UFC 189 Embedded; REDUX (Conor vs who?)

[Masato]

Well since the Conor-Aldo fight died (after 30 trillion $$s of hype, lol), Zuffa had to scramble together a quick change of direction to try to keep at least some of that momentum.

Here is their attempt, see if it hooks ya :)

This event is the finals for the Sherdog Shoop Tournament, so I am forcing myself to pay attention. I am really quite fascinated with Conor, but have a sickening suspicion Mendez is gonna destroy him. Conor was all mindgames, he had Aldo pegged. Will be interesting to see if he can maintain his swag

(I am just catching up now, forgive me :D

EP 1:

[Masato]

EP 2:


EP3:


EP4:


5:


6:

[Edge Guerrero]

- MMA is the only sport were a guys that has accomplished something is diminished over a guys that hasn't accomplished nothing yet.
I'm cheering for Mendes. Conor got the promo skills of a inanimate object.

[Masato]

Help me understand this;

The Aldo - Mendez switch went down while I was away... I thought it was a rib injury but maybe there's more at play here??

http://espn.go.com/blog/mma/post/_/id/2 ... last-month

Multiple reports filed by officials of the National Center for Drug Free Sport to the Nevada State Athletic Commission offer more details regarding an unannounced drug test of UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo last month.

The NSAC contracted Drug Free Sport to perform an out-of-competition drug test on Aldo while he was training in Rio de Janeiro. Aldo was scheduled to fight Conor McGregor at UFC 189 on Saturday in Las Vegas, but he has since withdrawn from the bout due to a rib injury.

Due to several complications, an initial sample provided by Aldo on June 11 was discarded. The Brazilian MMA Athletic Commission (CABMMA) tested Aldo again on June 12. That sample was analyzed at the Sports Medicine Research & Testing Laboratory in Salt Lake City and tested negative for any banned substances. It is the first time the NSAC has ordered and received an enhanced out-of-competition test in Brazil.

According to collection reports filed by Drug Free Sport and obtained by ESPN.com, the company assigned collection responsibilities to Ben Mosier, its director of professional sports drug testing. Mosier is described as having conducted "thousands" of collections, including internationally, without incident.

Prior to traveling to Brazil, Mosier was issued a 10-year VITEM II business visa. Drug Free Sport officials noted within the collection reports, "It appears now that a VITEM V [work visa] is required for such services."

Mosier arrived in Brazil on June 10 at approximately 10 a.m. local time. At 1:29 p.m., Mosier attempted to contact Aldo's team to collect the sample. Aldo's coach, Andre Pederneiras, returned Mosier's call at approximately 1:51 p.m. and said he would attempt to locate Aldo. Efforts were unsuccessful, and Mosier and Pederneiras arranged for the test to be done the following day at 10:30 a.m. at Aldo's training facility.


Jose Aldo, left, was forced out of a UFC 189 bout against Conor McGregor due to a rib injury suffered during training. Alexandre Loureiro/Getty Images
Aldo, 28, arrived at the gym on June 11 at approximately 10:30 a.m., at which point a urine test was conducted. Pederneiras was not present for the collection, but another one of Aldo's trainers was and served to translate. A camera crew was also present during the collection process. All reports by Drug Free Sport note that Aldo was "very cooperative" during the process.

As written in the reports, Aldo's second trainer stopped Mosier from processing the sample at approximately 11:15 a.m., due to a request he received from Pederneiras to be there to oversee it. Pederneiras arrived at the gym at approximately 11:30 a.m., at which point he contacted CABMMA to see if the Brazilian commission was aware of the test. Pederneiras has corroborated this in public interviews.

At approximately the same time, an off-duty Brazilian federal police officer training at the gym confiscated Mosier's passport and informed him his visa allowed him to conduct business in Brazil, but not collect urine samples. Reports indicate CABMMA representative Christiano Sampaio arrived at the training facility and "halted the test, claiming the test was not being conducted in accordance to Brazilian MMA procedures."

