Conor McGregor v Khabib Nurmagomedov: Defeat for Irishman could prove disastrous for UFC
UFC boss Dana White has talked up this bout being the biggest in their history, breaking the 1.65 million buys for McGregor’s successful rematch with Nate Diaz at UFC 202 in 2016. But the wrong result could prove disastrous for the sport.
UFC
Don't miss out on the headlines from UFC. Followed categories will be added to My News.
ALMOST two years out of the Octagon makes Conor McGregor, the UFC’s biggest star, vulnerable.
And that makes the company vulnerable.
McGregor faces the man most likely to expose that vulnerability, undefeated Russian reaper Khabib Nurmagomedov.
“I am ruthless,” McGregor said. “I am coming to put a hole into this man’s skull, dig my knuckle into his orbital bone and that is what I am going to do.”
But if McGregor loses, the UFC’s revenue will take a drastic hit.
UFC 229: FOLLOW THE FIGHT LIVE HERE
UFC 229: Conor McGregor launches at Khabib in wild weigh-in face-off
UFC 229: Khabib Nurmagomedov taps Conor McGregor, wild brawl ensues
They’ve banked their future on him, re-signing McGregor to a six-fight contract extension that also allows him to have his new whiskey label sponsoring the promotions.
UFC boss Dana White has talked up this bout being the biggest in their history, breaking the 1.65 million buys for McGregor’s successful rematch with Nate Diaz at UFC 202 in 2016.
The Irishman himself proclaimed that he will earn $65 million if the fight does three million pay-per-view buys; that’s highly unlikely, it will do well to get two million.
DETAILS
WHAT: McGregor v Khabib UFC 229
WHERE: Las Vegas - TMobil Arena
WHEN: Card starts 9am AEST Sunday Oct 7
MAIN CARD: From 1pm
TV: IN australia order it on Main Event HERE
MAIN CARD
Khabib Nurmagomedov v Conor McGregor — UFC lightweight title
Tony Ferguson v Anthony Pettis
Ovince Saint Preux v Dominick Reyes
Derrick Lewis v Alexander Volkov
Michelle Waterson v Felice Herrig
Nevertheless, 30-year-old McGregor will receive the biggest individual pay-day in the history of mixed martial arts, on the back of $100 million earned for his foray into boxing when he lost to Floyd Mayweather last year.
But like the UFC’s previous money-spinner Ronda Rousey, defeat for McGregor would be disastrous for the UFC’s bottom line.
Nurmagomedov is a brilliant fighter, and his stocks would soar should he make McGregor his 27th victim. But a Russian with broken English and preference to talk with his grappling is not going to come near trash-talking McGregor’s numbers.
Nurmagomedov’s last fight drew only 250,000 pay-per-view buys.
McGregor is the man who brings the hype, the huge international following and the drama in and out of the fight arena.
No other fighter on the UFC’s books can match his pulling power.
He already has four of their top five selling fights.
McGregor is 21-3 in mixed martial arts, with his only defeat in the UFC coming via Diaz’s chokehold in March 2016 after he’d jumped up two divisions to welterweight.
By August that year, McGregor had avenged that loss by defeating Diaz by majority decision in the record-breaking pay-per-view event.
“His legacy is money, my legacy is smash, [to] smash him. This is my legacy,” Nurmagomedov said.
It hardly seemed to bother McGregor at their official press conference that Nurmagomedov (26-0) has racked up the longest winning streak in MMA history, including 10 straight wins since entering the UFC in 2012.
McGregor slugged his whiskey while yelling profanities and insults at the bemused Nurmagomedov.
The world has not seen McGregor fight since his defeat to Mayweather in his professional boxing debut in August 2017.
UFC fans have not seen McGregor in the Octagon since November 2016, when he defeated Eddie Alvarez to win the lightweight title, becoming the first man in the company’s history to hold belts in two weight divisions simultaneously as he was still featherweight champion.
Both belts were stripped due to inactivity as McGregor chased his mega-money bout with Mayweather that eventually netted him about $100 million, $30 million which was guaranteed when he signed for the bout, the remainder earned from the pay-per-view and gate-takings split.
It remains the second-highest grossing boxing event of all time behind Mayweather’s 2015 clash against Manny Pacquiao, true testament to McGregor’s allure.
He converted many boxing fans too, who will tune in for his return here.
The wait for McGregor’s return has driven the enthusiasm for this event.
But the mystique of the “Mystic Mac” lays with his ability to walk his talk.
There is talk of a third fight against Diaz, and a showdown against legend Georges St Pierre.
For these mooted fights to capitalise on their potential, McGregor must solve a pressing issue for the UFC; Nurmagomedov doesn’t know how to sell, but he doesn’t know how to lose.