THE WORLD CUP OF COMBAT SPORTS

THE WORLD CUP OF COMBAT SPORTS:

By Ryan Flynn and Dan McConnell

With the World Cup starting this week, the entire world will be hooked on the football feast that is the World Cup.

But for some combat sports fans it’s a confusing time. Watching people in a cage smash each other in the face then pretend it doesn’t hurt, all the while on a football pitch people are rolling around because someone may or may not have grazed their (protected) shin with their boot.

It’s tough to relate to that, and that’s where we try and help, here we give you 10 football teams and stars, and their combat sport equivalent, for you to cheer or jeer.

Just before we get into this, my advice is support Sergio Ramos, he’s the closest to an MMA star you’re going to get in the football world. Honestly you should have seen his arm bar on Mo Salah, top class to be honest.

1- Conor McGregor is Neymar Jr.

Right at the very top of their sports rich list and more polarising than a Laurel and Yanny debate. It’s Laurel by the way. Fans either love or hate McGregor’s personality, and fans of football feel the exact same way about the Brazilian forward Neymar. Also McGregor is a two weight champion, while Neymar has won division championships in two different countries. Neymar is one TKO from Mayweather away from basically being McGregor.

2- Anthony Joshua is Cristiano Ronaldo.

Ah, some people are going to hate me now, but the best in the world (Heavyweight at least) easy comparison. They have the belts and trophies to prove it.

3- Tyson Fury is Lionel Messi.

“What are you talking about mate? Joshua/Ronaldo isn’t the best in the world it’s Fury/Messi” I hear you say through your screen as you read number two. Neither have actually held the title that shows they’re the best in the world for some time now, but legions of loyal fans will make very valid arguments as to why their guy is the top dog in the sport/division.

4- Alistair Overeem is Belgium.

Not even an individual within the team, just the entire team. Every time Belgium go to a tournament in recent years is much like Overeem in a UFC title fight, always expected to do it. All the lads down the pub “I fancy Belgium to win it lads”. Nope never happens. Maybe one day Overeem will get over the line and win the title, maybe one day Belgium will rise to expectation and win a competition, and maybe one day I’ll find out why Tony the Tiger disappeared of my TV, I bet Jamie Oliver had something to do with it.

5- Ronda Rousey before the Holly Holm fight is Germany.

Cast your mind back to before Rousey’s UFC 193 defeat to Holm. This was the unstoppable force in the MMA world. She had a 12-0 record and her prior five fights were won in a combine total time of three minutes and eight seconds. Her dominance was incredible, looked unbeatable. That’s how many people look at Germany. So good they left Sane at home, takes some squad to do that. Germany look as unbeatable as Rousey before UFC 193, so what nation will step up and be Holly Holm’s left foot?

6-Jon Jones is France.

If you’re wondering what Jon Jones and the French national team have in common, fans either love or hate them, theyare a bit like marmite. Jon Jones could be considered the most controversial fan-favourite in sport because of his failed drug tests and DUI charges. France are just like Jones they have cracking potential, probably the best attack on paper in the world, but always have that slight question mark next to their name. Jones and France have won the ultimate prize in the past in their respective sports, France have had many fall-outs throughout the years, especially in 2010 where the players refused to train following Nickolas Anelka’s removal from the squad. As Daniel Cormier once said to Jon Jones, maybe France “need to get their sh*t together” too.

But hey, at least Jon Jones never hand balled in the lead up to a decisive goal to send Ireland out of the World Cup qualifiers, nine years ago, not that I’m bitter about that or anything.

7- Vasyl Lomachenko is Kylian Mbappe.

As many combat sports fans know, Lomachenko’s nickname is ‘The Matrix’ because of his crafty footwork, slick combos and many see him as the future face of boxing. PSG and France starlet Mbappe also has all the potential in the world, and the £166m price-tag demonstrates just how valuable he is. Meanwhile I’ll completely justify paying £19.99 to watch Lomachenko on PPV which is the biggest compliment I can give to any fighter.

Paying 20 quid for a Lomachenko fight is much the same as those people who pay a tenner at a car boot sale for a painting the ends up being with thousands. Absolute bargain.

Back to the Mbappe comparison.

Both have proved themselves on a regional scale, picking up many honours during their amateur and now young professional careers. Fully expect both to hit the top of their sports in the coming years.

8-Gegard Mousasi is Mo Salah.

Both of these men have a very quiet demeanour, they get their heads down and do their job without expecting much praise. However this has negatively effected their careers, speak up lads! It has been well documented that Mousasi was unhappy with his treatment within the UFC, I mean come on he was on a 5-fight win streak in the Middleweight division but never given a title shot he truly deserved. He left the UFC for Bellator in order to find the gold and that’s exactly what he has accomplished. Salah was in a similar situation, tipped to be a hot prospect at Chelsea but never given a real chance at the club, firing him to look elsewhere for fair treatment and the Egyptian done so with Roma. Eventually returning to the Premier League with Liverpool, I bet Chelsea wish they never sold Salah, I wonder if UFC regret letting Mousasi go.

9-Anderson Silva is Andres Iniesta.

As a huge MMA fan I find it hard to have a casual conversation without dropping The Spider’s name into a sentence. The man who is seen as the face of MMA for years and employed a Floyd Mayweather, cocky but effective defensive game-plan to break down opponents. While Iniesta was the opposite in terms of his attacking play, and for the most part keeping a low profile, as best an international sports star can. The comparison of the two athlete’s are this, both are coming to the end of their careers so I guess this is the stage where we talk them up and tell the world how much we will miss them when they’re gone? Silva and Iniesta have won every accolade possible in MMA and football. I don’t think I need to say anymore about these two legends. Respect.

10- Anthony Pettis is England.

Back in 2010 Pettis earned the nickname ‘Showtime’ with his impressive Showtime Kick knock-out over Benson Henderson to win the WEC Lightweight title and went on to win the UFC Lightweight title against Henderson again in 2013. Damn Henderson must got sick of the sight of Pettis. Back in 1966 England won the FIFA World Cup on home soil with an impressive 4-2 victory over rivals West Germany to lift their first ever World Cup. The point I’m getting at, both have achieved the pinnacle of their sport, but it was quite sometime ago wasn’t it. Both have always been expected to repeat their prior triumphs. The talent is there, the history of success is there, everything is there, will it happen? I don’t think anyone really believes so.