Mixed Martial Arts / Boxing Thread

[Momce Makedonce]

I really have to try his recipe for "Picheni" Peprki one of these days. His broken Macedonian is funnier than my 12 year old's nephew. What a classic.

Haha tell me about it!

Some of these first generation Macedonian Australians absolutely butcher speaking Macedonian! But I respect the ones that at least try.

There is no way you are going to speak a language as fluently as possible if you don't at least try to speak it as much as possible.

I have been spoilt to have grown up in a household where it was spoken daily, so others have told me I sound very natural when I speak. My first cousins on the other hand grew up barely speaking it and they struggled especially with returning (understanding was ok). It's not until the last 10 years they have gotten much better at speaking it, importantly they seem much more interested in it these days.

On that note, it seems like more and more younger Macedonian Australians are gaining more of an interest and connection with Macedonia, Macedonian culture, sense of Macedonian community e.t.c.

Does it have anything to do with the increase in sporting success for Macedonia and Macedonians the last 10 years?

From following Volkanovski, to packing out halls and clubhouses when Macedonia reached the Euros, it seems like there is a rejuvenated interest amongst the youth compared to when I was in school not that long ago.

We also had the 4th place in Eurobasket 2011, Georgievski winning silver at the Olympics this year, Vardar twice winning the Handball Champions League and FK Vardar making the group stages of the Europa League.

One of the above mentioned cousins couldn't care less about Macedonia when we were younger and probably would have preferred to be something 'cooler'. Now he is the first be getting up to watch Macedonia play football and celebrating the silver at the Olympics, he has even joined me at the local Macedonian football club.

Perhaps the pride was always there under the surface? Just waiting for some success or something noteworthy to attach itself to.

I would trade all the sporting success away any day for a stable and strong Macedonia, which is much more important! But that at least is one positive thing from the last 10 years that I have noticed.

[Karposh]

I really have to try his recipe for "Picheni" Peprki one of these days. His broken Macedonian is funnier than my 12 year old's nephew. What a classic.

LOL. Almost as bad as my broken English. Make that "is funnier than my 12 year old nephew's".

[Karposh]

I really have to try his recipe for "Picheni" Peprki one of these days. His broken Macedonian is funnier than my 12 year old's nephew. What a classic.

[Momce Makedonce]

Well done to Volko on the result yesterday, what a fight and true champion!

You have to like the guy, not only as a fighter but as a person too. He has a great story and attitude.

I enjoyed watching this recent video posted by the UFC about his upbringing and road to becoming Champion.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2pVICvinKVo

Also this is a gem of him cooking some Macedonian-style chicken wings at home, pretty cool!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NH1IRnk7iSY

Great to see him reach his dreams, I remember keeping an eye on him before he got to the UFC and always wished he would achieve his potential. Look at him now!

Another Macedonian fighter to look out for is Swiss-born Daniel Stefanovski. I also believe Alen Ahmedovski is currently in the UFC too, believe he was meant to fight a couple of months ago but his fight was cancelled.

Best of luck to them all.

[Karposh]

Alex introducing Macedonian vocabulary to the world during the post-fight press conference. In response to a question by a reporter, who asked if he gets on the alcohol by starting a drink from a flip-flop, Alex responds by saying he calls them "vlechki, that's the Macedonian way of calling it", lol.

Too funny. I get the feeling he is conscious of his image and would obviously like to appeal to the broader Australian community but even he can't suppress the Macedonian in him that's just bursting to get out. I don't expect him to drape himself in the Macedonian flag after each fight but I'll take the "vlechki" all the same. LOL.

[Soldier of Macedon]

Alex introducing Macedonian vocabulary to the world during the post-fight press conference. In response to a question by a reporter, who asked if he gets on the alcohol by starting a drink from a flip-flop, Alex responds by saying he calls them "vlechki, that's the Macedonian way of calling it", lol.

[Soldier of Macedon]

Whoever just watched the UFC 266 main event between Alexander Volkanovski and Brian Ortega, what a fucking fight!!! Absolute gladiators. AND STILL - Alexander "the Great" Volkanovski. He earned his respect today.

[Soldier of Macedon]

Alen Amedovski had to pull out of the fight due to COVID issues. Australia's Tai Tuivasa had a big KO win in the first round. But the main event between Dustin Poirier and Conor McGregor had an anticlimactic conclusion when the latter injured his leg at the end of the first round, after being dominated for the most part. Then he went on a tangent and insulted Poirier's wife, which is poor form. That is 2 losses in a row for Conor against Dustin and 3 losses out of his last 4 fights (4 out of 5 if one includes the Mayweather fight). This time, it didn't come as much of a shock. The star is definitely losing its shine. To quote the great Marvin Hagler, "it's tough to get out of bed to do roadwork at 5 am when you've been sleeping in silk pajamas."

[Soldier of Macedon]

Conor vs Dustin 3 coming up the weekend after next. There is fighter on the card from Macedonia, who fights out of Italy. His name is Alen Amedovski and he is originally from Debar. A cursory look at his social media (e.g., #makedonija, #macedonianwarror) seem to suggest he may be Macedonian (Muslim). Obviously the whole ventilator thing is distasteful, but it appears he is partial towards Macedonia, whatever his heritage, which is more than one can say about certain other sporting figures from the country.

[JPMKD]

Damn, not many people saw that coming. Conor's stock has dropped quite a bit after this loss. He needs a spectacular win in his next fight.

Shocker! Out on his shield and all, but shocker. (Not that Porrier was not capable of that, but no one called that!)

