Did Conor Ruin The Sport?

[SuperAlly]

Conor has helped keep the sport relevant. He may have saved it at least during his legendary Aldo/Alvarez title runs.

Lol

 

[SuperAlly]

The UFC would be infinitely better if they just treated Connor like anyone else

Build up your other top talent and not just focus on one guy who has been proven to not actually have been that good

 

[Hey Soos]

Lol

 

[markg171]

View attachment 911260

And that's missing Conor/Poirier 3 which did 1.8M, the 2nd highest ever.

 

[moreorless87]

The sport peaked years ago. Sure the UFC still makes a lot of money due to the crazy tv contracts they have but no one else is really even a player. I've never been less interested in what the UFC is doing than I am now. I've been around since UFC 1 and when the sport was called no holds barred. I've seen it all.

I suspect part of the reason for the shift is that the sport maybe doesnt have the same hardcore PPV buying fanbase it once did.

It used to be the UFC could draw in 500Kish buyrates quite often but more recently they can't depend on that fanbase paying up once a month or whatever. Instead I think they've gone for a larger casual fanbase who might only buy 1-2 shows a year.

Lesnar and Rousey I think played a part in this but Conor is really what made it company policy. Now you see even on non Conor cards the UFC looks to stack a handful of events to try and draw in the casual fanbase to them.

 

[markg171]

Are you fooking kidding me? LmaooEven Dana would laugh at this statement.

It's not ridiculous at all. Since Conor Dana has allowed the following champs to try and become double champs:

• Holloway 2x
• Cejudo
• DC
• Nunes
• Israel

He's not exactly letting the random champions try it out, but only the elites of the elite. The fact that only Max and Israel didn't succeed and weren't beaten anywhere near as badly as Penn was, and AKA the majority did succeed, and that Cejudo, DC, and Nunes all managed to defend their new belts, does prove that Dana was allowing the "right" champs to attempt this. And while Holloway and Israel didn't succeed, they both immediately moved to defend their titles and reclaimed their spots over their own divisions. Dana has learned from Penn, and indeed from Conor.

And forcing PPVs to (largely) be headlined by title fights is obviously a better system than having PPVs be headlined by whoever could sell like they used to. That doesn't need an explanation, it forces at least the (supposed) #1 fighter to defend. You can say they might try and angle it that the champ defends on against a money fight rather than the #1 contender sure, but it's better than them having money fight as their first criteria, title consequences 2nd.

Besides Conor, who exactly is making this kind of money?

Nate Diaz, Stipe, Khabib, Cormier, GSP, Brock, Ronda, are all confirmed over/at $1M, as well as allegedly some others given it's hard to know what they got paid during COVID as a lot of those weren't reported while the UFC shopped around COVID-friendly locations (and now Vegas doesn't report either). Ngannou has also confirmed the contract the UFC offered for Stipe onwards, which he turned down, has resulted in $7M lost for him between Stipe and Gane and instead he's on his $600k contract from just as a contender. And while not $1M, Overeem was making $850K and Henderson was at $800K.

And I know you'll look at the list and say guys like GSP and Brock don't count, but when they returned both were guaranteed $2.5M purses against Bisping and Hunt. When they'd last fought for the UFC against Hendricks and Overeem their purses were $400K. That is a massive $2.1M increase in guaranteed fighter pay. You can argue they're stars, but that still just proves that even the stars get paid far more nowadays.

Meanwhile Conor's sitting at a guaranteed $5M purse, PPV points, and gets Proper Twelve ad coverage/banner placements when he fights. Yeah, you're right, that absolutely is a special deal that no one else even comes close to having. But you bet your ass it's painted a target on what the UFC is willing to give if you're worth it, and there has been a trickle down effect. Someone like Masvidal is absolutely looking at at least that Proper Twelve deal and wondering how he gets a Receurdo deal when he fights too.

 

[froggyluv]

Im an ol Head that doesnt go out to Bars anymore so i honestly cant say what the scene is today. Last time i went to an a bar/club for an MMA event was Hughes/GSP 2, and i flew from the Caribbean to Boulder, CO to watch with a girlfriend. Place was packed to the hilt, all the Easton/Grudge guys were there and everyone was riveted for the fight with even the girls knowing fighters names.

Is it still like this?
*grabs fiber pills, kicks dog

 

[MMA Maine-iac]

If anyone is to blame, it's the fans. They fell in love with Conor's schtick and propelled him way higher than he ever deserved to be. Any charismatic, entertaining fighter could've been this had they wowed "the mob". Conor was right place, right time.

 

[crodor3]

Most old school hardcore fans have moved on. Connor brought the money and the casuals but casual fandom for the sake of wanting to be in on the next popular trend was never going to be sustainable. Those fans will move on at some point as well, probably when CM retires or gets humiliated a few more times. So long story short they went for the quick buck to appease stakeholders and fulfill what the numbers they presented at sale time were. They really had no choice but CM definitely acted as the conduit for the eventual downfall.

Overall money and money alone is to blame. MMA will be back to the basement in 5 years or so but with none of the prospects of rising up again.

 

[crodor3]

1. If the sport is "ruined," why are you creating threads on an mma forum?

2. Dana wasn't reluctant to make Silva-GSP. Dana (and Anderson and the fans) desperately wanted that fight. GSP was the reluctant one.

