Is Jose Aldo wise to attempt the drop to bantamweight?
Jay Anderson: No. No. No. Absolutely not. No.
Gabriel Gonzalez: I trust that Aldo is a smart man and that he has smart professionals and people who care about him around him. That said, the pictures speak for themselves. I cannot see him staying at bantamweight for more than 2-3 fights, and that is only if he were to win the title. We will not know until after the fact just how taxing the weight cut actually is for him, but it is common sense that a prolonged stay at 135 is not sustainable.
Michael Lynch: As far as his health, a drop to 135 is definitely not smart for Aldo. On the other hand though, if he is able to make the weight and still look good, he could have a chance to win another title.
Josh Evanoff: No, it wasn’t smart and I’m incredibly disappointed in his team. Aldo notoriously had trouble making 145 pounds, dropping him another 10 pounds is only going to have him even closer to death’s door. He should’ve gone up to 155 if anything, so many fun match-ups up there. But on the off chance he even makes weight for this one, he should still move back up.
Paarth Pande: I honestly believe we need to wait for the fight but given the photos we’ve seen it looks painful. However, if he doesn’t look good either post or during the fight then he might not be able to recover given his age and past few performances. So might not be a good decision given the risk involved.
Dan Doherty: No. He’s gone full skeletor this week and his stressful cuts to 145 are well-documented. I wish him luck but coming into a fight against Marlon Moraes compromised is a risky idea.
Can the MMA world handle Colby Covington as champ?
Jay Anderson: I mean… maybe. Covington’s image has undergone a minor change ahead of UFC 245. The trash talk out of the MAGA-hat wearing, Trump loving caricature has been minimal. Instead, we’ve seen articles about who Covington really is, and how it’s all a gimmick put on to save his spot on the UFC roster. Which was always a given, though how much of the persona is Covington, and how much is pro-wrestling style heel remains to be seen. But the fanbase is already divided, so expect some ugly reactions if he wins.
Gabriel Gonzalez: Whether or not the MMA world is “ready” is not the issue. Business is business even if fans are tuning in solely to see his demise. What’s more curious is if the UFC will allow Covington to continue making his more incendiary statements if he were to become a undisputed champion and thus be one of the premiere brand ambassadors of the company.
Michael Lynch: The MMA world will have a tough time dealing with Covington being champ if he wins. Side note, I think if Covington wins the title he drops the douche bag gimmick so he might become more likeable.
Josh Evanoff: I don’t think the question is if the MMA world is ready for Colby, I think it’s about if the world in general is ready for Colby as champ. The MMA world has already had some insane characters as champ, and Colby is just another one who takes it a bit farther than normal. But to have a foul-mouthed Trump supporter who speaks down on the dead as champ is definitely going to upset some in the world outside of MMA.
Paarth Pande: Combat sports fans in general haven’t had a problem with controversial personalities. Starting from Tyson back then to McGregor today, fans have embraced the dark side of athletes if they deliver in ring and put up entertaining fights.
Dan Doherty: Nope. Yeah, it’s a gimmick, but in this climate, that act does no good. Hell I mentioned Donald Trump in a harmless tweet on my small twitter account after the Bryce Mitchell fight and I was receiving hate left and right. Let’s try to be less divisive. Go Usman.
MMA fans when Bryce Mitchell hits a twister then says he'll help Donald Trump deal with some politicians for free. #UFCDC pic.twitter.com/abPlgXzD1k
— Dan Doherty (@DanDohertyESPN) December 8, 2019
