Is Conor McGregor on his way to Capitol Hill?
Well this is a pretty random turn of events. For years fighters and other impassioned supporters of mixed martial artists rights have rallied to improve the game. For too long the promoters have been in power with minimal big bucks for the individuals that bring the entertainment in the first place, the fighters. Now it seems that a major player in the mixed martial arts industry could be potentially getting involved in the fight to give mixed martial artists more rights.
Conor McGregor, MMA superstar and recent boxing participant is being rumored to potentially speak in favor of a bill to bring the Muhammad Ali Act to mixed martial arts.
While there hasn’t been official word from Conor McGregor and his camp, Markwayne Mullin, a former fighter and congressman, is claiming that the MMA superstar is coming to Washington D.C. to support the bill to further the rights of fighters.
The Ali Act would do a number of things for the sport of MMA. It would give more power to the fighters including helping certain lower profile fighters make larger purses as well as allow them to have sponsorship of their choosing. Currently in the UFC, the only branding allowed is Reebok which only pays fighters so much and caps their earning potential. The Ali Act also would enforce a clear cut ranking system across the board so that fighters who are properly ranked regardless of their popularity will be able to get their rightful title opportunities.
“We have been told by his team that he (McGregor) was going to come to the (Capitol) Hill to talk about this,” said Mullin to news outlet Reuters.
As of now, we can possibly chock this up to the rumor mill. Conor McGregor is Notorious (pun full intended) for being attached to projects that in reality have no truth behind them. This isn’t to say that Mullin is lying about McGregor’s involvement, but in this day and age seeing is believing. Until Conor McGregor himself goes on the record and explains his involvement with this movement, we should hold our breath. That said, it would be great to see McGregor step outside of his comfort zone and potential help a large number of his compatriots. Though McGregor did talk himself into title contention earlier in his career, he has also proven himself to be a worthy fighter and it’s hard to deny his methods. The Ali Act would make it far more difficult for a man like Conor McGregor to get the notoriety he has garnered without wading through the fire and facing many a dangerous adversary.
What do you think of Conor McGregor potentially supporting the Ali Act?
Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.
Jonathan Salmon is a writer, martial arts instructor, and geek culture enthusiast. Check out his Instagram, Twitter and Facebook to keep up with his antics.
