The ultimate goal for Conor McGregor isn’t becoming the greatest, it’s becoming the biggest.
One of the first snappy Conor McGregor soundbites to gather momentum is proving more and more poignant as his career progresses.
“We’re not here just to take part, we’re here to take over.”
When ‘the Notorious’ first uttered that one-liner all those millions of PPV buys ago, it felt like nothing more than a promotional tool to rally the masses and generate hype. Sure enough, overuse saw its meaning become diminished.
However, seeing what McGregor has managed to achieve in such a short period of time has breathed new life into what had devolved into a hackneyed catchphrase. He outlined his vision in plain English from the very start and he’s on the cusp of the greatest takeover in the history of prizefighting.
Get in. Get rich. Get out.
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) August 12, 2014
Conor McGregor is going to box Floyd Mayweather on August 26.
Cynics may write it off as a cash-grab. Idealists may argue that McGregor genuinely believes he can defeat the greatest defensive boxer ever in his professional debut. The truth is probably a little from column A and a little from column B.
There’s no doubt that the staggering payday was what enticed Mayweather out of retirement, while everything we’ve learned from McGregor’s career backs up the theory that he has every intention of winning. What this fight is really about for McGregor though, is becoming Floyd Mayweather.
Not Floyd Mayweather the boxer, not Floyd Mayweather the person, but Floyd Mayweather the biggest draw in sports history. A man who no one bats an eyelid over having the moniker ‘Money’.
The head says he hasn't got a hope, but the heart… https://t.co/NxD0ERQE5P
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) June 28, 2017
Brendan Schaub’s argument that Conor McGregor is the ‘A side’ of this event doesn’t hold much water. Sure, McGregor is arguably the bigger draw now, but historically no one has been able to compete with Mayweather’s ability for getting people to part with their hard-earned cash.
McGregor can rightfully claim ownership of MMA’s red panty night and that fighting him inside the Octagon will ‘change your bum life.’ In the boxing ring though, Mayweather is undeniably the superstar.
The poster reads, ‘Floyd Mayweather vs Conor McGregor,’ never the other way around. It is being fought under the Mayweather Promotions banner and they are populating the undercard with their fighters.
No matter how many people accuse Mayweather of being a boring fighter, the eyeballs always seem to end up pointing in his direction.
Prepare for the worst https://t.co/ftswaI9p9b
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) July 4, 2017
McGregor’s declaration that the numbers don’t lie rings true in this scenario, but these numbers aren’t in his favour.
Mayweather’s ‘Fight of the Century’ against Manny Pacquiao holds the record of 4.6 million buys. His bouts against De La Hoya and Canelo Alvarez take second and third respectively in the all-time PPV list, both selling north of 2 million. In comparison, McGregor’s best effort was a promotional record of 1.65 million for his rematch against Nate Diaz.
Here’s another figure to consider – $700 million. That was the career earnings of Mayweather when he retired from the sport after beating Andre Berto in 2015. While we don’t know exactly how much McGregor has banked from his UFC bouts because of PPV points and backroom bonuses, you can guarantee it’s nowhere near the bar Mayweather set in 19 years of elite pugilism.
A very dangerous game https://t.co/3sT1Qjxnra
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) June 28, 2017
McGregor’s star power certainly seems like it will be enough to propel this fight to the top of the PPV pile, but there is a valid theory that the circus act narrative being told by the boxing media may damage the buy-rate. What’s more important for McGregor is what the numbers look like in his future.
Since climbing to the zenith of the game, he’s always been on the hunt for the best business option to inflate his appeal even more. When he won the featherweight title, he immediately moved up to fight for the 155 lb strap. When he lost to Diaz, he pursued the immediate rematch. When he became the first ever fighter to hold two UFC belts simultaneously, he set sights on Mayweather.
If McGregor wants to be able to stand behind claims like ‘I am boxing’ and ‘I own this game,’ he’s going to have to usurp Mayweather’s PPV throne. There may be no belt on the line, but that’s the title at stake, and it’s not necessarily rewarded to the winner of the fight.
We all know what the power of McGregor’s acerbic tongue with the aid of a microphone. He is expected to annihilate Mayweather in the trash talk department and that could be how he finally surpasses Mayweather.
He’s blazed his own trail, but the destination is still that undisputed PPV accolade.
And beyond.
