My buddy Shane Kersh and I have followed the UFC for years and for a long time we were massive fans of Connor McGregor. In recent years however both Shane and I have began to really dislike the Irishman for his foolish antics away from the ring. He has always flown pretty close to the sun but the way that he has spoken about people and the controversies which he has been mixed up in, of his own making I might add, has really muddied the waters. After the Floyd Mayweather fight and the launch of his whisky and his clothing line, few thought he’d come back to the UFC, but he did, getting beaten by Khabib in what was a surprisingly dominant fight. Khabib didn’t want the rematch so that was that, or was it.
Shane text me last week to tell me that McGregor was coming back to fight Cowboy Cerrone in January, and we are both wondering what’s up with this.
Legacy
We doubt very much that if Connor wins this match that he will be looking to retire, in fact this could be the perfect stepping stone for what he wants, which is to further cement his legacy. A win against Cowboy could setup a number of fights for the Irishman, a third Diaz fight would be one option, a fight against the winner of Khabib and Ferguson is another option and he may even wish to take on Masvidal if he is still hot. This fight is about putting Connor in a position to cement his legacy, lose however, and we’ll not see him again.
The Brand
Does Connor need the money that he’ll be making from his comeback? Probably not but in coming back he puts himself in a position to make some serious cheddar. Firstly the PPV with Cowboy and Connor will be massive, it may even set a new record because of the amount of people who want to see McGregor back in the ring. The more important point however is that for McGregor to continue being a brand, selling the suits and the whiskey, he has to be in the public domain and active, which this of course will do. It is about planting seeds in the minds of people and that could well be what this Connor return is all about.
Should He Do It?
Something which Shane rightly pointed out and something that many miss is that this is in McGregor’s blood, he just loves to fight. Beyond the cars, the money, the legacy and the brand, he may just want to get back to doing what he does best, knocking his opponents out. Connor has been away for a long time and Cowboy is probably a smart choice as his first fight, box office enough, but aging a little so beatable. The fight is also going to be at 170 which probably plays into the Irishman’s hands a little, should he be coming back? That depends on the outcome of the fight.
