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411 Fact or Fiction: Are Sluggish Mayweather vs. McGregor Ticket Sales Surprising?

August 16, 2017 | Posted by Lorenzo Vasquez
Floyd Mayweather Conor McGregor Mayweather vs. McGregor - Leonard Ellerbe

Welcome back to another edition of 411 Fact or Fiction MMA! I’m your host, Lorenzo Vasquez III, and it is my pleasure to bring you another round of 411 Fact or Fiction MMA. Thank you, for the comments and your votes last week, it is appreciated and encouraged. Last week, I jumped into the flames with Robert Winfree and we locked horns over a variety of MMA snippets like Paul Malignaggi leaving Conor McGregor’s camp, Cat Zingano trying to get a fight with Cris Cyborg, and Sergio Pettis proving he’s a title contender. We came in throwing big bombs but it was I who landed the better shots and ended Robert’s night early. Nonetheless, thank you, Robert for your efforts and contributions, it is appreciated.

This week, Dino Zee returns to defend his crown against your host, the “Corpse Grinder” and it is promising to be vicious back and forth contest. We will dive into subjects like the released sparring footage of Paul Malignaggi and Conor McGregor, Paige VanZant fighting Jessica Eye, the UFC offering better fighter contracts, and much more! Go grab that grub, sit back, and relax because it’s time for another round of, 411 Fact or Fiction MMA! Let’s get on…

TALE OF THE TAPE
RED CORNER
Dino “Salad Bar” Zee
Contributor, 411 Wrestling Zone
10-0-1

VS

BLUE CORNER
Lorenzo “Corpse Grinder” Vasquez III
Host/Contributor, 411 MMA Zone
10-5-1


The snippets of video released of Paul Malignaggi and Conor McGregor’s second sparring session indicate that McGregor may be able to hold his own against Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Dino Zee: FICTION They could release a 3 hour video that shows 100% domination by Conor, and this would still be a FICTION from me. At his best, Paulie was never in Mayweather’s league, and should never be used as a litmus test. Further, there is nothing that will convince me that Conor can hold his own against Floyd until he’s actually in the ring, doing it. I allow for the 1% possibility of a McGregor win in this fight, but I’m going to lean heavily – and arrogantly – on that presumed 99% sure ending. Nothing done before the fight actually starts will show me that Conor can hang with Floyd.

Lorenzo Vasquez III: FICTION While, the videos appear to show McGregor getting the best of Malignaggi, it is not enough to say McGregor can hold his own against Mayweather. McGregor does hit Malignaggi with some hard lefts in one clip and then, in the other, we have the apparent push-down. After looking at both clips over and over and in slow motion, Malignaggi appears to dodge most of McGregor’s punches before the “push-down.” McGregor gets a hold of Malignaggi behind the neck/head and appears to deliver a right onto Malignaggi’s chin as he drops onto his bottom.

In the other clip, however, McGregor does get the better of Malignaggi, landing some solid punches on the former boxing champ. McGregor’s boxing certainly didn’t look polished, but that is something we should expect. Nonetheless, releasing the entire unedited spar from start to finish (it’ll never happen) is the only way to really gauge what McGregor is capable of based on his performance with Malignaggi. These clips are too short and too focused on McGregor. Releasing these clips in the manner in which they were, leads me to believe this was more of a publicity stunt to try to sell the fight as it struggles to sell. We also have to consider the kind of shape Malignaggi was in, and more importantly, was Malignaggi trying to replicate Mayweather’s style. After all, that is what sparring should consist of for McGregor; having sparring partners recreate Mayweather’s style so he can prepare for his foe. Malignaggi sure as hell doesn’t look to be replicating Mayweather.


If Paul Malignaggi really felt he was pushed down when the sparring footage directs us to believe otherwise, it is possible he is/was concussed.

Dino Zee: FICTION I don’t feel like the footage directs us to believe otherwise, so the rest is moot. I’ve watched that clip probably 88 times too many, and I can still see both sides to this quite equally. I can see Conor land a couple good shots and Paulie goes down. At the same time, I can see Conor clearly resting his hand on Paulie’s head, and pulling it back, and Paulie falls, much like Paulie has claimed happened.

I don’t feel like there’s much to go on from the tiny clips there, and like I said, can see either still being the actual truth without much scorn. Paulie absolutely got hit. I’m not denying that. I just don’t know if that disproves his story at all, and so, I won’t go into whether I think the man was concussed when his story still appears to hold some water.

Lorenzo Vasquez III: FICTION The truth behind what really happened during the 12-round sparring session is likely in the middle, between what Conor McGregor and Dana White and Paul Malignaggi are saying. In fact, what has been said about the spar by referee Joe Cortez and Tiernan Bradley points to the notion the truth lies in the middle. So, I don’t think Paul Malignaggi saying he was pushed down has to do with him being concussed. It has to do more with his ego much like Conor McGregor saying Malignaggi got ass whopped the entire spar. Is it possible Malignaggi was concussed? Sure. We do see McGregor land a punishing straight left. But it has nothing to do with the former boxing champion believing he was pushed down. Both Malignaggi and McGregor have big egos and tons of pride, most if not every champion fighter does, and that is why we here discussing this. Either that or Malignaggi and McGregor are setting up a fight for later down the road.


It’s surprising that ticket sales for Mayweather Jr. vs. McGregor are sluggish.

Dino Zee: FICTION While there is still definitely something about being there for a big moment, you have to give people something spectacular, especially when the lowest cost for tickets is still $1890 dollars. Many people would prefer to just watch at some bar/restaurant, or even only spend $100 on the pay per view, instead, and watch on their gigantic TV.

