All boxing fans agree. Heck, most MMA fans agree. Basically anyone who follows, or has ever seen boxing agrees. This match up is a farce. Having said that, it would do huge numbers - and I would be one of them. Just like I watch the James Toney/Randy Couture fight, knowing full well it would be a first round finish for Couture. It still is entertainment.
The way I see it, MMA fans are loyal to McGregor to a fault. He seemingly can do no wrong. Lose? No problem. Walk away from the sport and get into a big twitter feud with Dana White? Makes him more relatable. So if he can bring 1m+ fans in, many of whom might not be boxing fans, it could be a great opportunity for a nice stacked undercard to excite the fans, and for casuals to appreciate the more nuanced nature of boxing as they see their golden boy picked apart.
As blatantly outmatched as this is for a PPV headline event, it does come with a massive potential upside for the industry as a whole. It's not a stretch to say that in the USA at least, MMA has upended boxing as the combat sport of choice for many viewers...an event like this might actually bring back a few casuals who moved on. Of course keeping them through months of drought like conditions in terms of booking big bouts might drive them away again, but at least in the immediate future, there is some potential good to come from the fight - even if the fight itself won't be one of them.
The way I see it, MMA fans are loyal to McGregor to a fault. He seemingly can do no wrong. Lose? No problem. Walk away from the sport and get into a big twitter feud with Dana White? Makes him more relatable. So if he can bring 1m+ fans in, many of whom might not be boxing fans, it could be a great opportunity for a nice stacked undercard to excite the fans, and for casuals to appreciate the more nuanced nature of boxing as they see their golden boy picked apart.
As blatantly outmatched as this is for a PPV headline event, it does come with a massive potential upside for the industry as a whole. It's not a stretch to say that in the USA at least, MMA has upended boxing as the combat sport of choice for many viewers...an event like this might actually bring back a few casuals who moved on. Of course keeping them through months of drought like conditions in terms of booking big bouts might drive them away again, but at least in the immediate future, there is some potential good to come from the fight - even if the fight itself won't be one of them.
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