So, MMA/UFC wasn't a fad

Apparently they did, and Conor decided not to press charges against the guys from Khabib's camp that rushed him in the octagon.

Like others have said, this is the culmination of the atmosphere the UFC created with regards to McGregor's antics. You play favorites, let him get away with anything and build resentment with other fighters, it is going to boil over in an ugly way. Khabib is certainly to blame for it going that way. He was the one to jump the fence. But Dana White set this in motion.

It's a shame, too, because it was an outstanding performance by Khabib that would have gone down as a pinnacle moment in the sport. Instead, the brawl after is what will be remembered.

 

This is the part I was thinking about. Khabib rag dolled him for three rounds (Round 3 was closely fought) and there was no doubt in anyone's mind who the better guy is. And looking at the other top guy in that weight class, Tony Ferguson, he would probably do the same to Conor. So McGregor is less of a top fighter and more of an attraction because he's not at the level of the top guys. He's basically where Mike Tyson was at the end of his career...It's less about can he win and more about "what's he gonna say" or "what's gonna happen after the fight".

Now part of the narrative is being changed because, by all accounts I can see, Dana White idolizes Conor McGregor and so desperately wants him to be the face of everything the UFC does, not because that's the way it needs to be but because he wants his idol in that spot.

 

I dunno if I'd say McGregor isn't a top fighter. I think he's definitely top 3 in that division. What he did to Jose Aldo and Eddie Alvarez weren't flukes. He embarrassed both. But Khabib is a nightmare match up for him because McGregor's weaknesses have always been his wrestling and his cardio, which are Khabib's strengths. A fight with Ferguson would be a great one and a much better match up for McGregor. It would be hard to say who would win that.

And Dana White idolizes McGregor for one simple reason: $$$

 

But that's two years ago. A lifetime for a fighter.

He might be done.

 

That's true, but he's still only 30 years old, very much in his athletic prime. And because he hadn't had an MMA fight in two years, he has far less wear on the tires as other active fighters.

I'd be surprised if he were done. I think he more likely just ran into a buzzsaw that he had no answer for. He probably never beats Khabib because Khabib is just too good, but I'd still pick him over just most of the lightweight division.

 

An athlete's prime isn't just physical. It's psychological.

And like Rousey, I think his recent celebrity has robbed him of his edge. His head's not in it.

And at the point at which he's only a contender fighting other contenders on the undercard, I'm not sure he doesn't just quit.

And he's of no real use to Dana White as the 5th ranked lightweight in UFC.

That Mayweather dance-off was lucrative, but might have been a career ender.

We'll see.

 

These are good points. He certainly has made enough money to not have to fight anymore. And if he gets to a point where there is a clear ceiling over his head, I bet he decides to move on to whatever is next.

Although I wouldn't say he wouldn't be of use to Dana White. The UFC is still sorely lacking any stars. McGregor is still the best at selling fights and will always pull in good numbers, even if he was just doing "money fights" that had no relation to the title.

 

One would argue they HAD to fight again. Golota was mopping the floor with Bowe before he got DQed. Both times. He was dominant.

Didn’t those fights earn him a title shot even though he lost both?

 

Yep.

And Lennox Lewis KO'ed him 90 seconds into Round 1.

 

Maybe top 5 but not top 3. He's clearly not better than Khabib. I think Ferguson has too many levels of skill for him. I think Kevin Lee is a nightmare of a matchup because he is a solid striker and a world-class ground guy plus he's extremely athletic. Like Daniel Cormier said, there are levels to this and in the two years that he was buying suits and sparring with Paulie Malinaggi, much more refined well-rounded fighters were entering the cage. I guess I'd put him ahead of Poirier because he's already beat him. But I'm not putting him ahead of anyone with a submission game.

The Aldo thing was a fluke. Aldo came charging in like a moron and got caught. It wasn't a display of superior skills, like the Alvarez win was...it was a guy that lost his composure from go and made a mistake. He certainly deserves credit for the win but he didn't face the Aldo that we saw up to that point.

Lots of fighters made Dana lots of money from Tito Ortiz to Chuck Liddell to GSP, Anderson Silva, John Jones...you name it...but he idolizes McGregor because he sees McGregor as the guy he wishes he could be. Someone with his charisma and attitude and ability. Dana looks up to Conor McGregor and that might be his downfall in running that organization.

 

Golota had the best "holy shit" look on his face after that knockdown too.

 

I definitely prefer boxing. I like MMA but I don't love it. As someone who wrestled in high school (badly) I'm glad it's given an option for college and Olympic wrestlers to make some decent money using their skills. I respect the amount of skill and athletic ability needed to compete successfully in MMA, but I still prefer boxing.