I think he's obviously lost interest. Having said that, he'll be back for a big fight or two obviously.
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He obviously won't retire and will fight again. It's some form of posturing probably. Apparently the UFC won't give him the main event cos it's not a title fight (which is the most ridiculous thing I've heard, he's their biggest fighter ever probably and should main event over any of the champions really.
The UFC helped create a monster with him. He promotes himself very well, although I think his gimmick is pretty boring now, and they encouraged it as it was beneficial for them to. It's got to the point where he is pretty much as big as the company though. They never capitalised on anything else around him, never talked up the opponents he fought or others on the card....take 205 for example, Woodley vs. Thompson got fight of the night on a PPV with over a million buys and Dana spent it seems a lifetime since shitting on Woodley, if he talked him up he could of had a potential big name there. Other things haven't helped them. Diaz isn't interested in fighting so they couldn't take advantage of him and Khabib comes across as a dick and impossible to work with to so that doesn't help. They need him to fight someone like Holloway and lose really, Holloway has potential to be a huge star and does come across easier to work with than the other names. It really is a tricky situation for them.
The UFC helped create a monster with him. He promotes himself very well, although I think his gimmick is pretty boring now, and they encouraged it as it was beneficial for them to. It's got to the point where he is pretty much as big as the company though. They never capitalised on anything else around him, never talked up the opponents he fought or others on the card....take 205 for example, Woodley vs. Thompson got fight of the night on a PPV with over a million buys and Dana spent it seems a lifetime since shitting on Woodley, if he talked him up he could of had a potential big name there. Other things haven't helped them. Diaz isn't interested in fighting so they couldn't take advantage of him and Khabib comes across as a dick and impossible to work with to so that doesn't help. They need him to fight someone like Holloway and lose really, Holloway has potential to be a huge star and does come across easier to work with than the other names. It really is a tricky situation for them.
Wouldn't mind in the slightest if McGregor-era UFC came to an end but I very much doubt this is it.
Ya no, he’s not 
.
.Throwing a hissy fit for not getting any UFC shares?
No one knows I guess. A lot of journalists (and Cerrone) have said they won't give him a main event slot cos he's not a champion and he isn't happy about it and won't fight as a Co-main. He is right there though, he's bigger than all their champions and should always main event with a title or not.
Disagree. Why should be main event as a default? He got smashed in his last fight and has been totally inactive. I won't miss him if he goes as let's be honest he's never really around anyway!
I mean surely it's just common sense that he should?
He's the biggest name ever in the sport. The top 4 selling UFC PPVs are all his cards as is Number 6. To deny him a main event slot just because you insist on title fights being there every time is crazy.
He should be main event by default because he's the biggest name that is on the card and generates the most money by absolutely miles. You could arguably put a card on with most the champions fighting then the next card have McGregor fighting Diaz or something and that would still sell more. It would also look absolutely ridiculous to have a card with McGregor on and someone like Nunes, Cejudo or Rose headlining it.
I get people don't like the guy, I've gone off him completely as a person (still like his fights) but lets be honest...any card he fights on he should headline from a business point of view.
You've basically succumbed to the money over everything model UFC have pushed to make themselves, and the organisation, a farce.
Pretty sure I called Conor coming in, becoming bigger than the organisation, and turning it into a joke for how they kow-tow to him.
Long since past caring as they're unsalvageable whilst Dana is the shot caller.
That's not what they're doing here though. They don't want him to main event a card cos he's not champion. All logic dictates he should main event any card he's on as he's their biggest name. Nothing to do with my succumbing to the UFC model or whatever it's just common sense.
It's not right from the angle of legitimising the sport or giving it more credence.
I'm sure I went back on forth on this years ago with maybe you and raoul, it's just sad that we're so far along the path of disrepair that this is all normalised now where what I was saying then was seen as incredulous.
From a business perspective, of course it all makes sense and Dana has long since discarded the veil of proper conduct in the intervening years, so I guess it is simply what it is now and those conversations of the past when the rankings and placings were still somewhat of merit don't matter anymore.
Does any of this bother you, or are you indifferent to how the sport is treated? (Not a dig, just in case you may take it as such)
It would bother me more if they shoe horned him in to a title shot to get him as the main event.
The UFC is a mess at the moment because they keep on insisting on title fights being on every card. Not every card needs one and a card with McGregor involved definitely doesn't. Sometimes a fight can be just a fight without a title. I honestly don't get why they have to have a title fight every time which means a name as big as McGregor is a co-main event. It's simple really, just put a card on like McGregor vs. Cowboy which was touted, no title fights on there and what harm does that do? It doesn't make the sport any less legitimate, if anything it gives potential for a really entertaining fight which brings more interest to the sport, put a few younger fighters as co main event etc and get eyes on them as well.
If anything they make the sport less legitimate by throwing out title shots/interim titles every event just for the sake of having a title fight on there, makes all the belts worthless. Look at Colby and Tony Ferguson, got interin titles stripped from them, just looks stupid now.
if he goes to wrestlemania he could be the triple champ champ champ.
I think that is exactly what the UFC are now trying to avoid. Moving away from Conor being the headline because its usually for the wrong reasons. Its the first time they've showed some balls about this.
https://www.bloodyelbow.com/2019/3/...-ufc-ppv-espn-plus-deal-streaming-revenue-mma
A very interesting point of view as to why the UFC doesn't need Conor as much as before.
A very interesting point of view as to why the UFC doesn't need Conor as much as before.
Agree with most of that, although to the bolded, I'd say it's because Dana makes it up as he goes along, has clear biases and prejudices against certain fighters and makes a lot of the process both inorganic and pointless. It's joked about (like how Woodley will not get another title shot etc.) but it's not funny at all and is disgraceful way to run a proper sport and not to mention mess with the fighters mentally and financially.
