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NATE DIAZ CALLS THE “EXCUSES” FOR CONOR MCGREGOR “RIDICULOUS”

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The Man’s got a point

“A question that sometimes drives me hazy: am I or are the others crazy?” – I ponder this quote from Albert Einstein a lot. It often times comes up in life but no time more than on the aftermath of the Nate Diaz, Conor McGregor fight. It seems as if the whole world has gone crazy about Conor’s lost but not exactly in the way that you’d think. Yes there’s some haters out there saying that Conor’s finished, but not anybody who truly knows the sport. The crazy I’m talking about is everyone going “goo goo ga ga” about how Conor lost like a champion. Don’t get me wrong, he was definitely humble in defeat, and by all accounts the man is a good guy, but sometimes it feels like everybody wanna act like they forgot about Nate.

“I feel like, honest, I feel like the UFC wants to weed me the f— out of this position,” Diaz told ESPN.com. “I don’t know if I’m supposed to say that. Sorry. I feel like a lot of people are coming at me now. I see them making a lot of excuses for him, and I think it’s kind of ridiculous. “I don’t think it’s just the UFC. It’s everybody. People are saying, ‘Oh, [McGregor] is great, he’s accepted the loss so well.’ If I would have lost, people would be saying, ‘piece of s— shouldn’t have accepted the fight.’ I don’t mean to be bitter, but there are a lot of excuses being made for this guy. He’s talking about winning the first round. There are five rounds in a fight. Who gives a s— if you won a round? You lost.”

Let’s breakdown the scenario shall we? Conor McGregor is a 145 who goes Auschwitz in order to make weight . He should probably be fighting at lightweight which he was planning to do until Dos Anjos pulled out. If he would’ve fought Dos Anjos and won, I would assume he would’ve stayed at that weight class. Nate Diaz fights at lightweight, he’s taken a couple fights at 170 but has been steadily fighting at 155 for a while now without a hitch. So in my mind essentially what we had was two lightweights fighting at a  catchweight. Conor had a full training camp but Nate Diaz came off of partying on the beaches of Cabo to answer the call 8 days out. That’s insane. So if you ask me the conditioning differences due to lack of training should even out the weight discrepancy. Conor was used to “knocking out midgets”, that’s not Nate’s fault. He took the fight, didn’t let Conor get in his head, took the shots, and won. No excuses, no pampering, Conor fought a not so smart fight and lossed, badly. So why is everybody still talking about Conor. He didn’t do any heroic feat, he just bit of more than he could chew, I do it all the time. I appreciate his courageousness/craziness for entertainment value but really, he didn’t do anything that great in my opinion.

“I made a good amount of money,” Diaz said. “I think they’re over exaggerating how much — I don’t feel like anybody did me any favors, I’ll tell you that much — but I made a good chunk of change and I’m grateful. I’ve been demanding that. “I was screwed for a long time. My problem was I was a soldier for a long time. I never even considered money, it was more about not getting my ass whooped. Once I thought about it for two minutes, I realized I was getting f—ed. It was stupid not to pay attention to that the whole time. If I had been thinking business since I was 21, I’d be a rich man right now.”

As far as what’s next for the other guy (Nate Diaz), who only beat the second coming of an MMA “God” by rear naked choke in the 2nd round, he’s looking for a big fight.

“I’m thinking probably the lightweight title fight, whatever is biggest,” Diaz said. “The biggest thing with Lawler and GSP — I would have been all about those fights and I am, but at the same time, my brother [Nick] is coming back and those are his fights. Those are Nick Diaz fights. I’m not trying to step on his shoes. We’ll see how things play out. As far as rematches go, I lost close decisions and never got a rematch. “I’m not asking for anything. I’m demanding more than everybody. I want more than everybody, straight up. Money talks. I want the biggest fight. Whoever I’ve got to fight — the biggest show, biggest payday — that’s what I want.”

