“Those Guys Had a Reason for Leaving, You Have a Reason for Staying”: Veteran Referee John McCarthy Responds to Conor McGregor for Advising Francis Ngannou Over UFC Exit

After a long hiatus due to his leg injury, the UFC’s posterboy and biggest cashcow, Conor McGregor, is finally making his much-anticipated return to the sport. McGregor’s comeback is being touted as the biggest event among fight fans around the world, and it is certainly a significant moment for the promotion. During McGregor’s absence from the octagon, the UFC saw a couple of big names like Francis Ngannou and Nate Diaz decide to part ways from the organization. However, McGregor recently reflected on the situation during an interview, stating that he defended the UFC over fighters exiting.

But McGregor’s stance on fighters leaving the UFC recently came under the microscope when veteran referee John McCarthy reflected upon the 34-year-old UFC superstar’s take on the matter during his podcast. McCarthy noted that McGregor sees the company as the ‘pinnacle’ and there is a vast difference between him and other fighters who decide to leave.

During the latest episode of ‘Weighing In’, Conor McGregor’s recent comments on Francis Ngannou leaving the UFC were discussed by the veteran referee John McCarthy and retired MMA fighter Josh Thomson. McGregor defended the promotion, but both Thomson and McCarthy had different takes on it.

John McCarthy draws parallels between Conor McGregor and other fighters

According to Josh Thompson, McGregor is making a play to buy in his partner or become an investor in the company in the longer run, and John McCarthy agrees and notes that it would be smart on McGregor’s part as everything is about value, and how much value one can bring in the end.

Later in the conversation, McCarthy brought out a perspective on the ideal difference between the importance of Conor McGregor and other fighters to the UFC. He said, “The UFC, they treat you[indicating Conor McGregor] a little bit different than they treat those other guys. Oh, so there’s a difference. And that’s fine. You’ve created that difference, good for you. Fantastic.”

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McCarthy further added, “But you can’t sit there- And this is not apples to apples, oranges to oranges. It’s completely different. And so, those guys had a reason for leaving, you have a reason for staying. And I think you should… But don’t get on other guys and say, oh they, they should’ve, you know, taken the same path I want to take.'”

He continued by further differentiating ‘The Notorious’ with other UFC fighters and said, “He’s[Conor McGregor] good for the company as a whole. But don’t- you can’t compare what’s Conor’s at and [Francis]Ngannou’s at.”

McGregor’s return is certainly a big deal for the UFC, and his presence will undoubtedly boost the promotion’s image and revenue. And it’s undeniable that he is definitely the biggest star the promotion has ever produced.

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