The world of combat sports, whether it be MMA, or Pro Boxing, are very familiar with the story of a charismatic superstar taking over the sport, and pushing it to the next level in terms of popularity and success. Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson, and even Floyd Mayweather have held this role in Boxing, and whether they were universally loved, hated, or debated, each held the sport on their shoulders for a period of time, and garnered more attention and fascination towards their sport. MMA has also had these superstar talents enhance their brand, and multiply the amount of eyes on their product. Names like Ken Shamrock, Chuck Liddell, Anderson Silva, and even Brock Lesnar were “must-see” fighters, names who would sell pay-per-views simply by placing their name atop the card. UFC has always intelligently worked to capitalize on those megastars’ popularity to familiarize fans with other fighters, up-and-coming stars primed to become the next face of the UFC, but the stars will always be crucial to the product, due to the amount of casual fans they bring to the product, leading to the potential of adding more permanent fans to the ever-growing MMA fan base. However, recently we’ve seen quite a few names whom the UFC has positioned as “the next big thing” stumble, and it’s led to an interesting question: what happens if global phenomenon Conor McGregor loses to Rafael Dos Anjos at UFC 197?
Now, let’s be realistic to begin with. If McGregor loses to Dos Anjos, he will still be the UFC Featherweight Champion, the #1 Featherweight fighter in the world, and an incredibly popular fighter whose biggest loss will have come outside his regular weight class. However, no matter how popular you become, when you’re on top, there is always a section of the audience looking for you to fall off, as we recently saw with the reaction to Ronda Rousey’s first defeat. With McGregor’s brash and charismatic style, there will always be fans (and fighters) itching to see him be quieted. And while it would come outside his natural featherweight division, any loss is damaging, and it would be the first time since entering the UFC that Conor McGregor would not have backed up his mighty words, leading many to doubt him moving forward. regardless of the circumstances. Perhaps most damaging, however, would be the impact a loss would have on the UFC as a company.
Now, the UFC is, and will remain for the foreseeable future, the worldwide leader in MMA, and a McGregor loss will not change that. However, Conor McGregor is currently not only the biggest star in the UFC, he’s also the only name that’s currently held in that “mega-star” territory by the majority of the fan base. Ronda Rousey is encompassed in a whirlwind of uncertainty until we see her back inside an octagon. Jon Jones is as skilled as anyone, but his personal problems and legal troubles have soured many on his return, and his impact will be lessened because of that. And while UFC has a number of extremely talented fighters holding Championships and contending for opportunities currently, there’s a reason Brock Lesnar sold more pay-per-views than Randy Couture, whether MMA purists like it or not. Household names sell tickets and PPV buys, and that’s the business of MMA, just like Boxing and Pro Wrestling before it. If McGregor fails against Dos Anjos, he falls back to the pack, and leaves the UFC without that intrigue that goes along with a McGregor fight today. If he loses, any fight moving forward loses that “could this be the one” quality that made Tyson and Rousey so exciting.
Now, on the flip side, what happens if McGregor is victorious at UFC 197? Well, the answer is simple: nobody knows. That’s because Conor McGregor calling his shot and becoming the first UFC dual-weight champion would be larger than anything we’ve ever seen inside the UFC. Not only the feat itself, which would be amazing, but the confidence and charisma McGregor has shown on the path to this moment would lead Conor McGregor to become the unquestioned and unrivaled face of not only UFC, but MMA. I honestly believe the impact of a McGregor victory at UFC 197 cannot be overstated. Adding to the intrigue of his contest with Dos Anjos is that unbelievably, after everything McGregor has shown, he’s still walking into the cage as an underdog against Rafael Dos Anjos. Most experts are having difficulty pinpointing many aspects where they’d give McGregor an edge over Dos Anjos, and yet the intangibles of McGregor make it very difficult to pick against him.
The promo UFC has been running leading up to UFC 197 is perhaps one of the best they’ve put together in some time, and it’s fitting that it accompanies what may end up being one of the biggest fights they’ve ever held. While the buy rates and views of this particular fight may not approach record numbers, the potential explosion of popularity and interest for Conor McGregor should he win, even beyond what he’s experienced since his victory over Jose Aldo, could lead the UFC into completely uncharted territory. Likewise, a defeat may rob the UFC of its last current household name.
