UFC 200

[redsox4evur]

Quote: Originally Posted by DJ

For sure, you're right on the money with the Diaz rematch; no one outside of McGregor himself wanted that fight to happen, especially at 170 pounds again. That said, UFC pulling a guy for not wanting to do media (for all we know now, it was a press conference and a commercial) comes off as a questionable decision. Him missing 1 press conference is going to kill the promotion for the fight? I don't think so. Here's a guy that's twice saved cards by fighting very tough replacement fighters with less than 2 weeks' notice. The media he did for those fights was as much and maybe more than what even Rousey does for fights, not to mention he also spent time coaching The Ultimate Fighter. So, is it fair for UFC to keep pushing McGregor out there for media, and then the one time he resists, they pull a fight from him? That doesn't make the UFC look good. Then, there's also the fact that McGregor was in attendance for a fight that saw a man die due to injuries sustained in the cage. That's got to mess with your head a bit. Even if he did go to Iceland to resume training, I'm sure it's weighing heavily on his mind. UFC can't give him some time in isolation to get his head right? If anything, McGregor was bordering on being over-exposed, so his absence from most media events (I would've had him do 1-2 exclusive sit-down interviews and that's it, aside from fight week), I think, would've actually helped the promotion of this fight. You've got Diaz running his mouth about how McGregor's scared and doesn't want the fight, all while McGregor is in Iceland with no cameras around (showing he's taking this fight seriously) prepping for the fight. Fight Week comes. McGregor's in Vegas. Boom. Every media outlet looking for a soundbite. Articles written. Tweets composed. The fight sells itself, man.

Except if you let one guy get away with missing media obligations you have to do it for everyone or else the rest of the fighters are going to be pissed that McGregor can do it and they can't. It would turn into no fights being promoted at all. Most of the guys hate having the media obligations but do them so that way they can stay on the card and make money. Also don't forget this isn't some new thing, pulling a fighter because he refused a media obligation. Diaz did back in '11 when he was going to fight GSP for the belt. But he didn't show up for a presser and was subsequently pulled from the card. And the only reason he got back onto that card was because GSP had back out of the BJ Penn due to an injury. Had GSP never gotten injured there is no shot that Diaz would've been back on that card.

[DJ]

Quote: Originally Posted by redsox4evur

Except if you let one guy get away with missing media obligations you have to do it for everyone or else the rest of the fighters are going to be pissed that McGregor can do it and they can't. It would turn into no fights being promoted at all. Most of the guys hate having the media obligations but do them so that way they can stay on the card and make money. Also don't forget this isn't some new thing, pulling a fighter because he refused a media obligation. Diaz did back in '11 when he was going to fight GSP for the belt. But he didn't show up for a presser and was subsequently pulled from the card. And the only reason he got back onto that card was because GSP had back out of the BJ Penn due to an injury. Had GSP never gotten injured there is no shot that Diaz would've been back on that card.

What fighter wouldn't want to be on the same card as McGregor? If he's drawing the biggest gates and selling the most PPV's, isn't that the point?

It's OK to treat your superstars as superstars. If McGregor can crack 1 million PPV buys and draw a big live gate without having to do media, who is that hurting? Nobody. Sure, other fighters may not love doing media, but you know what, McGregor understood how to play the game and played it better than anyone else has before in the UFC. Chael Sonnen certainly ranks up there and Tito Ortiz from back when the UFC under Zuffa was getting off the ground, was good at building up his name as well.

If these fighters would show some personality, they'd be bigger stars. Fighters need to stop saying "I'll just fight whoever the UFC gives me." You're not selling yourself with that promo time, fellas and ladies. Be bombastic. Call out a guy you really want to fight, and let the fans know why you want this fight. It's not complicated.

Due to being loud, in your face, brash and cocky, not to mention backing up his talk in the Octagon, McGregor built himself up into the biggest star in the company in what, 2 years? He's actually in a position of power and I don't think the UFC likes it all.

And yes, you can make the counter argument that without UFC, nobody would know who Conor McGregor is. I agree 100% there, but there comes a time when you've got to evolve as a business and take care of your top draws. Again, Conor not doing media (or limited engagements) isn't going to adversely affect UFC 200 ... unless he's not on the card. He's off the card now, so let's see how the PPV's look when he's not there.

