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The Power of Conor McGregor on Display Outside the Octagon

In the past week, McGregor has unleashed his fury on Donald Trump, Khabib Nurmagomedov, and Michael Chandler

Justin Barrasso

The MMA Notebook runs every week.

It all started innocently enough.

During an interview with Adin Ross, former United States President Donald Trump was asked who is his favorite UFC fighter.

Trump revealed it was Khabib Nurmagomedov, a choice that absolutely set off Conor McGregor.

Reaffirming his status as the most compelling person on Twitter, McGregor unleashed a fury of tweets directed at Trump and Nurmagomedov before turning his attention to another favorite pastime of his–insulting Michael Chandler.

Whether McGregor and Chandler fight for the UFC in December remains to be seen, but there is no denying McGregor’s presence is stronger than ever. That has been especially visible in his role as part-owner of Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship, a growing fight organization that becomes even more relevant every time McGregor appears.

With McGregor present this past Saturday, BKFC 63 in Sturgis saw the promotion’s largest attendance–15,600–in its six-year history. This card didn’t feature Mike Perry, who has become the face of the promotion, yet it still produced record-setting numbers. And that is the effect McGregor has made on the promotion, which delivers entertaining fights.

In a short amount of time, McGregor has made a profound on BKFC business. Regardless of whether or not he fights again, he will remain as relevant as ever in the fight space. Plus, there is the constant intrigue of whether he will ever fight again, speculation McGregor will continue to harness as a strength.

As for the tweets directed at Trump and Nurmagomedov, score this one, 10-8, in favor of McGregor.

Serghei Spivac ready to rebound back into the win column

Serghei Spivac
Serghei Spivac looks to regain his dominant form on Saturday / Zuffa LLC

Serghei Spivac headlines tomorrow’s UFC Fight Night card in a heavyweight bout against Marcin Tybura. This is a rematch from February of 2020, which Tybura won by unanimous decision.

Tybura (25-8) enters having won eight of his last 10 bouts, but Spivac, who, at 29, is nine years younger than his opponent, is ready to start a new winning start. Spivac (16-4) had ripped off three wins in a row before falling to Ciryl Gane last September, a TKO loss that evaporated his momentum.

“Before the Gane fight, I was forced to leave my gym,” said Spivac, speaking through a translator. “Gym policies changed drastically, so I had to leave. I was training by myself.

“Once I got to Paris, I realized I wasn’t in the right shape. I’m not going to say it would have been a different fight, but there were definitely reasons for the way it took place.”

For the last six months, Spivac said he is back training with Xtreme Couture, moving past his prior differences. His focus is on Tybura, a fight that will allow him to take a step forward in the division.

“I am in charge of myself, and I’m responsible for my work,” said Spivac. “This fight is most important for me. I’ll focus on the future after that.”

The Pick Em Section

UFC Fight Night heavyweight bout: Marcin Tybura vs. Serghei Spivac

  • Pick: Serghei Spivac

UFC Fight Night bantamweight bout: Quang Le vs. Chris Gutiérrez

  • Pick: Chris Gutiérrez

UFC Fight Night welterweight bout: Danny Barlow vs. Nikolay Veretennikov

  • Pick: Nikolay Veretennikov

UFC Fight Night featherweight bout: Damon Jackson vs. Chepe Mariscal

  • Pick: Damon Jackson

UFC Fight Night women’s bantamweight bout: Yana Santos vs. Chelsea Chandler

  • Pick: Chelsea Chandler

Last week: 3-2

2024 record: 81-60

Published
Justin Barrasso

JUSTIN BARRASSO

Justin Barrasso has been writing for Sports Illustrated since 2014. While his primary focus is pro wrestling and MMA, he has also covered MLB, NBA, and the NFL. He can be reached at JBarrasso@gmail.com and followed on Twitter @JustinBarrasso.

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