MMA star Aspen Ladd has criticised fighters in the UFC who she believes are trying to be "discount Conor McGregors".
McGregor is the sport's biggest star having reigned as a two-weight UFC champion while generating the highest viewing figures in the history of the promotion. Despite suffering a huge recent decline, he remains the most talked-about fighter in MMA and his return will once again draw eyes around the world in 2023.
Several stars are trying to break into the scene and generate the pay-per-view draw McGregor enjoys which has been boosted by his trash-talking personality. And Ladd, who fights under promotional banner PFL, believes it is important UFC stars now acknowledge their promotion also requires a degree of entertainment.
“We all know that MMA is not just based off skill these days,” Ladd told MMA Fighting. “It’s based off how much you can talk or how prominent certain features are. It’s just getting back to who’s the best. Who’s the best at what they do. Not at what they say or how they look. That’s definitely an appealing part of this promotion [PFL].
“There’s a lot of discount Conor [McGregors] these days and they’re doing it just because they want the attention but it’s so insincere. They’re not that person. They’re not good at it. It’s just like, come on, but you all know why someone’s trying to do that or trying to present themselves in a certain way, or feel like they have to do certain things to get the attention.
“It would be amazing if we were just basically judged on the merits of what we do, but we’re not. That’s not part of it. It’s an entertainment sport. You’ve got to be good, and you’ve got to promote yourself in a certain way – it is what it is. [With the PFL] besides the format, it is basically a tournament style and you know when you’re fighting, you know how many fights you’re going to get."
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McGregor is considered a role model to many for his achievements inside and out of the sport, which has seen him reach the pinnacle of the UFC while generating huge wealth. This is the second time this week fighters have been accused of being a 'cheap' McGregor, with Paddy Pimblett also accused of being a "pound shop" version of the UFC legend.
The Liverpudlian was accused of acting like McGregor in a furious row with All-Elite Wrestling star MJF, but McGregor quickly leapt to his defence online. He tweeted: "A dollar store Conor is still worth millions! Let’s go young Paddy Pimb! Don’t know who this other clown is."
