Issue 172

November 2018

Maybe, maybe not. But Conor v Khabib looks certain to be the most lucrative.

The biggest fight in MMA history. The Notorious One. Back. Expectation from a generation finally quenched for the Irishman's long-anticipated return against his toughest stylistic foe: the undefeated Khabib Nurmagomedov.

The lightweight king has been replaced. But now returns to re-set the story board. THE. BIGGEST. FIGHT. EVER.

But hang on a minute. The biggest fight in MMA history? I'm not sure it actually is the biggest fight, I'm not even sure if it's the biggest fight ever in the UFC. Rua vs Henderson 1, Bonnar vs Griffin, Lawler vs MacDonald 2, Jones vs Gustaffson. In terms of spectacle, unreal.

But Conor-Khabib is providing a brilliant piece of promoting, for sure. It's a huge fight. Will most probably be the richest fight of all time in MMA in terms of pay per view numbers.

McGregor holds the record for four of the top five PPVs. The record is 1.65 million PPV buys, his second fight with Nate Diaz.

But to be more accurate, this is probably a defining story of the era, in a very young sport. But it is probably stretching it to be calling it the biggest fight in MMA history.

For two reasons: styles, and their crossover standing. Poles apart.

Styles make fights, we all know that. This is hardly a vintage style match-up. Wrestler vs Striker. These are hardly two huge stars. McGregor is a crossover name, but the Dagestani isn't. In fact, Khabib is well-known for wrestling a bear, threats to re-arrange McGregor's face and educate him, and latterly, the viral videos of making homeless folk do press-ups for spare change. Hardly great PR.

In the cold light of day, it was McGregor's infamy that made Khabib a bigger name through 'DollyGate'. What intrigues, though, is the narrative.

Cleverly, the UFC PR machine has harnessed all the old lines, those memories in the spoils of victory: “If one of us goes to war, we all go to war…” bellows McGregor, talks of the fighting Irish, the hordes following in Las Vegas, the New York dolly incident, the court case, the videos and the pictures, the feud that needs to be finished.

The UFC have not been shy of using the flying dolly in the pre-fight hype, in the promos. We like that, we buy it. It is crass in a way. But it is forgivable. It works. It is a phoney war. Just an act of emotional hooliganism.

This is the Celt summoning the wild warriors of his claimed noble chieftain ancestry against the devout Muslim from the country rated just a few years back as the most dangerous territory in the world.

What was genius was the decision to sign this fight, forge on, and deliver it. Just 63 days from announcement to the fight actually happening. The more you thought about it, the better it was to get McGregor back into the fray.

There has even been something of a weakness from the defending UFC lightweight champion, moreover, in his moaning over the fact that the UFC and McGregor have used his name for a 'money' fight. No, Khabib, McGregor is the "A-side" in market value. Let there be no illusion. Khabib needs McGregor. The UFC needed Conor back. How Conor knew it.

No two ways about it. McGregor wanted "equity, ownership, to be a true partner, similar in the way I was in the Floyd fight," he had said to UFC president Dana White, who revealed about the talks to make the fight, which were completed easily.

Instead, it is understood that the Irishman will add to his family's inheritance to the tune of another fortune estimated to be $25 million, plus a share of the pay per view which could raise it by another $10 million.

You know what though? If Conor beats Khabib – and I give him a round and a half to use those genius bones in his left hand and left leg – he will take not only authorship of his own greatness, at stake in this fight, but possibly even secure a share with his paymasters for the next instalment in the 'McGregor story'.