While from a fan perspective pre fight media duties are interesting to a degree, to a fighter, they are a distraction. However, for the promotion, they are everything – it is what puts asses in seats. From that perspective, it is what happens in the fight that is the afterthought, as everyone has already bought their tickets and PPVs.

In short, fighter failure to meet media duties is a big deal. UFC featherweight champion Conor McGregor and the UFC were apparently in a dispute over media duties around UFC 200. Then McGregor tweeted that he was retiring.

https://twitter.com/TheNotoriousMMA/status/722492455732584448

Then the UFC tweeted that McGregor had been pulled from his fight with Nate Diaz at UFC 200. UFC president Dana White simultaneously appeared on Sport Center with the news.

https://twitter.com/ufc/status/722573330566361089

It could well have been the biggest fight in MMA history. Twitter reacted, or more properly, ignited.

https://twitter.com/NateDiaz209/status/722514064576917505https://twitter.com/Sholler_UFC/status/722573185045159937https://twitter.com/Cowboycerrone/status/722582578734227457https://twitter.com/MieshaTate/status/722610967498989569https://twitter.com/John_Kavanagh/status/722581844043161602https://twitter.com/Benaskren/status/722589122041397248https://twitter.com/DannStupp/status/722584255725850624https://twitter.com/HammerHouseMMA/status/722603977582505984https://twitter.com/CWadeMMA/status/722592273205239808https://twitter.com/Thebeast_ufc/status/722590203718729729https://twitter.com/sheldonwestcott/status/722612859578920961https://twitter.com/thecodymckenzie/status/722585746566066176https://twitter.com/BlessedMMA/status/722581785469517824https://twitter.com/TeamFrankieP/status/722581773012574209https://twitter.com/DerekBrunson/status/722583702216249344https://twitter.com/DerekBrunson/status/722583087192940545https://twitter.com/FilthyTomLawlor/status/722580149355417601https://twitter.com/bokamotoESPN/status/722574907972845568https://twitter.com/cartoonlogos/status/722774102537342976https://twitter.com/CNN/status/722755074288717825https://twitter.com/TIME/status/722711437693624320https://twitter.com/piersmorgan/status/722738271646826496https://twitter.com/AngieOverkill/status/722600157393477632https://twitter.com/SInow/status/722572961262100480https://twitter.com/SeanSheehanBA/status/722556411587268608https://twitter.com/SportsCenter/status/722584606449537024https://twitter.com/MMAWorldSeries/status/722636342073692160https://twitter.com/GarethADaviesDT/status/722719052926468096

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