Conor McGregor reached ranges within the sport that no person might have imagined, however Dana White has made a daring comment concerning standing within the UFC.
McGregor proved to the world that being a trash talker, so long as you’ll be able to again it up when the cage door closes, is a certain wager to turn into a celebrity in modern-day fight sports activities. The Irishman appeared like the most important draw on this planet throughout the heights of his profession, and whereas he stays the UFC’s MVP a decade on from his success contained in the octagon, White believes there isn’t a want for brand new fighters to succeed in his degree of stardom.
Like only a few earlier than him in combined martial arts, the Irishman transcended the corporate and was a key participant in all of its future success. Incomes his flowers from the boss, Conor McGregor is taken into account a gem by Dana White and co.
“I name him the unicorn,” White stated about McGregor. “The best way that I take a look at the game is, whenever you discover a unicorn like Conor McGregor, we talked about this on the CBS city corridor at present.”
“It is like, when he would roll right into a press convention, you understand, he would are available and say, ‘I run this complete factor. Yeah, you guys, no person can be getting cash right here if it wasn’t for me.’ You simply let a man like that do his factor.”
“In my enterprise, when a man like that pops up or a Ronda Rousey or a Chuck Liddell, it is a house run.”
Whereas fighters like Ronda Rousey and Chuck Liddell had been celebrities outdoors of the cage, no person earlier than or after has fairly hit the heights of Conor McGregor.
The 37-year-old left an enduring impression on the game, with many who got here after him, regardless of how gifted, being known as clones or imitators.
Regardless of holding 8 of the highest 10 UFC most-bought PPVs, a fighter of Conor McGregor’s caliber is now not wanted, claims Dana White.
As an alternative of searching for one other once-in-a-lifetime athlete, White is hoping to seek out entertaining fighters able to ending fights. Alex Pereira is the perfect kind of competitor the promotion is searching for, one who calls for consideration from followers even with out the trash discuss.
“However on the finish of the day, all I care about is: Who’s the baddest dude on this planet or who’s the baddest girl on this planet?”
“Are you able to combat? In case you can combat and also you end individuals, you understand, that is what I would like.”
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To have a showman on the extent of Conor McGregor is uncommon, and if he could not again up what he was saying, he would not have the ability to fast-track the UFC into the eyes of the informal fan.
Fortunately for the game, McGregor turned a family identify earlier than struggling defeat below the highlight, however Dana White revealed that his time hoping fighters win for the corporate’s sake is lengthy gone.
“I’ve type of gotten over all of that,” White continued. “You realize, early on to start with, I assumed, ‘Oh my god. If this man does not win, we’re in huge hassle.'”
“None of it is true. As a result of what occurs is, whoever wins, wins they usually go on, they usually have their very own journey and their very own storyline and nevertheless it performs out.”
“Yeah, I finished sweating that stuff a very long time in the past.”
A number of fighters added to their model by beating Conor McGregor. Khabib Nurmagomedov, Nate Diaz, and Dustin Poirier seemingly by no means achieve as a lot traction within the sport if they do not earn huge wins over the primary simultaneous two-division UFC champion.
Nonetheless, even together with his loss, Conor McGregor’s story within the sport is taken into account the most effective. Dana White believes he and Ronda Rousey’s time within the octagon needs to be celebrated.
“I might in all probability say [McGregor] and Ronda,” White stated.
