It’s that time of the week again, so jump on in and check out the latest questions for the Postal Connections mailbag. The usual suspects are present again, with Conor McGregor, Nate Diaz, Jon Jones and the entire Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight division figuring prominently in the discussion:
First off, when is Diaz not pissed off? Second, I’m no Dana White mark and I don’t agree with his stance that Diaz wasn’t a needle mover prior to this epic victory, but it is in no way his fault that people continue to talk about McGregor. I liken what’s happening with the fallout from the Diaz-McGregor fight to that of the Holly Holm-Ronda Rousey upset at UFC 193. Sure, people couldn’t help but continuing to follow Rousey’s every move, but Holm garnered a whole lot of newfound coverage herself. The same thing is going on for Diaz. He’s getting a ton of coverage, as is McGregor; it’s not a zero-sum game.
As for making fights for Diaz going forward, I agree the UFC should continue to fly the Diaz flag as high (pun intended) as it possibly can. Nate and brother Nick Diaz -- he will be back this summer after serving out his umpteenth suspension for the green medicine -- most certainly have captured the attention of fans, both hardcore and casual alike. They can be booked across multiple weight divisions, allowing them to fight any number of opponents in main event-caliber fights. They are a valuable commodity for the company, and I believe they will be treated as such for the foreseeable future.
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I guess you're part of McGregor’s media-hyped sheep wagon. Look at everybody that Jose Aldo has beaten, including Frankie Edgar. McGregor just happened to eat an extra bowl of Lucky Charms that morning and win [on] a 13-second lucky-as-[expletive] punch. It won’t happen again. You’re a moron if you think Edgar deserves a shot. Aldo’s resume speaks for itself. If Aldo and Edgar had never fought before, then maybe, but come on, dog. Aldo crushed Edgar, homie. -- Mikey H.
Thanks for writing, but I have to ask: How does wanting to see Edgar fight McGregor make me part of “McGregor’s media-hyped sheep wagon?” Honestly, I think Edgar is the tougher fight for McGregor. Aldo was a great champion, one of the greatest we’ve seen thus far in out sport, but he was clearly shaken heading into his fight with McGregor and was annihilated in 13 seconds.
I’m sure he might feel like he has a better chance after watching Diaz take it to McGregor, but that KO has to haunt the man at night. Edgar, on the other hand, possesses a skill set much more conducive to defeating the champion. If he wrestles and keeps McGregor from getting the high-octane striking game going, he will pin a second straight loss on the UFC’s Golden Child.
It’s not like Aldo will never get another chance. I would still be pretty hyped to see him get in there at UFC 200. I just want to see Edgar go first. Whichever way Joe Silva and the UFC brass decide to go … Who are we kidding? It will be McGregor who chooses his opponent. Still, I can’t see the company, outside of long injury absences, going a year from now without booking a McGregor-Aldo rematch no matter how things play out over the next couple of fights.
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Please stop writing articles that continue to paint Jon Jones in a good light. I’m tired of journalists essentially kissing his ass for who he is and sugar coating questions to him. The reality is, he’s the furthest thing from a responsible adult, let alone a role model. He injures a pregnant woman in a crash and months later gets caught speeding doing 75 miles per hour in a 35-mile-per-hour zone. In New Mexico, driving double the speed limit can be construed as reckless driving, and he downplays it online as “tickets.” Reckless driving is an arrestable offense in New Mexico where you get booked and your car gets impounded, but of course, he received the celebrity treatment. If he would’ve T-boned an old lady going that fast, the outcome would have been catastrophic. Furthermore, driving without insurance or a valid license? The man clearly has no respect for authority, the laws of the land or human life, but you journalists continue to put him on a pedestal. -- Mike P.
Perhaps I wasn’t clear enough in my column last week. I hope I didn’t give off the vibe that I’m OK with how Jones has conducted himself over the years. My point was the landscape is ripe for the picking for a guy who could have already been the biggest star in the sport had he kept his personal life together.
Smashing into telephone poles and pregnant women is not the kind of behavior we want from any of our potential role models. Neither is boozing it up or dabbling in the yayo or hippie lettuce. I get it: He’s not a guy that should be put up on a pedestal at this point. The fact of the matter is Jones has a good legal team and limited his exposure. The UFC, knowing he is an immensely talented athlete who could potentially grow into its biggest star, brought him back the first chance it could, and people are pissed. I’ve said it time and again that his penalties were too lenient, but that doesn’t change the fact that he’s coming back next month to take his place atop the light heavyweight division.
If he makes the expected move up to heavyweight and continues to dominate while keeping his nose clean (yes, pun intended again), he has the chance to author the kind of redemptive story that people eat up. With Rousey and McGregor getting humbled over the past few months, Jones stands alone as the most dominant fighter in the sport. That he has an opportunity to seize on this chance was all I was trying to say.
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What does the UFC do with the welterweight division? Robbie Lawler is still the champ, and we have Rory MacDonald-Stephen Thompson coming up. How about Lawler-Georges St. Pierre at UFC 200? -- @jaypettry
The welterweight division looked like it was going to get a huge spark with McGregor poised to take a crack at Lawler’s crown, but then Diaz happened. In hindsight, it was probably a good thing for the UFC and McGregor, because he would have been in a world of hurt against a guy who would have eaten his featherweight punches and battered him into a pulp. However, it has left the division yearning for another opponent who can push Lawler into yet another inspiring if not career-shortening masterpiece of a fight. Enter St. Pierre.
The only problem with this scenario is the greatest welterweight to ever strap up the MMA mitts has been non-committal at best when asked about returning to competition. We’ve heard the rumors from his coach and camp and we’ve seen the Under Armour post to social media, but the man himself has not given away his hand to this point.
Knowing he hasn’t always been a big fan of the UFC and Dana White, it’s hard for me to believe he’s going to make his way back to the cage. I hope I’m wrong because it would be an awesome matchup of two old-school fighters with a whole lot to prove. Lawler would have a chance to put a stamp on his title run with a career-defining win, while GSP could show he’s the best there is, the best there was and hopefully the best there ever will be.
Unfortunately, I think we’re going to see a rematch between Lawler and Carlos Condit. That’s not a bad thing, but when compared to the potential GSP fight or even the carnival show McGregor fight we might have gotten, it pales in comparison from a promotional standpoint. I’m sure it will be another classic and Condit surely deserves the shot, but I can’t help but hope to see GSP walk to the Octagon at least one more time, even if it is in Reebok gear.
Sherdog.com Executive Editor Greg Savage can be reached by email or Twitter @TheSavageTruth. If you would like to have your question or comment answered in the weekly Postal Connections mailbag, please submit them by Wednesday evening each week.