Elsalvajeloco

Considering how others have dogged McGregor for standing up (many without even knowing the legit reason), Jon should be getting props for backing Conor. In hindsight , if that fight (DC vs. JBJ) does go down at 200, it was going to happen sooner rather than later. Although, Cormier's leg is touch and go. I just think it's interesting that Jon is playing both sides. He did ask his coaches before he took OSP as a replacement. So he can pretty much be a baby face by saving multiple shows like a certain Irish fighter.

Chris Beal vs. KID Yamamoto has been added to the Ottawa card. Tim Boetsch vs. Josh Samman has been added to the 7/13 card in Sioux Falls.

Brett Okamoto ‏@bokamotoESPN 8s8 seconds ago Nothing official and hearing UFC likely won't make statement today, but my McGregor/200 gauge has risen from 50/50 to 60/40 he'll fight.

Interesting that Jon Jones said he supports Conor, but is more than willing to fight DC at UFC 200. That would undercut McGregor's cause something fierce.

In addition, it's pretty odd that some of the same journalists and MMA regulars who were readily criticizing McGregor chilling in a Fertitta mansion and hanging out with Dana and Lorenzo in his attempts to live the life up are now the same ones cheering on McGregor asking for preferential treatment. The MMA community is weird as shit.

Yeah, obviously promotion is part of the contracts. But I agree with a lot of what Conor is saying. Thing is...it isn't anything we don't know. If Meltzer is right in saying that he is upset with Aldo and how that went down, the UFC made a big concession right there with another fighter. They usually never let fighters skip out on pressers in the middle of them. Aldo went to promote a fight even though he wanted to be somewhere else for a wedding. Both sides got what they wanted. Now whether Aldo chose to saying anything about the fight is ultimately up to him. That's not on the UFC. You can be at a press conference and do what Marshawn Lynch did at last year's SuperBowl media week if you want. Ain't anything in the world stopping you from doing that. Keep in mind, they did drag Aldo around the world to basically get verbally abused everywhere he went, whether it was by Conor or drunk fans.

Probably should have it put on a "tentpole" event instead.

Okamoto is still staying it is 50/50. Safely assuming that's just the return volley.

Dana isn't the one behind this. This is a concerted team effort.

According to TMZ, McGregor vs. Diaz II is officially cancelled. Their report says the UFC offered to fly every gym piece equipment from Iceland to Vegas so he can train. Their report also says that the UFC drug testing policy states that a fighter has to wait 4 months before un-retiring, thus why Conor changed course so fast. If and when he returns, he has to fight either Jose Aldo or Frankie Edgar. I believe Helwani is going to have a Breaking News vid for MMA Fighting shortly.

Well, they got eyeballs on UFC 200. Everyone has been covering it. With that said, the purpose of promotion is being able to keep them on that. Today's promotion is done through sound bytes and media coverage. So a press conference without McGregor is basically throwing a lavish birthday party without the birthday boy. Even though I do believe someone like Joanna can shine in occasions like this and be the saving grace. However, honestly, they come to see McGregor work his magic.

Cronysim? I have that album.

Meltzer believes this all over the fact that McGregor believes Aldo didn't do his share promoting their fight (when he took off for a wedding for example) last year while McGregor did basically everything. According to Meltzer, Zuffa's side is basically what I described yesterday some replies back. They've basically given him everything he wanted plus more. They were willing to make other concessions, but they weren't willing to forego McGregor promoting the show. They had already lined up the $1 million commercial to be shot yesterday (which is true) in Vegas, but he wasn't there.

This might be more Lorenzo's deal, but I have a feeling what they might do. 1. They can tell McGregor if he isn't on the first thing smoking to Vegas, he doesn't have to worry about fighting on UFC 200. or 2. They can cut down on the press conferences from 3 to 2 and just leave Stockton off the plans. They can move the Vegas presser to the Saturday afternoon. He can turn down any interviews he doesn't want to do. They can fly out his training partners. There are gyms in Vegas and NYC.

Said statement

Conor just unretired in a statement. He just doesn't want to do promotion for the fight. The problem is when you're dealing with potentially the biggest show in the history of MMA, you got to do promotion. Guys who hated it like Brock Lesnar and Anderson Silva had to do it, even though it seems like Conor is more or less talking about those little interviews with small time outlets. When you're this far out from a fight, promotion isn't really going to detour your training. Now after the media tour? You can go dark all you want. You don't have to say shit. On fight week, you're probably going to have to do some ESPN stuff and be on Kimmel and Conan. However, between that you would have a two month break.

Shooto Japan did sign a deal with Fight Pass, and the first show will be this Friday night/Saturday morning. Pancrase will have a card on Fight Pass after UFC 197 featuring the return of Mamoru Yamaguchi.

Max Holloway vs. Ricardo Lamas has been added to UFC 199.

Even though I threw the GSP thing out there, who does he want to fight? Because logic dictates they would break that up no problem at all. They've done it for less.

Conor is the only one who wanted the fight with Nate again. The UFC wanted to move on from that fight. He got the fight and got it at welterweight. If that was anyone else, he or she would have been brushed aside. They settled with him and got to him to agree to possibly fight the next guy at FW down the road. As much they want to book superfights or whatever, they don't let fighters hold up whole divisions. BJ got one superfight with GSP, lost, and went right back to lightweight. As for anything else that's been speculated on, it would be better to let it be known what the issue is. If Dana, the UFC, or anyone is lying, Conor can put it out there and prove it to be wrong. If Dana was lying this morning, someone from Paradigm Sports Management should debunk that shit instantly. If the McGregor side's purpose is to win in the court of public opinion, that wouldn't be that hard to do especially if the reasons are valid. IMO, everything outside of the money (in which anything unsubstantiated can be thrown about) right now isn't making that much sense. Or any sense at all.

BTW, if you didn't have enough of Dana today, he will be on UFC Tonight at 8 pm EST.

He wasn't shaken enough to stop training. If you're that shook up, it would probably be best to delay training for bit and head home for 2-3 weeks. It's not like he didn't have the time.