No, the Nevada Athletic Commission did not suddenly have a change of heart regarding its original punishment levied against UFC megastar Conor McGregor.
In reducing McGregor’s October sentence of a $150,000 fine and 50 community service hours to $25,000 and 25 hours, the NAC was merely acting in its own best interest, mending a fractured relationship to host a blockbuster event no one thought possible when their initial verdict was rendered.
In October, the historically “arbitrary and capricious” commission slapped McGregor with the aforementioned penalties after the Irishman attempted to explain the reasoning behind his unruly actions at a UFC 202 pre-fight press conference. Nate Diaz, his dance partner in the fracas, was docked just $50,000 after admitting guilt and asking for leniency.
Not long after his sentencing, it didn’t take long for McGregor to make his own power play, claiming he would never fight in the state again — a real possibility given New York's emergence as the UFC’s East Coast hub.
"I don't see Nevada in my future,” McGregor said. “Good luck trying to get (the money).”
The reality of losing McGregor — the owner of four of Nevada’s five largest gates for MMA — for the rest of his career was probably enough for the NAC to downgrade its discipline. With that said, there’s no way recent developments in the McGregor vs. Floyd Mayweather saga didn’t drive home the importance of executive director Bob Bennett and co. accepting the Irishman’s appeal.
Last week, UFC President Dana White completely changed his tune on the super fight, saying: “I just don’t see how it doesn’t happen.” The importance of this shift cannot be understated, as the MMA leader would have to be a willing third party for this one-off boxing match to be booked.
More recently, McGregor himself said the fight was “close” to being inked, and mentioned this September as his targeted time frame.
Mayweather, meanwhile, has picked out Moscow as his preferred host city, but that was done purely to satisfy the Russian media he was addressing. Make no mistake: Las Vegas is the exclusive fighting home for “Money,” and with “The Notorious” now cleared to be licensed as a pro boxer in Nevada, Mayweather vs. McGregor is almost a shoo-in to take place at the T-Mobile or MGM Grand Garden Arena.
In other words, the NAC's ulterior motive in easing up on the UFC lightweight champion would allow the state to receive a small share in event revenue worth hundreds of millions of dollars.
