The UFC needs leadership and Dana White's excuses are not enough for an organization valued at more than 5 billion euros



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UFC President Dana White. Photo: Getty Images
UFC President Dana White. Photo: Getty Images

A week has passed since the events that overshadowed the most anticipated event in the history of mixed martial arts. Until it departs from the scenario, the UFC 229 was an exceptional show that did not lack entertainment.

However, Khabib Nurmagomedov 's decision to go out of the Octagon and attack one of Conor McGregor' s Cornemens was the first in a series of quick – firing incidents that have left the sport in the spotlight for the wrong reasons.

The Russian had successfully defended his UFC lightweight title. The vision of such an insane act was hardly understandable for many viewers of images broadcast in newscasts around the world. However, it was the culmination of a crisis that had erupted six months earlier in New York when Nurmagomedov was the target of a bus attack by McGregor and his associates.

In Dana White, the UFC has a president whose words are sometimes at odds with his actions. Immediately after the bus crash in Brooklyn, White called the incident "the most disgusting event in the company's history". However, the decision of the UFC to use footage of this attack in the promotional videos for the fight last weekend was as bad as a goal that one could expect .

White's behavior was similar to following the fight that overshadowed the UFC 229, using words such as "disgusted" and "sick" to describe his mood. However, questioned about the possibility of revenge between Nurmagomedov and McGregor, he does not exclude it.

What is sad for Nurmagomedov is that until he jumped into the crowd to attack Dillon Danis, McGregor's supplier, he was ready to come out of the fight and the accumulation that smelled of pink. The subsequent decision of two members of his team to then storm the octagon and attack McGregor only exacerbated a dramatic situation.

Much of the comment was hysterical. Some wonder if the MMA can recover. However, the figures of the event illustrate a sport in a healthy place.

Ticket receipts of $ 17.2 million (14.8 million euros), generated by a total of 20,034 spectators, represent a staggering figure. The pay-per-view audience has not yet been confirmed, but it would be around 2.4 million. That equates to more than 120 million euros, or 1.1 million pay-per-view customers who won the biggest boxing event of the year, Canelo Alvarez – Gennady Golovkin.

Barely five hours had passed when McGregor turned to social media to express his desire to play a rematch. The potential potential of such a fundraising test means that it is unlikely that the UFC opposes it.

However, with more than 100 million euros in the bank, McGregor is a very rich man and has little to gain from his confrontation with Nurmagomedov. The compelling nature of Dagestan's victory, which culminated in a fourth-round bid, was a sobering TV experience for those expecting more from McGregor. It could be argued that an absence of 23 months left him rusty, but it is a fragile base on which to base an argument.

His greatest asset – his left fist – was ineffective. In the meantime, all popular comments suggested that Nurmagomedov did not have any striking power. The right hook that pushed McGregor to stagger octagon in the second round dispelled this myth. Besides the striking power, Nurmagomedov had more tips than McGregor could defend himself. He was brave, but it was an imbalance from the beginning.

McGregor coach John Kavanagh had said that a rematch could take place sometime next summer. However, Kavanagh was also clear that he would prefer that McGregor's next exit be against Nate Diaz. This would certainly seem like a better option. They have already organized two thrilling matches, winning one each. It would be presented as the decisive fight and it has a ready audience. Basically, McGregor can actually beat Diaz.

To admit that Kavanagh could understand Nurmagomedov's reaction after the fight could be interpreted as a way of saying that McGregor had gone too far. Discussions for UFC 229 focused on extremely sensitive issues such as religion, family, and nationality.

By the time Nurmagomedov climbed the octagon and his associates attacked McGregor, the poison of a toxic environment had infected the crowd at the T-Mobile Arena. Fighting broke out in the pockets of the arena and violence spread through the streets of Las Vegas. It was a menacing atmosphere that could go back to the bus attack, before stepping up in the days leading up to the fight.

White says that he will never tell fighters what they can and can not say. However, the scenes that followed the fight last week should perhaps force him to reconsider his point of view. The issues of family and religion are too sensitive. If the events surrounding UFC 229 have not made it clear, White does not understand anything or is washing his hands of any responsibility. No excuse is enough for the president of an organization valued at more than 5 billion euros.

Sunday Indo Sport

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