Opinion: Requiem for a Non-Needle Mover

Editor’s note: The views and opinions expressed below are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Sherdog.com, its affiliates and sponsors or its parent company, Evolve Media.

Combat sports are built on the Next Big Thing. Newness captures the imagination and runs with it. Veterans exist to enforce reality, to catch up to imagination and ruin it with lessons in humility, sometimes reminding us that the Next Big Thing has been here for years. That’s the story of UFC 196, a shotgun promotion featuring a welterweight attraction between Ultimate Fighting Championship featherweight titleholder Conor McGregor and his handpicked opponent, perennial lightweight contender and former title challenger Nate Diaz.

Inside the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, fans witnessed Diaz’s second-round rear-naked choke subject McGregor to his first loss in eight Octagon appearances. The short-lived but bloody affair did much to reset context. Diaz definitively bested McGregor, who had been preparing for 25 minutes against lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos. The Brazilian had withdrawn from the event with a broken foot. With dos Anjos and then Diaz on his plate, McGregor seemed intent on looking toward challenging UFC welterweight champion Robbie Lawler for his title. The higher the weight, the more money the richest fighter in the sport’s history stood to make. Diaz unraveled all the Irishman’s wondrously laid plans.

McGregor was the first UFC fighter to earn a disclosed million-dollar purse, but he overplayed his hand against a nine-year Octagon veteran. The fight had its origins months earlier.

“Conor McGregor, you’re taking everything I worked for, mother [expletive],” Diaz said after his unanimous decision victory over Michael Johnson at UFC on Fox 17 in December. “I’m going to fight your [expletive] ass. You know what’s the real fight, what the real money fight is.”

A few fighters called out McGregor the same night. What separated Diaz from the pack, aside from McGregor’s belief that he’d be quick stepping stone, was the rawness of his plea. Diaz tapped into his already fervent fan base, which mobilized and helped him get his foot in the door against McGregor. It was no coincidence, either. McGregor had already looked at fighting Diaz at UFC 189 in July, when he needed a short-notice opponent. This time, the timing was in Diaz’s favor.

Diaz was not the first fighter -- and he certainly won’t be the last -- to get buried by UFC President Dana White. However, White’s assertion two years ago that he was “not a needle mover” was an attempt to publicly stick it to the Stockton, California native during a contract dispute. It all built to a crescendo at UFC 196. Diaz earned a signature win against McGregor, but he was already a star. His public beefs with the UFC factored into why Diaz’s fans were ready to back his declaration that he was the real money fight for the Irishman. He had paid his dues and knew his fan-friendly style would pay dividends against the right opponent.

Against Johnson, Diaz earned $20,000 to show and $20,000 to win. He made less than he was three years ago, as his income had not increased with his profile. Fighting Benson Henderson for the lightweight championship in December 2012, also on Fox, only netted Diaz a disclosed $50,000. “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 5 winner helped attract 5.7 million viewers to the event. He has been one of the UFC’s most prolific finishers: Only three of 14 fighters he has beaten have seen the final bell, and his nine submission wins rank second all-time in the organization, trailing only UFC Hall of Famer Royce Gracie. The 30-year-old has headlined six shows, which accounts for about a fourth of his Octagon appearances, and in 22 UFC outings, he has never fought on an undercard. UFC 196 was reportedly the biggest pay-per-view event in the promotion’s history. Remember, this was achieved with Diaz on 11 days’ notice. Imagine the numbers with a proper buildup.

If White’s previous statement regarding Diaz was true, perhaps we should consider why he was not a needle mover. Could it be because the UFC pulled him from the top 10 rankings during their contract dispute? That undoubtedly devalues him on the market, telling fans he was not a top fighter despite his proving it over and over again. There’s more to it. If fighters are battling for a pittance, it stands to reason that fans won’t care about their fights. One of the reasons McGregor is so compelling is because he actually fights for real money.

Then there’s the fact that Diaz had lost three of his four fights -- to Henderson, Josh Thomson and dos Anjos -- before righting himself against Johnson and McGregor. Diaz fought injured against dos Anjos because he needed a payday, and the UFC relished the opportunity to throw out that fact while ignoring what influenced his poor performance.

The UFC spending two years trying to keep Diaz in line rather than meeting his demands and promoting him as one of its most popular and credible fighters demonstrated the company’s willingness to skirt long-term investments in favor of short-term gratifications. Sometimes, that can ruin careers. The sport is more about “What are you doing for me today?” and “What will you do for me tomorrow?” than it is “What have you done for me lately?” Look no further than White denigrating former welterweight champion and goodwill ambassador Georges St. Pierre after UFC 196, more than a year after he walked away from the sport.

The UFC’s current business model pushes fighters to force the organization’s hand when it comes to promoting them. It seems intent on only promoting two stars -- McGregor and Rousey -- out of the 500-plus fighters on the roster or whatever happens to be next. Then, it’s out of sight, out of mind.

For American fighters to be successful, they must become regional stars first -- a step the UFC often bypasses. That hampers their ability to become stars on the national and global stage. Diaz’s allure comes largely from his background. Stockton’s downtrodden economy has little to celebrate, so in some ways Daiz is a rags-to-riches story that would be promoted that way if he were from Brazil. That from-nothing-to-something story is missing from the UFC’s American market.

“Don’t believe the hype” has become a cornerstone of combat sports. MMA can never be free from hype, so it must learn to live with it. The best way to co-exist is to detach from the idea that promoters determine the stars. That’s exclusively for fans to decide and for fighters to influence. Diaz is the latest greatest example.

McGregor is not hype. He’s still the UFC featherweight champion and a credit to the game, with his talent and ability to galvanize viewers. Diaz should be celebrated for understanding his value, seeking out ways to show it and then loudly and visibly choking out the UFC’s current cash cow. Afterward, he delivered another bit of classic defiance: “I’m not surprised, mother [expletives].” Diaz didn’t buy into what White was selling about his not moving the needle. Neither did fans.

The fight game is often at odds with the truth. What separates it from everything else? When the mirrors break and the smoke disappears, martial artists get the opportunity to expose their truth to the public -- even if it’s attached to F-bombs.

Danny Acosta is a SiriusXM Rush (Channel 93) host and contributor. His writing has been featured on Sherdog.com for nearly a decade. Find him on Twitter and Instagram @acostaislegend.