LAS VEGAS — Conor McGregor is carrying what is set to be one of the biggest events in UFC history with regards to gate and pay-per-view buys. With that said, Daniel Cormier thinks it’s time to state what he feels is the obvious.
“Ronda Rousey is the biggest star in the UFC, across all platforms,” the UFC light heavyweight champion said at a media day Thursday here at MGM Grand. “She’s a movie star. Conor McGregor is the biggest MMA fighter in the world. I will say that without question, because of what he’s done, not only with his mouth but also with his skill inside the Octagon.”
After what went down Friday here, it’s hard to dispute that fact. Thousands upon thousands of Irish fans packed into MGM Grand Garden Arena for the UFC 189 weigh-ins ahead of McGregor’s interim featherweight title fight against Chad Mendes on Saturday night. More than 11,000 showed up to watch them — mainly McGregor — hit the scale, a UFC record.
UFC president Dana White has said that the gate is going to be $7.1 million, a UFC record, and pay-per-view buys are trending north of 1 million. If those numbers are accurate, McGregor is shaping up to be one of the biggest draws in UFC history, perhaps even in the same conversation as Brock Lesnar and Georges St-Pierre, who both did it over a long period of time.
Cormier said McGregor’s ability to say what he’s going to do and then go out and do it is what has been so magnetizing for fans.
“Calling your shot?” Cormier said. “When you can start doing stuff like that … Muhammad Ali called his shot. Even going all the way back to Babe Ruth calling his shot. When you start calling your shots and you start doing it, people buy into that and they really do attach to you. And that’s what you’re seeing with Conor McGregor. I think in terms of an MMA fighter, not everything else, just in MMA I think Conor McGregor is the biggest star we have in the UFC.”
Rousey is, of course, the biggest global brand in MMA. She’s coming off three major Hollywood movies and in the process of making another one in which she’ll co-star with Mark Wahlberg. In terms of recognition, Rousey is the most well-known athlete in the UFC. But she is unproven as a pay-per-view draw. UFC 184, which had Rousey vs. Cat Zingano as the headliner, did more than 500,000 buys, which is extremely impressive, especially given the lack of support on the card. McGregor, with a little more help, should outdistance that by a great deal.
What Cormier is most impressed with is how quickly “The Notorious” has done it. McGregor made his UFC debut in 2013.
“Two years,” Cormier said. “This guy has done this in two years.”
Cormier thinks McGregor is a fantastic fighter, but he is not sure McGregor’s trash talk has gotten into Mendes’ head. And it sounds like “DC” is leaning toward his fellow wrestler in the bout, too.
“Some guys you just don’t want to piss off,” Cormier said. “I don’t know. I don’t think you want to piss off Chad Mendes. Chad is tiny, but I don’t want to piss off Chad Mendes.”
As for the nearly 5,000 Irish fans that will be in attendance on Saturday night, Cormier is not sure it will matter.
“It’s an advantage because Conor seems to be a guy that plays off the crowd,” he said. “He’s a guy that seems to pay attention to that. It’s gonna be on Chad to not pay attention to it. It’s gonna be on Chad to block it out. Because at the end of the day, when they close that cage, it’s only Conor McGregor and Chad Mendes. It doesn’t matter if there’s 25,000 Irish people there and one American. It’s Conor and Chad.”