August 26 2017 marked the day MMA fighter and UFC Lightweight Champion Conor McGregor stepped into the ring with World Champion, undefeated 49-0 boxer Floyd Mayweather. The lead up to this fight was unprecedented. The Press Conferences, if you could call them that, put Ringling Bros to shame. Let's not even get started on the social media memes or the absolute disgust from the majority of the boxing community. Regardless of whether or not you are a fan of MMA or the UFC, the question I ask is, Was the fight good for MMA?
Let me start by saying, I'm not a fan of "loud mouth" fighters, in or out of the ring. They remind me of every bully I've ever encountered in my life. I prefer they do their talking inside the ring. Needless to say, I don’t like either of these guys. But as a Jiu Jitsu Purple Belt and lover of all things MMA, I threw my support behind McGregor even though I didn't think he had anything more than a punchers chance. I like to say that my heart was with Mcgregor but my head was with Mayweather. Side note, I have always rooted against McGregor in the octagon but I would've just loved for him to knock Mayweather out in the first round.
With that being said, I take my hat off to any man or woman who is willing to step into another athlete's domain and try to give them a run for their money. Whether its Michael Jordan stepping onto the baseball field or Conor McGregor stepping into a boxing ring, I give these men the utmost respect. Conor needed to forget everything he's learned in the octagon as evidenced by the way he punched down, would take Floyds back or punch from behind. Mayweather just had to do what he's always done. So, even though he got stopped in the 10th, I think Conor put in a good performance.
So, was the fight good for MMA? Hell yeah! It was actually a positive for both sports. Boxing, although its lost many fans to UFC and Bellator for years, may have just brought some fans back with Mayweather's victory. BUT, Mixed Martial Arts, couldn't lose. Even if McGregor would have got knocked into the second row midway through the first round; the attention that this brought to MMA is unprecedented. MMA has stolen fans away from boxing for years, including me, and it doesn't look like it's going to end anytime soon. In my opinion, boxing is to MMA as flag football is to the NFL. It's obviously essential to MMA, and I have the utmost respect for all boxers, but which would you prefer to watch? I'm just sayin...