Conor McGregor has a mass of loyal fans, some so loyal that they refuse to see the holes in the game of the champion. McGregor, like any fighter, has proficiencies and deficiencies. For example, He has great kicks, his striking is incredibly accurate, he has big power in both hands, and he can sell a fight. Conversely, he has poor takedown defense, his hip movement off his back is terrible, he keeps his hands very low, and his wide karate base leaves him vulnerable to leg kicks. But the thing that makes McGregor so much more impressive than anyone who has come before him is that he has been able to get people interested in MMA who may have otherwise been shut off to the sport. All his deficiencies aside, McGregor has brought casual fans back to the sport and even brought some new ones along for the ride. Had he lost to Chad Mendes last Saturday, it wouldn’t have mattered. People weren’t tuning in to see Mendes; they were tuning in to see McGregor.
Not since Brock Lesnar has the UFC had a star that commanded so much attention. Even the great George St. Pierre needed years inside the Octagon before people outside of Canada were ready to accept him as a “superstar.” The UFC does press for all of their biggest cards but never before had they taken the champion and challenger on an 8-city tour around the globe to promote a fight. Because of the way McGregor was willing to push, the way he was willing to play his character UFC officials knew they had pure gold to handout. At times the persona of McGregor seems like a bit of a joke, it’s 70% used car salesman and 30% arrogant jock, but when you have a fast talking, sharp dressing salesman trying to close the deal oftentimes your odds aren’t half bad. Is it a bit smarmy? Sure. But would it be better if the UFC packaged a bunch of highlight videos together with Joe Rogan telling you how awesome a fight it will be? No way!
There is a realness to trash talk that doesn’t exist anywhere else in sports. Maybe it’s a bit corny, maybe it can be off putting but it shows the fans another side of athletes. After his win against Dennis Siver in January, McGregor climbed out of the cage and rushed toward Jose Aldo looking like a lunatic who had snapped. Yet Aldo stood there with nothing more than a grin on his face, a quiet killer. The reaction of Aldo was just as powerful to me as the action by McGregor. Hate on McGregor’s antics all you want but when Dana White saw that happen, he was elated and shortly thereafter spent millions to promote that fight. I can’t fault McGregor for using his charm to get the fans attention especially when the UFC are the ones responsible for getting him on camera and in front of our faces.
But what about those deficiencies I mentioned before? As it turned out, McGregor’s deficiencies were on full display last Saturday when he took on Chad Mendes for the interim UFC featherweight title. I must admit that I have a soft spot in my heart for wrestlers so leading into this fight, I was trying hard not to show any favoritism towards Mendes. This fight couldn’t have played out any better in my eyes. McGregor wins the fight by stoppage but not before Mendes exposes his severe lack of ground skills. All this did was open the floor to debate. What would have happened if Mendes hadn’t gassed? Where McGregor’s kicks the cause of Mendes losing his energy? If Mendes doesn’t go for the choke late in the second round does he regain his breath before round three? The questions are many and the answers are open to debate.
When it comes to this fight, I have really studied it. I have sat down and watched it five times since it took place. I have examined it from every angle and honestly I still go back and forth on how I feel about it. There are a few things I noticed that might have been easy to miss when watching it live. First of all, the kicks and punches to the body of Mendes made a huge difference in that fight. Don’t believe me? Go watch and wait for the fifth kick that hits Mendes in the solar plexus. Mendes’s face changes and you might notice him begin to slow from that point. Second, Mendes wasn’t just effective grappling he was landing strong punches on the feet. While he couldn’t keep up with the volume of strikes McGregor was throwing, he landed a few powerful shots. Third, entering the second round, McGregor had landed more than double the strikes of Mendes. Even though McGregor had been on his back for a good chunk of round one he did damage to Mendes that most certainly changed the outcome of the fight.
All the back and forth about McGregor being lucky that Mendes gassed seems kind of silly to me now. I don’t believe Mendes was necessarily ready for a five round fight but that doesn’t mean he should have been gassed after two rounds. The Alpha Male fight camp is known as a team of fighters who train year round and are almost always ready to take a fight on short notice. In the end, we are all left with more questions, and that’s the fun part. McGregor was given his first real test and not only did he pass, he finished a guy that most people can’t make it three rounds with. What I am trying to say is, this fight was closer than some people want to give McGregor credit for. I agree that he was exposed; it appears his lack of wrestling will most certainly be his downfall but let’s wait and see. So far he has passed the only true test thrown his way, even if that test was a fighter who took a fight on short notice.
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