The Bottom Line: Leaving Conor McGregor Out of UFC 200 Would Be Colossal Mistake

Ultimate Fighting Championship executives can rationalize the decision to hold a firm line against Conor McGregor fighting at UFC 200 all they want. The logic may make internal sense and the organization may have valid underlying concerns, but none of that matters. Lorenzo Fertitta and Dana White need to take a step back, survey the situation and recognize the bigger picture before they make one of the biggest blunders they have made since taking over the UFC. They need to bring McGregor back for UFC 200. The discussion this week has all been about the amount of publicity McGregor has to do for his fights and the amount he has to travel to do it while preparing for competition. That public discussion aside, the issue between the two sides quite obviously goes much deeper. A battle for power has been brewing between the two sides for a great deal of time. McGregor brings in a lot of money, and he’s strongly ambitious. The UFC has a system of control it works hard to preserve. From financial terms to promotional credits to matchmaking, the two sides have much to haggle over in the coming years. The UFC is going to have to draw the line in the sand with McGregor at times. The company just needs to pick its spots, and this is the wrong spot on so many levels. With the potential revenue at stake at UFC 200, it’s not the time or the place to be presenting less desirable matchups on principle. Injuries are of course always a threat, but to purposefully and without injury replace a main event fans want to see more with a main event fans want to see less is not the move when you’re trying to present your biggest business show ever. Jon Jones-Daniel Cormier is a big fight, but it would feel like a letdown with McGregor-Nate Diaz available. In the abstract, McGregor-Diaz was already a bigger fight than Jones-Cormier. After this week, the distance in interest between the two fights has grown into a chasm. Jones’ performance against Ovince St. Preux at UFC 197 was underwhelming, while …

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