I've been posting that around for like a fucking year and some other (equally brilliant) cats have too.
People say look @ Shogun's reaction, but look instead at Lord Chael's. He's totally indifferent. Compare with Chael's supposed taking Conor (sort of) seriously nowadays. Shogun's amusement is actually an act of kindness.
The story arc is here: scrawny, badly-dressed, ridiculously overcompensating manlet swaggerjacks the image of Josh Mario John, a famous male model, while mysteriously bulking in a way that would make Reem drool with envy, and starts blathering until the UFC casuals, who are similar in nature to WWE casuals, take note. And thanks to having a solid left hand and being able to cut a shitton of weight to fight tiny (tinier?) men, he makes a career of it.
That's not even a criticism. That's a superb level of self-invention. Shit, how many guys dream of doing that kind of physical transformation, let alone doing that and getting pretty fucking rich in the process?
But Conor is always that guy underneath and will always be triggered by adversity that calls him back to that place. (see post-presser gif of animal fear as Diaz strolls by). For an aspiring Sherdawg PhD like myself, it's fascinating, fascinating indeed, dear friends.