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ROUNDTABLE: Can Jose Aldo vs. Conor McGregor at UFC 189 out-draw stacked UFC 187 card on pay-per-view?
Mar 26, 2015 - 8:30:08 PM
ROUNDTABLE: Can Jose Aldo vs. Conor McGregor at UFC 189 out-draw stacked UFC 187 card on pay-per-view?
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With the UFC heating up promotion of UFC 189's Jose Aldo-Conor McGregor main event via this month's press tour, do you think that card this July can out-draw the stacked UFC 187 event on Memorial Day weekend? Why or why not?


DAYNE FOX, MMATORCH CONTRIBUTOR

It very well can. McGregor is a damn good fighter… but he is much better at building hype, easily the best in the business at this point with Chael Sonnen injected into retirement. But the fact that he has the UFC muscle behind him (and the card) makes it very likely that it will. The UFC has already thrown out five episodes of Embedded for UFC 189, which is still well over 3 months away. Granted, this is for their promotional tour, but I've barely seen anything for UFC 187 which occurs a good seven weeks before UFC 189. Having Robbie Lawler underneath Aldo and McGregor doesn't hurt, either, as it is hard to recall a boring fight he has ever been a part of.

To be honest, though, it's hard to blame the UFC for not putting too much behind UFC 187. Jon Jones' recent positive test for cocaine makes it hard to promote him in a favorable manner; same with Anthony Johnson and his domestic abuse charge. As for Chris Weidman, he makes it hard to trust he is going to be there when he has had to pull out of three of the last four cards he was supposed to headline due to injury.


RICH HANSEN, MMATORCH COLUMNIST

No offense to the narrator, but it's way early to ask this question. 187 has almost a fully announced card; 189 has two fights announced. Not that anyone's going to be buying 189 because, say, Dan Miller is fighting on Fight Pass or anything. But it's really akin to asking me if Brittney Palmer's next painting of a 1960's rock god is going to be this generation's Mona Lisa based on an Instagram post of it after two days worth of work.


FRANK HYDEN, MMATORCH CONTRIBUTOR

There's absolutely no way that happens. UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones is the biggest draw for the UFC, so there's no way he gets outdrawn. That's not to say that Aldo-McGregor shouldn't draw big numbers, they should. I don't think they will, but they should. I think Aldo-McGregor draw good numbers, but Jon Jones draws great numbers. Add in the fact that he is fighting the legitimately toughest challenge of his career, and you've got a recipe for a big time event. Anthony "Rumble" Johnson destroyed Alexander Gustafsson, the guy who Jones had to go five rounds with, and some still say beat Jones that night. Rumble walked through Gustafsson like he wasn't even there, ad that's got to be a scary thought for Jones. Rumble also has the highlights that are ready made for PPV promotion. As if that weren't enough, UFC 187 also has Chris Weidman defending his UFC Middleweight Title against Vitor Belfort. Weidman is the guy who beat Anderson Silva, and he's going against an explosive striker. I hope Aldo-McGregor does huge numbers, but there's no way they outdraw Jones-Johnson.


KALE HAVERVOLD, MMATORCH CONTRIBUTOR

It could, it really depends how these next couple of weeks go and how the feud evolves. It has the potential to be a huge rivalry. As of right now, I would say that UFC 187 will sell more, but I wouldn't be shocked if 189 beat it after all is said and done.


BRAD WALKER, MMATORCH CONTRIBUTOR

I don't know if you can find a card that will outdraw UFC 187 for the remainder of the year, but McGregor's ambush tactics bring him fans in bunches, and his presence may draw more viewers than Aldo's. McGregor is an impressive fighter, but in this case I really think his mouth wrote a check that his ass can't cash, so to speak. It will be a fun fight, but it won't outdraw 187.


TOM STRONG, MMATORCH UK CONTRIBUTOR

If anyone or anything can out-draw the deep stacked UFC 187 event it'll be Jose Aldo vs. Conor McGregor; the rivalry between the two will have fans invested whichever side of the fence you are sitting, and with McGregor's ability to sell a fight - along with the UFC's promotional push going on at the moment - I have a feeling that UFC 189 might just tip the scales and put on huge numbers.

McGregor has shown in the past he can draw fans in to watch him fight; whether it'll be wanting to watch him win or lose, fans will tune in. Look at his recent fight with Dennis Siver at UFC Fight Night 59, an opponent who hardly spoke a word, an opponent who was 1-1-1 NC in his last three fights, but still it generated record breaking viewing figures for Fox Sports 1.

Of the two events, UFC 187 will be the bigger card on paper, as it's stacked head to toe with top names and great match ups. With two title fights on the line, Jon Jones vs. Anthony Johnson and Chris Weidman vs. Vitor Belfort, it'll be a tough task to beat the pay-per-view numbers that card should garner, but I'm predicting UFC 189 to not only outshine UFC 187, but become one of the all time highest drawing pay-per-view shows in UFC history.

There's only one real winner in all of this, and it's the fans!


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