All Lose in UFC-McGregor Power Struggle

The timing could not have been more perfect.

Conor McGregor had leverage. Although he’d lost his last fight, McGregor used his stroke – boosted by a claimed 1.5 million pay-per-view buys – to get a rematch on his terms: at 170-pounds in the main event of UFC 200. The UFC could and did suggest otherwise, but they had no power to deny their megastar’s demands. If UFC 200 was going to live up to the prestige that comes with a nice round number and the legacy that UFC 100 established it would need either McGregor or Ronda Rousey. With Rousey out of the picture, McGregor was the only fighter on the roster whose presence could justify the towering ticket prices and would give the landmark event a shot at smashing UFC 100’s longstanding pay-per-view record.

Now, four weeks after UFC announced the Nate Diaz vs. Conor McGregor rematch for UFC 200, the fight is off, a victim of a pissing contest between the UFC and its biggest star.

It’s difficult to break down details of the rift without knowing the events that caused it. Publicly, both sides agree the issue arose from McGregor’s unwillingness to trek to Las Vegas to shoot promotional materials and sit for a press conference. Perhaps that is the only issue, but its simplicity and a history of UFC-star fighter rifts make one hypothesize that a financial dispute played a part as well. Whatever the reason, the outcome it created is clear: both sides come out losers in this stubborn power struggle.

The announcement of Diaz vs. McGregor II hardly rocked the world, but the UFC banked on McGregor’s promotional ability to push the rematch a level above their extremely successful first encounter. As it turned out, he brought interest to the bout much earlier than anticipated. McGregor’s April 19 retirement Tweet reverberated throughout the sports world, and the UFC’s subsequent announcement that it had pulled him from the show for refusing to meet media obligations made it clear McGregor’s retirement was a strategic move. A McGregor Facebook post clarifying his stance and desire to fight, and the UFC’s uncompromising response, created a Cartmanland reaction, pushing interest in Diaz vs. McGregor to unprecedented levels. But the Las Vegas press conference passed, and so with it did any realistic chance of Diaz vs. McGregor headlining the show.

At least publicly, the UFC is fighting against its athletes’ ability to call the shots when it comes to media obligations. At the Las Vegas press conference, UFC President Dana White reasoned that allowing McGregor, who has likely fulfilled more media obligations in the past two years than any fighter other than Ronda Rousey, to skip his obligations wouldn’t be fair to the other fighters. It comes down to control. Since purchasing the UFC in 2001, Zuffa has maintained a level of control over its fighters that has allowed them to grow into the successful operation they are today without allowing the fighters to run the show, particularly when it comes to pay scale. The biggest stars will always have more leeway in certain aspects, as shown in McGregor’s ability to book an immediate rematch with Diaz, but at a certain point, the UFC will tug on the reigns. McGregor gambled that they wouldn’t this time; Zuffa wouldn’t threaten what would likely become the most lucrative event in MMA history. But whatever the issue was, Zuffa found it cause enough to pull the reigns hard.

As of this writing, it appears most likely that Daniel Cormier vs. Jon Jones will replace Diaz vs. McGregor in the top spot at UFC 200. It’s a big fight, but not the mega fight the alternative promised to be. All things considered, the new UFC 200 is looking at perhaps 1.1 million buys on pay-per-view buys, or roughly a $33 million take for the UFC. Had the UFC relented and rebooked McGregor vs. Diaz for the show last week, it would have beaten all company PPV records. If the fight hit 1.7 million buys, the UFC would be looking at $18 million more than the alternative, and in reality, the ceiling for a McGregor-Diaz UFC 200 is significantly higher than that.

For a modicum of control, the UFC sacrificed the most mainstream relevant fight in its history and upward of $20 million (considering all revenues). Of course, they were not the only loser.

McGregor lost the most lucrative fight of his career to this point, not to mention whatever expenses he’s already sunk into his training camp in Iceland. What’s more, he also lost credibility and surely some sympathy with a Tweet in the early hours of April 25, falsely stating that he was back on the card. In a serious fight against the UFC, early losses are a certainty, but here it appears McGregor uncharacteristically flinched.

In a battle for control, the UFC has shown it’s willing to cut off its nose to spite its face. Based on public knowledge, it appears they took a relatively minor issue and turned it into a lesson at significant losses and questionable gains. For now, McGregor remains on the sidelines, outgunned in this particular power play. He lost this round, but so did the UFC.

Dan Plunkett has covered MMA for 411Mania since 2008. You can reach him by email at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @Dan_Plunkett.