Exclusive: Conor McGregor is to be blamed for modern-day gimmick fights, says Fight Circus CEO Jon Nutt
Fight Circus CEO Jon Nutt has blamed Conor McGregor's bout against Floyd Mayweather Jr. as the reason for boxing and MMA's latest trend of gimmick fights.
Nutt is the head honcho for Full Metal Dojo’s Fight Circus, which is based in Phuket, Thailand. Not classed as either MMA or muay thai, Fight Circus is intentionally designed to be a wild and wacky entry into the fighting landscape.
One of the stipulations for a Fight Circus event includes fighters not knowing their ruleset until a carnival-inspired wheel is spun, landing on rules such as 2 vs. 1, or fighting with a backpack full of cash that you must prevent your opponent from taking.
Despite being the head of combat sport's wildest new product, Jon Nutt has admitted he isn't a fan of MMA and boxing's current landscape. He believes they should remain the pinnacle of the sport, and promotions such as his own should be the place for gimmick fighting.
Speaking exclusively to Sportskeeda MMA, Nutt named Conor McGregor and Floyd Mayweather as a major reason for the shift in the fight game. He explained:
"It's kind of crappy, because, like, I was there for Mayweather-Conor McGregor... That is the gimmick fight that set all of this off. That was the one that made these plays. I don't think any of this would have happened if it wasn't for that and the money that they made and the show they put on. In terms of gambling, people have to make a line. There has to be someone who want McGregor to win, and that was crazy, the 'Great White Hope'."
Nate Diaz fires back at Conor McGregor after Irishman's '10-8' claims
Conor McGregor recently revisited his UFC 202 rematch against Nate Diaz amidst the latest discussions on 10-8 rounds.
The conversation has stemmed from Alexa Grasso and Valentina Shevchenko's rematch at Noche UFC, where Grasso scored a highly controversial 10-8 in the fifth round, resulting in a split draw.
McGregor then took to Twitter to discuss his rematch against Diaz, where he claimed his knockdowns over the Stockton fighter in the first and second rounds should have seen him handed 10-8 rounds in the scoring. He tweeted:
"Was round 1 where I dropped Nate once, and round 2 where I dropped Nate twice, scored 10-8s? They shoulda been, it was a cake walk on points."
Diaz soon hit back and stated that he shouldn't have given the Irishman a rematch after submitting him at UFC 196. He wrote:
"When I killed you off I should’ve never gave you a rematch I never get a rematch especially when I don’t really lose like n our 2nd fight or my last fight I just let u p**sy run off into sunset like you won .. Live with it ur both p**sys"