Or, this is just a step in negotiations. Pardon my cynicism, but both have form and brinkmanship is exponential.
Dana does definitely make stuff up agreed (he basically admitted it after last weekends card when discussing flyweights) but apparently the title fight on every card is from above him since this takeover has happened.
Rankings don't mean much, whoever shouts loudest gets the title fights now.
They paid a massive amount for a business, they overpaid hugely in hindsight, and have to get the money back somehow I guess this is their solution for now.
at HW?? Bones going for the Champ Champ status.
I wonder what will DC do... retire after fighting Lesnar (if they fight) or fight Jones a 3rd time.
Poor Stipe, but it's the right move. If Jones eventually moves to HW, it's to fight for the title right away.
Jones vs Santos is way more exciting.
Sadly I think Jones wouldn't know how to deal with Ngannou. This may just be a one off fight for Jones....hopefully.
Uff that's a fight that haven't crossed my mind, but there is definitely a chance Ngannou is the HW champion come december (well, DC needs to get moving the division again...).
yeah i dont think Jones moves up if that's the case.
Has there ever been a mma superstar who didn't have a big fall from grace ? Other than GSP.
Anderson - Knocked out, broken leg, failed drug test
Brock - Brutally finished by Velasquez and Overeem
Ronda - You know what happened plus the ''hearing me speak is a privilege'' stuff
and now Conor seems to be on the downside of his career, whether by his stock as a fighter getting smaller or something else.
Anderson - Knocked out, broken leg, failed drug test
Brock - Brutally finished by Velasquez and Overeem
Ronda - You know what happened plus the ''hearing me speak is a privilege'' stuff
and now Conor seems to be on the downside of his career, whether by his stock as a fighter getting smaller or something else.
Depends how you define fall from grace. Isn't Brock on some crazy money to fight about 5 times a year in WWF and Ronda has a good deal there apparently. I don't really see that as fall from grace, if anything Brock in particular fell upwards!
Jones is all talk about HW. There’s a reason he avoids it.
The Santos matchup is a disgrace.
The Santos matchup is a disgrace.
My main issue with that post you quoted would be describing Brock Lesnar as an “MMA Superstar”. He was shit.
Yeah I'd say he's more of a cultural superstar than just MMA. Whilst he was a champion I don't think he's anywhere near the level of GSP and Anderson Silva he's probably just more famous cos of what he did outside the octagon.
Unfortunately most high level fighters will lose eventually especially when they get older, I don't think it's a fall from grace it's just getting older same thing happens in boxing. GSP is the exception in MMA I guess and managed to go out on a win.
Jones v Santos is going to be fantastic. He's the first real threat to being KO'ed in any fight Jones has had so far IMO.
I think Jones will take the win though, he's just far too smart and well rounded to get caught. He will grapple his way to victory if needs be.
I can see Santos going out on his sword though, this won't be a boring fight for sure.
I think Jones will take the win though, he's just far too smart and well rounded to get caught. He will grapple his way to victory if needs be.
I can see Santos going out on his sword though, this won't be a boring fight for sure.
Askren v Masvidal
Woodley v Lawlor
good fights but surely the rematch between Askren and Lawlor was the fight to make. So much doubt from that 1st fight that a rematch should have been obvious. Masvidal and Edwards was also a fight that seemed obvious. 2 fights that had promotion already set up from prior events.
Woodley v Lawlor
good fights but surely the rematch between Askren and Lawlor was the fight to make. So much doubt from that 1st fight that a rematch should have been obvious. Masvidal and Edwards was also a fight that seemed obvious. 2 fights that had promotion already set up from prior events.
The only doubt is how much longer it would have taken to choke out Lawler for the second time. With over a minute left when Herbie Dean called it off IIRC it is fanciful to think Robbie would have survived to see out the round IMO.
Should Lawler beat Woodley and Askren does the job Vs Masvidal then the two of them can fight in an eliminator to meet Usman.
Ronda had a identity crisis at least. The only reason she's in WWE is because once she realized she wasn't invincible like she thought she wasn't strong enough mentally to keep doing it. I think she liked fame and winning but not mma in itself.
he may have held on we don't know, that's why we do rematches when fights have questions unanswered like that. What I do know is that the fight could easily have been stopped when Lawlor was raining unanswered punches on Askrens head earlier in the round.
I don't see the winners of these fights fighting an eliminator to face Usman. If Askren beats Masvidal then I'd say he gets his shot. Would he deserve, hell no, but that's the way UFC goes.
Don't think too many are asking for an Askren vs. Lawler 2 and Askren can pretty much sell a fight against anyone so UFC are covered there but the weird nature of the stoppage means it's THE IDEAL match to run back... especially when they run back conclusive finishes TJ vs. Cody or McGregor vs. Diaz.
Terrible match making in my opinion.
Beasts like Ponzinibio and Edwards still waiting outside the top 10 for a fight.
Beasts like Ponzinibio and Edwards still waiting outside the top 10 for a fight.
Post fight that was exactly what majority were calling for ie a rematch. Askren has been adamant that he didn't want a rematch right from the start, so the initial interest in that has died down since it was clear he didn't want it.I think UFC should have taken a tougher stance on that and made them fight. White said post fight they should go again. When a fight that was that exciting gets ruined by a poor ref call, I think they owe to the fighter who lost to get a rematch. I don't think Masvidal is a top fighter, so maybe now they want to cash in on his popularity. He's coming of a great win but I think Ashren beats him. I actually think Askren beats Lawlor in a rematch which is why I find so strange he was so against it.
Askren just wants a route to the title. Beating Lawler in a rematch doesn't really advance his position, in his words.
It wouldn't make any sense for Askren. It just delays a title shot.