Conor McGregor showed up for UFC 264 with a pretty massive chip on his shoulder. Maybe it was part of an attempt to throw his opponent Dustin Poirier off his game. Maybe it was an effort to pump up pay-per-view sales. It certainly didn’t get under Poirier’s skin enough to affect the fight, and who knows how it affected PPV sales.
One thing it did for sure though was leave a lot of people pretty disgusted with McGregor and his antics. A large part of Conor’s ‘strategy’ involved sleazy comments about Dustin’s wife Jolie Poirier. That continued even past the fight, with a defeated McGregor — lying on the canvas with his leg broken — screaming at Poirier that his wife was a ‘hoe’ and that he’d kill him.
“This is not over!”
After an unfortunate ending to his #UFC264 fight against Dustin Poirier, @TheNotoriousMMA is not ready to close the book on their rivalry. pic.twitter.com/GBWUww53R2
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) July 11, 2021
Not a good look, as far as most people were concerned. But for Ronda Rousey, who knows more than a little bit about playing the villain, it was amazing.
The former UFC women’s bantamweight champion took to Twitter on Sunday evening to support McGregor after the loss and compliment him on his post-fight interview.
I’m amazed that as soon as you hit the ground you were already promoting the next fight @TheNotoriousMMA – I def wouldn’t have had the mind to do that. The other fighters, @ufc and media are lucky to have you.
— Ronda Rousey (@RondaRousey) July 11, 2021
“I’m amazed that as soon as you hit the ground you were already promoting the next fight,” Rousey wrote. “I def wouldn’t have had the mind to do that. The other fighters, UFC and media are lucky to have you.”
It’s an interesting take from a woman who switched from UFC champion to WWE superstar. In the world of pro wrestling, it’s understood that you either go face or heel, and no one judges a heel for being too much of an asshole because hey, that’s their job. But in combat sports, playing the heel is going to get you a lot of legit hate.
No matter how many times we’re told Colby Covington’s schtick is an act, we all still hate his guts. And few people are going to forgive Conor for going after the family members of fighters, even if he’s just doing it to pump up sales which makes more money for everyone.
What do you think, Maniacs? Was this just a next level heel job from McGregor, who was thinking ahead to fight #4 with his foot hanging broken off his leg? Or is Conor just a dirtbag, as Dustin Poirier declared as McGregor screamed at him and his wife in defeat?