UFC wanted GSP/Diaz winner vs Conor/Khabib winner

[FrankieNYC]

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The promotion wanted GSP vs. Diaz on Aug. 4 in Los Angeles, Nurmagomedov vs. McGregor in the fall and the winners facing off by the end of the year.

However, the tournament never got off the ground after the GSP vs. Diaz fight failed to come to fruition for various reasons. Most important, St-Pierre still doesn’t feel healthy enough to return.

“I’m not ready to fight yet,” he told MMAFighting.com. “I need to wait until all the symptoms of my ulcer stop. It’s much better than it was but it’s not 100 percent yet. If I try to return for a training camp for a fight it will amplify and go back to what it was in the beginning. I need to get over this first for my own health and safety.”

The other side of the unofficial bracket would see Nurmagomedov vs. McGregor for the lightweight title in the fall, most likely in Las Vegas. While that plan is still somewhat in place, though far from finalized, the promotion has to wait until McGregor’s court hearing later this month in Brooklyn, N.Y. before finalizing any plans for the biggest star in MMA.

As for Diaz, sources say he would still like to fight by the end of the summer, though he isn’t actively pursuing a particular fight.

 

[member 3289]

Lol now that GSP is out, Khabib wants to fight him.

News flash Khabib - Conor is bigger than GSP. Conor wants to fight you, so you're fighting Conor next.

 

[FrankieNYC]

Lol now that GSP is out, Khabib wants to fight him.

News flash Khabib - Conor is bigger than GSP. Conor wants to fight you, so you're fighting Conor next.

Everyone (fighters & UFC) are playing the game.
"Don't tell me what I am doing, I'll tell you"
Its getting really annoying & I stopped caring until a fight is signed.
I just thought the idea of the mini-tourney & who was included was interesting to share.
If UFC could have pulled it off, it would have been 4m PPV buys easily combined.

 

[member 3289]

Everyone (fighters & UFC) are playing the game.
"Don't tell me what I am doing, I'll tell you"
Its getting really annoying & I stopped caring until a fight is signed.
I just thought the idea of the mini-tourney & who was included was interesting to share.
If UFC could have pulled it off, it would have been 4m PPV buys easily combined.

It is a cool idea. Do you think Nate really declined the fight or do you think the UFC just didn't offer him enough?

 

[FrankieNYC]

It is a cool idea. Do you think Nate really declined the fight or do you think the UFC just didn't offer him enough?

Nate can decline the fight because he wants more money.
They are not exclusive of each other.

UFC needs 1m buy fights.
I would bet the offered Diaz a big amount, but Nate most likely wanted more.

 

[member 3289]

Nate can decline the fight because he wants more money.
They are not exclusive of each other.

UFC needs 1m buy fights.
I would bet the offered Diaz a big amount, but Nate most likely wanted more.

Do you think he would get PPV points?

They say this is only offered to champions, but details of past contracts (Alistair Overeem's first contract with the UFC) indicate otherwise.

 

[FrankieNYC]

Do you think he would get PPV points?

They say this is only offered to champions, but details of past contracts (Alistair Overeem's first contract with the UFC) indicate otherwise.

Non champs get points if they are a big enough draw.
I never heard it was only champs.
if you mean "they" as in fans, then that answers your question.

Diaz made $10m for Conor II (202)
Brock got points for 200
Punk got points for 201

I think Eddie Alvarez got points too when he signed, that was the controversy of Bellator matching his contract

 

[Jehannum]

Nate could've made

Non champs get points if they are a big enough draw.
I never heard it was only champs.
if you mean "they" as in fans, then that answers your question.

Diaz made $10m for Conor II (202)
Brock got points for 200
Punk got points for 201

I think Eddie Alvarez got points too when he signed, that was the controversy of Bellator matching his contract

are you sure Nate got that much for the rematch? do you have a source?

 

[FrankieNYC]

Nate could've made

are you sure Nate got that much for the rematch? do you have a source?

His manager sued him for his 10% - $1m

Plus reports had him at about $10m total & Conor closer to $15m

 

[member 3289]

Non champs get points if they are a big enough draw.
I never heard it was only champs.
if you mean "they" as in fans, then that answers your question.

I'm smart enough to know that most MMA fans are mildly retarded. This forum is a shining example.

But I remember Cerrone saying it in an interview. Seemed as if that's what he was told by Dana/the UFC. I also remember Dana mentioning it.

 

[FrankieNYC]

I'm smart enough to know that most MMA fans are mildly retarded. This forum is a shining example.

But I remember Cerrone saying it in an interview. Seemed as if that's what he was told by Dana/the UFC. I also remember Dana mentioning it.

You might be right
I never heard that
There is too much evidence that is the opposite.

But DW talks in absolutes a lot

 

[FrankieNYC]

@conor mcgregor nut hugger
I want to add that in the past if an event did great on PPV, the old regime did seem to be more generous with bonuses.
Supposedly these days that is rare for a few reasons
1. New regime
2. Less big events
3. These days UFC pay is more top heavy than ever before, so even though they might pay a bigger %, the main eventers that draw the buys get the lions share

 

[member 3289]

You might be right
I never heard that
There is too much evidence that is the opposite.