[Soldier of Macedon]

Damn, not many people saw that coming. Conor's stock has dropped quite a bit after this loss. He needs a spectacular win in his next fight.

https://www.espn.com/mma/story/_/id/...nd-tko-ufc-257

Dustin Poirier avenged his loss to Conor McGregor and picked up by far the biggest win of his career. The perennial UFC lightweight contender shocked McGregor, beating him via TKO after swarming him with punches at 2:32 of the second round Saturday night in the main event of UFC 257 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

[Risto the Great]

He is fighting fit. He won't be embarrassing himself.

[Soldier of Macedon]

https://www.msn.com/en-au/sport/boxing/tyson-to-return-to-ring-for-exhibition-against-roy-jones-jr/ar-BB176vCl?ocid=msedgntp

Tyson to return to ring for exhibition against Roy Jones Jr

Former world heavyweight champion Mike Tyson will make a much anticipated return to the ring when he faces four-division world champion Roy Jones Jr. in an exhibition bout on Sept. 12, Triller, the virtual social media and music platform, said on Thursday. The eight-round fight will be part of a three-hour pay per view event shown on Triller, which has also obtained streaming rights to a 10-part docuseries featuring behind-the-scenes, pre-fight footage leading up to the bout. The program will also include a "significant" undercard as well as musical performances. Tyson teased fans about a possible return to the ring in May when the 53-year-old boxer posted videos of himself training. One video showed Tyson, the first heavyweight to hold the WBA, WBC and IBF titles, hitting the pads with ferocious power before signing off with the message "I'm back". Tyson later said he was interested in returning to the ring to raise money for charity and potential opponents immediately began to line up for a crack at the fighter known as "Iron Mike". Old rival Evander Holyfield and New Zealand rugby great Sonny Bill Williams were among those reported to be in line for the fight before Jones Jr. was chosen. The 51-year-old Jones, who has simultaneously held a record seven belts, last fought in 2018. Tyson became the youngest heavyweight champion of all time when he defeated Trevor Berbick in 1986 aged 20. He won 50 of his 58 professional fights before retiring in 2005 after a loss to Kevin McBride.

Meh, why not. He could still probably KO most in the heavyweight division today.

[Soldier of Macedon]

https://www.mmafighting.com/2020/6/21/21298087/dana-white-confirms-stipe-miocic-vs-daniel-cormier-3-will-take-place-at-ufc-apex

Dana White confirms Stipe Miocic vs. Daniel Cormier 3 will take place at UFC APEX

The long awaited trilogy between Stipe Miocic and Daniel Cormier has a date, and now the fight has a location. Following UFC on ESPN 11 on Saturday night, UFC president Dana White confirmed plans for the heavyweight title fight, which is scheduled for Aug. 15. “That would be here [at the UFC APEX],” White said when asked about the UFC 252 main event. “Yeah, [it’s official].” While it’s not exactly a huge surprise that Miocic vs. Cormier 3 will be held at the UFC APEX in Las Vegas, given that the coronavirus pandemic has severely limited the promotion’s locale choices for live events, there hadn’t been any formal announcements since the fight was confirmed. There were rumors swirling that perhaps certain states might begin allowing fans to attend events again in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, but White made it clear that’s the furthest thing from his mind right now.

“First of all, this would be a state or a country, or whatever it will be that would decide they were ready for fans, we would get together with the government there and whatever entities we had to deal with, whether it was the athletic commission or whoever, and we would figure out how we were going to do this, how it was all going to work, how would it be safe and then we would do it,” White said. “We would be first if we were able to do it. We’d be first and do it. “I just don’t see that happening any time soon in the United States. I could see it happening in another country. Not here though. Again, you can’t f**king believe anything you read. You don’t know what’s true and what’s not true. You’re hearing flatten the curve and the curve had flattened. Now they’re saying things are spiking up in Texas and Arizona and Florida and all these other [places]. I don’t know the answers to this stuff. It’s why I just stay in my lane. We’ve got the APEX. We’ve got ‘Fight Island’ we’re kicking off here soon. I am not even thinking about doing an event with fans.”

If there’s one potential roadblock to the title fight trilogy being held at the UFC APEX, it’s the heavyweight champion’s preference to compete inside a 30-foot cage. Source close to Miocic told MMA Fighting that he would rather fight in the larger octagon, but the UFC APEX currently houses a 25-foot cage. To add to the problem, sources say the lighting structure inside the APEX was made specifically for the smaller cage. That could hinder any plan to swap out the cages and put the bigger 30-foot octagon inside the APEX for the heavyweight title fight. These are all issues that will undoubtedly be dealt with between now and Aug. 15, when Miocic and Cormier face off in their rubber match with the heavyweight title up for grabs.

This fight going to be huge and is of utmost significance for the heavyweight division. I didn't mind Daniel Cormier in the past but in the lead up to his second fight with Stipe Miocic he was a condescending prick. He got lucky in the first fight and was appropriately ruined by Stipe in the second fight. Hopefully Stipe smashes him again in the third fight and sends Cormier to retirement, thereby solidifying his own place as the best heavyweight ever. Otherwise if Cormier wins he will most likely retire as champion and severe the lineal title, then endlessly gloat from his position as commentator outside of the ring. Go Stipe!

[Soldier of Macedon]

On a side note, I wonder if there's going to be another rematch? There's a lot of people out there who are saying that Max got robbed.

I think they may fight again, but not right away. Irrespective of what many have said, Alex has two recorded victories in a row against Max. It would be unreasonable to expect him to go against Max again in his next fight. Plus, that division has a few top fighters itching for a shot. I think Alex will fight Zabit next whereas Ortega will fight the Korean. The winners will fight each other. Then Max, if he wins his next fight against Yair or someone else, will fight for the championship again. That said, nothing can be accurately predicted given the COVID-19 situation and the often turbulent relationship between the UFC and its fighters.