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411 Fact or Fiction MMA: Can MMA Benefit From Mayweather vs. McGregor?

June 21, 2017 | Posted by Lorenzo Vasquez

Welcome back to another edition of 411 Fact or Fiction MMA! I’m your host, Lorenzo Vasquez III, and it is always a pleasure to bring you some 411 Fact or Fiction. Thank you, for your votes and comments last week. It is appreciated and encouraged. Before moving onto this week’s edition, I want to send my deepest condolences to Tim Hague’s family. May he rest in peace. And, to Matt Hughes’ family, my prayers are with you. Let’s hope Matt makes a full recovery.

Last week, Dan Plunkett and Alex Rella butted heads over who the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world is, who deserves the next featherweight title shot in the UFC, and whether or not Mark Hunt should rematch Junior dos Santos in addition to other topics. Dan opened with a steady pace of stinging jabs and looked to have control. Alex eventually found his range and timing and pick Dan apart in route to a 15-to-12 victory. Congratulations, Alex, and thank you both for your efforts and contributions.

This week is all about money as “The Toddfather” Todd Vote battles Evan Zivin over Mayweather vs. McGregor becoming a reality, McGregor running away from mixed martial arts, McGregor’s Jiu Jitsu coach needing to shut up and fight, and much more! Go get that grub. Relax and sit back because it’s time for another round of, 411 Fact or Fiction MMA! Let’s the show on the road…

TALE OF THE TAPE
RED CORNER
“The Toddfather” Todd Vote
Contributor, Various 411 Zones
5-5-0

VS

BLUE CORNER
Evan “White Tiger” Zivin
Contributor, 411 MMA Zone
5-4-0

In Mayweather vs. McGregor, Conor has the opportunity to help mixed martial arts build credibility in the mainstream and help the sport transcend to a new level—better revenue streams, bigger events, better pay, etc.

Todd Vote: Fiction Conor has the ability to help his own drawing power here. I don’t see a win, even dominant and decisive, as doing much for the credibility of MMA. I do, however, seeing such a win making Conor led UFC cards a bigger draw. Perhaps I am wrong, but I just don’t see much changing the UFC at this time as far as better revenue streams, bigger events, and especially better pay.

Evan Zivin: FACT It’s certainly possible. He has the ability to help MMA with the platform this fight gives him, although he has the ability to help the sport now and doesn’t other than to do what’s best for himself. The only thing he’s shown interest in trying to grow is his bank account. Will he do anything now that he has his biggest fight ever right in front of him? I doubt it. I mean, it’s the biggest name in MMA choosing to take a boxing match instead of staying in MMA and defending his championship. One would think that, if he wanted to do the greatest good for MMA, he’d do it within the confines of MMA.

Does Conor beating Floyd do anything to help MMA? Maybe in the short term if it results in more people watching Conor’s fights, but those fans will only stick around if UFC can give them a reason to, which they are fully capable of but won’t, as that’s another instance of what they can do and what they will do not being aligned.

And, of course, Conor getting violently beaten and or knocked out won’t do much for the sport, especially since it gives MMA detractors fuel to say that boxing is superior. Yeah, it comes with a caveat that the MMA fighter was the one willing to cross over to the other sport and vice versa, but that’s not going to make a difference to anyone.

As far as helping other fighters when it comes to pay, this fight is going to do nothing to further that cause. How can it? Fighters can’t make more money when Floyd and Conor have all of it, right?

Nonetheless, Mayweather vs. McGregor is the circus of all circuses—the biggest circus in combat sports history to date.

Todd Vote: FACT It certainly is. I’m with the folks that seem to feel the excitement in this fight is going to be all about the buildup. Conor vs. Floyd on the interview circuit is far more appealing than McGregor vs. Money in the ring. I’d be willing to call it the biggest circus to date in combat sports.

Evan Zivin: FICTION You made the statement too broad for me to give a definitive yay or nay to that, Lorenzo. This is certainly one helluva spectacle, though. The freak show fight that ruins the concept of freak show fights for everyone. A superfight in every definition of the word. The exact kind of idea that fostered mixed martial arts to begin with, blossoming in front of us one more time in a display of blood, sweat, and gold and green colored trunks.

It’s hard to say this is the biggest circus to date just because what’s a circus to some people isn’t to others. To some, Mayweather vs. Pacquiao was a circus and that did some pretty big business. Maybe Kimbo Slice’s EliteXC fights are a bigger circus. They weren’t on Payperview but the TV ratings were pretty massive. Maybe the biggest circus is something that happened in Japan, as Pride had a pretty massive market share in their heyday. Maybe we have to go back to when actual gladiators roamed the Earth and didn’t just compose cheesy nu-metal. I know the spectators at the Roman Coliseum saw some pretty messed up shit.

