That’s my point. “It wasn’t in his cards” because Dana refused to let it be in the cards. I guess it “wasn’t in the cards” for Conor to have to defend a belt? Conor got special treatment, as per usual. Once fighters were allowed to fight for champ-champ status, we saw more of them. Except Cormier and Cejudo actually defended their belts. Even Bellator is making Bader defend both of his belts. It’s still an exclusive club, you’re right about that. But for Conor it comes with a huge asterisk. Is it a good accomplishment? Of course. But does it make him a GOAT candidate? No way, not with all of the gifts and special treatment he got. Just my opinion of course, that’s all GOAT talk is for the most part.
GSP got that fight by virtue of being a welterweight king who defended his belt multiple, multiple times. Seeing him challenge for another belt was a big fight. Conor got his fight because it’s what he wanted, and like you said, he’s a huge draw. That’s actually where his beat accomplishments lie IMO. If the “GOAT list” we were debating was Greatest PPV draw Of All Time,” Conor is #1 without a doubt. But Greatest MMA fighter of All Time? That’s a list for Fedor, GSP, Anderson, Jones, maybe Aldo or Stipe, and (in WMMA) Nunes, Cyborg, and Rousey. Conor shouldn’t even be in the discussion.
What does that have to do with anything I wrote?
Revolutionized the game in what way? I think his greatest contributions are that he’s managed to make unheard of paydays, and helped this to creep up for others too. Not even just in McGregor fights either—Ronda made a 2 mil purse when she fought Nunes, MMA fighters never made this type of money before Conor.
I think we should draw a distinction between earning a title shot in another class, and defending your belt against contenders. I get that GSP had been out of the game, I think that’s a relevant point. But while he wasn’t a sitting champ, he also had never lost the belt despite being an active defending champion. He was a 2x WW champ who had defended that belt 10 times. So I don’t think his return to challenge for a 2nd belt is undeserved. Cormier defended his LHW belt 4x, and challenged for a title in a weight class he was previously in. As a HW he was 13-0, with wins over Monson, Barnett, Bigfoot, Mir, and Nelson. Conor has nothing like this on his resume. He was allowed to fight for a second belt without ever defending the first one. When he won the 2nd belt, he still didn’t defend the first one. And then, he didn’t even defend the 2nd one.
Gotta preach to em man. Conor as GOAT MMA showman/promoter? Sure. GOAT fighter though?? Nope.Speak truth to me lawd Jesus
The “best lightweight of all time” is 1-1 at 155 lbs?!? Those are some pretty low standards. If we include his excursions to 170 to fight other lightweights, he’s 3-2, and arguably should be 2-3. When was Conor very good on the ground? A GOAT like Anderson was very good on the ground against Marquardt, Lutter, Chael, Hendo. Conor got beat up by Mendes, choked by Diaz, and dominated by Khabib.
When I say he's the best lightweight of all time, I'm referring to skills and styles, not records. He does the best against the rest of the division, of all fighters.
