Conor McGregor sells a million PPVs with no undercard, where others cannot get close to it with a stacked card - Fans debate if the UFC needs the Irishman in the wake of his upcoming Hollywood debut

UFC president Dana White (left) and Conor McGregor (right)
UFC president Dana White (left) and Conor McGregor (right)

After conquering the world of combat sports, Conor McGregor is now venturing into Hollywood. The former two-division UFC champion is reportedly set to feature alongside American actor Jake Gyllenhaal in what is purported to be a reboot of 1989’s classic ‘Road House’. The film will mark McGregor's acting debut.

While fans are excited to see McGregor's acting chops, this news leaves them with one big question. Will Conor McGregor return to the octagon again? The Irishman is expected to return to the octagon sometime next year. However, following the announcement of his upcoming movie, there seems to be a lack of clarity about the situation.

If McGregor never fights again, what would that mean for the UFC, as the promotion will lose its most popular star? After all, here's a man who has delivered some of the highest-selling pay-per-views in the promotion's history. Fans seem divided on the matter.

Some believe that the UFC will remain unaffected in McGregor's absence from the sport and that other big names will come up to fill the vacuum. Others believe that it could affect the promotion's pay-per-view numbers. They pointed out that even without a stacked undercard, pay-per-views featuring McGregor sell the most, so he is vital for the growth of the promotion.

Check out fan opinions on whether the UFC needs McGregor in the tweets below:


Welterweight contender feels Conor McGregor shouldn't climb up to 170lbs

Conor McGregor has previously expressed a desire to compete in the welterweight division going forward. After suffering a leg injury during his trilogy fight with Dustin Poirier last year, the Irishman has bulked up considerably and hinted that he wouldn't want to make the grueling cut to 155lbs anymore.

Former welterweight title challenger Gilbert Burns doesn't think McGregor has any business competing at 170lbs. 'Durinho' claimed that the southpaw won't be able to deal with the power of welterweights and said he'd love to "beat the s*** out of" McGregor if they end up sharing the octagon.

During an interaction with MMA Fighting, Burns said:

"He’s not a welterweight but if he wants to fight at welterweight, I’d love to beat the s*** out of Conor. I think he’s not going to take that punch. I’m not even talking about grappling cause that’s not fair. [I’d] just take him down and maul him but a fight with Conor, it’s a win-win for me. I’m going to beat him up and I’m going to get a ton of crazy money."

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