Return of Conor McGregor and Jon Jones on the Horizon as Renato Moicano Explains Their Absence

Renato Moicano talks impact of new UFC broadcast deal as Jon Jones’ leverage (with no Tom Aspinall PPV unifier) and Conor McGregor returning.

Return of Conor McGregor and Jon Jones on the Horizon as Renato Moicano Explains Their Absence

Renato Moicano discusses UFC keeping Conor McGregor and Jon Jones on lock till new TV deal (and away from Tom Aspinall) (Source: X/IMAGO)

The UFC 265-pound unification saga is growing by inches every day and breathing like an organism of its own. Both the legacy and interim champ — Jon Jones and Tom Aspinall — are unbooked at the moment. UFC brass has, however, presented that this PPV title unification will happen in the possible near future. UFC lightweight Renato Moicano is systematically less-than-optimistic about those words, and for good reason; he has roped in the likes of Conor McGregor to explain why.

Jon Jones, although a GOAT fighter for many, was never a mammoth PPV sales or perpetuity royalty merch draw, selling T-shirts and Funko Pops in his name – unlike Conor McGregor, who last fought four years ago, but still boasts some huge live gate records and was a Euro-style striker with global backing.

However, ‘Bones’ is the face of the biggest brand weight class, and UFC media crew/litigation has crossed that bridge of dropping media packages on him being the ‘it’ guy. Renato Moicano believes the UFC wants to make a Jones vs. Tom Aspinall match happen. But to keep them on tap for the new exclusives right TV deal would be just good business.

I think it’s absurd, ...[Jones] is doing the same thing McGregor did to Chandler, two years waiting, wanting to pass Tom Aspinall’s prime. The difference is that one is a champion — but McGregor was more than a champion because McGregor has the McGregor hype...The UFC is in a difficult situation because at the same time they want to resolve this, they still need Jon Jones — at least his image, just like they need McGregor, ...That’s two problems the UFC would rather not have, but if they tell these guys to f*ck off,...There’s no space for stars like in the past.
Renato Moicano to Guilherme Cruz (🎥: @guicruzzz) for MMAFighting on SBN

UFC brass is reportedly eyeing $1 billion/year from its next exclusive media rights deal this year. That’s more than what the current contract holder, ESPN, pays, and that communion has been dwindling with bad streaming and less jazzy champ faces to put on. TKO CEO Ari Emanuel and President Mark Shapiro are open to splitting the rights deal involvement among multiple heads.

After a lucrative boxing deal with PBC, Amazon Prime Video was in the running this week as a big frontrunner. Netflix has already entered that foray with sister company WWE, and it is a hot topic too. So, these are exciting times as to where the brass might end up.

Conor McGregor, on the last two-fight leg of his contractual run, is rumored to be tied up as a hot commodity for the new deal. Jones, who himself has teased retirement many times, could be the same, per Moicano.

Renato Moicano explains current UFC Champ problem

A very recent ‘NY Post Sports’ Podcast sitdown iterated how ESPN-UFC relations are at an all-time low, with them not wanting to put UFC on cable Pay-per-view for low output. Until a new deal, the UFC will continue to be featured on ESPN, with broadcasts airing on various platforms, including ESPN 2 and ESPN+. But for a steep climb in PPV prices, card orders on ESPN+, Hulu SVOD, ESPN & ESPN Deportes have been very meager.

Unlike Jon Jones and Conor McGregor, others haven't made it that big, per Renato Moicano
Unlike Jon Jones and Conor McGregor, others haven’t made it that big, per Renato Moicano (Source: X)

ESPN, on its own end, has had streaming and quality issues too. But UFC brass producing top-heavy cards that fail to attract beyond PPV prelims is an ongoing thing. Another element adding to it is the lack of vibrant titleholders. Renato Moicano explained how the robust attraction of old is missing.

Alex Pereira was the only proper brand champ going, but even he lost his belt recently. Other champs like Alexandre Pantoja and Dricus Du Plessis make good work but aren’t that big a draw. 185-pound opponent Khamzat Chimaev has been widely popular but has often been plagued with injuries and health issues.

Ilia Topuria and Islam Makhachev are popular, but relinquished their straps for multi-division glory. Other champs are either seeing a change in guard or slightly getting into the fold of being that great.

But Pereira lost, and Ankalaev is [champ]... Tell me, which champion is popular? You have Pantoja, who isn’t popular. Dvalishvili is getting more popular but isn’t popular either...Volkanovski is popular, but lost twice to Islam and he’s older — and was never a global star like Max Holloway was. At 155 you have Islam, who’s very popular in the Arab world but doesn’t impresses the American and Western audience. Dustin Poirier would have been better deal for the UFC. At 170 you had Belal Muhammad and now it’s Jack Della Maddalena, who has like 300,000 followers, he just started.
Renato Moicano further said

Meanwhile, much to Tom Aspinall’s dismay, Jon Jones has had only two ballot fights in five years of heavyweight. That too, when he took three whole years just to make that shift. Conor McGregor, on the other hand, is doing ‘Conor McGregor stuff’ (i.e, nose-blows, pad training, posing up, and Irish Politics) and hasn’t fought since his 2021 TKO leg break.

So there are no bigger bids or current double-champs in the making to drive major cards and events. Nothing that would drive cable Pay-per-view to a bigger, once-in-a-lifetime kind of output. A major chunk of Disney’s $2.670-$2.745B windfalls last season came from the historic UFC 300 PPV offering (rest $851.2 million from WWE WrestleMania 40 telecasts), but those don’t happen often.

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