Should the UFC have let the Mayweather/McGregor fight happen?

[kneeblock]

A lot of money was made and Conor became a mainstream megastar, but now their biggest star is likely gone for awhile if not forever. A whole division is in limbo. Conor got TKOed on top of all that.

I thought the whole thing was a stupid farce, but I supported it only because I felt the implications of a fighter going out on their own and self-promoting to become rich was a great precedent to set.

But Conor's not doing anything else right now. There are no signs of him promoting anything else or of other fighters using his example to demand higher paydays or get contractual relief. Also the UFC LW division is stuck and two title lineages are potentially forever destroyed. In the end it was a spectacle that seems like it wasn't worth it. But it may be too soon to tell.

 

[Rambo John J]

No...it was an exhibition match that conor had no chance in hell of winning
Floyd carried him whole fight IMO

It took away all legitimacy of multiple divisions and also showed that UFC is run exactly like boxing...Champs ducking contenders etc...

Dana became don king for that fight and that was what UFC prided itself on not being.

Whole thing was a joke....LOL 99$ exhibition match

 

[Robbie Hart]

But Conor's not doing anything else right now.

Well, he’s not doing anything fight related but his actions at that bellator fight indicate he’s doing “something”........

 

[member 3289]

Everyone knew it would make Conor more difficult to deal with for the UFC, but the money was just too great to pass up for all parties.

I thought this tweet was interesting:


View: https://twitter.com/TheNotoriousMMA/status/947852566381105152



I take it as they're clearly in the negotiating phase, but eventually Conor will be back.

As far as his fight with Floyd goes, I think eventually the stars who can market themselves well enough will see him as an example in their negotiations with the UFC.

 

[Sheepdog]

There's no way Enzo Frittata makes that fight under the old regime and that's all you need to know.

It made MMA look like a joke and catapulted boxing to the forefront of combat sports in the mainstream psyche at its own expense.

It removed MMA's biggest star from MMA for the forseeable future and gave him an unprecedented amount of leverage over the company, which will infect all future negotiations with stars.

It was a disastrous decision.

 

[kneeblock]

Well, he’s not doing anything fight related but his actions at that bellator fight indicate he’s doing “something”........

What do you mean?

 

[Robbie Hart]

What do you mean?

Ask leigh

 

[Rambo John J]

What do you mean?

 

[Shy Guy]

I'm sure they made a couple bucks at the expense of the lightweight division. I dont think it was a good business move with how much power Conor had before the fight ever happened.

 

[Wild]

Short sighted cash grab to make their 2017 numbers to satisfy lenders and stakeholders. Apparently not a lot of thought about how it could impact the product long term, once Conor had enough money that he doesn't need to fight and can has all the leverage. If they had 5-6 other stars to fall back on, it would have been okay, but they don't.

 

[Hwoarang]

I think that match put millions of new eyes on connor. And under the very restricted rules connor held his own and I'm sure at least 80% of even the dumbest boxing fans could tell in a real fight mayweather would get destroyed.
So I think in a way it really legitimised mma to the boxing fans, and mma might pick up heaps more fans. Probably have to wait until connor fights again to see if he brings those boxing fans across.