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I think they are both marketable in the sense that greatness is marketable. Not everyone is going to be a McGregor type draw. In fact virtually no one will be. Very few will be a Jones or a Brock or a Rousey either. And they all resonated for different reasons that aren't always easy to articulate. Jones it was likely the elite level he reached at such an early age but I would be remiss in saying that some of his transgressions and the contrast between how he wanted to be perceived early on and the heel type persona he ultimately embraced to an extent didn't play a factor.
Brock it was the crossover appeal from wrestling as well as the look and the bludgeoning style.
Ronda it was the mystique and the uniqueness of being that type of dominant force in WMMA at a time when it was just becoming a thing in the UFC.
Conor it's the personality and humor as well as the fan-friendly accessibility of his fighting style.
But you never know what will catch on and what won't. Colby is a guy that had adopted a full on pro wrestling character. He is constantly selling said character but it has not translated to box office. His ability and skills are superior to his character and self-marketing.
Guys like Demetrious and Mousasi did not need to have characters or big flashy personalities to be big in my opinion. There are a lot of cases where greatness can and should be enough to make people excited for your bouts. Again, not that you are going to see insane drawing potential but you could get to a level where people are excited for your fights and will tune in. GSP was one of those guys where his greatness was really the key selling point. He wasn't a trash talker. He didn't hype himself in some self-aggrandizing fashion. English was not his first language. But he was one of the biggest stars out there.
If you argue that Demetrious didn't play the game the way GSP did in terms of interviews, media dates, pressers, etc., I don't think there was that big a disparity there either. I think DJ for some reason just was never really a big fan favorite. It makes no sense to me because he is absolutely elite and he always came across as a likable guy to boot. GSP-esque in that regard.
The problem probably was the weight class. You hate to say it but a lot of people just did not embrace the flyweight division.
