Mayweather vs. McGregor: 5 reasons the UFC wins no matter what
By Ty O'Keefe
1. When the UFC wins, WME-IMG wins
Since acquiring MMA’s leading promotion for $4 billion in July of 2016, WME-IMG hasn’t necessarily experienced the instant financial success that co-CEOs Ariel Emanuel and Patrick Whitesell were probably expecting.
Last December, Amanda Nunes unintentionally dealt the promotion’s new owners a devastating financial blow when she put the final nail in the coffin of Ronda Rousey’s career. On top of that, UFC 214 was Jon Jones’ first Octagon appearance since the sale, the women’s featherweight division has struggled to get off the ground and McGregor has yet to fight since winning the UFC’s lightweight title last November.
Of course, WME-IMG will also receive the financial benefits from Mayweather-McGregor, and this fight will represent the company’s largest UFC-related payday since it decided to purchase the promotion. If all goes well with Mayweather-McGregor financially, and there’s little doubt that it won’t, WME-IMG could start benefiting from an event like this every year.
McGregor-Mayweather has given the new owner’s exactly the type of game-changing event that they envisioned when they bought the UFC. WME-IMG didn’t purchase MMA’s leading promotion so that it could compete with other organizations in the fight game. It bought the UFC because it wants to dominate the world of combat sports.
Diversifying its product will be crucial to the future of the new ownership, and while it’s hard to imagine what the UFC could do next to shake up the world of combat sports, Mayweather-McGregor has the potential to be the first of many events that keep WME-IMG on top and in the spotlight.
Everything you need to know about how to stream this month’s fight between Conor McGregor and Floyd Mayweather online can be found right here.