There’s no real formula for becoming a needle-mover in the UFC.
You either have it or you don’t.
Fighters like Ronda Rousey, Conor McGregor and Brock Lesnar undeniably do, while fighters like Demetrious Johnson, Dominick Cruz and Robbie Lawler oddly don’t.
It’s not a slight on ability or dominance. It all comes down to how much people want to tune in to see certain people compete.
There was never going to be a shortage of eyes on UFC 200, even when the promotion pulled Conor McGregor from the scheduled main event against Nate Diaz, as the card already featured the grudge match between Daniel Cormier and Jon Jones, the women’s bantamweight title fight between Miesha Tate and Amanda Nunes, as well as the interim featherweight title clash between Jose Aldo and Frankie Edgar.
But, intent on breaking the PPV record of UFC 100, the UFC went chasing a star name and they found one by signing former heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar to a fight in the co-main event against knockout artist Mark Hunt.
One fighter who wishes the stars had aligned to give him the chance to welcome Lesnar back is Roy Nelson as he understands the significant amount of money to be made when billed alongside his name.
“I’d definitely take that fight,” Nelson told FOX Sports on Wednesday. “It’s definitely a money fight. In the heavyweight division, that’s the Conor McGregor. He just brings a whole other audience. It would be like if Tom Cruise said he wanted to fight or Shaquille O’Neal, it’s just somebody that’s so out there and well-known.
“If Dana White said he wanted to fight heavyweight, everybody would watch that fight tomorrow just because they want to watch Dana get beat up or win or whatever it is. Because they’re just so well-known.”
Nelson, no stranger to knockout victories himself, takes on Derrick Lewis two nights before the landmark UFC 200 event.
With 27 knockout or TKO victories between the pair of heavyweight sluggers, fireworks are expected but Nelson has his eyes on a future meeting with Lesnar in a fight that he thinks will eclipse any the promotion has put on to date.
He continued: “After I get through Derrick [Lewis] and Brock still wants to fight, I’ll definitely fight and it will probably be the biggest pay-per-view of all time.
“We’ll blow Conor McGregor, UFC 100, and even UFC 200 out of the water. Because of our styles, the style I fight, Brock Lesnar’s name, and the way I market myself and now with the UFC push behind me, it would get pushed to a whole new freaking level.”
