McGregor McRetires? No. But let's talk about him anyway.

[Supremo]

Hating Dana is all fine and dandy, but why did you put suspicious quotation marks around, "training," and "fight," in regards to him training for that boxing fight with Tito? I watched that documentary. He very clearly was training like a motherfucker for that fight. He lost a shit loads of weight. The far more obvious criticism you should be making is regarding Dana ever agreeing to air that documentary, since it made Tito, one of his top stars, look like a moron and most likely damaged his drawing power considerably.

[Egg Shen]

I dont even think Dana cared at that point about Tito. You ever see the Liddell/Ortiz documentary the UFC put out? It's very one sided.

[lambyUK]

Anyone with a bit a spare time, here's the latest Fighter and the kid podcast with Schaub and Callen talking about the Mcgregor fallout. Starts about 5 mins in. Really good listen.

 

https://soundcloud.com/fighterandthekid/episode-143#t=5:30

Edited April 21, 2016 by lambyUK

[David]

Hating Dana is all fine and dandy, but why did you put suspicious quotation marks around, "training," and "fight," in regards to him training for that boxing fight with Tito? I watched that documentary. He very clearly was training like a motherfucker for that fight. He lost a shit loads of weight. The far more obvious criticism you should be making is regarding Dana ever agreeing to air that documentary, since it made Tito, one of his top stars, look like a moron and most likely damaged his drawing power considerably.

 

Because it's widely accepted that the whole thing was a big publicity stunt, and simply a way for White to boost his own ego at the expense of Ortiz. There's no way that fight was ever happening.

 

I've also heard various sources state that the "training" was mostly staged for the cameras and not the type of training you'd undertake for an actual fight.

[jimufctna24]

 since it made Tito, one of his top stars, look like a moron and most likely damaged his drawing power considerably.

I believe the documentary was aired on Spike TV in late 2006 - just before Chuck vs Tito 3. It didn't air in the United Kingdom. Given that Tito vs Chuck 3 drew a then record 1 million buys, it didn't harm Tito's drawing power that much. The public still bought him as a legit challenger, or were at least still willing to pay to see Chuck wallop him.

 

It was a counter-productive exercise though. After wrapping up filming, Dana knew what content had been filmed, and had a choice to air it or not. I don't see what good came from airing it. In its place, the UFC could have aired something more meaningful. 

 

Anyway, I've grown to dislike Dana over the years. He has serious flaws as both a promoter and a person. That said, I have to give him credit for helping build the UFC. Since Pride's demise, he's not had any serious competition. 

[seanz25]

Conor on Twitter claiming "No games, I'll release a statement shortly"

 

This is about to blow up isn't it...

Edited April 21, 2016 by seanz25

[lambyUK]

And here it is...from his facebook...

 

https://www.facebook.com/thenotoriousmma/posts/1260441947357435

 

I am just trying to do my job and fight here. 
I am paid to fight. I am not yet paid to promote.
I have become lost in the game of promotion and forgot about the art of fighting. 
There comes a time when you need to stop handing out flyers and get back to the damn shop.
50 world tours, 200 press conferences, 1 million interviews, 2 million photo shoots, and at the end of it all I'm left looking down the barrel of a lens, staring defeat in the face, thinking of nothing but my incorrect fight preparation. And the many distractions that led to this. 
Nothing else was going through my mind. 
It is time to go back and live the life that got me this life.
Sitting in a car on the way to some dump in Conneticut or somewhere, to speak to Tim and Suzie on the nobody gives a fuck morning show did not get me this life. 
Talking to some lady that deep down doesn't give a fuck about what I'm doing, but just wants some sound bites so she can maybe get her little tight ass a nice raise, and I'm cool with that too, I've been giving you all raises. But I need to focus on me now.
I'm coming for my revenge here. 
I flew an entire team to Portugal and to Iceland to make my adjustments in preparation and fix my errors I made with the weight and the cardio prep. 
With the right adjustments and the right focus, I will finish what I started in that last fight. 
I will not do this if I am back on the road handing out flyers again.
I will always play the game and play it better than anybody, but just for this one, where I am coming off a loss, I asked for some leeway where I can just train and focus. I did not shut down all media requests. I simply wanted a slight adjustment.
But it was denied. 
There had been 10 million dollars allocated for the promotion of this event is what they told me. 
So as a gesture of good will, I went and not only saved that 10 million dollars in promotion money, I then went and tripled it for them. 
And all with one tweet.
Keep that 10 mill to promote the other bums that need it. My shows are good. 
I must isolate myself now.
I am facing a taller, longer and heavier man. I need to prepare correctly this time. 
I can not dance for you this time.
It is time for the other monkeys to dance. I've danced us all the way here. 
Nate's little mush head looks good up on that stage these days. Stuff him in front of the camera for it. 
He came in with no shit to do that last one. I'd already done press conferences, interviews and shot the ads before RDA pulled out.
Maybe I'll hit Cabo this time and skull some shots pre-fight with no obligation.
I'm doing what I need for me now. 
It is time to be selfish with my training again. It is the only way. 
I feel the $400million I have generated for the company in my last three events, all inside 8 months, is enough to get me this slight leeway. 
I am still ready to go for UFC 200. 
I will offer, like I already did, to fly to New York for the big press conference that was scheduled, and then I will go back into training. With no distractions.
If this is not enough or they feel I have not deserved to sit this promotion run out this one time, well then I don't know what to say. 
For the record also - 
For USADA and for the UFC and my contract stipulations - 
I AM NOT RETIRED.