A local Brazilian doping control officer, who had been contacted to assist Drug Free Sport to ensure quality and coordinate the shipping of the sample, traveled to the gym and attempted to perform the test as a Brazilian resident. Sampaio reportedly informed Drug Free Sport chief operating officer Chris Guinty, however, that only a CABMMA collection officer would be allowed to collect the sample.

At this time, the collected sample was discarded, as both Mosier and Aldo had lost contact with it. Under collection rules, both the athlete and collection officer must be in contact with the sample through the entire process.

At 6:30 p.m., Brazilian immigration officials arrived at the gym to review Mosier's paperwork. Mosier was fined and given eight days to leave the country, but he was approved to monitor the collection process of Aldo's sample the following day.

A second test was scheduled to take place at the gym on June 12, conducted by a CABMMA doping officer and monitored by Mosier. The test was scheduled to take place between 8:30-9 a.m.

On June 12, Aldo did not arrive at the gym at the scheduled time. Drug Free Sport officials were informed Aldo was not present because he was at the U.S. embassy in Brazil, obtaining a visa required to travel to Las Vegas. Aldo arrived at the gym at 11:40 a.m.

A previously scheduled shipping time of noon was changed to 2:00 p.m. After spilling one urine sample at 11:49 a.m., Aldo provided an adequate sample at 12:29 p.m., which was shipped to the lab at approximately 1:40 p.m.

According to notes on more than one report, the CABMMA doping officer who conducted the test, requested an autograph and picture with the fighter upon the completion of the test. Aldo granted both requests.

On June 12, Sampaio told MMAFighting the situation showed that various athletic commissions around the world could work together to "keep the sport clean." He also mentioned CABMMA "authorized Ben [Mosier's] presence to watch our collecting process."

Last week, Guinty provided a statement to ESPN.com, defending Drug Free Sport's actions throughout the process.

"Drug Free Sport does not comment on client program specifics related to any collection event, but the NSAC, the UFC and Drug Free Sport were diligent in their effort to ensure a fair and ethical collection event in Brazil."

Aldo has also publicly stated he did nothing wrong and at no point did he or any member of his camp attempt to delay or prevent the test.

"I'm an athlete and they want to prove [everything is OK], so I went there and did everything right, everything I had to do," Aldo told MMAFighting.com. "If they come here again, they know where to find me. They have my address, gym's address -- they know where I am. I gave them all my information, my phone number. They can come here if they want."


Is the 'rib injury' a zuffa attempt to avoid a potential failed drug test?? Seems like they were doing all they could to block the test, then pulled the rib card (or am I reading this wrong?)

Anyone must realize that if Conor beats Mendez, a fight with Aldo down the road will be worth double.

HELP ME CATCH UP ON THIS STORY!

'thx

[Edge Guerrero]

- Broke his ribs.
Of course UFC wanted him to fight that way and downplayed his lesion, talk about playing favorites.
But he posted his X-rays and even a no related doctor comented and confirmed this.

[Canuckster]

jeez, what a mess that collection turned into.

[Masato]

Hey all

Well tonights the night - we see if the Irish Sonnen is for real or not

I am quite pumped, in some ways I find it even more interesting than vs Aldo (I think Aldo was totally spooked, he was gonna cave)

Here is an interesting video I just watched around the time when the shift in opponent was fresh news. Conor seems almost out of character, very curious:




Just discovered last night that my neghbor and dad of my kid's best friend is a huge MMA nut, watched PRIDE an everything. We are going to watch tonight. Nuckster, if you wanna join you know you're always welcome to my last-minute UFC plans :D

[Anti D]

Thanks for all these videos in one place Masato. Does anyone else feel Mendes is a better fight? I honestly had no idea who he was.

[Masato]

Focused Aldo would have been a better fight

But I honestly thought that Conor rattled him good with all the trash talk, stealing his belt etc. Aldo was a shell of himself, I really do think he was afraid

For Conor its all psychic power. Mendes will have none of it, he robbed a huge part of Conor's power

Now its just a fight.

[Anti D]

Have not really followed the Hype behind Connor But is he really that good of a trash talker or was it the first time someone wasn't intimidated of Aldo and actually challenged him?