For all the flak Vince McMahon gets as a promoter, he has always understood that his top guy can be treated a little differently than the rest of the roster. It has proven to be a successful business model for WWE.

[p_rushing]

The UFC will survive, but it will be down without him. All the stars are old, injured, or can't drive/stay off drugs. Conor was the draw for the UFC. Without Conor, the selling price drops a ton, they are back to 800k PPV being great, UFC200 maybe not even doing 1million, etc.

The UFC is at a crossroads. Before you had Pride and a lot of those fighters came to the UFC. So you had instant stars without any buildup needed. Then you had Strikeforce who was building stars and those title holders are actually holding UFC titles. The UFC has a big issue on building actual stars in the UFC. The lightweight guys all started in WEC. So Jones and maybe Ronda (although staying in Strikeforce she could have done the same thing) are really the only ones who came to the UFC and became famous. Conor does it and now the UFC is looking to control him because he is too big.

The UFC needs stars or all of a sudden they are really overexposed.

[thegut]

He probably pulled out of the press event because his douche bag **** talking routine doesn't work against a guy he just lost to. It would have been hilariously awkward though.

[redsox4evur]

Ok no more games.
I am going to release a statement shortly.

— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) April 21, 2016

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[The JareBear]

Quote: Originally Posted by redsox4evur

Ok no more games. I am going to release a statement shortly. — Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) April 21, 2016 ******** async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8">

Got my popcorn ready

[redsox4evur]

Quote: Originally Posted by The JareBear

Got my popcorn ready

[DJ]

Here's the statement:

https://www.facebook.com/thenotoriou...60441947357435

"Conor McGregor

10 mins ·
..
I am just trying to do my job and fight here.
I am paid to fight. I am not yet paid to promote.
I have become lost in the game of promotion and forgot about the art of fighting.
There comes a time when you need to stop handing out flyers and get back to the damn shop.
50 world tours, 200 press conferences, 1 million interviews, 2 million photo shoots, and at the end of it all I'm left looking down the barrel of a lens, staring defeat in the face, thinking of nothing but my incorrect fight preparation. And the many distractions that led to this.
Nothing else was going through my mind.
It is time to go back and live the life that got me this life.
Sitting in a car on the way to some dump in Conneticut or somewhere, to speak to Tim and Suzie on the nobody gives a **** morning show did not get me this life.
Talking to some lady that deep down doesn't give a **** about what I'm doing, but just wants some sound bites so she can maybe get her little tight *** a nice raise, and I'm cool with that too, I've been giving you all raises. But I need to focus on me now.
I'm coming for my revenge here.
I flew an entire team to Portugal and to Iceland to make my adjustments in preparation and fix my errors I made with the weight and the cardio prep.
With the right adjustments and the right focus, I will finish what I started in that last fight.
I will not do this if I am back on the road handing out flyers again.
I will always play the game and play it better than anybody, but just for this one, where I am coming off a loss, I asked for some leeway where I can just train and focus. I did not shut down all media requests. I simply wanted a slight adjustment.
But it was denied.
There had been 10 million dollars allocated for the promotion of this event is what they told me.
So as a gesture of good will, I went and not only saved that 10 million dollars in promotion money, I then went and tripled it for them.
And all with one tweet.
Keep that 10 mill to promote the other bums that need it. My shows are good.
I must isolate myself now.
I am facing a taller, longer and heavier man. I need to prepare correctly this time.
I can not dance for you this time.
It is time for the other monkeys to dance. I've danced us all the way here.
Nate's little mush head looks good up on that stage these days. Stuff him in front of the camera for it.
He came in with no **** to do that last one. I'd already done press conferences, interviews and shot the ads before RDA pulled out.
Maybe I'll hit Cabo this time and skull some shots pre-fight with no obligation.
I'm doing what I need for me now.
It is time to be selfish with my training again. It is the only way.
I feel the $400million I have generated for the company in my last three events, all inside 8 months, is enough to get me this slight leeway.
I am still ready to go for UFC 200.
I will offer, like I already did, to fly to New York for the big press conference that was scheduled, and then I will go back into training. With no distractions.
If this is not enough or they feel I have not deserved to sit this promotion run out this one time, well then I don't know what to say.
For the record also -
For USADA and for the UFC and my contract stipulations -
I AM NOT RETIRED."