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Fox Sports: "Zach Arnold's Fight Opinion site is one of the best spots on the Web for thought-provoking MMA pieces."

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Conor McGregor lost his UFC belt and maybe his freedom but what about UFC’s TV deal?

By Zach Arnold | April 5, 2018

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Conor McGregor channeled his inner Mike Tyson and attacked UFC vehicles transporting fighters for their UFC 223 event in Brooklyn.

Well, on the bright side… UFC 223 got publicity.

“This is the kind of thing bad boys do in sports,” chimed Fox Sports social media honcho Jason McIntyre.

Now we have Fox Sports, UFC TV partner, debating whether Conor McGregor’s Brooklyn attack is worse than Malice at the Palace. MatP was considered the NBA’s darkest moment even though sports fans react to it as strongly today as they did when the incident actually happened.

“He has really burnished a brand as a thug,” Jason Whitlock claimed. “Can’t live with him, can’t live without him.”

Four months ago, people were worried about Conor McGregor’s safety after a reported bar brawl involving some powerful & organized individuals.

The TV angle

2018 means everything for UFC. The vulture/venture capitalists want their new television deal. There’s a reason UFC went all-in on Brock Lesnar 24 hours ago. I think the water has largely been squeeze out of that sponge but I could be wrong.

The Conor McGregor situation inflamed an already delicate business situation into a crisis of confidence.

TV executives want stars. Jon Jones. Conor McGregor. Ronda… well… The stars are vanishing. Daniel Cormier will likely retire as the non-Jon Jones 205 champion. Stipe Miocic is slowly building his American profile. They’re great fighters and I care about them. I’m not sure television executives are as enthused.

McGregor likely faces criminal charges and a suspension. He needs the UFC to stay active both in and out of the ring but does he need the money? Fighters always need money. UFC needs a television deal and all the money that comes with it. Are we headed for a separation?

Topics: Media, MMA, UFC, Zach Arnold | 11 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |

11 Responses to “Conor McGregor lost his UFC belt and maybe his freedom but what about UFC’s TV deal?”

  1. Will E. says:

    The UFC won’t cut McGregor, even if the athletic commission suspends him. Bellator would happily sign him as quickly as possible. Much like Sonnen, Scott Coker would let ‘Notorious’ be himself, within contractually expressed limits.

    I have a feeling Dana White’s not wanting to be in the Conor McGregor business as reported earlier today will fade once the buy rate for 223 comes in. As stated this is the first real publicity the card has seen.

    I have two hunches based upon today’s outburst (provided this isn’t a work): one, McGregor cannot tolerate being out of the spotlight. And two, McGregor wouldn’t have qcted out like this under the purview of the Fertittas.

  2. Rich says:

    Zach, I realize this is off-topic, but I’ve wondered for a couple of years what is your take on the ‘Chael being groomed to eventually take over for DFW as Admiral of the UFC, only to be torpedoed by his own self-destruction’? I’m not aware of any statements or self-roasting introspect from the gangsta from the mean streets of West Linn, Oregon on this life-altering screw-up. Are you?

  3. 45 Huddle says:

    1. Ferguson gets injured due to the UFC having wires were they shouldn’t.

    2. 3 fighters off the card due to Conor being a misfit.

    3. Max is off the show after he couldn’t cut the weight.

    They need to cancel the show. I feel bad for people who purchased tickets.

  4. Diaz's packed bowl says:

    Dana said McChicken made a bad career move. While that may be so for his UFC career, it was fantastic for his future WWE career!
    Give the man with a little man complex million of dollars and now he has a million potential complexes.
    This is all on Dana and Ari, while they’re picking peanuts out of poo people are laughing at how pathetic these millionaires without stars are.

