(Things turn a real left turn after Robbie delivered his “golf ball through a garden hose” diss.)
I have no idea what the Late O’Clock News is, but I think it’s safe to say that host Paul Lemieux has already surpassed every credentialed member of the MMA media in terms of pure charisma and interviewing prowess with this video alone. Of course, the bar has been set pretty low by guys like this, but I’ll take Lemieux’s Onion-esque style of questioning over “How did your training camp go?” 10 times out of 10.
Ahead of their welterweight title fight rematch at UFC 189, Rory MacDonald and Robbie Lawler stopped by the Late O’Clock News to talk some (pre-written) trash about one another while Lemieux cheered them on from the sidelines. It was essentially every Ariel Helwani interview ever, but with corny jokes about dandelions and heart-eating being used to fuel the fire instead of blatant/cringeworthy call-outs.
(Things turn a real left turn after Robbie delivered his “golf ball through a garden hose” diss.)
I have no idea what the Late O’Clock News is, but I think it’s safe to say that host Paul Lemieux has already surpassed every credentialed member of the MMA media in terms of pure charisma and interviewing prowess with this video alone. Of course, the bar has been set pretty low by guys like this, but I’ll take Lemieux’s Onion-esque style of questioning over “How did your training camp go?” 10 times out of 10.
Ahead of their welterweight title fight rematch at UFC 189, Rory MacDonald and Robbie Lawler stopped by the Late O’Clock News to talk some (pre-written) trash about one another while Lemieux cheered them on from the sidelines. It was essentially every Ariel Helwani interview ever, but with corny jokes about dandelions and heart-eating being used to fuel the fire instead of blatant/cringeworthy call-outs.
Video after the jump.
Was it just me, or did Rory deliver that “Did you hear? There’s gonna be a murder” line a bit too perfectly? Like someone whose delivered it a thousand times before while dancing naked in front of the mirror to “Goodbye Horses” with his weiner tucked in.
UFC 189 is one of the most highly anticipated events the UFC will put on this year thanks to the rise of Conor McGregor.
McGregor’s ascent in the featherweight division has captured fans’ attention, and the UFC recognized his star power and capitalized…
UFC 189 is one of the most highly anticipated events the UFC will put on this year thanks to the rise of ConorMcGregor.
McGregor‘s ascent in the featherweight division has captured fans’ attention, and the UFC recognized his star power and capitalized on it. The UFC recently embarked on a worldwide press tour that ended in Dublin, Ireland, where McGregorsnatched Jose Aldo’s championship belt.
Lost in all the excitement and coverage was the welterweight championship co-main event between Robbie Lawler and Rory MacDonald.
It isn’t strange that the boisterous McGregor is stealing the limelight for UFC 189, but it is strange that Lawler vs. MacDonald is being all but forgotten about.
Lawler has been one of the best stories in MMA since his return to the UFC and the welterweight division. The longtime vet finally achieved his potential. His 2014 was capped off by defeating Johny Hendricks in a rematch and claiming the championship. He won Fighter of the Year honors across major media outlets and the Fighters Only MMA Awards.
Lawler and MacDonald first met at UFC 167 in a title eliminator. Lawler got the win by split decision and went on to face Hendricks for the title, a fight he would narrowly lose by unanimous decision.
The rematch pits them against each other again in a high-level bout. Lawler is a fighter who will ensure an exciting fight. MacDonald’s calculated approach provides a good foil for Lawler. The first fight delivered, and the second fight will be scheduled for an additional two rounds. Fans and media should be paying more attention to this contest.
It is rare that the UFC does not arrange title fights in order of weight class, but McGregor and Aldo’s fight is the fight most people are looking forward to, even more than the upcoming Jon Jones-Anthony Johnson title tilt. It deserves top billing. But Lawler-MacDonald deserves some attention as well.
This is MacDonald’s first title fight, and it is long overdue.
MacDonald has never gone past the third round in the UFC, but this will be his second scheduled five-round affair. Lawler has proved he can keep up pressure in the championship rounds to win fights. It makes the matchup all the more enticing after the way their previous encounter played out.