[David]

Conor speaks!

 

I am just trying to do my job and fight here. 

I am paid to fight. I am not yet paid to promote.
I have become lost in the game of promotion and forgot about the art of fighting. 
There comes a time when you need to stop handing out flyers and get back to the damn shop.
50 world tours, 200 press conferences, 1 million interviews, 2 million photo shoots, and at the end of it all I'm left looking down the barrel of a lens, staring defeat in the face, thinking of nothing but my incorrect fight preparation. And the many distractions that led to this. 
Nothing else was going through my mind. 
It is time to go back and live the life that got me this life.
Sitting in a car on the way to some dump in Conneticut or somewhere, to speak to Tim and Suzie on the nobody gives a fuck morning show did not get me this life. 
Talking to some lady that deep down doesn't give a fuck about what I'm doing, but just wants some sound bites so she can maybe get her little tight ass a nice raise, and I'm cool with that too, I've been giving you all raises. But I need to focus on me now.
I'm coming for my revenge here. 
I flew an entire team to Portugal and to Iceland to make my adjustments in preparation and fix my errors I made with the weight and the cardio prep. 
With the right adjustments and the right focus, I will finish what I started in that last fight. 
I will not do this if I am back on the road handing out flyers again.
I will always play the game and play it better than anybody, but just for this one, where I am coming off a loss, I asked for some leeway where I can just train and focus. I did not shut down all media requests. I simply wanted a slight adjustment.
But it was denied. 
There had been 10 million dollars allocated for the promotion of this event is what they told me. 
So as a gesture of good will, I went and not only saved that 10 million dollars in promotion money, I then went and tripled it for them. 
And all with one tweet.
Keep that 10 mill to promote the other bums that need it. My shows are good. 
I must isolate myself now.
I am facing a taller, longer and heavier man. I need to prepare correctly this time. 
I can not dance for you this time.
It is time for the other monkeys to dance. I've danced us all the way here. 
Nate's little mush head looks good up on that stage these days. Stuff him in front of the camera for it. 
He came in with no shit to do that last one. I'd already done press conferences, interviews and shot the ads before RDA pulled out.
Maybe I'll hit Cabo this time and skull some shots pre-fight with no obligation.
I'm doing what I need for me now. 
It is time to be selfish with my training again. It is the only way. 
I feel the $400million I have generated for the company in my last three events, all inside 8 months, is enough to get me this slight leeway. 
I am still ready to go for UFC 200. 
I will offer, like I already did, to fly to New York for the big press conference that was scheduled, and then I will go back into training. With no distractions.
If this is not enough or they feel I have not deserved to sit this promotion run out this one time, well then I don't know what to say. 
For the record also - 
For USADA and for the UFC and my contract stipulations - 
I AM NOT RETIRED.

 

[seanz25]

Seem's fair enough.

[David]

Something tells me that Dana isn't going to be too happy with this. He's being put in a tough spot.

 

If he acquiesces and allows McGregor to sit out some of the promo work then he'll feel like he's backed down, yet if he doesn't and waits to see if McGregor will crack it may backfire on him.

[Dead Mike]

Do your job like everyone else you whiny prick.

 

He may have made the UFC a load of cash but the relationship was entirely reciprocal. How many designer suits does a win streak fighting in BAMMA buy? He needed the UFC more than they needed him. Dana, Lorenzo & Co were all rich before Conor.

 

It's often said that the mark of a champion isn't how they react when they win but how they react to a loss. He looked like a champ straight after the fight. Now he's had time to dwell on it he's spat out his dummy & is acting like a berk.

[lambyUK]

I maybe a Mcgregor fan, but I hope to god most people read that and realise how much a bunch of cunts the UFC and Dana White are.

 

White the cunt came out initially saying that Mcgregor wasn't going to do ANY promotion for 200. That's obviously a lie.

 

The mind boggles that White and the UFC are happy to negate millions upon millions of dollars, whilst fucking up their biggest event, for this one promotional event. Utter madness. Mcgregor has even said he's willing to attend the scheduled press conference closer to the event. Just what exactly does the UFC fucking need from him that he's not offering??? 

Crazy.

 

Edit:- Come on Mike, the promotion this guy has done has gone above and beyond anyone in the history of MMA has ever done. He was absolutely frazzled and more than deserves the request he made. 

Edited April 21, 2016 by lambyUK

[Dead Mike]

Come on Mike, the promotion this guy has done has gone above and beyond anyone in the history of MMA has ever done. He was absolutely frazzled and more than deserves the request he made. 

 

 

Again, he did a cracking PR job before but it wasn't entirely selfless, the benefit was mutual. Now he's the only fighter on the 200 card who doesn't have to attend the media stuff at this weekends event?  He's not being asked to do anything above & beyond from what I can see?

[jimufctna24]

So long as he keeps it reasonable, I think McGregor is within his rights to make this request.

 

Very few fighters have the promotional schedule that McGregor has. I don't think the UFC subjected McGregor to such a schedule when he was their top star. It always seemed that Dana understood not to push Brock too far. 

[David]

Christ Mike, that's pretty fucking harsh. 

 

The guy is just being honest here, and he has some valid points I reckon. The very fact that he stepped up to fight on the 200 show only four months after his first fight with Nate surprised the shit out of me if i'm honest. I didn't see him coming back so early, but he's stepped up. Again.

 

Surely Dana can see that he's going to need some time to prepare for the fight? Especially seeing (despite what any bookies will tell you) as he's an underdog in this fight? The guy needs time to train.