McGregor must be tired of not constantly being in the spotlight because the MMA world doesn't really talk about him a great deal anymore. Lately, he has been making "demands" about his future in MMA calling out two guaranteed huge paydays for everyone involved. I don't know how or why it is that he has landed on the names that he has chosen but I think that this time around he might not have the pull that he thinks he does with UFC and particularly Dana White.
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There's no denying that McGregor is really good for business. This much is known. Of the top 10 pay-per-view events of all time in UFC, 5 of them featured Conor McGregor
10 UFC 207: Nunes vs. Rousey - 1,100,000 - $60 million
9 UFC 193: Rousey vs. Holm - 1,100,000 - $60 million
8 UFC 116: Lesnar vs. Carwin - 1,160,000 - $55 million
7 UFC 200: Tate vs. Nunes - 1,200,000 - $71 million
6 UFC 205: Alvarez vs. McGregor - 1,300,000 - $83 million
5 UFC 194: Aldo vs. McGregor - 1,400,000 - $80 million
4 UFC 196: McGregor vs. Diaz - 1,500,000 - $80 million
3 UFC 100: Lesnar vs. Mir II - 1,600,000 - $82 million
2 UFC 202: Diaz vs. McGregor II - 1,650,000 - $90 million
1 UFC 229: Nurmagomedov vs. McGregor - 2,400,000 - $180 million
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Those are seriously huge numbers and I suppose it is easy to understand why Conor might think that he can push around the management of UFC and get what he wants. It was leaked that McGregor is meant to face Chandler in June but the selection of Nate Diaz seems like more of a grudge match than anything else. Conor can't stand the fact that Diaz beat him in their first meeting and most people including me and I think Conor, realize that the controversial decision on their 2nd meeting might have been slightly rigged in order to force a trilogy. But then Conor went and got injured.
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Both of these guys like money and I am sure that Diaz wouldn't shy away from it if the money was right. The thing is Conor has said he wants this fight in September of this year. Diaz hasn't been active for a while now and he is no longer signed with UFC.... so how will that work?
I think that in order to lure Diaz back in, especially since he owns his own promotion now, that it is likely that Diaz would have to be compensated perhaps MORE than McGregor would. Diaz has spoken to various people about various fights but he has been insistent that his promotion, Real Fight Inc. has to be involved in anything that he participates in. Dana White and now Vince McMahaon are at the helm of UFC and neither of these guys are very well known for liking to share.
No doubt the MMA fans all over the world would like to see these fights but once again I am going to voice the fact that I don't like how these fighters because of their fame are able to simply leapfrog everyone else that has been active the entire time. Yes yes, I understand that sports are about money and that is what drives literally everything but it just seems incredibly unfair that the people who have been putting in the work don't even get a nod for these things. I guess they just have to sit back and be happy with the fact that MAYBE they'll get a spot on the main card and share in the limelight.
This could all go terribly wrong if McGregor isn't up to form so a lot is relying on his ability to one-up Chandler and although Michael didn't look his best in his last fight, he is certainly no pushover.
Would you watch these fights if they were to happen? I think the answer for most people would be yes. The Diaz fight in particular, if Nate gets thirsty again, could end up topping the all time PPV record. Time will tell I guess!