Opinion: UFC Cannot Afford Another Conor McGregor Loss

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.*** I’ll admit it: The title of this column has a bit of hyperbole involved. The Ultimate Fighting Championship can definitely afford to see Conor McGregor lose at UFC 202. It’s not like the ship will sink if McGregor loses his second fight in a row against Nate Diaz on Aug. 20. The sport has survived far worse. McGregor remains the last superstar standing at this point, with the world’s largest MMA promotion having recently sold for a whopping $4 billion. Whether the UFC wants to admit it or not, the sport is about the stars, not the fights. The fights are what the hardcore fans come for, and the stars are what draw in outsiders. They are the reason the UFC had so much value over the past year, and the short lifespan of stars in the UFC is the reason why the Fertitta brothers were compelled to sell in the first place. This has been a tough year for the organization’s biggest stars. From Jon Jones’ indiscretions and Brock Lesnar’s return being overshadowed by a pair of failed drug tests to Ronda Rousey’s extended hiatus and the title picture being as unpredictable as ever, the UFC has to hang its hat on one man as its biggest draw. McGregor is the reason why people have called UFC 202 the real UFC 200. His unique blend of personality and in-cage ability has seen him take the sport to new heights, while his bigger-than-life persona has landed him on talk shows and magazine covers. When …

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