Now, Mayweather vs. McGregor may be considered bigger due to the reach of the fight, as the social media age will allow the entire world to annoy the crap out of each other with useless opinions and predictions about this fight, but I can’t say it’s the biggest circus to date. It is one big circus, though. Barnum & Bailey would be proud if hadn’t been forced to close up shop last month. So close…

Conor McGregor is only coming back to MMA after his boxing match with Floyd Mayweather if he is utterly embarrassed.

Todd Vote: FICTION. Call me crazy, but I see him more likely to return to the UFC if he wins. Conor is getting a huge payday for this fight. But Conor also has a huge ego. No way he resists the chance to return to the UFC with that new point of bragging out there.

Evan Zivin: FICTION I still think it’s highly unlikely Conor comes back to MMA after this fight (where do you go once you get the 9 figure payday you’ve been dreaming about since you started fighting?) but, if he does come back, it won’t necessarily be because he got his ass kicked. I don’t expect this venture into boxing to be a long-term one so if Conor does decide he wants to take a fight again after Floyd, win or lose, it’ll be MMA and in the UFC. Once Conor beats Floyd, I doubt there’s anyone else in boxing that he’d deem worth his time, even though the pay would be much better than MMA (unless Papa Dana is going to set Conor up after he competes in the biggest fight of the year), so he’ll quit that sport and either hang up the gloves or get back to work on getting the Nate Diaz trilogy fight made. Well, unless he wants to start traveling around the world instead, going to different countries, challenging various martial arts masters at their own sport, since taking out Floyd means he can take out anyone. If he brings a camera crew, he’s got a hit show on his hands.

Seriously, anyone remember Fight Quest and Human Weapon? Jimmy Smith remembers…

SWITCH!

With McGregor officially booked, it’s time to re-book Tony Ferguson vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov for the interim lightweight title and hope one of the two finally meets McGregor in the Octagon by the end of 2017.

Evan Zivin: FACT Might as well. I don’t see anyone else that makes sense for these guys to face (other than a shot at the actual champion, wherever he may be…). Tony and Khabib both deserve a shot at the title, more so than anyone else in the lightweight division, and it makes no sense for either to take random fights for the sake of giving them something to do. These two have unfinished business with each other as well, not to mention I’m curious to see if these two are capable of making it to the cage in one piece or if this matchup is just cursed, so let’s see if we can finally settle things and determine who the clear cut number one contender is so that Conor McGregor can look them straight in the eye and firmly say, “WHO DA FOOK IS DAT GUY?”

Seriously, 2:1 says Nate gets the next shot (assuming Conor is the champion when the time comes and he hasn’t been stripped due to inactivity/so UFC can save face after Floyd punishes him on August 26).

Todd Vote: FACT I’m on board with that fight, but the interim title moniker isn’t needed. Just book a damn #1 contender’s fight. There is absolutely no reason to make it an interim title fight outside of McGregor never returning. Oh, wait… yeah, they should probably make it an interim title fight.

With Megan Anderson looking to make her UFC debut at UFC 214 against Cris Cyborg, it’s looking like Cyborg will finally fight a credible opponent who could legitimately beat her.

Evan Zivin: FACT I don’t know if I’d say Megan can beat Cyborg but she’s definitely one of the most credible opponents UFC could find for Cyborg. Megan is one of the few women who is a legit 145’er, instead of a 135’er going up in weight because Dana White said they’d win a piece of shiny gold if they did. The Invicta Featherweight Champion, who ascended to that throne after Cyborg abdicated, has been on a roll for the last year, winning 4 straight fights by TKO, and it will be interesting to see if she can keep that momentum going against the most feared striker in female MMA history.

Just remember, Germaine de Randamie: This beating could have been yours. It could have been yours…

Todd Vote: FACT I went and watched a couple of her fights right quick to answer this as I wasn’t too familiar. Though I stop short of calling her Cyborg’s first credible opponent, Anderson looks like she has a solid set of skills. She should offer a legit challenge.. At least I am hoping so.

As Neiman Gracie explained, it’s time for Dillon Danis to shut up and actually step inside of the Bellator cage.

Evan Zivin: FICTION Dillon Danis? You mean the elite level BJJ practitioner who won’t stop saying stupid shit because he thinks he’s been afforded that luxury thanks to the fact he trains with Conor McGregor? I neither care about him, nor do I care what he says, so I don’t care what he should do. Would it help him if he finally took a fight? Absolutely. Is it entirely his choice to continue running his mouth and maintain the reputation he’s building of being a bit of a bitch? Of course. Either way, I couldn’t care less.

Todd Vote: FACT How does a 0-0 fighter make demands of a promotion when he hasn’t even fought yet? That just seems strange as hell. So yes, Dillon Danis needs to shut up and fight. Prove yourself, kid.

So who won? Did “The Toddfather” rearrange Evan’s face? Was Evan too good to be ousted? You’ve got until midnight eastern on Saturday to vote, so make sure you make your voice heard!

And that’s it for today but, as always, we’ll be back next week with another contest! And please, be sure to vote!

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