Conor McGregor still hasn't Resolved Media Obligations Issue with UFC
Conor McGregor still hasn't Resolved Media Obligations Issue with UFC
Irish superstar Conor McGregor is still beefing with the UFC over the amount of media stops he'll make en route to his rematch with Nate Diaz.
By Peter Carroll
Famed for his ability to transcend the sport with his promotional pulling power, it took a lot of people by surprise when Dana White announced that Conor McGregor’s retirement and subsequent pulling from the UFC 200 was due to his failure to travel for media obligations.
A long public back and forth raged between McGregor and the promotion on until finally, over a month later, the dispute appeared to be settled after White met the Irish superstar to sort their out differences over dinner in Los Angeles. Since then, the postponed rematch between McGregor and Diaz has been announced for the main event of UFC 202, which takes place on August 20 in Las Vegas at the T-Mobile Arena.
It was believed that the Irishman’s availability for media obligations would have been one of the key details that was ironed out during his dinner with White back in May.
Yet, speaking at the launch of his coach John Kavanagh’s book, ‘Win or Learn’, in Dublin over the weekend, ‘The Notorious’ insisted that he was still going “back and forth” with his employers on the issue, in what he described as a “never-ending” process.
He said: “We’re still back and forth with media obligations. It’s going on right to this second. It’s never-ending. They want to pull you left and right.”
Two days after his initial retirement tweet, McGregor outlined his disdain for the promotional tours that coincide with UFC events. Directed at the UFC, via a post he made on his official Facebook page, McGregor stated:
“I can not dance for you this time. It is time for the other monkeys to dance. I’ve danced us all the way here.”
Again, in Dublin last weekend, the 27-year- old maintained that a lot of people do not fully understand the toll that promotional tours have on the athletes that take part in them so close to their fight dates.
“I think some people don’t understand how taxing that is, especially coming after a loss like that where I really truly need to look out for me and get myself right and come out the way I need to feel,” he told Mike Sheridan, the host for the event.
“I can’t fatigue like that and live with myself after that. Seeing the way the last fight happened, I can’t live with it. I need to isolate myself and just get my work in and come back and get my revenge… and that’s what I’m doing.”
The vast majority of people believed that McGregor was looking for a superior negotiating position when he tweeted about his early retirement. However, when the situation escalated, it appeared as though there was a greater power struggle taking place between the promotion’s brass and their top draw.
Due to the amount of reshuffling and rebranding that had to be done for the UFC 200 event based on him being pulled from the card, it might not sit well with the promotion that McGregor also admitted that he initially put out the retirement tweet as “kind of a negotiating tactic”.
He said: “When you see it going all over the place, I’m like, ‘Oh s**t.’”
“Now it’s hit the fan. It was a semi-joke in it. It was kind of a negotiating tactic, going back and forth with the UFC. And then it’s on CNN.”
Diaz and McGregor are set to appear in front of the media and hundreds of fans during International Fight Week for the UFC 202 press conference. With the promotion still to going “back and forth” with McGregor, they should really look to sort out a deal with the superstar ahead of the July 7 media event.
The ripple effect of the initial fallout from his back and forth had a massive impact on build up to the UFC 197 card, despite the return of polarizing champion Jon Jones. With the public standoff between White and McGregor in full flight during the fight week, most of the questions asked at the event’s media day were based on the alleged spat between the two.
UFC have been gearing the company towards making UFC 200 the biggest event in the history of the promotion, which is evident from them securing the return of Brock Lesnar to replace McGregor, and they will not want another issue with the SBG fighter to take away from the prestige of the event.
Famed for his ability to transcend the sport with his promotional pulling power, it took a lot of people by surprise when Dana White announced that Conor McGregor’s retirement and subsequent pulling from the UFC 200 was due to his failure to travel for media obligations.
A long public back and forth raged between McGregor and the promotion on until finally, over a month later, the dispute appeared to be settled after White met the Irish superstar to sort their out differences over dinner in Los Angeles. Since then, the postponed rematch between McGregor and Diaz has been announced for the main event of UFC 202, which takes place on August 20 in Las Vegas at the T-Mobile Arena.
It was believed that the Irishman’s availability for media obligations would have been one of the key details that was ironed out during his dinner with White back in May.
Unresolved Issue
Yet, speaking at the launch of his coach John Kavanagh’s book, ‘Win or Learn’, in Dublin over the weekend, ‘The Notorious’ insisted that he was still going “back and forth” with his employers on the issue, in what he described as a “never-ending” process.
He said: “We’re still back and forth with media obligations. It’s going on right to this second. It’s never-ending. They want to pull you left and right.”
Two days after his initial retirement tweet, McGregor outlined his disdain for the promotional tours that coincide with UFC events. Directed at the UFC, via a post he made on his official Facebook page, McGregor stated:
“I can not dance for you this time. It is time for the other monkeys to dance. I’ve danced us all the way here.”
Again, in Dublin last weekend, the 27-year- old maintained that a lot of people do not fully understand the toll that promotional tours have on the athletes that take part in them so close to their fight dates.
“I think some people don’t understand how taxing that is, especially coming after a loss like that where I really truly need to look out for me and get myself right and come out the way I need to feel,” he told Mike Sheridan, the host for the event.
“I can’t fatigue like that and live with myself after that. Seeing the way the last fight happened, I can’t live with it. I need to isolate myself and just get my work in and come back and get my revenge… and that’s what I’m doing.”
Negotiating Tactic
The vast majority of people believed that McGregor was looking for a superior negotiating position when he tweeted about his early retirement. However, when the situation escalated, it appeared as though there was a greater power struggle taking place between the promotion’s brass and their top draw.
Due to the amount of reshuffling and rebranding that had to be done for the UFC 200 event based on him being pulled from the card, it might not sit well with the promotion that McGregor also admitted that he initially put out the retirement tweet as “kind of a negotiating tactic”.
He said: “When you see it going all over the place, I’m like, ‘Oh s**t.’”
“Now it’s hit the fan. It was a semi-joke in it. It was kind of a negotiating tactic, going back and forth with the UFC. And then it’s on CNN.”
Countdown to UFC 202 Presser
Diaz and McGregor are set to appear in front of the media and hundreds of fans during International Fight Week for the UFC 202 press conference. With the promotion still to going “back and forth” with McGregor, they should really look to sort out a deal with the superstar ahead of the July 7 media event.
The ripple effect of the initial fallout from his back and forth had a massive impact on build up to the UFC 197 card, despite the return of polarizing champion Jon Jones. With the public standoff between White and McGregor in full flight during the fight week, most of the questions asked at the event’s media day were based on the alleged spat between the two.
UFC have been gearing the company towards making UFC 200 the biggest event in the history of the promotion, which is evident from them securing the return of Brock Lesnar to replace McGregor, and they will not want another issue with the SBG fighter to take away from the prestige of the event.