The Indestructible Conor McGregor
American college basketball drew some impressive viewership this year, and nowhere was the viewership more impressive than in Kentucky. Not only did the state’s two marquee teams (University of Kentucky Wildcats and University of Louisville Cardinals) draw superb viewership throughout the entire season, but a full one-third of the population of Louisville — Kentucky’s largest city — tuned into a national championship game that did not even feature a local team. (University of Wisconsin Badgers vs. Duke University Blue Devils was the matchup, in case you missed it.)
Conventional wisdom’s explanation for the rapt attention Kentuckians give to college basketball is that the area is mad for the sport. For decades, the theory goes, Kentucky college basketball teams have been successful and have made the sport bigger in the Bluegrass State than other American pastimes like the NFL and Major League Baseball.
As anyone who grew up watching college basketball in the 1980’s can attest to, this conventional wisdom is flawed. Kentucky is the biggest state in the union when it comes to college hoops, but it wasn’t always that way. Back in the 80’s places like Indiana and North Carolina were touted as the sport’s unofficial homeland. The Wildcats were on probation for violated the rules of amateurism and the Cardinals were a popular team, but no more popular than a dozen or so others from places outside Kentucky.
In 1992 things changed. That was the year of The Unforgettables — four players from the Wildcats who stayed on the team as it navigated two difficult years of probation and nearly ended up beating a Duke Blue Devils team that was considered among the best of its era. It was the start of a period of considerable success for the Wildcats, with the Cardinals rising to prominence some years later. And though the Unforgettables are not responsible for the rise of Kentucky college basketball, but they are a part of it.
There is another unique thing about the 1992 Wildcats — aside from having a banner hung from the rafters in their honor and being the subject of a 2005 documentary: they never won the big one. The Unforgettables won a lot of games against a lot of opponents, but they never were crowned Champions.
The story of the Unforgettables is relevant today because UFC has a pay-per-view this weekend and the main event fighter may never be a champion. Conor McGregor will enter the Octagon to huge hype and even huger heat, but he may well lose his fight to Chad Mendes.
Though Mendes is an underdog in the eyes of bookmakers (+150/2.50 at one prominent sportsbook) the consensus among reporters and hardcore fans is that Conor will have trouble winning this fight. Mendes is an excellent wrestler. McGregor has never faced an opponent so skilled at ground control. Conor’s endurance has yet to be fully tested and their fight is scheduled for five rounds. These are their reasons.
Of a nearly equal level of interest to Observer readers is how this fight affects UFC business. The original plan — long-time Champion Jose Aldo defending the title against Conor — was considered a slam dunk. Event business was going to be huge — $7 million of tickets have been sold, and UFC’s pay-per-view buy estimates started at one million — and the end result was a win-win: If Conor won, then a massive draw would be created and if Aldo won then a formerly light-drawing champion would be elevated by the enormity of the event (the way Anderson Silva’s destruction of Forrest Griffin elevated him). Now, there is jeopardy. Mendes is far from assured of becoming a star if he wins because Mendes has already lost twice to Aldo. A dominant Mendes win could cost UFC millions of dollars because it would kill a budding draw without creating a draw in his place — or so the theory goes.
The flaw in all of this worry over Conor’s star power is that Conor’s star is indestructible. Like the 1992 Kentucky Wildcats, he doesn’t need to win on the court (or, in this case, the Octagon) to win a place in his fans’ hearts.
Statistics proving that Conor is a star are already present if you want to see them — lifting Demetrius Johnson’s pay-per-view buys by about 70% at UFC 178 when he beat up Dustin Poirer, racking up Fight Pass subscriptions for his beatdown of Diego Brandao, the superb viewership he garnered on Fox Sports 1 for his victory over Dennis Siver, plus of course those $7 million in tickets at the MGM Grand Garden Arena this Saturday — but the best proof of his drawing power isn't quantitative. Conor comes off as real, which is a must for athletes hoping to transcend the sports bubble. Conor carries himself like a star — from his dress to his posture to his walk. And Conor puts his job above being famous.
It may seem counter-intuitive that one must prioritize something above fame in order to become famous, but that’s the way it is. When it feels like fame is the goal for a person in the public eye, the public recoils. It is human nature. We all know that the attention given to stars is what creates fame, but we want a good reason. Fans want to be able to say, “He’s great at fighting” or “He’s the leader of this country” or “She had a sex tape with Ray J” to justify their hero worship.
With Conor, justifying the attention we pay him is easy. He has won lots of fights. He has looked great doing it. He watches other fighters fight. He trains, diets and sacrifices. He feels like a real fighter who is in love with his craft. That, combined with charisma that is impossible to synthesize, makes him a personality worth following for MMA fans.
Being indestructible does not make a person untouchable. Great fighters (or, overhyped, above-average fighters in some people’s opinions) get beaten sometimes and if Conor gets beat it will affect business. Instead of drawing a massive number of pay-per-view buys against Frankie Edgar or Jose Aldo next time out, Conor may draw an above-average number of buys against Nick Diaz. So it goes.
In the long run, however, a loss to Mendes won’t put shade over Conor’s star. He will draw next time he fights. He will get more chances to move up the ranks. And he will probably fight for a championship again.
As with any rule, there is an exception. The Unforgettables remain unforgettable even though they lost. So too, will Conor. Unless, that is, he quits. Conor can get knocked out and Conor can even tap out. But he cannot quit. He cannot be the guy who lets a rear naked choke cinch when it could’ve been defended. He can’t play it safe and try to get the the finish if he is losing the fight on the judges’ scorecards. He has to be tough.