Yeah but I think that's the narrative they try to sell.

Dana White: Nate Diaz isn't in a position to demand pay-per-view points

But DW talks in absolutes a lot

So does your President (I voted for Hillary).

Talking in absolutes so often is the gold standard of ignorance.

 

[member 3289]

@conor mcgregor nut hugger
I want to add that in the past if an event did great on PPV, the old regime did seem to be more generous with bonuses.

You talking about the mythical "locker-room bonuses" Lorenzo gave out when Chrissy Blair brought her A-game to his skybox?

 

[FrankieNYC]

Yeah but I think that's the narrative they try to sell.

Dana White: Nate Diaz isn't in a position to demand pay-per-view points

Absolutely

 

[member 3289]

You talking about the mythical "locker-room bonuses" Lorenzo gave out when Chrissy Blair brought her A-game to his skybox?

@FrankieNYC I was serious with the first part of this question. Were you referring to "locker-room bonuses"?

 

[Robbie Hart]

Lol now that GSP is out, Khabib wants to fight him.

News flash Khabib - Conor is bigger than GSP. Conor wants to fight you, so you're fighting Conor next.

Conor wants nothing to do with Diaz, that’s a fact........he’s living the cushy life now and he’ll have to go in and out of hell and frankly, he knows he’s only capable of going in once more and he’s not coming out again because he will mentally fold

 

[member 3289]

Conor wants nothing to do with Diaz, that’s a fact........he’s living the cushy life now and he’ll have to go in and out of hell and frankly, he knows he’s only capable of going in once more and he’s not coming out again because he will mentally fold

 

[FrankieNYC]

@FrankieNYC I was serious with the first part of this question. Were you referring to "locker-room bonuses"?

Yes

 

[member 3289]

Yes

How do you know they ever existed?

I'm not being a smartass, I'm just a but cynical whenever the topic of these secret bonuses comes up

 

[FrankieNYC]

How do you know they ever existed?

I'm not being a smartass, I'm just a but cynical whenever the topic of these secret bonuses comes up

Fighters themselves has stated they did.
Richard Walsh from Australia even posted on SD that he made more money in "locker room bonuses" than AC reported pay & he was a nobody

Lorenzo being a goomba (I know many - look at my name), had the philosophy of paying minimal, but after the event "tipping" big so the fighters are used to a culture of saying "wow, thank you".
His goomba background & running a business (Casino) that is heavily about tipping was brought over to his MMA business.

If you remember old pressers where they used to do panels, Dana used to say all the time "we took care of him" or "we'll take care of you"

Since WME took over, guaranteed pay went up but the bonuses (back room) seem to be very rare.

UFC (included these bonuses) paid 13% of revenue in 2015 (about $80m)
In 2016 it was 17% (about $120m), but I would expect a few % points were just Conor's PPV take & the large sum they paid Nate.

Very curious about 2017 (first full WME year & a slower PPV year)

 

[FrankieNYC]

@conor mcgregor nut hugger

Also remember when I posted UFC filings for 2004-2006
It showed UFC was healthier financially in those years than UFC let on

The Lorenzo era years were about having fighters thinking things were less profitable than they were & since fighters were making more money than ever in a stable company (not like others that paid more to some & folded like Affliction) they were happy.
It wasn't until the financials started leaking that the fighters really started voicing their feelings.

 

[member 3289]

@conor mcgregor nut hugger

Also remember when I posted UFC filings for 2004-2006
It showed UFC was healthier financially in those years than UFC let on

The Lorenzo era years were about having fighters thinking things were less profitable than they were & since fighters were making more money than ever in a stable company (not like others that paid more to some & folded like Affliction) they were happy.
It wasn't until the financials started leaking that the fighters really started voicing their feelings.

Yeah it always just annoyed me that Dana could say something at a presser like "we'll take care of that guy" without being specific. The fighter can't publicly say how much the mystery bonus was because it would violate his contract, and because the UFC is a privately owned company, they never had to specify how much they paid Fighters X/YZ in locker room bonuses.

It always made me skeptical as to how much these bonuses were and whether they were given as often as Dana led the media/public to believe

 

[FrankieNYC]

Yeah it always just annoyed me that Dana could say something at a presser like "we'll take care of that guy" without being specific. The fighter can't publicly say how much the mystery bonus was because it would violate his contract, and because the UFC is a privately owned company, they never had to specify how much they paid Fighters X/YZ in locker room bonuses.

It always made me skeptical as to how much these bonuses were and whether they were given as often as Dana led the media/public to believe

Being skeptical of Dana & Lorenzo is not a bad idea

but I don't think fighters had to keep the bonuses secret. I remember some stating how much they got. Bisping I know did once or twice.
I just think most fighters rather keep it private for various reasons.

 

[FrankieNYC]

@conor mcgregor nut hugger
Also remember the early days of UFC were based around the WWE model at that time.
WWE pays a downsized guarantee & then bonuses depending on how good the shows/events do.
Most performers make more on bonuses than guarantee, so that model was part of the premise.

"you'll get this for sure, but if the event does good, you'll get more"