This is a fight that could headline a card of its own and handle the press that comes along with it. But that’s not the case.
Perhaps the lack of media attention will give us a better fight. Lawler and MacDonald are both low-key individuals, and they have more time to devote to training instead of appeasing the media. Regardless, they deserve more love than they’ve been getting recently.
When the co-main event of UFC 189 rolls around, do not be surprised if it is the Fight of the Night. It could easily supersede the fight getting all of the attention. Lawler and MacDonald are poised to put on a stellar showcase for the welterweight gold.
The card for UFC 189 is already stacked with star power, but the event added a little more firepower with the recent addition of what is guaranteed to be a shootout in the welterweight ranks.
As announced on Wednesday’s edition of UFC Tonight, the prom…
The card for UFC 189 is already stacked with star power, but the event added a little more firepower with the recent addition of what is guaranteed to be a shootout in the welterweight ranks.
As announced on Wednesday’s edition of UFC Tonight, the promotion’s July 11 event has added a bout between 170-pound knockout artists Brandon Thatch and John Howard. The card is already figured to be one of the biggest of the year, with two title fights atop the billing as Jose Aldo will defend his featherweight strap against ConorMcGregor, and welterweight champion Robbie Lawler is set to put his title against Rory MacDonald.
UFC 189 will take place at the MGM in Las Vegas and will be a part of the organization’s annual “International Fight Week” celebration.
The bout between Thatch and Howard is a crucial juncture in the careers of both fighters. “Rukus” will look to bounce back from his first loss in six years, when he was submitted by former lightweight champion Benson Henderson at Fight Night 60 back in February. Prior to his setback against “Smooth,” the Colorado native had won 10 consecutive bouts, with two of those victories coming under the UFC banner.
Due in large part to his striking skills, Thatch has generated a solid amount of buzz for his potential to be a major player in the 170-pound ranks, and he’ll need a victory over Howard to put those expectations back on track.
Things look a bit different on Howard’s side of the table going into UFC 189. Where “Doomsday” had previously built enough momentum to earn himself another tour on the UFC roster, the Massachusetts native has hit rough waters as of late. The Boston-based fighter has dropped each of his past three outings inside the Octagon, with his most recent showing ending via stoppage at the hands of Lorenz Larkin at Fight Night 57.
A loss against Thatch could very well cost Howard his spot on the UFC’s welterweight roster, but a victory over the up-and-coming striker would be the ideal scenario to keep his time inside the Octagon rolling.
Duane Finley is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes are obtained firsthand, unless noted otherwise.
The last article on MMA that I published in 2014 was Shill ‘Em All, Part 5: Goodnight and Good Luck. It was a series about the constraints of the MMA media due to both carrots and sticks offered by promoters that won BloodyElbow.com’s “Best MMA Writing Award” in 2013. Last Friday, at the UFC’s media tour stop in Toronto, I found myself encountering the vitriolic stick used by the UFC that often keeps important questions from being asked.
The last article on MMA that I published in 2014 was Shill ‘Em All, Part 5: Goodnight and Good Luck. It was a series about the constraints of the MMA media due to both carrots and sticks offered by promoters that won BloodyElbow.com’s “Best MMA Writing Award” in 2013. Last Friday, at the UFC’s media tour stop in Toronto, I found myself encountering the vitriolic stick used by the UFC that often keeps important questions from being asked.
Fighter pay became a feature of the UFC 189 media tour when Marc Raimondi of MMAFighting.com reported that Aldo said “I will always complain…I will always want to earn more. This is the right that I have, so I’m going to continue doing this,” at the March 24th presser in Los Angeles.
The media portion of the Toronto press tour was kicked off by a question about whether Conor McGregor was copying an iconic photograph of Muhammad Ali when he posed in front of a bank safe with bankrolls full of cash.
“It just happened to be coincidence that it looked like the Muhammad Ali photo,” responded McGregor, “but what was really happening was, I was collecting my win bonus in advance.”
