Should Conor McGregor Get A Title Shot?

[King 277]

Ye guys know more than me, will he get a title shot next do ye think??

[Guest The Beltster]

No, unless the UFC pull some strings and the next in line gets 'injured' in short order before the next title fight and they 'desperately need a replacement' etc. You know, those sort of shenanigans can always be put into play to position him where they want him and so he can skip the que.

[Guest John Hancock]

Probably not next. The champion, Jose Aldo, is currently injured, and the number one contender, before his injury, was Chad Mendes, who's been having a hot slow-build feud with Aldo for a while.

 

If I was the UFC, I'd feed McGregor nobody's whilst he tours the British Isles and the U.S. north-east, and wait for the winner of Aldo/Mendes, making him the cool, angry outsider, the people's champion smirk who's "left out" of the title picture, wink-wink. Stick him in the front row of Aldo/Mendes, put him on a press tour before and after, he could basically be a smarter, more game-playing Nick Diaz.

 

That said, the UFC are famously self-destructive when it comes to money fights and long lay-offs, so I'd expect them to do something stupid like Mendes vs. McGregor for the number one contendership and waste a future title fight.

[King 277]

Well it's the morning after the night before and already all I'm hearing is Conor McGregor, if Dana White picks up on this the UFC could have a new star on it's hands.

[Guest John Hancock]

[video=youtube;MpPzCNYVeS8]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpPzCNYVeS8

[Chris2K 176]

I don't see how McGregor has done anything to make himself important enough to chuck Chad Mendes to one side yet, we have to remember that "marketable" to the UFC is USA first, Brazil second, Canada third then Europe fourth. McGregor is incredibly popular in Europe but so is/was Michael Bisping (back when he was winning) and he still had to earn his title shots by winning fights rather than rely on his marketability.

 

In a way it's not fair when you consider that Chael has got so many title shots based on his ability to promote fights and his marketability, but he had the advantage of being American in an America-based company. Listening to what Dana was saying last night he seems very reluctant to give McGregor a title shot any time soon.

[Guest John Hancock]

From anecdotal evidence, I'd say Conor McGregor is way, way more popular than Bisping ever was already. For a start, Americans actually like him.

[Chris2K 176]

Hey I never said Bisping was popular, but he was marketable because of how hated he was.

[Guest John Hancock]

Eh, was he really though? How much of an actual draw was he anywhere?

[King 277]

I'd imagine McGregor would do huge business in Boston?

[Guest John Hancock]

Yeah, they've had him in Boston before, it was his fight before this one. He wasn't even on the main card, and he was probably the most talked about fighter leading into the show. That's the only time he's fought in North America I think, his only other UFC fight was Sweden, and he'd only done the British Isles and the Middle East before that.

 

I say either an Irish stadium show or main eventing a Fight Night (or semi-main eventing a pay-per-view) really anywhere in the north east, from Newark to Boston, there's enough people there who think they're Irish for him to kill.

[King 277]

I remember a post from you John is some prediction for the next years big thing and I think you picked McGregor before his injury.

[Guest John Hancock]

I don't remember saying that, but I'll take it :lol. I think really anyone who's good at talking shit, and shameless with it, has got an advantage over like 95% of everyone in the UFC. If you're got an easily identifiable American ethnicity to go along with it, then you're laughing.

[King 277]

I'll find that damn post :lol

 

Kidding aside though I know I might be harping on about McGregor but you guys don't realise how big he is over here now.

[Guest John Hancock]

I'll never say a bad word about someone harping on about MMA, no matter what the motive.

[Guest The Beltster]

I dont ever remember a time where people really gave a toss about Bisping over here. Infact, I vividly remember when they would put him on a UK show and people would be screaming for a real main event or big name and knew we only got him because he's English.

[Guest dpddave]

No way is he ready for one yet and by looking at the rankings the top few guys in the division would all destroy him. I wouldn't be overly confident of him beating everyone that's ranked from 5-10 either.

[Guest The Beltster]

He hasnt shown us alot of course, but he also hasnt shown me any reason to think he cant beat any of those guys...

[Guest John Hancock]

Confirmed, he's going to fight Dustin Poirier at UFC 178 in Vegas.

 

@TheNotoriousMMA: Tell Jon I'm taking a cut of his PPV.

 

Yes!

Edited July 22, 2014 by John Hancock

[King 277]

Dana also said that if he wins that fight they are planning an outdoor stadium event for Dublin.

[Guest The Beltster]

They better hope he wins. This guy is going to be a cash cow until he loses.

[Guest bigmatt]

Is Poirier good matchmaking in that sense?

[Guest John Hancock]

He's easily the best guy Conor's ever fought, it'll be interesting, I don't think it's going to be a walk-over.

 

Also, you Irish and your murals.

 

[Guest The Beltster]

That should become the official flag of Ireland.

[Guest John Hancock]

No title shot just yet it seems. Mr. McGregor will fight Dennis Siver in January in Boston. If he wins, he gets the winner of Aldo vs. Mendes. Seems this was as much McGregor's idea as anyone else's; he wants a fight instead of waiting for a title shot, and he wants the extra pay-day.