Maybe I am missing something but I think Nick has a point. I am sure if you go through any fight camp you can see a reason for a loss, Chris Weidman just came out and said he was 10-20% when he fought Luke Rockhold who had a very real staph infection. My point is shoulda, coulda, woulda – at the end of the day Conor was already talking about going up to 170 and fighting the champ Robbie Lawler so it’s not like it came out of nowhere. Sure he went up faster than planned but that was his choice, he’s a grown adult who knew what he was getting into. Whether it was because he didn’t want to lose a big payday or he really thought he could win, he took the fight and lossed. No excuses. Congrats to Nate and the “scrap pack”, your mental fortitude is second to none. What do you think about Conor’s “heroic loss”? Did Conor just have too much against him or is Nate just the better fighter? Hit us up below with all of your thoughts and comments.  

WITH ANOTHER DOMINANT VICTORY, JUSTIN GAETHJE SHOULD CONSIDER HIS OPTIONS

justin greener pastures headerIt may be time for Justin Gaethje to seek greener pastures.

There comes a time in every pro mixed martial artist’s career when they have to make a decision. That decision will ultimately decide their destiny and the direction of their career. After his dominating performance over Brian Foster this past Saturday at WSOF 29, it appears that Justin Gaethje has hit a crossroads and could be getting the call to the big show within the next year. Since joining the WSOF, the undefeated Gaethje has posted nine victories in as many appearances under the organization’s banner. In the fight business you’re only as good as your last performance and from the looks of things Gaethje is on fire. Another thing about the fight business: time is money. At 27 years old Gaethje is still pretty young and has even more time to grow, but he may want to start considering his options. The World Series of Fighting is by no means the worst organization out there, but the talent pool is limited. Even Bellator has it’s own decent stable of talent from batamweight through heavyweight. Gaethje is going to have to consider a number of things heading into the future. Contracted for two more fights on his current contract with WSOF, Gaethje has to keep performing the way he has if he wants to have the opportunity to not only gain more exposure, which means more money, but also prove that he is one of the best lightweights in the world. Right now he’s incapable of doing so because of the lack of challenges in WSOF’s lightweight division. As much as we all enjoy watching him battle it out with Luis Palomino, a man whose frame is perhaps more suited to featherweaight, Gaethje won’t truly be testing his mettle unless he gets another stout opponent to contend against. World Series of Fighting is a great organization that can really grow some great talent and future world champions. For Gaethje however, it seems the time has come for him to explore his options and make something happen. There’s only so long he can throw his bones at another man and take punishment as well before his body says enough is enough. Making the move should be done sooner rather than later. Do you think it’s time for Justin Gaethje to move on? Follow Generation Iron MMA on Facebook and Twitter. Also, be sure to share, like, and comment to show your support. Jonathan Salmon is a writer, martial arts instructor, and geek culture enthusiast. Check out his Twitter to keep up with his antics.

MUSCLE RANTS EPISODE 5: DOES BODYBUILDING NEED TO BE MAINSTREAM?

Generation Iron Muscle Rants Mainstream

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Will bodybuilding die without mainstream success?

MUSCLE RANTS – is a new weekly series starring Tiger Fitness’ Marc Lobliner as he schools you on the tons of bullsh*t that constantly gets highlighted in the bodybuilding industry. Muscle Rants airs every Monday only on the Generation Iron Fitness Network.

It’s the long debated topic – why isn’t bodybuilding mainstream? Or more importantly, does bodybuilding NEED to go mainstream in order to survive in the long run? Every year the industry grows and grows. But it’s still not on TV for the many fans out there looking to enjoy the competitions without traveling across the country. The IFBB and NPC definitely seem to be trying to reach a wider audience by creating new division after new division to be more inclusive to all sorts of bodybuilding goals.

Is this a bad thing? Can mainstream success lead to a presumed better future of the sport? Or will it ultimately hurt the hardcore nature of the fans? Marc Lobliner sorts it out in his latest muscle rant. Watch it above.
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Muscle Rant airs every Monday right here on the Generation Iron Fitness Network. Make sure to subscribe to our official YouTube channel to get daily updates on our latest and greatest shows. Stay pumped.

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HERE’S HOW YOU CAN UPGRADE YOUR SUPPLEMENTS TO AN ELITE LEVEL

Generation Iron Elite Labs

Generation Iron Elite Labs

Are you ELITE?