I’ve never shied away from writing about the contract issues and financial issues that have lifelong consequences for fighters. For instance, in 2014, I wrote a feature for Bleacher Report that described the stark realities faced by retired MMA fighters evidenced by the case of TUF 1 and UFC veteran Chris Leben. I followed that up by probing Jon Fitch’s road from being a title contender to being cut by the UFC for not signing away his video game likeness rights to being cut a second time and ending up in WSoF.
Throughout the eight-stop press tour for UFC 189, Jose Aldo and Conor McGregor have been open targets for fans telling them how their respective opponents were going to destroy them. They are expected to suffer and bear the experience because it furthers the goals of the promoter—selling tickets, pay-per-views, TV licenses, merchandise and sponsorships—and because Aldo and McGregor themselves will receive a portion of the financial proceeds.
McGregor himself told MMAFighting.com’s Ariel Helwani that he would make “More than the [$7 million dollar] gate…I am on the pay-per-view cut. I will make three times more than Jose…and that’s still not fair.”
At the UFC 189 press conference, I asked Aldo about his pay complaints, whether his contract had changed due to the lawsuit and whether he would consider joining the lawsuit. A reliable source had told me that every time a main event fighter was rumored to be joining the lawsuit, their contract would get renegotiated.
This is where UFC president Dana White pretended to be translating and responded “He says you’re a dick” to me.
Aldo then responded tactfully through his (real) translator, saying “I’m happy, I’m not complaining, people are going to do whatever they want to do, so, it’s up to them. I’m happy with my contract.” It was the equivalent of saying “No comment.”
If I had foreseen Dana’s reaction, I would have held on to the microphone after asking my question in order to follow up. It was at this point when I stood up and said “My question was respectful, your answer was disrespectful. That came from [Aldo], not from you.”
The fallout from the press event was twofold: First, a UFC representative called me on Saturday to inform me that I was no longer welcome at any future media events. Second, Dana White sent out a series of tweets (check them out here and here) claiming that I was not a journalist and that I had snuck into the press conference. This is patently false—I have contributed to major outlets such as like ESPN and Sportsnet Magazine for years, was approved by the UFC’s PR representative, placed on the media list, and subsequent to the event, wrote an article on the presser. The UFC also has my signature on a release form that I signed to get into the event, after which, I was issued a wristband.
As for claiming I was representing BloodyElbow—I e-mailed the UFC rep for information about the press conference on Tuesday March the 24th. The UFC rep e-mailed me to confirm she’d placed me on the media list on Thursday at 7:41 PM. My editor for the publication I originally wanted to write for happened to take Friday off, so I had no lead time to discuss anything with them. I wanted to file a story on the UFC 189 presser that weekend, so I approached BloodyElbow on Friday morning and was commissioned for two articles, which were killed in the aftermath of the press conference.
If you read through the entire Shill ‘Em All series, you’ll see a recurring theme of the promoter controlling the narrative. Yes, the UFC 189 press tour was designed to market UFC 189, not to give any attention to issues outside the periphery of that goal. I maintain that my question about fighter pay was a logical continuation of the thread that Aldo and McGregor themselves started. The question over which UFC main event fighters are contemplating joining the lawsuit also needs to be asked.
It was five years ago that former MMAWeekly.com editor and writer Ivan Trembow announced that he would cease his coverage of MMA due to the brain damage incurred in the sport. Perhaps he could have done more good from the inside, but he made a clean break and has never resurfaced to my knowledge.
To those that continue to report on MMA, I hope you think back to the tough times in your life when, like Jason Thacker, you needed help or support. And I hope you become that beacon of light that provides comfort or warmth in someone else’s life.
Warning: Some of the language in this video is not safe for work.
Conor McGregor dishes it out better than most in MMA, but he’s also proving he can take it as well.
Since arriving in the UFC in early 2013, “Notorious” has become one of the most polari…
Warning: Some of the language in this video is not safe for work.
ConorMcGregor dishes it out better than most in MMA, but he’s also proving he can take it as well.
Since arriving in the UFC in early 2013, “Notorious” has become one of the most polarizing figures in combat sports. The Dublin native has managed this feat by providing a unique mixture of talent and self-promotion, and those efforts have taken him to the forefront of visibility on the UFC roster and positioned him to take a shot at the featherweight strap later this year.