Charging nearly two grand for what is, on paper, a completely one-sided blow out is not the best strategy for selling out the place, even if the fight itself has a crazy amount of freakshow cache that should make it fun. It’s still too much for a fight that, most likely, doesn’t figure to be too competitive, even during its best moments. So, no, I’m not surprised at all.

Lorenzo Vasquez III: FICTION The ticket prices are ridiculous. It’s a hard sell for a circus at those prices. Plus, as big of a star as he is, Conor McGregor, is an unproven commodity in the boxing arena so it’s hard to imagine people flocking to buy these tickets when there is a large probability that one fighter won’t be able to keep up with the other and it will likely be a one-sided show favoring the man everyone expects to win. You also have to consider that MMA fans aren’t used to paying so much for nosebleed seats So you can’t really depend on a large portion of MMA fans buying up tickets. My apologies to Mayweather and McGregor but this fight is only pay-per-view worthy and even then it’s still expensive and most people will find a bar or put a pot together to purchase the show.


SWITCH!

It’s difficult to believe Jon Jones really wants peace with Daniel Cormier.

Lorenzo Vasquez III: FICTION I’m slightly leaning this to fiction. There has been so much animosity between the two that it is hard to believe they’d want peace. But that animosity creates baggage that I am sure both would love to leave behind. I think Jones is being sincere. I think the ups and downs between him and Cormier these past few years has been a tremendous amount of stress. It really allowed him to focus and get his gears right. In other words, he had to up his game and personal life or Cormier would have gotten the final laugh. But that allowed him mature as a person and a fighter. In a way, it made him appreciate Cormier for being his biggest challenge as it allowed him to reach a different level. I don’t think the animosity will ever be completely gone, but I think Jones knows some good came out of the rivalry and he appreciates Cormier for that, at least that’s my theory.

Dino Zee: FICTION I’m an admitted Jon Jones fan (my apologies), so maybe I’m just seeing things through rose-colored lenses, but no, I don’t find it that difficult to believe. I’ve always believed that Cormier was the one with the real bad feelings in his heart – slighted by Jones initial boast that he could definitely take him down when they first met. Cormier was the one offended – Jones just went along with antagonizing the man because it was too easy. The win over Cormier in the first fight only inflated his ego, but I don’t believe Jones ever had the same hate for Cormier that Cormier did for Jones.

On top of that, Jones has always liked to be seen as some sort of super duper good guy (ignoring all legal transgressions, natch), and his post-fight speech after beating Cormier again was proof of that desire. He’d love to be seen as the one that made peace, because man, what a great guy that Jon Jones is, right?

But, alas, I know that Jones is seen as the worst person ever to many, and they will refuse to see that Jones could easily want this.


Jessica Eye seems like a terrible matchup for Paige VanZant.

Lorenzo Vasquez III: FACT My intuition tells me this is a fact. Jessica Eye, who actually fought at flyweight before signing with the UFC, has been in the octagon with some of the best 135-pounders, though, she was on the losing end of those fights. Nonetheless, she is gritty and took them all to a decision. As a bantamweight, she showed good takedown defense and solid striking. Paige VanZant is a developing fighter. She has made significant improvement in her overall game. She’s athletic and strong. I think Eye has the experience to keep VanZant on her toes and I don’t think VanZant will have the strength advantage she had in the strawweight division. But, one thing is for certain, in this game, anything can happen and it may be that VanZant’s true home is at flyweight, we’ll see. For now, I calling this a fact.

Dino Zee: FACT Yeah, I’d say that’s fair. A strawweight fighting a bantamweight (at flyweight, sure) seems like they’d be at a bit of a disadvantage, right? Eye has most certainly not had the most spectacular run in the UFC, but she’s fought top level competition and never been finished in the octagon. Paige, on the other hand, has the two UFC losses to Rose and Waterson that saw her get choked out in both. It’s not unfair to assume that against the bigger and (seemingly) stronger opponent, that Paige may struggle mightily.

Or maybe she’ll unleash that Bec Rawlings Kick and shock us all again. Either way, yes, this appears to be a terrible matchup for VanZant.


Conor McGregor looking to “contend” in both boxing and MMA going forward may be the catalyst that gets the UFC working with fighters to create more fighter friendly contracts.

Lorenzo Vasquez III: FICTION If Conor McGregor is able to pull this off, it may indeed set off a chain reaction or at the least be seen as the driving force that started it all. It may give fighters the ingredients to kick off a march leading to better contracts with the UFC, specifically, less restrictive contracts. But, I don’t see it happening. I don’t see McGregor beating Floyd and if the fight is boring and if the final numbers don’t come close to the expectations, McGregor will not be contending in both sports simultaneously as long as he is under UFC contract. Besides that, I don’t think the UFC is ready to change how they approach contracts with fighters. They’re not ready to give up that kind of control. We may be left with the fact that Conor McGregor is just a once in a lifetime superstar, the exception to the rule.

Dino Zee: FACT Honest truth? I have no idea, but I like the thought, so we’re going Fact on this one. I really hope that the UFC fighters trying boxing is what eventually gets the Ali Act going in MMA, but we’ll have to wait and see. Regardless, yes, perhaps the UFC might finally see some value in making big fights or letting their guys go box on the side. Sure, Dana’s experiment with Chuck in Pride didn’t go so well, but eventually you gotta dust yourself off and try again. And if he’s willing to let Conor chase Floyd, why can’t we do some other fun stuff? I heard Stipe wants to give this a shot, after all…


So who won? Did I become the exception to the rule and defeat Dino? Did Dino smash through another opponent? 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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