    So many knowingly idiotic bad decisions, where to start…
    First off they again make a championship bout without the champ being involved and expect it to sell a mediocre card at best.
    Then instead of at least requiring McChicken to be at the show to at least challenge the NEW champ(or just yell and insult him), Dana says he doesn’t know if Conner will be there, but he hopes he will. Well careful what you wish for Dana because you got it!
    Then Tony is out and they do the worst thing possible by booking an injured fighter who would most likely not be able to make the weight, knowing this Dana still insists that it be a championship bout instead of a catch weight.
    And while Max is “making weight” to save the card, Dana just blurts out “We’re not going to Hawaii anytime soon”.
    What a spritz in the face of Max (been pushing for a Hawaii show) holloway. Now we hear its because Dana and Ari want too much money from Hawaii for a show. But how stupid is it for Dana to Lie at that particular time? why put shade on a potential 2 belt champ defending in his hometown? Why not just say “we’re working on it”?
    Dana throws another champ under the bus while absent champ throws dollys into the bus?

    We’ve been promised
    Mc Gregor vs Tony
    Tony vs Khabib
    Khabib vs Max
    Khabib vs Pettis
    Khabib vs Ragin Al
    watch Khabib miss weight and they make Ragin al vs Paul Felder the 155 championship…

    This all started because the ufc bosses desire to create things that doesn’t actually exist.

    The Machida era was brief but the new UNICORN ERA of UFC looks to be here for the duration!

  5. Jonathan says:

    Was the whole Connor thing just one big marketing stunt that the UFC/Dana was in on?

  6. Diaz's packed bowl says:

    UFC pulling the bait and switch again with the Chile show, they KNEW(prior to the DC fight the ufc lawyers got clarification from the judge regarding Volkan’s situation) Volkan can’t leave the country while he’s on trial.
    Just like with 223 Max was never going to fight since it was impossible to make weight, it was done for publicity bait and switch. They could have gone with pettis but they didn’t want to pay him. Since the scum at WME took over, look at all the fights that are knowingly foolishly booked with little or no chance of happening then fall out. UFC are more concerned with fleecing the consumers than ever before. It seems like they know that UFC fans will pay for anything. I’d get my money back if an already weak card went from 13 to 10 fights with the main event dropped. That arena should have been half full at best but UFC people constantly settle for third best or even 11th best in the case of ragin al.

    I would not put it past the new zionist owner to create the whole crazy conor angle. After all the hallmark of the zionist is tricking people with false flag attacks and war by deception.
    It’s not too far fetched to consider they are bringing the same tried and true methods to their new money maker.

    Conor is dumb as a rock, we know that he does dumb things like that. But somethings dont add up..
    #1 every champ was at ufc 223 and rung in the stock exchange(great way to exploit them in a purely financial way) except conor.
    #2 Dana claimed he didn’t have any idea what conor was doing but hoped he would come to the show.(yeah right, dana would have wanted conor ringing the money bell with every other champ AND challenging Khabib)
    Did Dana call conor and say
    “Hey Conor, I want to fly you and your family into NY to see 223”
    Conor “no thank yew”.
    Dana “why not”
    Conor “busy”
    Dana “busy doing what?”
    Conor “nuttin honey!”
    Claiming ignorance is what criminals do when the heats on.
    #3 How does conor get credentials, along with his dozen or more thugs, to barclays center when Dana doesn’t even know where he is? Someone gave him credentials and a pass into the back stage!

  7. RST says:

    I saw you publish an article on sherdog the other day.
    Why dont you do more freelancing on the platforms available.
    Sherdog or Bleacher report (eugh…) are platforms to get your brand out there.

    You’ve got a intellectual and insightful brand that people should want if you get it out there and let them know who you are.

    • RST says:

      Thats how Fowlkes came up and presumably made some coin for it.

      He got his name out there on his own website, then then he got picked up by that other one, people saw that he was good at writing and kept picking hm up up the ladder.

      you’re as good as he is in a different way. And the next thing he’s writing for espn and presumably making coin from usa today through junkie whatever.

      I suspect that you value your right to have a free opinion without influence more then Fowlkes does. But there are platforms for that.

      And then after your opinions are established as valuable, they have to come to you.

  8. King Famous says:

    ufc is missing the boat with thug rose.

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