The Savage Truth: Irish Standoff

Editor’s note: The views and opinions expressed below are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Sherdog.com, its affiliates and sponsors or its parent company, Evolve Media. This little dust-up between Conor McGregor and the UFC has remained civil — so far, anyway. Can anyone remind me of a time when famous hothead Dana White has kept his cool when he’s been openly challenged by one of his “independent contractors” or a rival? Yeah, I didn’t think so. That alone shows how much leverage McGregor has accrued over the last couple years. The honchos over at the UFC have been forced to kill the man with kindness. This is a company famous for going scorched earth on everyone and anyone who publicly confronts their business or their people. So why in the hell have they been so lenient in their response to McGregor? Remember, there have been rumors of a rift between McGregor and White, as well as reports that McGregor has set up his own promotional company in hopes of going the way of Floyd Mayweather Jr. or Oscar De La Hoya. He has openly flouted the reveue numbers he’s brought in; the UFC hates to talk about dollar figures. McGregor also has grown fond of comparing his financial impact with his fellow fighters — or “bums,” as he is wont to call them — highlighting the chasm between his shows and the rest of the company’s talent. These are no small offenses in UFC World, but in Conorland, they are accepted as par for the course. He gets more special treatment than any other fighter who has donned the fabled Reebok uniform, with the possible exception of Ronda Rousey. McGregor has his own set of rules. Unfortunately for him and his millions of fans across the globe, those rules apparently don’t include a “get out of press conference free” card. While I do …

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