Mailbag: Conor McGregor fallout, UFC Macau, and what’s going on 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 towards 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 chargeable for sexually assaulting a lady in 2018.

Evidently, 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 close to broadcast deal? A online game firm already dropped him. UFC doesn’t care except it impacts their backside line; however may 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 chargeable for sexually assaulting Nikita Hand, and ordered to pay roughly 1 / 4 million {dollars} in damages, it’s vital to recollect this was not a prison conviction. For the uninitiated, the distinction between civil and prison (apart from punishment, clearly) is that civil convictions require “a balancing of possibilities” whereas prison convictions require a jury to convict “past an inexpensive doubt.” To simplify, mainly civil judgments require a 51% of certainty, whereas prison 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 all the time be individuals who reflexively defend something, my anecdotal studying of the McGregor fallout has up to now led me to imagine {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 offered possession, however what I imply) Correct No. Twelve has distanced themselves from him. As a result of that is what occurs when you find yourself credibly accused of rape.

In fact, the UFC is perhaps one of many few main corporations on this planet the place that isn’t essentially a deal breaker. In spite of everything, McGregor wouldn’t be the primary individual accused of horrible crimes to nonetheless get fights within the UFC. Removed from it. For years, UFC CEO Dana White has written off all types of habits that wouldn’t fly in some other context with a waive of the hand, and “I’ve received 700 lunatics underneath contract.” Provided that this isn’t a prison conviction, it’s simple to think about the promotion will brush this underneath the rug as greatest it might probably.

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 wrestle to suppose any broadcaster may 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?

The truth is, in a bizarre and tragic coincidence, this will truly be the factor to convey 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 obtainable to him, this is perhaps what pushes him again into the health club. The truth is, 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 folks can forgive rattling close to something when you give them a cause to like you once more. In spite of everything, Mike Tyson truly went to jail for rape and but not even a month in the past 60 million households tuned in to observe him struggle 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, specifically the aftermath of UFC Macau.

On Saturday, Petr Yan and Deiveson Figueiredo placed on among the best fights of 2024. It gained’t win Battle 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 degree. 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 implies we most likely don’t have that for much longer left for the prime of his profession. As such, we should always not waste it. Figueiredo ought to completely struggle 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 distinct 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 an expert 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 profitable streak, seems poised for a title run. Given all that, there’s no fallacious solution to eat this Reese’s, actually, however Ulberg vs. Khalil Rountree in a putting matchup appears enjoyable and acceptable.

Jon Jones

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

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

Except, in fact, the UFC does determine to spend the cash wanted to make the struggle. 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 determine 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 may 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 imagine 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 convention 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 when you haven’t stored up with the season format or no matter, we’re nonetheless speaking about significant fights. Six new millionaires can be created on Friday, and even when the fights are all horrible (they could possibly 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 advisor, 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 cause 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 cause recognized to solely God and Donn Davis, the occasion additionally has 6 extra fights scheduled! There are jurisdictions that might contemplate this a struggle 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 complete weekend, and ship not simply championship bouts, however fill in with as many different good fights as you may. Other than it being good enterprise, don’t you suppose fighters may like the possibility to earn some cash proper earlier than the vacations and the lengthy break you might have 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 strains, PFL has to get its shit along with Bellator. When almost each among the best fighters you acquired in shopping for out Bellator has spoken out publicly towards you, you’re screwing the pooch. All the nice will PFL had at first 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 speedy thought was that this was a fantastic transfer, as a result of whereas PFL has a very good broadcast deal and a few issues in its favor, what it didn’t have was a roster of expertise. Buying Bellator vastly helped them on that entrance, however to look 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 part of the promotion. It’s simply horrible enterprise that gained’t simply damage them this yr, however will very doubtless vastly impede the PFL’s capability to re-sign this expertise when the time comes. It’s a totally unforced error.

My greatest guess is that PFL couldn’t financially shut up Bellator after buying it for some authorized or monetary causes and as an alternative needed to preserve it limping alongside to expire a clock. Frankly, it looks like that clock is close to its finish, and my guess is that by subsequent yr, Bellator can be folded utterly underneath the PFL model, at which level fighters could have a better time getting booked, however the injury could already be carried out by then.

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

Thanks for studying, and thanks for everybody who despatched in tweets (Xs?)! Do you might have any burning questions on issues at the very least considerably associated to fight sports activities? Then you definately’re in luck, as a result of you may 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.