When you sell an asset for in excess of $4 billion, it is pretty obvious to everyone this is a business first... This is not a knock on the UFC, Dana, Ronda or Conor... the fact of the matter is that without notable competition in MMA, the UFC will be able to act in whatever manner they wish because the fans don't have an alternative.
Both Conor and Ronda sell... Ronda has pretty much single-handedly (albeit some initial groundwork from Gina), put WMMA on the map... and brought an entirely new fan base with women... sure, not all women are fans of Ronda, but it would be hard to argue that against the fact her rise corresponded almost perfectly with a dramatic increase in female viewership.
I don't know if everyone remembers, but back in the day, women who enjoyed MMA were the outliers not the norm... now, it is common to see 30% or 40% females at a bar watching a PPV... So, if I am Dana, I am going to protect that asset, because I don't want to jeopardize it; if I am WME, I need that asset to help me earn back some of that $4 billion...
Conor is one of those rare, generational personalities that has huge global appeal. Fans watch Mcgregor fight because it is an event, not just a fight. He is a good fighter (perhaps great), who is as entertaining inside the ring and as he is out of it (perhaps more so). Conor will help to continue to grow the sport, so of course they are going to protect, and promote him... this is where the balance between sport and business will get very tricky... Conor has to perform, or his brand will lose its luster... but no one can deny that so far, he has performed.
Here's the kicker, the UFC will continue to protect, cater to, or (as has been stated) show favoritism to their best-producing assets... that is good business.. and it will remain largely unfair to the bulk of the fighters on the roster until there is either some form of fighters union, or legitimate competition that unseats the UFC's monopoly, and likely even after.