Legendary wrestling commentator Jim Ross thinks UFC featherweight champion Conor McGregor is having a similar effect in MMA to what Hulk Hogan had in the halcyon days of the WWE.
McGregor’s bravado and his ability to back it up in the Octagon have seen him assert his status as the UFC’s biggest superstar. As such, Ross feels fighters are clamouring to even be on the same card as the Irishman, just as they did with Hogan during the peak of his career in sports entertainment.
Ross, writing on his blog, also had a warning for the Irishman:
All these fighters @UFC calling out Conor McGregor, obviously because the Irishman is the new "it guy" in UFC and that's where one will find the money...the big money.
Two quick points, I hope that McGregor has a great financial planning in place where he's saving much more than he spends on toys, etc plus that this reminds me of when Hulk Hogan was white hot in WWF and when the booking sheets would be distributed that the boys on the road, when three shows a night was the norm, would first look to find Hogan's name and where he was booked and then examine that card to see if their name was listed too.
Everyone wants to follow the money and being on Hogan's live event cards was where the big money was as a rule back in the day.
Additionally, Ross advised the UFC star to get his finances in order. “McGregor needs a great tax advisor," said the WWE Hall of Famer. “Considering his professional and private residential geography and having at least two governments holding out their hands…the Irish and the USA.”
Fighters seeking to enrich their status and reputation will definitely gravitate towards McGregor in 2016, given his rounded persona. He is pulling in huge gates, so it makes financial sense for fellow fighters to want a cut of the action.
Since his win at UFC 194, both Rafael dos Anjos, the UFC lightweight champion, and Nate Diaz have mentioned a potential showdown against the Irishman, per MMA Fighting.
The Irishman was tremendous fun during the promotion for his most recent fight with Jose Aldo at UFC 194, which he won via a brutal 13-second knockout. Throughout numerous press conferences, The Notorious was thoroughly entertaining, regularly snapping at his upcoming opponent, bristling with confidence and having fans across the globe waiting on every word.
McGregor famously snatched the title belt off the then-champion Aldo at a press conference to send a Dublin crowd wild:
As is evident by this recent post on Twitter from the man himself, McGregor seems contented with being the guy in demand at the moment:
Line them up on their knees with their hands out. I want them to beg me. pic.twitter.com/YCYf0QslNR
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) December 20, 2015
Although in a different discipline, there are definitely some similarities that can be drawn between McGregor and someone like Hogan. Like the Irishman, the former WWE star was a huge hit with fans, knew how to work the crowd and was a figure who helped push his brand to new heights.
During his time with the organisation, he was the star attraction on multiple bills, winning the brand’s championship on six occasions. Hogan was a Hall of Famer until he was banished earlier in the year after he admitted to using a racist word.
McGregor, as we can see here courtesy of MMA journalist Simon Head, is always quick to salute the raucous support he receives:
Conor McGregor salutes the fans after his incredible win at #UFC194 pic.twitter.com/z9sA1YzXqz
— Simon Head (@simonhead) December 13, 2015
The challenge for McGregor will be to keep building on this momentum he's accrued. In the UFC, it only takes one punch or one kick to alter the course of a career and, as boisterous as the Irishman is on the outside, that’s something he’ll be acutely aware of. Perhaps that’s why he seems to have no concerns about openly enjoying his latest victory.
But it’ll also be driving him on too. McGregor, widely believed to be moving to lightweight for his next fight, is fiercely ambitious and regularly seeking to scale new heights in the sport. That he’s being compared to significant figures from other disciplines is a testament to his far-reaching appeal.
