Wednesday, November 23, 2016

No Apologies: McGregor and Trump's America

McGregor thrives in Trump’s America. A man who truly doesn’t give a fuck and understands his worth knows no limits. He can say what he wants, offend groups of people, and break all the rules so long as he shows up on game day- when it’s all on the table. Both of these men have basked in the silence of their critics. With all the rules broken, and all the bridges burnt these two have taken us to some new place in history where we don’t know what happens next. We are in unprecedented times with an unprecedented champion.

We are living in one of those rare moments in time when the fight game’s chaotic history is synchronized with to the chaotic time it exists in. Like Ali and shit. These moments, when the world looks to athletes for the answers, exist in other sports too. However, when a fighter sits center spotlight, it’s special since fighting is the ultimate expression of freedom from rules and conventionality. Part of Ronda Rousey’s appeal, for example, is that she breaks conventional wisdom’s take on women and femininity. She is a badass but still shows her vulnerability, there are no standards for her to abide. She’s a cage fighter, and without the weight of social expectations on her back, Ronda is free to be herself even when it means being a bitch and to apologize to absolutely nobody.

And that is where America is right now- fully independent of conventional wisdom. The next president will be a foul mouthed megalomaniac who has offended a lot of people, and isn’t fucking sorry. To that point, MMA has Connor McGregor, the foul mouth megalomaniac holding two belts simultaneously, asking for a piece of the company pie. Unprecedented.

By being so bold as to threaten not to return to fighting without being set up for life, McGregor is redefining the relationship between promoter and fighter. The position he finds himself will surely have enormous effects on the UFC and MMA in general. He has forever changed the way fighters view their potential worth. This uncharted land where a fighter’s brand can outgrow the UFC will bring more bargaining power for the athletes. It may prove to be better for fighters and fans alike. A genuine superstar with a drawing power that supersedes the UFC can start bidding wars among promotions, co-promotion between rival companies, or a promotional split between the star and the UFC itself. However to view the flip side to that coin fans should look to boxing. Instead of big fights being made by a strong promotion, drawn out negotiations between management teams block the fights fans want to see.

Whether McGregor’s bargaining power benefits the sport in the future or not remains to be seen. However, one thing is for certain- at a time when anti-establishment fever is at an all-time high, Connor has the UFC by the pussy. They need him to come back and defend those belts. To strip him of those belts would not only add to his mystique, but also free him from the “Champion’s Clause”. At the end of the day WME-IMG needs him far more then he needs them. Connor McGregor is no longer a UFC fighter, instead the UFC serves as the platform for his show. So it’s within reason that he wants a piece of the pie, and in today’s America when you want something you step up and grab it.