Conor McGregor backed up all the talk and then some when he knocked out Jose Aldo at UFC 194 in 13 seconds, becoming the undisputed UFC Featherweight Champion after months of back and forth with the Brazilian. Most assumed that McGregor was the golden goose that Dana White and Zuffa wanted to fly into the stratosphere they reserved just for them, but whispers across MMA media suggested that “the honeymoon is over.” McGregor has name checked boxers in the past and all indications are that he now wants to be paid like one, commanding millions of dollars for his fights.
Fans may be split on the “Notorious” Irishman, but McGregor may be in a position to do something that fans and participants in the sport have clamored for. Given his new position as the primary draw for the time being in the UFC with Jon Jones looking to get back into building while Ronda Rousey has one foot out of the door, does McGregor have a chance to use his status to challenge the status quo and force Zuffa’s hand?
Is Conor McGregor in an unprecedented position of power in negotiation unlike MMA has ever seen before?
Nolan Howell: Given where that the UFC has hit its peak of popularity and has been in what feels like a plateau for the past year or two, McGregor probably has the most status any UFC fighter has ever had. Georges St. Pierre was likely just as (if not more) popular and had the support of an international fanbase, but he also had to share the limelight with the likes of Liddell, Rampage, Lesnar, and others. St. Pierre also was arguably in an era previous to the one we are currently at in MMA. Lesnar probably had as much status, but he commanded it from outside the realms of MMA to bring him into the game. McGregor is unique in this case as he is one of the leading stars that grew alongside a new era for the UFC. McGregor also has the unique aspect of being a star that came to shine in short order and an irreplaceable personality and fighting style.
Given all this, the transition period between new draws, and the major discontent between the organization and fighters over the Reebok deal, McGregor has the UFC over the barrel and it is up to him to deliver the spanking.
Luke Irwin: Prior to roughly midnight on November 16 of this year, if Ronda Rousey would have demanded Dana White’s children, he would have had to sheepishly hand them over (“here’s my fucking kids, bro”). I detest Ronda with a fervor that can best be described as “unhealthy”, but there’s no question that before the Holm fight, Ronda had the UFC by the short hairs if she so wanted to.
McGregor was never as dominant as Rousey, nor had a fraction of the mainstream appeal. Even his wins have been mostly via good fortune. Now, calm down, McGregor fans, before you board a plane that will inevitably have to be re-routed before you even get to me, let me explain. I don’t mean good fortune as in fluky wins, as he’s clearly not a fluke, but just as fortunate circumstances. Look at his last three wins. His KO or Poirier came from a punch to the back of Dustin’s head. Not his fault, that was just the way Poirier ended up position-wise. Mendes, two weeks notice. And Conor McGregor may very well be better than Jose Aldo. He might be a superior fighter. He’s not thirteen seconds in the first-round better than Aldo. But wins are wins and McGregor is the best featherweight in the world (…until Frankie Edgar comes around).
So all that being said, and I apologize for getting off track, McGregor is still not at that level where he’s bigger than the sport like Ronda was.
What does McGregor need to do to change the UFC business model?
Nolan: Larger “public” fight purses seem to be the main point of contention and rightfully so. McGregor wants to be paid and he wants people to know he is getting paid comparably to the likes of boxing contemporaries. Backstage bonuses are the stuff of legend and apparently those aren’t cutting it. Additionally, McGregor needs to call the shots through the public loudspeaker in order to get other fighters on board. Jon Jones seems to be in a constant state of favor with the UFC management. Holly Holm is already having issues dealing with UFC brass. A few fighters like Brendan Schaub and Aljamain Sterling have pondered testing the market or retiring to “real world” jobs. In the case of Schaub, this may not seem like a big deal. Though he wasn’t a draw, Schaub has a platform to speak out. That platform still remains a niche within the niche of MMA.
In the case of Sterling, this could affect their bottom line when it comes to the future of the game. Sterling seems to be suffering from the WCW (as outlined in The Death of WCW by Bryan Alvarez of F4W Online/Wrestling Observer, an Undercard recommended read) affect, where established stars are kept content with big contracts and the golden geese are getting brand new Reebok-branded nests. That leaves other talent out in the cold and, unlike in pro wrestling, talking and raising some hell can lead to them being iced out of the friendly confines of the Zuffa bosom. With potential future stars not named Northcutt or Van Zant being hanging chads and a few malcontents at the top, McGregor can play puppet master with his demands and any Zuffa counteroffers.
Luke: I’ll thank Nolan to keep Death of WCW, perhaps my most well-read book in my library, out his mouth. He hasn’t earned the right. Conor’s personality isn’t exactly inclusive; his words don’t make fighters look to him as a beacon of hope and leadership, so rallying fighters around him for the cause like Norma Rae is out. I do agree with Nolan that the public fight purse is a big deal. It’s the money figure that always comes up on talk shows and Twitter trends and that is a very big deal. So if Conor wants prizefighter money, that is probably the best way to influence change.
Will McGregor successfully force a change in fighter pay?
Nolan: I think McGregor will force a big change in pay for himself. The UFC seems to have mastered the WCW business model. Pay the people at the top and keep them happy and they will stay at the forefront with good marketing, favorable matchmaking, and other incentives. Malcontents can be buried and future stars can be handpicked if they play ball. The rest will be tossed by the wayside as showcases for better talent, kept as card openers, or have other barricades placed in their way. Ultimately, the UFC will bend to the demands of McGregor and ride him until the wheels fall off where a Van Zant or Northcutt will be waiting in the wings to take that spot while a few stars make their own fortune and Zuffa happily obliges to them. McGregor holds the power, but it would be hard to blame him for taking the money and running in a sport that can leave you broken spiritually, physically, and financially.
Luke: Eh, nothing he’s shown me has convinced me that Conor gives a shit about anything but Conor. So, as I said before, McGregor as a rallying point is out. But, in the Jon Jones model, taking care of yourself and getting his might be the best thing he can do for everyone. It may be his one chance to do some good for the sport. No fighter stays perfect forever, and I don’t mean just in the win-loss. The shine comes off of every fighter for a number of reasons, and the window when you’re a true A1 draw is short, so, in the words of my man Gordon Gekko, greed, for lack of a better term, is good.
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