What is Elite Labs USA?  Their number one goal is to take a great idea, and make it ELITE.

Elite Labs USA is focused on cutting-edge innovation. The kind of innovation that takes a great idea, and makes it greater. The kind of innovation that makes you say “Wow” every time you use it.

Achieving that “Wow Factor” is the very reason why Elite Labs are committed to formulating products based on the latest scientific advancements – advancements that will reshape our very understanding of an athlete’s true physical potential. It’s also why every Elite Labs USA product is founded on rock-solid, scientific data, and provides efficacious amounts of key ingredients clinically proven to work in real people, just like you.

With over 20 years of diverse experience in sports nutrition science, Elite Labs USA is devoted to developing and manufacturing only the highest quality sports supplements that exceed your expectations – every time.

You don’t have to be an elite or professional level athlete, bodybuilder, or power lifter to use our formulas. But if that’s the level of performance you’re striving to achieve, let Elite Labs USA products help take you there.

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Quality You Can Depend On GUARANTEED

At Elite Labs USA, it’s all about ELITE quality.

When you purchase an Elite Labs USA product, you will have the confidence in knowing that what is listed on the label is exactly what is inside the product you’re holding. Nothing more, nothing less. That means no hidden ingredients, no unwanted contaminants, and most importantly, no banned substances.

Quality is everything. That’s why every Elite Labs USA product is manufactured in a CGMP Certified facility using current Good Manufacturing Practices. And, state-of-the-art, sophisticated equipment verifies for accuracy the purity and potency of every ingredient on our labels.

In addition, their manufacturing facility is fully HACCP Certified, which stands for Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point Certification. This is a systemic and preventative approach whereby quality assurance professionals perform key actions to help further reduce or eliminate the presence of physical, chemical and biological contaminants/hazards.

Plus, our manufacturing facility carries the prestigious EU Certification and Natural Health Products (NHP) Certification as well.

Together, these procedures and certifications guarantee that Elite Labs USA can bring you only the highest quality sports supplements available on the market today.

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Your Satisfaction Our #1 Priority

At Elite Labs USA, you come first.

They understand the disappointment that comes when product results don’t match your expectations. That’s why they create products that don’t just meet, but substantially exceed your expectations on every front. From research and development to strict quality control, everything done at Elite Labs USA is done to guarantee you have the best experience, and achieve your best results, ever.

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KAI GREENE LOOKING EVEN BETTER ONE WEEK OUT FROM THE ARNOLD CLASSIC AUSTRALIA

Generation Iron Kai Greene Arnold Classic Australia

Generation Iron Kai Greene Arnold Classic Australia

A whole new Kai.

Coming off of a much needed win at the Arnold Classic US overall Men’s division, Kai Greene is not here to take part, he’s here to take over.

The picture below was taken this weekend, just one week out of the Arnold Classic Australia. This is exciting for fans of Kai and bodybuilding everywhere because we’ve finally got the old Kai back. After taking a short hiatus to explore his other talents, it seems Kai has renewed his love for bodybuilding and the Arnold Classic was the spark. With Kai’s physique perfectly walking the line of dry, striated, and massive, we can see his conditioning is on point and he will be a force to reckon with this year.

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Some fans are already calling for Kai to take a clean sweep. Though it has never been done, Kai could in theory take all 6 Arnold Classics for 2016 as he’s already got one under his belt and is on his way to the Australia weekend looking for number 2. Whether he goes for all six or not, it’s already shaping up to be an interesting Mr. Olympia. Should Phil be worried? Check out the picture below.

Kai Aussie Arnold

For those of you who don’t know where the Arnie’s are falling on this year’s calendar, we’ve comprised a list of place and times for all the shows this year.

Arnold Sports Festival: Columbus Ohio, March 3-6th, (Winner) Kai Greene

Arnold Classic Australia: Melbourne – March 18th-20th

Arnold Classic Brazil: Rio De Janiero – April 1st-3rd

Arnold Classic Africa: Sandton, Johannesburg, South Africa – May 27th-29th

Arnold Classic Asia: Hong Kong, China – August 19th-21st

Arnold Classic Europe: Barcelona, Spain – September 23-25th

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PROGRESS REPORT: DALLAS MCCARVER BLOWING UP CHEST & TRICEPS

Generation Iron Dallas McCarver Chest and Triceps

Generation Iron Dallas McCarver Chest and Triceps

Dallas McCarver is training hard to secure his future.

