It’s hard to think of a more trusted name in MMA than Brian Stann.
The former WEC champion, ex-Marine and current UFC colour commentator gave his thoughts on Conor McGregor v Nate Diaz II headlining UFC 200 during a recent interview with Submission Radio.
Many felt that seeing McGregor defend his belt against former UFC lightweight king Frankie Edgar would have been a more suitable main event, but instead The Notorious is getting a welterweight do-over against the man who submitted him at UFC 196, while The Answer takes on Jose Aldo for the interim strap on the same card.
Although Stann believes that the financial success of UFC 196 has a lot to do with the rematch being booked for the landmark 200 PPV, he also thinks there may be another reason why McGregor’s team would want another crack at Diaz.
“Guys at that level can beat anyone on any given night, but if you’re a manager of a fight, you’ve got to constantly keep their best interests in mind,” he explained.
“If [McGregor] loses to Nate Diaz again, he’s back where he is right now. If he does out there and fights Frankie Edgar, a very dangerous fight for him, and he loses to Frankie and loses his 145lb title, that really hurts the Conor McGregor brand. That does further damage to it.”
Stann feels that McGregor losing his featherweight crown to Edgar directly after suffering his first loss in the promotion would take a long time to recover from. He explained that if he was managing McGregor, he would have campaigned for the Diaz fight because it is the most logical way of increasing his longevity as one of the sport’s top earners.
“That’s harder to recover from. It may take longer to get back to those big Conor McGregor paydays after that fight, I’m not sure what his contract is. From a business side, if I’m managing Conor McGregor, that’s the way I’m looking at it.
“If my job is to make him the most money over the longest period of time I can, it’s get him this rematch in a fight where he clearly won round one, have him fight smarter, but get him in a fight where he has the least amount to lose when you’re coming off a loss.”
Edgar solidified himself as the division’s number one contender when he knocked out Chad Mendes inside one round last December, a feat which took McGregor twice as long at UFC 189.
Stann sympathises with Edgar for not getting a shot at McGregor’s belt in his next trip to the octagon, but he feels that the New Jersey native will have to drastically change his approach to promoting himself if he is to receive his Red Panty Night.
“If I’m managing Frankie Edgar and I want him to get fight, Frankie’s just not a boastful guy. He’s probably one  of the highest character guys in the UFC roster. He’s a great husband, a great father – he’s incredible and an incredible fighter, but he’s going to have to go out there and do something to make it personal.”
Edgar has never really been one to run his mouth or talk trash to drum up interest for a fight, but Stann believes he may have not be able to rely on his talents as a fighter in order to get what he wants this time.
“He’s going to have to do something that he hasn’t done before to sell a fight, to get his name out there. Not his style to do that, he likes to talk with his fists and his style inside the octagon, but I’m pushing him to do everything in his power to campaign and get that fight because that’s the fight Frankie wants, it’s the fight Frankie needs right now, so he can make the most money.”
Check out Stann’s full interview with Submission Radio below.
