Conor McGregor hasn’t been sitting idle since losing his UFC 196 fight at the start of March. We’re exactly two weeks from the date he got choked out by Nate Diaz, and he’s already setting up a rematch with the Diaz brother for UFC 200. He’s also decided to re-evaluate his priorities, which apparently means no more Hollywood forays. Via ESPN’s Brett Okamoto:
As I mentioned on @SportsCenter, I'm told McGregor has canceled his planned appearance in Vin Diesel's XXX film. Doesn't want distraction.
— Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN) March 19, 2016
That’s right, there’ll be no more Conor McGregor in Vin Diesel’s next XXX installment. It’d be one thing if the UFC superstar was ditching some B-level project no one would see, but this was a B-level project that was bound to be pretty damn popular! So for McGregor to pull out is a big deal.
It also draws some unflattering parallels to the difference between Conor McGregor and the UFC’s other huge star, Ronda Rousey. Ronda followed her loss to Holly Holm by disappearing off the face of the earth for three months. And while she’s resurfaced now to appear on Saturday Night Live and in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition, she didn’t even bother to turn up at UFC 196 to see Holly Holm and Miesha Tate fight for ‘her’ belt.
Granted, Rousey took a massive headkick at the end of her fight that knocked her out and loosened half her teeth to the point where she was only able to take a bite out of an apple this week. But when you’ve got PR flacks telling reporters not to ask her about fighting, it leaves you wondering what her priorities are. We know what they are with Conor: he’s a fighter first and foremost, and how he’s handled his loss to Nate Diaz has only affirmed that.
