Mailbag: Conor McGregor fallout, UFC Macau, and what’s happening with PFL and Bellator

Final week, the UFC made its long-awaited return to China with UFC Macau, the place Petr Yan turned in a classic efficiency in opposition to Deiveson Figueiredo to reinsert himself into the bantamweight title dialog. Plus a complete bunch of different stuff occurred together with Conor McGregor being discovered civilly answerable for sexually assaulting a girl in 2018.

For sure, it was a busy week so let’s focus on it, together with what’s developing.

Conor McGregor fallout

“Do you see a fallout from Conor’s lawsuit almost about broadcast deal? A online game firm already dropped him. UFC doesn’t care until it impacts their backside line; however might it have an effect on negotiations? Or will the deal be too attenuated from the case?”

Let’s begin right here: whereas McGregor was discovered civilly answerable for sexually assaulting Nikita Hand, and ordered to pay roughly 1 / 4 million {dollars} in damages, it’s essential to recollect this was not a legal conviction. For the uninitiated, the distinction between civil and legal (apart from punishment, clearly) is that civil convictions require “a balancing of possibilities” whereas legal convictions require a jury to convict “past an affordable doubt.” To simplify, principally civil judgments require a 51% of certainty, whereas legal ones require 99.99% of certainty.

That being stated, convictions within the courtroom of public opinion require far lower than a civil jury, and whereas there’ll at all times be individuals who reflexively defend something, my anecdotal studying of the McGregor fallout has to date led me to consider {that a} majority of individuals are out on McGregor. That fallout is already being felt by McGregor who has sponsors and tasks dropping him like a heavy weight. Even his personal whiskey model (technically not his since he bought possession, however you realize what I imply) Correct No. Twelve has distanced themselves from him. As a result of that is what occurs when you’re credibly accused of rape.

After all, the UFC may be one of many few main firms on this planet the place that isn’t essentially a deal breaker. In spite of everything, McGregor wouldn’t be the first individual accused of horrible crimes to nonetheless get fights within the UFC. Far from it. For years, UFC CEO Dana White has written off all kinds of habits that wouldn’t fly in another context with a waive of the hand, and “I’ve received 700 lunatics beneath contract.” Provided that this isn’t a legal conviction, it’s straightforward to think about the promotion will brush this beneath the rug as finest it could possibly.

And I believe it’ll be fairly profitable at doing so. White himself confronted no recourse for slapping his spouse in public and that went away in a matter of weeks. The fanbase, by and enormous, doesn’t care and I battle to suppose any broadcaster can have large issues both. In spite of everything, ESPN (a Disney-owned firm) had no qualms with working Greg Hardy on the market, and he wasn’t even actually a needle mover.

No, the fallout from McGregor’s actions will land squarely on McGregor himself. As a result of whereas the UFC is unlikely to care, as we’ve seen, the remainder of the world does. There are just too many different folks to do enterprise with who don’t have one thing so horrible following them round. So I believe McGregor will proceed to get dropped by sponsors, and from enterprise offers, and any plans there have been for him to interrupt into Hollywood are out the window. Who wants the headache of tying themselves to somebody like that?

In truth, in a bizarre and tragic accident, this will really be the factor to carry McGregor again to preventing. He actually doesn’t have to as he’s nonetheless richer than cream, however with the world closing itself off to McGregor for the primary time in years, and few different enterprise alternatives accessible to him, this may be what pushes him again into the fitness center. In truth, he’s already hinting at simply that.

As a result of if there’s one factor that’s been confirmed again and again its that individuals can forgive rattling close to something if you happen to give them a motive to like you once more. In spite of everything, Mike Tyson really went to jail for rape and but not even a month in the past 60 million households tuned in to look at him combat once more. Perhaps McGregor can take an analogous journey again into the nice graces of the general public.

UFC Macau

“What do you factor Deiveson Figueiredo’s subsequent transfer ought to be?”

Now on to some happier subjects, particularly the aftermath of UFC Macau.

On Saturday, Petr Yan and Deiveson Figueiredo placed on the most effective fights of 2024. It gained’t win Combat of the 12 months, and it most likely gained’t even crack the top-five, but it surely was the definition of elite MMA on each stage. With the win, everyone knows the place Yan ought to go subsequent — a five-round rematch with Sean O’Malley — however what about Figgy Smalls?

Figueiredo is about to show 37, which suggests we most likely don’t have that for much longer left for the prime of his profession. As such, we must always not waste it. Figueiredo ought to completely combat in enjoyable matchups, and the primary one which jumps off the web page to me is Jose Aldo. Each are coming off aggressive losses (Aldo ought to’ve gained, I’ll die on this hill) and each are former champions in a unique division then they began in. When the UFC heads again to Brazil subsequent years, e-book that for 5 rounds because the co-main occasion.

Carlos Ulberg

“What subsequent for Carlos Ulberg after win #7 in a row?”

