The biggest name in the mixed martial arts industry right now is arguably the notorious man himself: Conor McGregor. McGregor can put on a show not just inside that octagon but outside of it as well. His words are almost as ferocious as his hands. The allure of Conor McGregor has become the biggest draw in the mixed martial arts business.
Ronda Rousey held that coveted spot until the media Goliath suffered her defeat to Holly Holm at UFC 193. The perpetual face of the UFC was knocked out in a shocking loss to Holly Holm. Excuses and explanations have been made as to why the fight played out like it did, but the most talked about subject was the unforeseen future of one of the participants. Rumors of Rousey's retirement have spread around all circles of the media, while her career outside of the octagon continues to flourish: movie deals, modeling, and even hosting SNL. This generates even more speculation on whether the return dreams of "Rowdy" Ronda Rousey will ever come to life. This forced Dana White and the UFC to develop a backup plan.
White began to promote up and coming new stars such as Sage Northcutt (pictured left) and Paige VanZant (below) as the future of the industry. Pegging these two young promising athletes as soon to be household names may have been jumping the gun. Just as the media circuits and UFC promoting began to feed both VanZant and Northcutt to the fans, unexpectedly both VanZant and Northcutt suffered detrimental losses. This possibly unmasked these fighters for who they truly are, which is not the type that can carry the business on their shoulders.
VanZant was originally expected to face Joanne Calderwood on December 10, 2015 at UFC Fight Night 80. However, Calderwood was pulled from the fight in October and replaced by Rose Namajunas. VanZant was dominated in all facets of the bout, seemingly being picked apart by an opponent who out-classed her. VanZant did show a lot of heart by continuing to battle but ultimately lost the one-sided fight via submission in the fifth round.
Most recently, Northcutt fought what was expected to be an easy bout against Bryan Barberena at UFC Fight Night in January 2016. The outcome of this contest should have boosted the rise of Northcutt. However, Sage Northcutt was submitted in the second round via choke hold. Since the loss, even Dana White has come forward making excuses such as questioning Northcutt's health going into the fight. Yet another star that Dana White hand picked to be his money maker has fallen.
While some may say Conor McGregor's ascension has only just begun, what if he too, should fall? A McGregor loss right now could be devastating to the UFC. Who will be their flagship star? Who will be there to take the reigns, promote, and hype up any fight or event? But for those stars to continue to be a mainstay of relevancy, they need to win and do so consistently. If that's the case, then why would McGregor be pitted against such a deadly opponent?
Rafael Dos Anjos: a man to be feared, a man not easily overlooked, and a man on a collision course with McGregor at UFC 197. Conor is going into this fight as the underdog with most experts predicting a loss in his future. Dos Anjos is riding a five fight winning streak and is the current Lightweight champion. Most recently, he has been running through high level talent like that of Benson Henderson, Anthony Pettis, and Cowboy Cerrone. Not only has Dos Anjos proven to be a viable opponent in the ring, but he also seems to be immune to Conor's tricks outside of it. McGregor tries to get opponents emotionally invested in his fights so they will be off of their game plan. Dos Anjos has been nothing but calm and collected (at least thus far) through all of McGregor's antics. He has so far presented the demeanor and fighting ability that could end the era of the notorious Conor McGregor.
It was only recently that Conor McGregor used social media to shed some light on this fight decision: "It's with ease, and with pleasure, that I gift the fans and the company with back to back super-fights. In a time where entire cards get flushed down the toilet over a sore toe. The game is on its knees and I'm on a throne." Conor proclaimed that he trains harder, works harder, and is now proving that he is willing to fight anyone at anytime even if it means moving up a weight class.
Could this fearless attitude, that has brought him his popularity and made the UFC more money than ever imagined, ultimately be his downfall? Conor McGregor, the man and the fighter, could surely recover from a loss when he himself knows the level of competition that he is up against. But can the organization survive? A company with no figurehead to attach its name to and ride off into the sunset with? What will the UFC stoop to then...?
Could this fearless attitude, that has brought him his popularity and made the UFC more money than ever imagined, ultimately be his downfall? Conor McGregor, the man and the fighter, could surely recover from a loss when he himself knows the level of competition that he is up against. But can the organization survive? A company with no figurehead to attach its name to and ride off into the sunset with? What will the UFC stoop to then...?
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