The Arnold Classic has been dominating the airwaves as of late so much so that it almost seems as if people have forgotten about the other most important competition of the year, the Mr. Olympia contest. At this point many have been talking about Kai Greene’s impressive showing, Cedric McMillan’s improvements, and the dark horse Josh Lenartowicz taking third place above a bevy of talented veterans. The current climate in the bodybuilding stratosphere would suggest that a major change is coming, namely an ushering in of the new blood and the fall of the veterans that have dominated the scene for the past decade.

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As such, young bodybuilders the likes of Cody Montgomery and Justin Compton have slowly began their ascent to the top of the sport. Another such athlete is the young Dallas McCarver. McCarver has yet to acquire that signature win that puts him on the map, but just by looking at the youthful bodybuilder you can see the kind of potential that he brings to the table. He has incredible size and still has even more time to grow. Saying that he’s a genetic freak would be an understatement.

With the Olympia six months away every athlete has quite a bit of time to try and get their physiques in order. McCarver is looking to start his journey early and really put in the kind of work that could see him taking a high placing in the biggest event of the year. The Tennessee native is training harder than ever and looking to win some competitions this year in order to qualify for the Olympia later this year. Take a look at the kind of work he’s putting in at the gym as he trains chest and triceps.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfA9E6PlSdY

How far do you think Dallas McCarver can take his progress? Let us know in the comments and forums. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.

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ARIEL HELWANI AND THE MMA BEAT GIVE THE FINGER TO SMALL PUBLICATIONS EVERYWHERE

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Oh no he didn’t…

If you’re an MMA junkie like me you watch everything that’s out as soon as it’s out. As usual, I was very excited for “The MMA Beat” show because even though I don’t always care for Ariel Helwani, the man has up to the date news and and his co-host (Luke Thomas, Jeff Wagenheim,  and Chuck Mindenhall) seem to even him out. Until however he started talking about small publications…

“Stop giving attention to those stupid articles because it’s troll nonsense…it’s uneducated, there’s no facts, behind it, they don’t know what they’re talking about. We give it credibility by even addressing it… ”  -Ariel Helwani

Woah, woah, woah –  just because we don’t have backstage passes like you guys doesn’t mean we’re not educated, and just because our  opinion doesn’t match yours doesn’t mean we’re not students of the game. Who died and made you MMA God? We can watch fights, read figures, and see things that even the great Ariel Helwani himself can’t see. I’ve seen more insightful, out of the box, and “why didn’t I think of that” ideas from fan tweets than I’ve seen on “legitimate sites.” let’s face it, all you guys do is regurgitate the news, and talking about stale matchups anyone can see from a mile away. Maybe it’s because you guys are so big and bloated that you can’t see past your double chins but the real work is being done in the trenches. Small sites aren’t associated with any big names so we don’t have to censor ourselves. Meaning we can openly talk about Dana White’s blatant in your face FAVORITISM toward Ronda Rousey and many other rising stars. We can also rip into UFC for turning the sport into boxing, taking the heart out of it and making it all about the dollar, dollar bills without tiptoeing around the point. Just because you’re Walmart doesn’t mean you’ve got better quality than the Mom and Pop shops. Honestly Ariel I’ve seen your interviews and you’re a bit condescending and arrogant to all your guest and I’m surprised  they don’t call you out on it. You get up to the minute information and your guest are the biggest names in the sport, I’ll give you that, but at the end of the day you’re just a person like the rest of us and all you can lend is your opinion. Check out Ariel’s comments below. https://youtu.be/rWyCoS_9Rfc?t=26m56s What do you think about Ariel Helwani’s comments? Is he getting a bit full of himself or are his comments warranted? Hit us up below with your comments.

IS KARATE THE GREATEST STRIKING DISCIPLINE?

striking karate headerCould this be the best striking art of them all?