The rising Irish star has been a force both inside and out of the cage, as he’s taken every opportunity to launch verbal barbs at his peers in the 145-pound ranks and steamrolled every opponent he’s faced inside the Octagon. While McGregor‘s skill set has certainly been impressive, it’s his quick wit and gift of gab that have brought fans to either love or hate him.
The recent world tour he shared opposite of featherweight title holder Jose Aldo cranked up the intensity in that particular department to new heights. Both champion and challenger trotted around the globe to promote their upcoming fight at UFC 189 on July 11, and from Rio deJaneiro to Dublin, McGregor wasted no opportunity to verbally and physically antagonize the dominant Brazilian champion.
While McGregor taunted Aldo throughout the multicity tour, he also proved he has a solid sense of humor as well. And never has that been more apparent than his recent stop at BTSP, where the No. 1 featherweight contender took the time to read some angry tweets sent in his direction.
The end results are phenomenal—and further proof that McGregor‘s knack for self-promotion is truly on a different level.
A mixed martial artist can only climb so high with the mainstream public when looking strictly at fighting ability. In order to move to the next level, one must possess something unique that people can latch on to in a positive or negative way.
W…
A mixed martial artist can only climb so high with the mainstream public when looking strictly at fighting ability. In order to move to the next level, one must possess something unique that people can latch on to in a positive or negative way.
Whether it was just a marketing strategy, or an expression of some kind of deeper animosity toward Jose Aldo, ConorMcGregor‘s histrionics at the UFC 189 World Tour press conference on Tuesday were brilliant. In case you didn’t see it or want to watch it again, here’s the video footage of what went down:
While that was the end result of the press conference, let’s go back a few minutes to describe what brought us to that particular moment.
First, it’s important to set the stage. The press conference took place in Dublin, Ireland, which is where McGregor is from and is a popular MMA area.
Aldo, who hasn’t lost since November 2005 and is the UFC featherweight champion, found this to be a good time to rile up the crowd and his opponent. He proclaimed himself the “King of Dublin,” per Damon Martin of Fox Sports.
As you would expect, especially with a rowdy hometown crowd to support him, McGregor took offense to the remarks and decided to fire back verbally before grabbing Aldo’s belt, with UFC tweeting out one of McGregor‘s key points:
The two had a brief shouting match that nearly came to blows, with UFC president Dana White keeping them apart. Even though Aldo and McGregor have not hidden their disdain for each other throughout this tour, Tuesday was a cut above anything else.
This is nothing but good news for the UFC, which has three months to build the fight off of the mayhem of this press conference, since the event doesn’t take place until July 11. As great as Aldo is as a fighter, and as much as McGregor‘s star has risen, neither one is doing much to sell the fight on his own.
While it’s not entirely fair to say McGregor can’t sell a fight to casual fans, since he’s only headlined shows that aired on national television instead of pay-per-view, here are numbers from Aldo’s events as the main event performer:
The featherweight title is one of the youngest major titles in the UFC, making its debut in 2010 when Aldo defeated Mark Hominick. Fans need time to get acclimated with the fighters in a division, but the fact that buy rates have stayed at 180,000 for Aldo’s last two fights is troubling.
So how do you put together a fight that will break through the 180,000-buy barrier? Have two fighters who seem to genuinely dislike each other, or are at least doing a good job of faking it, take part in a perfect moment at a press conference in which they nearly come to blows.
It’s a simple marketing premise that is used all the time. ChaelSonnen was a solid fighter when he competed, and he became a sensation thanks to his ability to talk as well as any professional wrestler prior to two fights against Anderson Silva.
Aldo and McGregor are better fighters now than Sonnen was at any point in his career. They deserve to have as many eyeballs as possible watching their fight. Now, thanks to this one brief moment at a press conference three months before the event, the UFC has the perfect marketing strategy to make sure it happens.
In addition to increasing the pay-per-view buys, Aldo and McGregor get their moment in the spotlight to become superstars who can draw consistently big numbers. There’s no downside for the fighters or the UFC in this instance.
