Following weeks of media build up, the Boston card is set to unfold in TD Garden Boston, Massachusetts, in what many are describing as a stacked event. There are many outcomes being closely watched, none so feverishly as the showdown between Max Holloway and Conor McGregor.
After a spectacular debut, many are calling for McGregor to be fast tracked to a title fight. Others, more cautiously, are awaiting more taxing opponents. Why the rush to claim gold? At 25 years of age time is definitely on his side for a title run, he’s the UFC’s new Dan Hardy and the UFC should look to build him as they seek to return to Ireland at some point in 2014. More importantly, tonight’s spectacle has come as a breath of fresh air at just the right time. The UFC have established a foothold in the UK, and McGregor personifies the type of athlete that can attract mainstream interest in a truly spectacular fashion.
What’s crucial about tonight’s fights, is how the momentum is maintained. Should McGregor succeed in getting another win under his belt, and the UFC include him on the forthcoming Manchester card, then they can truly capitalise in establishing him as the people’s uncrowned champion. Depending on how the next few hours pan out, Conor McGregor could prove to be a valuable asset in the UFC’s quest for mainstreaming mixed martial arts.