3. If you think the UFC didn't care about money fights before Conor, you're sorely mistaken. Brock got a title shot with a 2-1 record. The fact of the matter is that the UFC has become big business over the last 10 years or so, thereby making "money fights" possible. And with the sale of the company to WME and the partnership with ESPN, the incentive to create money fights has only increased.

lol, what, is creating a thread on a forum pretty solid evidence for you that something isn't "ruined"

 

[markg171]

If anyone is to blame, it's the fans. They fell in love with Conor's schtick and propelled him way higher than he ever deserved to be. Any charismatic, entertaining fighter could've been this had they wowed "the mob". Conor was right place, right time.

Yeah dude, any charismatic, entertaining fighter could've sparked Aldo and Eddie to become dual champ.

Conor's "schtick" worked because he called his shots and delivered on them.

 

[textwarrior]

You've already said it here. It's Dana and the UFC coddling Conor and milking the shit out of his star power at the expense of building up other fighters that's ruining the sport

Oh how cute, is that a boy or a girl?

 

[AaandStill]

Conor? LOL
Look in the shadows my friend

 

[FIghtxIQ]

He wasn’t the first crossover star, so not sure what else you made up

First real cross over star. Ronda crossed over but different industries. Conor was more known and crossed over in other industries that Ronda couldn't. Conor was in the mainstream longer so became more of a household name compared to Ronda. Ronda did some small movie roles and only did WWE after UFC. Conor crossed over more industries and got known by more fanbases. That's why you have ball players globally from different ball sports doing the McGregor walk and rappers with lyrics about Conor in their songs. The Floyd fight made him more mainstream than any other mma fighter and that's what really gave him the real cross over affect to reach all those different fan bases. That's why even now he's still being covered by TMZ and paparazzi, but Ronda isn't anymore.

 

[MMA Maine-iac]

Yeah dude, any charismatic, entertaining fighter could've sparked Aldo and Eddie to become dual champ.

Conor's "schtick" worked because he called his shots and delivered on them.

Oh, I see you're one of those. But round 3!!!!

 

[Nightgunner05]

The sport has always been like this. People just love looking at things through rose tinted glasses.

 

[markg171]

Oh, I see you're one of those. But round 3!!!!

I didn't even bring up Conor/Khabib's round 3, only Aldo and Eddie. But since you did I mean yes, that's also a good counter point to your idea that Conor was just a charismatic and entertaining fighter and could've been anybody else. You don't become the first person to win a round (officially) against Khabib without being good.

Conor's schtick worked because he actually was good on top of it. Someone like Chael could be as entertaining as he wanted, we all saw what happened when he was pitted against someone like Jones. Could do well against Silva because of the style, but didn't have enough to back up anything else otherwise without it.

 

[MMA Maine-iac]

I didn't even bring up Conor/Khabib's round 3, only Aldo and Eddie. But since you did I mean yes, that's also a good counter point to your idea that Conor was just a charismatic and entertaining fighter and could've been anybody else. You don't become the first person to win a round (officially) against Khabib without being good.

Conor's schtick worked because he actually was good on top of it. Someone like Chael could be as entertaining as he wanted, we all saw what happened when he was pitted against someone like Jones. Could do well against Silva because of the style, but didn't have enough to back up anything else otherwise without it.

You said it: WAS good. At first he was a decent talker, charismatic, and entertaining in the Octagon. Sorry, but that's not skills/talents limited to Conor McGregor. The right person can achieve the same things. Lightning in a bottle, if you will.
I'll give the Aldo fight. But you all hold on to him beating Eddie Alvarez way too much. That was the best possible matchup for Conor at LW. Conor fans got lucky with that. So congratulations? How many shots has he called since then?
Also, I said charismatic and entertaining, meaning they're good in the Octagon. So yes, it could've been anyone. Happened to be Conor and you all sucked it up. Now if anyone attempts to do it, they say they're just mimicking Conor. I guess that gives you all a level of smugness? And on top of that you all still pretend like he's on his way to a special comeback. Why be delusional?
I do not understand hero worship. But whatever, my guy. If you wanna put some degenerate like Conor on a pedestal, have at it.

 

[skylolow]

In the real world of sports and entertainment stars make the big money, period. This isn't a Dana, UFC, or whatever problem.

The Rock is the highest or one of the highest paid actors in Hollywood. He isn't winning any Oscars.

Sandra Bullock highest paid actress, once again she isn't winning any Oscars.

Hulk Hogan, not very good technical wrestler. But is the most famous wrestler ever.

When Dana says to fighters be like a draw like Conor and you'll get Conor money, he isn't wrong.

 

[BGDDYKWL]

Long before Conor, we had Brock getting a title fight with a 2-1 record, I think it was? Ridiculous matchmaking has always been a thing.

Brock didn't have the negative impact Conor has though. Brock also won - So can someone be undeserving if they end up winning?

Conor led to every guy wanting to fight in multiple divisions before they even win the belt in their own yet. Not to mention all the boxing nonsense. This sport used to be all about becoming champ and defending your title.

The Conor era was definitely fun/entertaining, but in the annals of history it'll be looked back on as having been very detrimental to the sport.