THIS week’s Top 10 Tweets has a very strong UFC/MMA flavour to it, thanks mainly to the spat being played out on Twitter between Dana White and Conor McGregor over UFC200.
That’s not to say that Twitter hasn’t been alive with other cracking sports stories. So here we go with the Top 10 Tweets of the Week.
10. One way to liven up baseball
https://twitter.com/savannah3marie/status/721444505388343296
There is a feeling out there in the general community that baseball isn’t the most exciting game that God ever breathed life into.
Maybe that’s the story behind this pic: a couple, bored out of their gourd at the Indians/Mets game decided to take matters into their own hands and inject a bit of life and fun into the game by “getting busy” in the nose bleed section.
The photo, taken by another fan, clearly shows the two engaging in a little bit of pants-free lap-sitting.
9. UFC drops McGregor from UFC200
BREAKING NEWS: UFC pulls @TheNotoriousMMA from #UFC200. @danawhite on @SportsCenter now.
— UFC (@ufc) April 19, 2016
This story is freaking out people left right and centre. The UFC and Dana White announced that due to Conor McGregor’s refusal to appear at some promotional gigs ahead of UFC200, the UFC has taken the drastic step of dropping McGregor from the fight altogether.
This all seems a little drastic considering McGregor is currently their most bankable star and one of the most recognized sporting figures in the world.
8. McGregor reacts to being dropped
I have decided to retire young.
Thanks for the cheese.
Catch ya's later.— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) April 19, 2016
In a stunning reaction to being dropped from UFC200, Conor McGregor essentially pulled the professional equivalent of taking his bat and ball and going home.
Since Dana White and the UFC announced McGregor had been dropped from UFC200, McGregor escalated things by announcing his retirement, effective immediately through this tweet.
7. Diaz reacts to McGregor’s retirement
I guess my work here is done I'm retiring too✌🏼️👊🏼
— Nathan Diaz (@NateDiaz209) April 19, 2016
In an hilarious extension of the sledging and niggle that has become legendary between McGregor and Nate Diaz, immediately after McGregor tweeted his retirement Diaz fired back a tongue-in-cheek tweet announcing “I guess my work here is done I’m retiring too”.
I hate to say it, but this is almost the best shot Diaz has ever delivered McGregor. Kudos Nate Diaz!
6. Psyche! McGregor isn’t really retired
I am just trying to do my job and fight here. I get paid to fight … https://t.co/xW1P3G2710
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) April 21, 2016
This tweet was linked to a statement from Conor McGregor that was posted to Facebook.
In the Facebook statement McGregor explains his refusal to attend a UFC scheduled press junket ahead of UFC200. He says that before UFC196 he played it up for the media and lost focus on his training which may have contributed to his shock loss to Nate Diaz.
He goes on to say that he is more than happy to fly from his training in Iceland to New York for the big press conference that was initially planned ahead of UFC200. Outside of that he does not see why he should have to travel around the world to answer some silly questions from journalists who couldn’t care less what he really has to say.
He wants to train to win.
It all sounds pretty fair to me. Let’s hope the UFC pulls their head in and re-instates McGregor in the Main Card of UFC200. The UFC’s fighters are contracted to fight. They are not employees of the UFC. Let them fight and leave the money making politics to the big-wigs.
CrownBet.com.au has head-to-head betting options available on eight bouts scheduled for UFC200, check out their site for more details.
5. 40 year old “Man” wants to make NRL return
.@Anthony_Mundine has spoken to @NRL_Dragons about making an NRL comeback: https://t.co/d5J1BDG1wS
— Fatima Kdouh (@FatimaKdouh_) April 23, 2016
Anthony “The Man” Mundine is a walking head line in Australia. Ever since his initial career in the NRL Mundine has been one of the most polarizing figures in Australian sport. This controversy kicked up a gear when he became a boxer.
Now it appears Mundine is considering a switch from boxing back to the sport that first made him a household name: rugby league.
At 40 though, there is a growing chorus among the sporting community that Mundine is about 10 years past his best.
That being said though, it isn’t out of the realm of possibility for Mundine to use his gift of the gab to dupe one of the struggling NRL clubs – the Dragons in particular – into paying for his services. After all, he is a three-time Grand Final player.
SportsBet.com.au clearly thinks the Dragons need all the help they can get, offering odds of $81 for St George/Illawarra to win the 2016 Grand Final.
4. Yair Rodriguez’ stunning KO
https://twitter.com/SubmissionAus/status/724063549543206913
Yair Rodriguez stunned the crowd of UFC197 during his featherweight bout against Andre Fili today. Rodriguez, now 4-0 in the UFC felled Filli with a flying switch kick in the second round.
Fili didn’t stand a chance, Rodriguez’ kick had him out like a light. Some people are calling Rodriguez’ KO of Fili one of the most spectacular in UFC history, which strongly helps his aspirations toward winning a featherweight Championship.
3. Golovkin still undefeated
He’s G-G-Gone…Unbeaten Gennady Golovkin with the 2nd round knockout of Dominic Wade… #GGGhttps://t.co/SsdBDKcaG2
— Sportsbet.com.au (@sportsbetcomau) April 24, 2016
Gennady Golovkin made short work of Dominic Wade to continue his undefeated streak of 34 pro fights. The win also saw Golovkin maintain his unified middleweight titles.
Can Golovkin keep his undefeated stretch going? SportsBet.com.au has him at $1.40 favourite to down Carl Froch ($2.80) ahead of their 31/12/2016 bout.
2. Delly to be Mr. Moneybags
Jeff Van Gundy: "Delly is going to make 10+ million a year next free agency."
Thoughts?
— Cavs Nation (@CavsNationCP) April 23, 2016
Matthew Dellavedova has worked hard to create an aura about himself as one of the toughest competitors in the NBA. Coming off his extended one year deal, worth around $1.6 million with the Cavs, Delly heads into the off-season as a free agent. People in the know estimate that Delly will be able to command around $10 million a season for his next contract. That will make him among one of Australia’s highest paid athletes.
Bet365.com.au has the Cavs with a line of -6.5 @ $1.90 against the Detroit Pistons on the 25/4. Check out Bet365.com.au for more betting options on the match.
1. Suarez’ best year yet
Luis Suárez's game by numbers vs. Sporting Gijon:
6 shots
4 goals
3 chances created
2 take-onsWorld class. pic.twitter.com/GXJ9QZH7y5
— Squawka (@Squawka) April 24, 2016
Luis Suarez is playing some of the best football of his life. He has scored 53 goals from 49 games so far this season, become the first player in La Liga history to score four goals in back to back games and he hasn’t bitten anyone at all. A great year all in all for Suarez.
Can Suarez go three matches scoring four goals back to back? CrownBet.com.au has Suarez’ FC Barcelona $1.12 vs Real Betis @ $15 and a draw paying $8.60.
