Joe Rogan claims Conor McGregor is not fighting Donald Cerrone next because the Irishman is refusing to fight as the co-main on a pay-per-view event

For a couple of weeks, one of the most talked about UFC matchups was a potential showdown between lightweight stars Conor McGregor and Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone. Both fighters seemed to want the fight, UFC President Dana White was on board, and of course, every fight fan with a pulse was eager to see it happen. UFC commentator Joe Rogan even said it was a ‘done deal.’

White, however, has indicated that they are not even close to making that fight a reality. In fact, he went so far as to recently say that Conor probably won’t return to the Octagon until the Fall and they are looking at other fights for Cerrone, including Al Iaquinta for his next bout. “These two have been talking about this and I said if they want to fight, I would do it,” White said at the UFC 236 press conference in Las Vegas. “But we’re nowhere close to a fight. We’re actually looking at other opponents for Cowboy Cerrone now.”

Joe Rogan claims Conor McGregor is not fighting Donald Cerrone next because the UFC wants the Irishman to fight as co-main on a pay-per-view event. Rogan revealed the UFC only want title fights to headline PPV nights, and McGregor is not interested in dropping down the billing. ‘They were trying to do ‘Cowboy’ versus Conor and apparently, the sticking point was that it was going to be a co-main event,’ Rogan said on his podcast. ‘I think the idea is that they have to have world titles as the main event for pay-per-view.’

White later told ESPN that McGregor is somehow to blame for this fight not happening and that it is because Conor is dead set on targeting a Khabib Nurmagomedov rematch instead. 

“Whoever recommended that Conor fight as the co-main event needs to get their mouth pissed in” -Brendan Schuab

Basically, the UFC wants their biggest star and highest selling PPV fighter of all-time to sign on as the co-main event for the Cowboy fight because they suddenly have some formality where only title fights can occupy the main events status on pay-per-view cards. Yep, you read that correctly. The UFC wants their biggest star to be billed as the co-main event instead of the main event.

Let’s not forget that 2 out of 3 of the top selling PPV cards were non-title fights (McGregor vs Diaz 1& 2) headlining fights. We’re all left scratching our heads on this one. Conor is the biggest selling pay per view star and he can no longer headline events unless it’s a title fight? Um, okay…but any bout that McGregor is on is the MAIN reason why millions of people are tuning in-not to see a title fight. They tune in to see Conor fight. If other great fighters happen to be fighting for a title-great, but everyone is still there to see Conor first and foremost. Put Conor on the prelim cards, as the first fight and watch those rating explode. Prelims fights will have tens of thousands of people in the seats before the main card starts for the first time-perhaps, even ever.

We don’t blame Conor for backing out. Brendan Schuab, ex UFC fighter, stand up comedian and host of The Fighter and The Kid podcast said it best. “Whoever recommended that Conor fights as the co-main event needs to have their mouth pissed in. ”  That’s a little aggressive Brendan, but yes–we agree. It’s absolute madness!

Listen to Joe Rogan speak on this

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