<p>That sort of thing makes a lot of sense, especially for heavyweights but it could be argued that more weight classes on a card diversifies things and in the end hooks a bigger audience card by card. It's definitely a shame about Cain though, he's such a talent but there always seems to be something with him.</p><p> </p><p>
As for McGregor I look at him and think here's a guy who's killing it commercially so obviously UFC are protecting him but in my mind he's a guy that just wanted to make history and didn't give a damn about what that meant for him in the future. It's a shame too because MMA remembers the box office stars and the dominant champions. If he had focused on one weight class and became champion and defended it properly he could've been remembered as a true great. Granted, he still will be but I think the problem with him is he just loaded so much onto his plate and got too big. There's no way he can be a true dual division champion and a proper box office fighter. It's not possible. Now it's difficult to know who pulls the strings because UFC have given him so much power but I think personally he may want to fight guys the doubters think would ground and dominate him but he's clearly too valuable to take such fights. His legitimacy may well be tainted by his star power forever, both by his power to 'pick' fights and UFC's obvious desire to protect the cash cow. Shame. I choose not to look too much at his fights but at his conduct outside the octagon. He's ushered in a new era of legitimate fighting that informs everyone, not just those who try to emulate him. People can now make a name from choosing to be against the grain, not buying into this disrespectful behaviour but being more about the art of fighting itself. Additionally, a prime example of the other side is the prominence of the Diaz brothers these days, now I know they had their fans and both were successful fighters and popular with fans who liked their unique brand of trashtalking and charisma but I don't think you can tell me that Nick gets that payday without Connor forging the path. He's more or less Ric Flair in an amateur wrestling setting, not many can hang with him on the mic and the guys that have been great or even possibly better in the past (Sonnen) are way shadier in way worse ways than Connor is. </p><p> </p><p>
I think the guy's legacy is gonna manifest itself in so many more ways than just fighting but for now people pay to watch him so he can do whatever he wants.</p>