Money usurps morals in crazy world of UFC
WITH TWO young children in the house that are as full of beans as a Heinz convention first thing on a Sunday morning, getting up at ridiculous o’clock is usually not on the agenda, but I made an exception at the weekend, given the crazy lure of Conor McGregor’s return to the Octagon.
What was predictably billed as ‘the biggest fight in UFC history’ ended with all sorts of controversy as the bitter feud spilled out of the cage, but despite all the faux outrage and feigned shock, Dana White et al. will be secretly rubbing their hands like a cackling Mr Burns of The Simpsons fame as he counts his wads of pristine dollars.
Bad press is certainly nothing new to the UFC and from past ‘mistakes’ that have blighted the organisation they are well aware that negative stories tend to turn positive in terms of whipping the baying hordes into a frenzy for the next box office battle royale.
Given its emergence from the shadows, the Ultimate Fighting Championship gets away with more than longer-established, more mainstream, spectacles, but in most fair-minded people’s minds, using criminal behaviour to promote a fight is going more than a step too far. But that’s exactly what happened.
Despite being labelled the most disgusting act in the history of UFC by White, McGregor’s trolley attack on a bus to get at Khabib Nurmagomedov, which ended in criminal proceedings, was used as a marketing tool for pay-perview sales.
It’s little wonder that the bitterness escalated to poisonous levels after the grudge match, given what’s deemed acceptable in the organisation.
McGregor may have tried to get inside the Dagestani fighter’s head in the build-up but there was no sign of that during the contest as Khabib showed admirable control to dominate from the get-go in an almost metronomic manner.
Sadly, that discipline all went out the window as soon as the battle was won.
After any UFC press conference or fight you’re left questioning what’s real and what’s not. Is it sheer hatred and animosity between camps or just another publicity stunt that’s gone too far?
Only those involved know the answer to that question. The suspicion is that McGregor is constantly trying to play the promotion game, but the loud-mouthed tirades don’t always sit kindly with those on the receiving end and Khabib seems to be a case in point.
However, when you see McGregor tweeting about wanting a re-match so soon after getting clobbered it lessens the validity of it all.
In boxing there’s normally a cry for another contest when there’s been a perceived injustice, a split decision or simply when there’s little more than the width of a cigarette paper between two fighters.
This was none of those things. It was almost as one-sided as McGregor’s circus act, money-motivated foray into the ring to take on polished pugilist Floyd Mayweather Jr.
The Notorious may have mouthed ‘Home Sweet Home’ as he entered the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, but there was no home comforts for the former champion as Nurmagomedov ruthlessly put him in his place and was master of the domain, to continue his unblemished record.
However, despite being well beaten, as sure as eggs is eggs the cocky Dubliner will continue to talk trash and it’s money that talks loudest in the UFC.
Cash cow McGregor can almost pick and choose who he wants to face for the biggest purse, instead of getting contests on merit.
The Irishman has achieved plenty in the dangerous, yet lucrative, world of Mixed Martial Arts, but two losses in his last four fights and an overall record of 21-4 suggest maybe he’s not quite as good as he thinks he is.
Given what happened in the aftermath of his win over McGregor, the superior Khabib could be conveniently out of the picture for the foreseeable future, which could conceivably pave the way for Conor, in true WWE style, to recapture his glory days and reclaim the belt.
That said, Tony Ferguson, who came out on top in a total bloodbath against Anthony Pettis, could still stand in his way and, with McGregor’s stock in the Octagon on the wane, you could see him being humbled again.
Ferguson might not be a gritty grappler like Nurmagomedov, but his free-flowing fighting style is sure to cause McGregor plenty of headaches.
The over-the-top put downs and below the belt insults, where nothing is sacred, will remain as McGregor builds himself up as some sort of invincible being.
His latest performance in the white heat of battle paints a different picture though, and if he can’t step up to the mark on that front, despite all the showmanship, he’ll soon be yesterday’s man.
That said, once there’s still filthy lucre to be made, Dana White will try to keep his favourite Dubliner firmly in the spotlight, whatever the moral cost.