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McGregor carries the weight of expectation into UFC 189

Conor McGregor has threatened to end the career of Eddie Alvarez. (Image source: Flickr)
Roar Guru
7th July, 2015
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Conor McGregor is a polarising figure, but whatever your opinion, you can’t deny the showman/businessman he has become in the UFC, and in record time.

He’ll main event UFC 189 this weekend alongside Chad Mendes, where he’ll aim for the UFC featherweight title or the crown of the ‘McGregor Division’ as he describes it.

Not only is it the first pay-per-view that McGregor will carry as the main event, but it’s his first shot at a UFC title, all in a little over two years since he joined the Zuffa-owned organisation.

Simply remarkable.

What’s even more remarkable is the man he was looking to dethrone, Jose Aldo, hadn’t lost in nine years, yet all everyone was talking about was McGregor.

McGregor has become a star in a time when the UFC is clearly lacking them.

One of their greatest ever, Georges St-Pierre, is retired. He’s known for his incredible ability inside the octagon, but away from it, he’s softly spoken, humble and respectful.

Anderson Silva was another star, but he’s in disgrace after testing positive to performance-enhancing drugs, and is on the shelf.

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Jon Jones has significant legal issues following a hit-and-run earlier this year, not to mention a positive test for cocaine weeks prior.

McGregor seems to have embraced his role as the villain. His cocky swagger has received a mixed reaction from fans, but after playing the ‘bad guy’ in his showdown with Daniel Cormier, he seems to enjoy the part.

Fabricio Werdum, Chris Weidman, Robbie Lawler, Rafael Dos Anjos, TJ Dillashaw and Demetrious Johnson are all household names to MMA fans, but I’d argue none have crossover appeal, because they lack charisma.

Ronda Rousey is arguably the promotion’s biggest star, and it’s led to movie roles, WWE guest appearances and Sports Illustrated shoots. But with Rousey so dominant and with future opponents thinning with every fight, how long will she stick around?

Conor McGregor is not yet a blue-chip stock the company can invest in, he’s a rough diamond. He’s worth a lot, but for how long is what needs to be determined.

We know now he can sell a big fight, but can he win one?

McGregor’s style looks carved from the Chael Sonnen playbook, with Sonnen the trailblazer of fight promotion. But let’s hope when he reaches the chapter on winning big fights, McGregor stops reading said playbook. Because while Sonnen was known for landing big fights, he didn’t win many.

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There’s no denying McGregor’s star power, and companies are already lining up to take their slice. He’s one of six UFC fighters to have a Reebok deal and there’s more on the way.

But a UFC fighter’s real business is what he does in the octagon. While talk is cheap, to be fair McGregor has matched the talk up until now, but Chad Mendes is another story.

Jose Aldo was officially removed from their UFC 189 main event last week, throwing number two ranked featherweight, Mendes, a title fight on short notice.

McGregor had been all over the world disrespecting the Aldo, creating huge buzz and becoming an internet sensation in the process, and he hasn’t wasted any time bringing a similar campaign together for Mendes.

But while this manner of promotion may line his pockets, it also makes his life in the octagon much harder. An angry Aldo is not his only concern, the talk brings pressure and the expectation that he will deliver.

Pressure from sponsors that want him to justify their dollars, pressure from the UFC for giving him the shot, and pressure from fans that it isn’t all hype and their money is well spent.

The UFC has big plans for the Irishman too. Dana White recently confirmed that Dublin’s 82,000-seat Croke Park was being looked at as a potential venue for McGregor’s first title defence.

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Sure, he has to win the title first, but you can’t fault the UFC for having ambition on a grand scale.

The UFC 189 card is expected to generate the biggest gate in UFC history, with McGregor also claiming it will set records on pay-per-view. That was before Aldo’s withdraw, but while the buy rate will take a hit, the number should still be impressive. McGregor is still fighting, and that’s what most people are paying to see.

The world is his oyster at the moment and he’s the hottest fighter on the planet, with top status in the UFC his for the taking. All he has to do is beat Chad Mendes.

We already know that Conor McGregor is special. Just how special remains to be seen.

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