect his face, he basically told Justin: come to me and punch me as much as you want). Ilia couldn't see after 2nd round and was basically fighting blind from 3rd round. Justin Gaethje couldn't knock down or take down blind Ilia Topuria, which means that Ilia is significantly a better fighter than Justin, the difference is that Ilia's ego to knock him out in 2 minutes, destroyed his career. I'm 100% sure that Ilia would win if he wouldn't be so proud about 2 minute knockout or 1st and 2nd round knockout. He ate too much punches for nothing.

Just think about it, Justin couldn't take down a blind Ilia. What do you think, wouldn't Ilia take down blind Justin?

[Pumared]

I think you got we-are-in-process-of-updating version Because when I have checked ranking, they looked same as they were, but only meta/media ranking switch appeared. Only difference is that in meta there are pound-for-pound rating, but in media it is not there.

I like the idea with the switch, but I'm not sure if they're going to carry on with both or if they're planning to discontinue the Media ranking at some point. I think it's just a temporary solution and they will move to the AI ranking, as there's no point of having two different ones existing in parallel.
There are some differences between those two rankings. I think the most notable is Pereira being listed as a number 4 heavyweight contender and number 1 light heavyweight contender in Meta, while Media doesn't list him within the heavyweight at all and lists him 3rd in the light heavyweight.

In my opinion, Poatan being ranked fourth in the heavyweight division is reasonable. If I'm not mistaken, it was his first fight in the category and he didn't get to show much. So it's fair. In the other category, he fought more and proved his worth more. He's just not at the top because he doesn't have the belt.

This seems fair to put him on 4th place. He is worse than Gane lol. Not Sure if he could beat Aspinall, Volkov or Pavlovich. Rest might also give him a tough fight. Would be illogical to put him right below Gane. How it would look, guy with 0-1 record in heavyweights is second in top. Such credit of trust can only get Lesnar Who was given a title fight after 3 fights only with 2-1 record and being totally new to MMA.

My interpretation is that he's in more than one category because of his achievements in that category. But obviously someone will surpass him in the previous ranking since he's no longer fighting in that category. So I think it's a normal movement. Now we just need other fighters to win so that he drops down the rankings in the other category. Nothing unusual in my view.

[pawel7777]

He did stupid things in the airport, wanted to fight with the guy. Yes, we know that Dustin is an amazing fighter and he can beat 99.99% of the population but when you are a fighter, you should not use this skill against average citizens. Maybe Conor was right, Dustin played a nice guy.
Anyways, we unlocked a new mythical fighter, Dustin Bones Poirier
(...)

Found on the internet, a collection of UFC fighters' police mugshots, updated to include Dustin Poirier:

I'm not sure if this collection is comprehensive or if anyone is missing.

But yeah, fighters misbehaving are nothing new. I hope for Dustin it's just a one-time event and he's not going to end up with the entire row just for himself like Jon Jones 
I believe that he managed to calm himself down and didn't resist the arrest, which is a good sign. I think he also apologised and vowed to go easier on alcohol and not let it ruin his and his family's lives.

And if he feels he lost a purpose after retiring, he can always come back. He's only 37, so younger than Gaethje, who just won a belt. I'm sure Dana could find plenty of good matches for him.

[TopTort777]

Have you noticed how Dustin Poirier likes to pull his shorts during fight? He does that all the time (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZ0ms-S61Bc) and it is very strange that nobody yet caught him and punished for low hands. Guess what, in the recent airport situation, he has also pulled his pants https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cig84APbuck. You may retire from fighting, but your habit stays with you forever.

[tokeweed]

^  Maybe he was ready to fight the guys at the airport for stopping him. 

Anyway, nice for the UFC to make these promotional vids for ordinary fight night events.  I think the main event for this one really deserves it.

UFC Journey:  Fiziev vs Torres
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LbQP-rUUWc

Here's the media day to see in what psychological state of mind these guys are...

UFC Baku:  Media Day
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5AAlK8TMYbs

And finally here's the weigh in results.

Rafael Fiziev (156) vs. Manuel Torres (156)
Shara Magomedov (186) vs. Michel Pereira (185.5)
Matheus Camilo (156) vs. Nazim Sadykhov (156)
Asu Almabayev (126) vs. Charles Johnson (125.5)
Ikram Aliskerov (186) vs. Brunno Ferreira (185)
Abus Magomedov (185.5) vs. Michal Oleksiejczuk (186)
Farman Hasanov (170.5) vs. Eric Nolan (170.5)
Julius Walker (206) vs. Abdul Rakhman Yakhyaev (206)
Andrey Pulyaev (186) vs. Nursulton Ruziboev (186)
Kaan Ofli (146) vs. Javier Reyes (145.5)
Theodor Berggren (171) vs. Daniil Donchenko (170.5)
Bekzat Almakhan (136) vs. Jean Matsumoto (135.5)
Tahir Abdullayev (170.5) vs. Jefferson Nascimento (171)

UFC Baku:  Fiziev vs Torres Weigh Ins
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FaCxT3zYHb4

[chinhar]

(...) Such credit of trust can only get Lesnar Who was given a title fight after 3 fights only with 2-1 record and being totally new to MMA.

Are we going to pretend that was not the best decision ever? The Lesnar era was the peak of UFC's heavyweight. i still can't get over the fact that they failed to make Lesnar Vs Fedor. Fedor was also in his prime back then and i believe there have been serious talks, but somehow it fell through.

Lesnar era and UFC of that time was one of the best years for UFC Rare events but each event was a real banger. As far as i remember, they failed during negotiations with Vadim Finkelstein, Fedors managers and owner of M1 promotion. UFC have offered millions, but M1 promotion never agreed for a contract deal. They wanted it to be 1 fight only deal and wanted piece from PPV. Once again greed spoiled everything.

The main problem has always been putting the fights on PPV, which fans don't like, and that's why the UFC doesn't make the same money as boxing! That's why even DAZN is removing PPVs to allow repeat access to paying fans. Then Brock's era was the best, but with the setup we had, it was difficult to have consistent fights.