Imagine ruling your division. Headlining sold-out arenas, and cementing yourself as one of the most dominant fighters on the planet, only for your own promoter to forget your name. That’s exactly what happened to the Dagestani champ before UFC 284. Dana White, in his usual promotional hype, fumbled, “When you talk about legacy, if Volkanovski can pull this off it’s obviously massive, and if… um if… You know… um, yeah can pull it off, he’s on his way to building an incredible legacy.”

Just in case you missed it, the name he struggled to remember? The reigning UFC lightweight champion and pound-for-pound #1, Islam Makhachev. So, if you’re a fighter trying to stay relevant, what do you do? Simple. You talk smack.

That brings us to The Fighter and The Kid podcast, where Brendan Schaub and Bryan Callen broke down the current UFC landscape and, more importantly, UFC boss’s worst nightmare, the dominance of Dagestani fighters and the apparent lack of charisma (read: marketability) they bring to the game. “Americans gotta step up and start competing with the Dagis,”

Callen said before Schaub cut in, “Who is a grind-him-to-the-ground-style fighter? (Magomed) Ankalaev does it, Makhachev does it, Khabib (Nurmagomedov) did.” Callen pushed back, saying, “They’re exciting fighters,” but even he struggled to name a PPV-selling standout beyond Makhachev.

“I like Merab (Dvalishvili),” Schaub admitted. “But he’s not a finisher though, he’s not selling pay-per-views off that. We like it, but we’re the exception. We like it, but we’re not, it’s a disaster.” Callen agreed, summing up the UFC’s dilemma. “They are dying for a Conor. They are dying for… We want the bad boys, we want the Irish, we want the Ian Machado Garry, we want all that.”

Essentially, they drove home why McGregor’s absence is a gaping hole in the UFC. It’s no longer just about winning, it’s about drawing eyes. Fighters today have two paths, dominate inside the cage or dominate the headlines. And who’s mastered the latter better than anyone? ‘The Notorious’ Conor McGregor. So, Mr. White isn’t in the fight game for the adrenaline—Is he in it because nothing gets his heart racing like the sound of cash rolling in?

Is Dana White just all about the money?

The UFC’s track record speaks for itself. If you bring in cash, you get the spotlight. “Skills” matter first, for sure. “You can be a deaf mute. If you’re a bad ass, that’s what I’m interested in. I’m interested in how good are you at fighting.” But the ever-so-cryptic Dana added, “If you have a personality like Conor and Ronda and all these others, it’s a home run. It doesn’t suck,” while speaking to the Straight Talk podcast.

That’s right, look at Ronda Rousey. She was the highest-paid UFC athlete until the Irishman showed up. It’s not just about winning, it’s about selling. And right now, without McGregor, the UFC is in desperate need of a new showman.

Which brings us back to McGregor’s situation. The UFC has been surviving without him, but thriving? Not so much. UFC 313 was slammed as ‘the worst card ever,’ and while Dagestani wrestlers may be ruling the rankings, they aren’t exactly ruling the PPV charts. Without a star like McGregor, the gap is glaring. Whether the UFC head honcho admits it or not, the UFC machine is missing its next big draw. And right now, that spark doesn’t seem to be coming from the wrestling-heavy, soft-spoken Dagestani camp, looks like the “eat-y, train-y, sleep-y” approach just isn’t selling.

Meanwhile, McGregor has been busy outside the cage. And not just with whiskey sales. He recently made headlines for a crunching tackle in a match for his pub’s team, Black Forge FC. Some called it reckless, others called it peak McGregor. But whether it’s the Octagon or a soccer field, one thing is certain, he brings the chaos.

Now, the latest rumor swirling is BKFC—yes, bare-knuckle fighting—Could McGregor actually trade his UFC gloves for some no-gloves madness? Maybe, maybe not. But with two fights still left on his UFC contract, will money hungry boss really let his biggest cash cow just walk away?

So, what do you think? Does Dana White have a real problem on his hands? The numbers don’t lie, and unless McGregor makes a return soon, White’s nightmare might just be getting started. Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!