Striking in MMA traditionally has come down to a handful of arts. You have muay thai which is the most popular amongst competitors in the sport. Many employ a more boxing centric approach to great effect as well. But for the most part you’re unlikely to see many competitors utilizing pure karate in a cage match or at least that was the case some years back. After Lyoto Machida exploded onto the scene knocking people out with a gyaku-zuki, reverse punch in English, and leaping front kicks, everyone who’s anyone has been interested in throwing a bit more karate into their game and with good reason. It’s perhaps the greatest striking art there is. If you’ve actually taken the time to click on this article then I have to forewarn you. I’m a karate fan boy, a truly dedicated practioner of the art with a deep passion for the technique and application. Which means I may be a bit biased. But, that does change the fact that karate is perhaps the most underrated and complete striking arts out there. Movement is perhaps the greatest asset of a karate fighter and with great footwork comes some astonishing results. The speed coupled with the diversity of the striking arsenal can make the strikes that much more destructive. Feints and fakes, the multitude of kicks, there’s little reason to deny that karate is perhaps one of the most impressive striking arts to practice. Check out Stephen Thompson’s recent big wins to see just how vast karate’s arsenal can be. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CfuKHVvIsVo Thompson utilizes the hallmarks of karate, distancing, accuracy, and timing all of it culminating with devastating finishes. Because karate is an art that emphasizes accuracy rather than power it makes for a striking art that anyone, no matter how naturally powerful or weak, to be able to utilize. Before Thompson, Lyoto Machida was also able to demonstrate how devastating karate can be. The style isn’t just all about flashy kicks and reverse punches. Traditional karate utilizes knees and elbows that is also present in muay thai. Machida’s career has highlighted those very attributes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tuhOyNjS3M4 A striking art is only as good as the person who utilizes it. As we head into the future, the more we see fighters like Thompson, Conor McGregor and Justin Scoggins blend boxing and karate into one art form, we’ll be seeing just how special the traditional striking art really is. What is your favorite striking discipline? Follow Generation Iron MMA on Facebook and Twitter. Also, be sure to share, like, and comment to show your support. Jonathan Salmon is a writer, martial arts instructor, and geek culture enthusiast. Check out his Twitter to keep up with his antics.

WSOF 29 PRIMER: THE FIGHTS THAT PROVE GAETHJE VS FOSTER IS A MUST SEE!

gaethje vs foster old fights headerAs if you needed more convincing.

If you haven’t heard of Justin Gaethje and Brian Foster and are still on the fence whether or not you want to spend your Saturday night watching the two duke it out at WSOF 29, then I’m here to offer you a reminder. Check out the two fight videos below and let the results speak for themselves. Brian Foster vs Luis Palomino https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwf4_mhe22c Justin Gaethje vs Luis Palomino I https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AnbpTtJjZ-Y Will you be tuning into WSOF 29 this weekend? Follow Generation Iron MMA on Facebook and Twitter. Also, be sure to share, like, and comment to show your support. Jonathan Salmon is a writer, martial arts instructor, and geek culture enthusiast. Check out his Twitter to keep up with his antics.

MARC LOBLINER STRIKES BACK! A REACTION TO THE “HATERS”

Generation Iron Marc Lobliner Strikes Back

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Marc Lobliner returns fire.

Ever since the release of MUSCLE RANTS – our host Marc Lobliner has been getting some harsh criticism in the comments across the board. Well it turns out that Marc has been listening (and even responding back in the YouTube comments sporadically). But mostly he’s held his tongue… until now. A man can only stay quiet for so long under such strong scrutiny. And today Marc Lobliner is finally fighting back. In what is essentially a Muscle Rant in response to Muscle Rants (the show), you can now watch Marc Lobliner try to set things straight one and for all.

But if we had to guess… we’ll probably be seeing more comments very, very soon. Check out Marc Lobliner striking back in the latest video above.
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You can also check out what all the fuss is about by watching Muscle Rants – airing every Monday right here on the Generation Iron Fitness Network. Make sure to subscribe to our official YouTube channel to get daily updates on our latest and greatest shows. Stay pumped.

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