Everywhere you look, there he is.
If the UFC had its own television network, The Conor McGregor Show would be running on replay all day every day. Would it be its most-watched show? We’ll find out if the rubber meets the road this Saturday night at UFC 189 in Las Vegas.
Early indications are good. Conor McGregor’s showcase fight versus Dennis Siver on Fox Sports 1 did gangbuster ratings for the fledgling sports network. On the latest installment of UFC Tonight, UFC President Dana White predicted UFC 189 was trending toward being the biggest event in UFC history.
With all the time and money the UFC has sunk into its ambitious new company man, Jonathan Snowden and Brian Oswald, Bleacher Report’s version of Simon and Garfunkel, are here to answer the one question on everyone’s mind—does the UFC have too many eggs in one basket?
Oswald: McGregor is a force of nature. It didn’t even matter that the champion, Jose Aldo, was forced to pull out of the fight due to a broken rib. The UFC simply inserted perennial contender Chad Mendes and the The Conor McGregor Show appears to be rolling on better than ever.
For a fight promotion that’s seemingly fallen on hard times over the last few years—be it sagging PPV numbers or the injury bug that it can’t seem to catch a break from—the breath of fresh air that is Conor McGregor must feel like sunshine on its shoulders.
But lest we forget, McGregor is only five fights into his UFC career. And in a division chock-full of strapping wrestlers, the flashy stand-up fighter has faced a grand total of zero. Mendes will be the first—and he’s possibly the worst stylistic matchup in the featherweight division’s stacked deck of cards.
If Mendes goes out there and stomps through McGregor like he’s a field of daisies, well that is less than ideal for his long-term marketability.
Snowden: The UFC took a big risk here. The show has been at the forefront of its promotional efforts since the amazing World Tour all the way back in March. Every other event, even the big UFC heavyweight title fight between Cain Velasquez and Fabricio Werdum, was given short shrift.
With that in mind, is it any wonder White was so furious in the wake of Aldo’s injury?
When the UFC brass looks at McGregor, it sees a combination of Chuck Liddell and Chael Sonnen, a charismatic knockout artist with a gift for sales. Every promoter dreams of an athlete like that. So do fans. That’s why McGregor has created such a buzz, not only in his native Ireland but around the world. We desperately want him to be everything he appears to be.
But what if he’s not?
UFC matchmakers, traditionally, employ a wrestling test. Before the promotion really gets behind a fighter, officials put him in the cage with a competent American grappler. If he passes the test, it’s full speed ahead. If not, it’s back to the drawing board.
McGregor has advanced to the top of the sport without passing that all-important test. What if Chad Mendes comes into the MGM Grand on no real notice and turns the UFC’s pleasant daydream into a nightmare?
The UFC has invested millions of dollars and months of precious promotional muscle in a fighter who might not have the ability to thrive at the highest level. That has to be a scary feeling.
Oswald: Scary indeed. It would be unfair to fault White for any unsavory emotions he’s holding onto in the wake of Aldo p–sing out. McGregor’s words, not mine. If only the UFC could have found a named doctor to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt Aldo’s ribs were merely bruised and not broken. But I digress.
It must be the luck of the Irish that McGregor successfully sidestepped wrestlers like Darren Elkins, Clay Guida, Nik Lentz, Dennis Bermudez, Ricardo Lamas and Frankie Edgar en route to a title shot. No offense to the guys he did beat, like Dennis Siver and Dustin Poirier, but they couldn’t take down a ceiling fan if they hung from it.
And none of those guys can hold a candle to Mendes. I was joking with our brother in arms Chad Dundas that if I were the UFC I’d think about pumping sleeping gas into Mendes’ corner between Rounds 1 and 2 for good measure. Maybe place a booby trap under his corner stool.
But seriously. When you find a guy who has the sizzle of Chael Sonnen (and then some), and possibly the steak of Chuck Liddell (and then some), how can you not try to capture that kind of lightening in a bottle? Not only that, but he packs a whole country in his suitcase every time he fights outside of his homeland of Ireland. It all comes down to whether McGregor has as much streak as he does sizzle. FYI: Mendes is a big meat eater.
One more thing before I kick it back your way: What’s up with the UFC allowing former pop star Sinead O’Connor to serenade McGregor as he makes his way out to the Octagon? I’m sure it will be a lovely moment. But has the UFC ever allowed such razzle-dazzle for any fighter in the history of the sport?
Snowden: “Who’s in the house? The Iceman’s in the house.”
Before there was Conor McGregor, there was Chuck Liddell, Zuffa’s original golden boy. Dana White was a manager of some renown before becoming UFC president; Liddell was his favorite client and the relationship never faltered. Pushing the “Iceman” to the top was a clear goal for the new UFC boss—but it didn’t always go smoothly.
First, White commissioned custom intro music for the rising star, concocting a bizarre entrance that included TapOut’s Mask and the the sounds of faded rap star Vanilla Ice. The already silly spectacle looked even sillier when the promotion’s chosen fall guy, Randy Couture, went out and beat Liddell on the very night the expensive song debuted.
Months later the UFC put company pride, and $250,000 of White’s money, on the line by sending Liddell to compete in rival Pride FC’s Middleweight Grand Prix. The plan was for Liddell to settle all questions about which company had the better fighters by mopping the deck with Pride kingpin Wanderlei Silva.
Instead, the UFC’s representative was eliminated in the semifinals by eventual runner-up Quinton Jackson and White very publicly threw him under the bus in the commentary booth, repeating “Chuck’s not following the game plan” over and over again like a mantra.
You have to give the UFC and White credit, though—they didn’t give up. Eventually Liddell was able to get the better of a 41-year-old Couture and secure a UFC title. In time, he became the legend White yearned for him to be. And that’s good news for McGregor. If he falters here against Mendes, he will surely get another chance or three to make it right. He’s the UFC’s guy, whether he deserves to be or not.
Oswald: The White-Liddell relationship raises an interesting thought. Is it possible that White never entirely gave up on the idea of “managing” fighters?
He’s the president of a private corporation. He’s also a carnival barker and a promoter in the Don King mold. Maybe after all of this time he still fancies himself as a manager of sorts—but for his fighters, the handful of top stars like McGregor and Ronda Rousey the UFC has gotten behind.
People think of McGregor as this brash and braggadocios rebel rouser, but really he’s the model employee for what the UFC wants. Keep in mind the UFC is not General Electric or Google; it is in the face-punching business.
So to answer the question we posed earlier: Does the UFC have too many eggs in the Conor McGregor Basket? I’d say absolutely not. Did you happen to catch the weigh-ins yesterday?
Even if he gets put on his back and pounded by Mendes, UFC 189 is still reeling in a monumental live gate and pay-per-view buy rate off of McGregor. And it’ll still be able to turn around and promote him until he’s lost enough fights that people don’t care anymore. Even after Brock Lesnar got destroyed by Cain Velasquez, people still tuned in to see him get pummeled by Alistair Overeem. They’ll be able to milk McGregor until there’s nothing left but his Irish accent.
But if he does beat Mendes? Well, then the UFC certainly has something on its hands the likes of which its brass, or its fans, have never seen.
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