5 reasons why a rematch between Conor McGregor and Floyd Mayweather is bad for MMA

#2. MMA needs stars

Many have declared that Conor McGregor is now on the decline, yet he remains MMA's biggest star. With the massive wealth he's acquired throughout his career and his ventures outside the cage, his days as a fighter who steps into the octagon several times a year are relics of the past.

While the likes of Sean O'Malley, Jorge Masvidal and Israel Adesanya have emerged as interesting figures since the Irishman's presence in the UFC began fading, they are not fit to take his crown as mixed martial arts' marquee star.

O'Malley is yet to prove his star power by headlining a main card, and his recent blunder against Pedro Munhoz at UFC 276 likely dulled his shine. Jorge Masvidal lost his last three fights in dominant fashion, and Adesanya generated only 400,000 PPV buys with UFC 276—200,000 lower than his UFC 271 rematch with Robert Whittaker.

Mixed martial arts is in need of McGregor's star power to elevate PPV buys. At the very least, if the UFC shares the rising opinion that 'The Notorious' is on the decline, he can be used to build up a future star to take his place in the next generation of mixed martial artists.

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#1. It could lead to more MMA fighters crossing over into boxing

Typically, the UFC does not allow its fighters to take part in combat sports that aren't scheduled by the promotion itself, although UFC President Dana White cites the first matchup between Conor McGregor and Floyd Mayweather as an exception.

The two legends' first bout led to a surge of mixed martial artists calling for their chance to explore their opportunities in boxing. The most recent examples are Kamaru Usman's attempts at persuading Canelo Alvarez into meeting him in a boxing match and Francis Ngannou's futile attempt at booking a match with Tyson Fury.

Many have described White allowing McGregor to box Mayweather as unfair, given he never affords other fighters the same opportunity.

If a rematch were to take place, the outrage would be even greater, and if White is forced to allow his fighters to pursue other ventures, he will be opening the door for his fighters to injure themselves in other combat sports. This could ultimately delay prominent UFC cards if stars like Usman are injured in their cross-promotion bouts.