Just like with any true superstar, part of the reason we love him (or hate him), is that we see ourselves in him. In 1992, fans of college basketball believed that if they ever played a pickup game against an indomitable opponent, they would have more heart and fight to the end, just as the Untouchables did. In 2015, fans of Conor McGregor believe the same. He is going to show it on Saturday night, and because of that his star will continue to shine — win or lose.
***
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Conventional wisdom’s explanation for the rapt attention Kentuckians give to college basketball is that the area is mad for the sport. For decades, the theory goes, Kentucky college basketball teams have been successful and have made the sport bigger in the Bluegrass State than other American pastimes like the NFL and Major League Baseball.
As anyone who grew up watching college basketball in the 1980’s can attest to, this conventional wisdom is flawed. Kentucky is the biggest state in the union when it comes to college hoops, but it wasn’t always that way. Back in the 80’s places like Indiana and North Carolina were touted as the sport’s unofficial homeland. The Wildcats were on probation for violated the rules of amateurism and the Cardinals were a popular team, but no more popular than a dozen or so others from places outside Kentucky.
In 1992 things changed. That was the year of The Unforgettables — four players from the Wildcats who stayed on the team as it navigated two difficult years of probation and nearly ended up beating a Duke Blue Devils team that was considered among the best of its era. It was the start of a period of considerable success for the Wildcats, with the Cardinals rising to prominence some years later. And though the Unforgettables are not responsible for the rise of Kentucky college basketball, but they are a part of it.
There is another unique thing about the 1992 Wildcats — aside from having a banner hung from the rafters in their honor and being the subject of a 2005 documentary: they never won the big one. The Unforgettables won a lot of games against a lot of opponents, but they never were crowned Champions.
The story of the Unforgettables is relevant today because UFC has a pay-per-view this weekend and the main event fighter may never be a champion. Conor McGregor will enter the Octagon to huge hype and even huger heat, but he may well lose his fight to Chad Mendes.
Though Mendes is an underdog in the eyes of bookmakers (+150/2.50 at one prominent sportsbook) the consensus among reporters and hardcore fans is that Conor will have trouble winning this fight. Mendes is an excellent wrestler. McGregor has never faced an opponent so skilled at ground control. Conor’s endurance has yet to be fully tested and their fight is scheduled for five rounds. These are their reasons.
Of a nearly equal level of interest to Observer readers is how this fight affects UFC business. The original plan — long-time Champion Jose Aldo defending the title against Conor — was considered a slam dunk. Event business was going to be huge — $7 million of tickets have been sold, and UFC’s pay-per-view buy estimates started at one million — and the end result was a win-win: If Conor won, then a massive draw would be created and if Aldo won then a formerly light-drawing champion would be elevated by the enormity of the event (the way Anderson Silva’s destruction of Forrest Griffin elevated him). Now, there is jeopardy. Mendes is far from assured of becoming a star if he wins because Mendes has already lost twice to Aldo. A dominant Mendes win could cost UFC millions of dollars because it would kill a budding draw without creating a draw in his place — or so the theory goes.
The flaw in all of this worry over Conor’s star power is that Conor’s star is indestructible. Like the 1992 Kentucky Wildcats, he doesn’t need to win on the court (or, in this case, the Octagon) to win a place in his fans’ hearts.
Statistics proving that Conor is a star are already present if you want to see them — lifting Demetrius Johnson’s pay-per-view buys by about 70% at UFC 178 when he beat up Dustin Poirer, racking up Fight Pass subscriptions for his beatdown of Diego Brandao, the superb viewership he garnered on Fox Sports 1 for his victory over Dennis Siver, plus of course those $7 million in tickets at the MGM Grand Garden Arena this Saturday — but the best proof of his drawing power isn't quantitative. Conor comes off as real, which is a must for athletes hoping to transcend the sports bubble. Conor carries himself like a star — from his dress to his posture to his walk. And Conor puts his job above being famous.
It may seem counter-intuitive that one must prioritize something above fame in order to become famous, but that’s the way it is. When it feels like fame is the goal for a person in the public eye, the public recoils. It is human nature. We all know that the attention given to stars is what creates fame, but we want a good reason. Fans want to be able to say, “He’s great at fighting” or “He’s the leader of this country” or “She had a sex tape with Ray J” to justify their hero worship.
With Conor, justifying the attention we pay him is easy. He has won lots of fights. He has looked great doing it. He watches other fighters fight. He trains, diets and sacrifices. He feels like a real fighter who is in love with his craft. That, combined with charisma that is impossible to synthesize, makes him a personality worth following for MMA fans.
Being indestructible does not make a person untouchable. Great fighters (or, overhyped, above-average fighters in some people’s opinions) get beaten sometimes and if Conor gets beat it will affect business. Instead of drawing a massive number of pay-per-view buys against Frankie Edgar or Jose Aldo next time out, Conor may draw an above-average number of buys against Nick Diaz. So it goes.
In the long run, however, a loss to Mendes won’t put shade over Conor’s star. He will draw next time he fights. He will get more chances to move up the ranks. And he will probably fight for a championship again.
As with any rule, there is an exception. The Unforgettables remain unforgettable even though they lost. So too, will Conor. Unless, that is, he quits. Conor can get knocked out and Conor can even tap out. But he cannot quit. He cannot be the guy who lets a rear naked choke cinch when it could’ve been defended. He can’t play it safe and try to get the the finish if he is losing the fight on the judges’ scorecards. He has to be tough.
Just like with any true superstar, part of the reason we love him (or hate him), is that we see ourselves in him. In 1992, fans of college basketball believed that if they ever played a pickup game against an indomitable opponent, they would have more heart and fight to the end, just as the Untouchables did. In 2015, fans of Conor McGregor believe the same. He is going to show it on Saturday night, and because of that his star will continue to shine — win or lose.
***
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