Conor McGregor is headlining UFC 205 because he’s the biggest star in the UFC and they are completely beholden to the braggadocious Irishman.
It wasn’t supposed to be this way.
Back in April, when Gov. Cuomo signed the bill legalizing MMA in New York, he was flanked by Ronda Rousey and former UFC owner Lorenzo Fertitta. Seizing the moment, Fertitta proudly announced UFC 205 would happen at Madison Square Garden on Nov. 12, but didn’t say who would be on the card. He didn’t have to, the implication was clear — Rousey would headline the UFC’s biggest-ever event as long as she wanted it.
“She’s definitely part of the discussion [for New York], and she will fight whoever has that belt when she comes back,” UFC president Dana White said about Rousey at the time.
It all made perfect sense. Rousey was — and still is — the most popular mixed martial artists in the world and the November event would be the perfect moment for her triumphant return to the Octagon, nearly a year to the day after she was spectacularly knocked out by Holly Holm.
But then news started to trickle out that Rousey’s post-knockout recovery wasn’t going according to plan. And then it was reported she had undergone a number of minor surgeries over the summer and wouldn’t be ready in time for the November extravaganza at MSG.
As Rousey’s New York comeback withered and died, McGregor built himself into a living legend by combining WWE-style smack talk with Bruce Lee-like fighting skills.
It’s an unprecedented combination for the UFC because McGregor is a martial artist first and a loud-mouth self-promoter second. Unlike Brock Lesnar, who is primarily a WWE legend and is secondarily a doped-up former NCAA wrestler, or Chael Sonnen, who talks a big game but isn’t skilled enough to win titles, McGregor is the best of both worlds and a whole lot more. He talks better than anyone else, backs it up in the Octagon and has a particular flair for the dramatic.
All three traits were at their absolute zenith a month after Rousey was knocked out. Telling the whole world before the fight exactly what he was going to do, McGregor knocked out the previously unbeatable Jose Aldo with a single punch to become the UFC featherweight champion on Dec. 12, 2015 at UFC 194.
The punch skyrocketed McGregor to super stardom and set off a series of events that snowballed into McGregor’s addition to the UFC 205 card.
Not content with just one belt, McGregor set his sights on the 155-pound lightweight title held by Rafael dos Anjos. But dos Anjos got injured 12 days before their fight, which paved the way for the 145-pound McGregor’s first fight with Nate Diaz. Agreeing to battle Diaz at an absurd 170-pound catchweight, McGregor was shockingly choked out.
Seemingly at a low point, the UFC tried to regain control of McGregor’s career by getting him to defend his featherweight title. McGregor wasn’t having any of it, and demanded a rematch with Diaz. The UFC capitulated. Once again, the UFC had enabled their fiery star’s ambitions and McGregor milked his power for all it was worth.
Not content to just fight Diaz at UFC 200, McGregor demanded he be let out of his commitment to do promotional work before the fight. It was apparently a step too far for the UFC, who said the promo work was mandatory. Not getting his way, McGregor retired in a tweet that shook the UFC to its core. Even though McGregor came out of retirement just days later, he was dropped from the UFC 200 card.
Just days before the event, Jon Jones, the man brought in to save UFC 200 after McGregor’s antics, tested positive for a banned substance and had to be pulled from the card. Jones’ career was thrown into limbo, Rousey’s return was still nowhere to be seen and McGregor was left sitting as the undisputed king of the UFC.
He’s used his power to bend the UFC to his will. After beating Diaz in their rematch at 170 pounds, McGregor said he’d only accept a trilogy with Diaz if they battled at 155 pounds. The weight ruled out another fight with Diaz in the near future and signaled that McGregor hadn’t changed his mind: He wanted to fight for the UFC lightweight championship.
On Monday night, it was made official. McGregor will fight Eddie Alvarez for the lightweight crown at UFC 205, turning an exciting card that lacked star power into another must-see event.
The UFC gave McGregor what he wanted. Because they had to.