A few months back, EA’s marketing team probably thought that their choices for the front cover of this year’s UFC game—two of the world’s most popular and successful fighters, Ronda Rousey and Connor McGregor—were as safe as could be. Then this happened. And now this.
Somewhere, tonight, EA’s marketing team is dying.
Rousey, seemingly invincible, was knocked out cold in November. McGregor, a man redefining the meaning of the word “cocksure”, was tonight choked out in front of an audience of shocked millions (albeit not in a title fight).
Meaning that when UFC 2 hits store shelves next week, the last time people saw both the game’s athletes in action they were getting their ass kicked.
Ill omens. The illest of omens. Meaningless omens, maybe, since a game’s cover art has almost zero bearing on the game’s quality, but still. Not a good look.
Folks are already drawing “Madden curse” comparisons, but then, at least in Madden it’s only one athlete getting knocked down/over every year.
In the long run, few will probably care. These two are still two of the best fighters on the planet, and for all we know next year they’ll both be back at their very best. But tonight? Tonight is a time for stuff like this: