Since we have a long-awaited, and pretty interesting fight coming, I thought I'd dig into both fighters, and see how they stack up. A layman like myself, mostly knows fighters solely by reputation, and not as much by their accomplishments over their careers. When it comes to Conor McGregor (21-4 MMA, 9-2 UFC) and Donald Cerrone (36-13 MMA, 23-10 UFC), they both have lengthy lists of accomplishments, and in my mind, will make for a pretty watchable fight. Let's dive in.

Conor McGregor:

He returns to the welterweight division for the first time since 2016, where he went 1 for 1 during his first stint in the weight class.

He was the first two simultaneous two-division champions in UFC History.

He's one of seven fighters to win titles in two different weight classes in UFC history.

One of nine fighters to earn victories in three weight classes in the UFC.

Earned 18 of 21 career victories by knockout, which includes 7 of his 9 wins in the UFC.

One of five fighters to earn three knockdowns during a single fight in two different weight classes.

His 13 second knockout against Jose Aldo is marked as the fastest title-fight stoppage in UFC history.

He's the Only Fighter to receive fight night bonuses in eight consecutive bouts in UFC history. No other fighter has been awarded such a bonus in more than 6 consecutive fights.

Donald Cerrone:

Cerrone has the most appearances in UFC history with 34 bouts.

He makes his 44th UFC/WEC appearance which is the most in combined history.

He returned to the welterweight division for the first time since 2018, where he went 6 for 4 in that weight class.

His 23 appearances since 2014 are the most in UFC company history.

His 23 victories are the most in UFC are the most in company history.

Cerrone's 29 victories in UFC/WEC/PRIDE/Strikeforce are the most wins in combined company history.

His 16 stoppage victories are the most in UFC company history.

He has 7 knockout victories from kicks, which is the most in UFC history. No other fighter has more than 4.

His 20 knockdowns in UFC are the most in company history.

He has the most fight night bonuses in the UFC, which adds up at 18.

I thought these facts might give more perspective on the two fighters. They both have a lot under their belt. Although it's still a mixed bag as to which one will come out on top. They're both high level strikers, with a combined 28 knockouts. Cerrone is considered one of the most well-rounded fighters in MMA, but McGregor has ended more fights with his hands. In fact, he has 18 KO or TKO wins on his record, while Cerrone has 10. Grappling and submission weigh in Cerone's favor, but McGregor is solid enough defensively to stay on his feet, which could give him more time to end the bout with his fists. What does everyone else think? Am I missing anything here?

Why has it been such a long wait since the Dec 28 semifinals in Atlanta and Glendale Arizona? The story goes that when the College Football Playoff was created in 2013, the original idea was to play the semifinals on New Year's Eve. With that plan in mind, Monday, January 6th wasn't an option because it wouldn't give the teams a full week in between games. So it was pushed till the following Monday.

However, in 2015, the semi finals had some pretty bad TV ratings. So the New Years Eve tradition was abandoned. The CFP management committee changed the dates of four sets of semifinals that were scheduled for New Year's Eve, to the Saturday after. Which is why they were shifted to December 28th, which extended the layoff before the title game. The reason why this year's game wasn't on the 6th is because the CFP management committee had already booked the hotels and venues for the 13th of January.

So if you're wondering what's been going on, and why, there you have it.

Every major sport or event has its history. College bowl games are no different. It's a tradition that has gone on for more than a century. While we know the pomp and popularity today, some of you may not know some of this fan trivia. Let's Jump in, shall we?

7 facts about college bowl games in no particular order:

1. The Sugar Bowl has been played in New Orleans, Louisiana annually since 1935. 2006 was the only exception due to the city still recovering from Hurricane Katrina, so the game was played at Atlanta's Georgia Dome instead.

2. The Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in Memphis, Tennessee was dedicated to veterans who fought in WWI, WWII, and the Korean War.

3. The Cotton Bowl, in 1956, was graced with a performance by none other than Elvis Presley. The crowd was a record making 25,000 people. One side fact is that the Cotton Bowl has been shown in music videos from Journey, Poison, and Aerosmith. I knew there was something very special about this stadium. :)

4. The very first bowl game to be played was the Rose Bowl in 1902. It was Michigan vs Stanford. The funny part about this story is that it was originally created to draw attention to the Pasadena Tournament of Roses. The Other bowl games didn't come around until the 1930's. This was back when the Orange Bowl was called Festival of Palms Bowl.

5. Six major bowl games are played, which are known as the New Year's Six, which determine the final college football national championship game. They are the Fiesta Bowl, Sugar Bowl, rose Bowl, Orange Bowl, Cotton Bowl, and Peach Bowl.

6. Up until the 1950's, the bowl games were all played on New Year's day. Now a days, they are spread out across several days.

7. The term "bowl" came from the Rose Bowl Stadium, which was shaped like a bowl. It is considered to be the prototype for many football stadiums in the U.S. Wow who would have thunk it?

So there you have it, 7 facts about the college bowl games. Now you can impress your friends during commercial breaks. What did you find the most interesting of these? Does anyone else have a fact to contribute to this list?

joetemple Wrote:
Just kind of hurts the NCAA, but I have no sympathy for them and there is definitely no love lost between the unpaid college basketball stars and the NCAA.

Times, they may be a-changing for College Basketball. NBA prospects fresh out of high school, as well as those who are already in college are considering alternative routes to the NBA. To top it off, the NBA's one-and-done rule is expected to get phased out in 2022. Which this means that high school players will no longer have to spend at least one year in college before leaving and entering the draft. Not to mention, the NBA's G League(NBA's development league) offers elite high school players an alternative route that pays.

A quote from an article I found on the subject:

"Elite high school prospects for years have elected to sign with college programs, fulfilling their NBA Draft requirements by being one season removed from high school in order to become draft eligible. This new route, however, would allow those prospects to cash in -- most importantly, legally -- while providing a path to becoming a pro in the NBA's developmental system."

Also take into consideration some high school players are skipping it altogether and choosing to play pro ball in other countries.

To put it into perspective, when the NCAA tournament starts in March, three of the top American Draft prospects won't be in it. James Wiseman left Memphis after receiving a 12 game suspension due to a controversy with Penny Hardaway, and will hire agent and prepare for the 2020 NBA Draft instead. R.J. Hampton, and LaMelo Ball chose to play in Australia's National Basketball league.

If the One-and-Done rule is phased out, this sort of thing could really pick up speed, and possibly harm College Basketball. I think giving high school prospects alternative paths to the NBA is a good thing. The only thing College Basketball can give these players that the others can't is an education and an extensive alumni network. Not to mention College ball gives many players the exposure they need.

Yet, we are now in the day of the "self starter". Many people successfully promote themselves using social media these days. An athlete's brand is built on social media more often than not these days as well.

Where does everyone else fall on this subject? What other benefits does College Basketball provide to young players?

Dallasite Wrote:

So that would make my prediction -- Yankees vs Dodgers in the World Series. From there I have no idea. But that would be an excellent World Series. Two of the most historic and iconic teams in the league, who have played each other 11 times in the World Series. But the last time was in 1981. So about 38 years in the making of a rematch.

The Yankees are 8-3 vs the Dodgers all time in the World Series, from 1941-1981. Hope we get to see that rematch.

I would most definitely second the Houston Astros pick. Then again, being a history nut, I would love to see the Yankees and the Dodgers in the WS. You hit the nail on the head. I can't think of a more iconic face off.