Ulberg beat Volkan Oezdemir in knowledgeable but uninspiring efficiency on the primary card of UFC Macau. Now, he sits at No. 7 within the UFC gentle heavyweight rankings and together with his large successful streak, seems poised for a title run. Given all that, there’s no improper method to eat this Reese’s, actually, however Ulberg vs. Khalil Rountree in a putting matchup appears enjoyable and acceptable.

Jon Jones

“How do you identify if Jon Jones is making an attempt to receives a commission what he’s value to combat Tom Aspinall or if he’s pricing himself out as a result of he has no actual intentions of preventing him, aka ducking?”

Properly, Jones won’t ever receives a commission what he’s value to combat Tom Aspinall as a result of he fights within the UFC and so they don’t try this. However setting that apart, the reply is that we are going to by no means know. Solely Jon Jones is aware of what’s in his personal coronary heart and what his motivations are. So until you’re Jones, we will solely guess. And until Jones comes out and says “I’ll solely do it for $1 billion” then a guess is all now we have.

Except, after all, the UFC does resolve to spend the cash wanted to make the combat. If the UFC meets Jon’s calls for after which he begins shifting the goalposts, then that’s a transparent indication he by no means wished the motion within the first place. However once more, will we ever know that? Unlikely.

So finally, you’ll simply should resolve for your self whether or not Jones asking for extra money than he usually would (which is what he himself is saying he’s doing) is savvy negotiation or a tacit admission that he thinks he might lose to Aspinall and thus solely will danger it if he’s paid a king’s ransom. I do know the place I stand, and actually, I don’t blame him for the selection I consider he’s making even when I don’t essentially prefer it.

PFL Championships

“What are you wanting ahead to extra, Thanksgiving or a gazillion hours of the 2024 PFL Championship?”

Why not each? PFL Championships and Thanksgiving is a practice just like the NBA and Christmas.

OK, it’s not fairly like that, however I’ll admit that I do benefit from the PFL Championships yearly. As a result of even if you happen to haven’t stored up with the season format or no matter, we’re nonetheless speaking about significant fights. Six new millionaires will likely be created on Friday, and even when the fights are all horrible (they might be!), that’s nonetheless fairly rattling cool.

Having stated that, I’m as soon as once more begging the PFL to please rent me as a guide, as a result of doing one mega-card on Friday strains occasion probably the most optimistic of followers (like myself). There may be merely no motive to carry all six event championships on the identical card, and there’s REALLY NO REASON WHATSOEVER to even have 5 extra regional championship bouts on that very same card. 10 fights that may presumably go 25 minutes is INSANE! Plus, for some motive identified to solely God and Donn Davis, the occasion additionally has 6 extra fights scheduled! There are jurisdictions that might contemplate this a conflict crime.

The very apparent, easy reply right here is that the PFL Championships ought to be a two-day extravaganza! Half the event bouts on Friday after which the opposite half on Saturday. Take over your entire weekend, and ship not simply championship bouts, however fill in with as many different good fights as you possibly can. Other than it being good enterprise, don’t you suppose fighters would possibly like the prospect to earn some cash proper earlier than the vacations and the lengthy break you have got till the beginning of subsequent season?

This isn’t onerous and I don’t know why they’ll’t see it.

Bellator

“Ideas on the Bellator lack of fights scenario?”

And alongside these traces, PFL has to get its shit along with Bellator. When almost each the most effective fighters you acquired in shopping for out Bellator has spoken out publicly in opposition to you, you’re screwing the pooch. All the nice will PFL had in the beginning of the yr is gone, and I actually don’t have any clue what the hell they’re doing at this level.

When PFL purchased Bellator, my instant thought was that this was an excellent transfer, as a result of whereas PFL has a superb broadcast deal and a few issues in its favor, what it didn’t have was a roster of expertise. Buying Bellator significantly helped them on that entrance, however to appear them flounder and flub all these nice fighters has been nothing in need of a catastrophe. Not simply because it sucks as a fan, however as a result of it’s killing the PFL model. When revered fighters shit on you en masse, that doesn’t make different fighters begin lining as much as be a part of the promotion. It’s simply horrible enterprise that gained’t simply damage them this yr, however will very possible significantly impede the PFL’s potential to re-sign this expertise when the time comes. It’s a totally unforced error.

My finest guess is that PFL couldn’t financially shut up Bellator after buying it for some authorized or monetary causes and as a substitute needed to maintain it limping alongside to expire a clock. Frankly, it seems like that clock is close to its finish, and my guess is that by subsequent yr, Bellator will likely be folded fully beneath the PFL model, at which level fighters could have a better time getting booked, however the injury could already be accomplished by then.

I believed 2024 might be a transformative yr for the PFL, and it’s wanting like I may be proper, simply not in the best way I imagined.

Thanks for studying, and thanks for everybody who despatched in tweets (Xs?)! Do you have got any burning questions on issues not less than considerably associated to fight sports activities? Then you definately’re in luck, as a result of you possibly can ship your tweets to me, @JedKMeshew, and I’ll reply my favourite ones! Doesn’t matter in the event that they’re topical or insane, simply as long as they’re good. Thanks once more, and see y’all subsequent week.