Records set to be broken, animosity begins to climb, sitting patiently for those two words, as Buffer yelps “it’s time!”

Three tantalizing title fights. The return of a global phenomenon. A chaotic card from head to toe. Each day, we step ever so closer to the “the biggest event in company history.”

To say the build up to UFC 200 has been frenetic would be an understatement. All it took was one tweet, which didn’t even come close to bypassing Twitter’s absurd 140 character-limit, to send not only the MMA world, but the whole sporting world into a rambunctious rampage. CNN, ESPN, BBC, FOX Sports, and monumental newspapers from over the globe (even the New York Times for God’s sake!) were all captivated by Conor McGregor’s retirement tweet. Now, there are two things which we evidently know about “The Notorious One.” Firstly, being he loves to cash pay checks, and secondly, he has a lust for breaking records. Ironically, his ‘retirement’ tweet did both. Whilst graciously thanking his fans for the “cheese”, his message was retweeted over 152,000 times, smashing fellow sports icon Kobe Bryant’s retirement tweet out of the water.

No-one predicted the flamboyant Irishman’s memo would of lead to such catastrophic repercussions. Denied a potential $10m payday, raucous rematch and an appearance at the UFC’s grandest event to date, it was surprisingly McGregor who had the last laugh. Putting on a brave face (but was undoubtedly turbulent inside!) president, Dana White, stood uncomfortably as he was heckled by an exasperated crowd after pulling McGregor from UFC 200.What makes the situation even more comical, is that they left an empty seat for the Irishman at the conference; if that is not shooting yourself in the foot, or rubbing salt in your wound, I don’t know what is.

McGregor's tweet which "broke the internet."

The hegemony of the so called ‘trash talker’ lives on again though. Once the pestering and pansiness had all boiled down, McGregor (to many bandwagoners disbelief) was reinstated and rewarded his re-match. Who said luck of the Irish was just a myth.

Wait a second, did I say the pansiness had all boiled down? Oh, forgive me. Because as we all know, this is the UFC, and the senseless squabbling never seems to stop simmering. Let’s cut to the chase, White has never had the most sentimental feelings towards Ariel Helwani, so if a chance arises to take a pop at him, you can be pretty sure that White’s dictator-like style is going to pounce at it.

This scenario could have never been so fitting last month at UFC 199. Minutes prior to Michael Bisping’s gold-claiming knockout over Luke Rockhold, Helwani’s career as a triumphant journalist was about to take a plunge for the worst (at least that’s what we all thought!) “Leaking” the McGregor fight had White peeved, but leaking the Brock fight drove Dana up the wall. Credentials taken, relationships ruined, Helwani left heartbroken. After two days of endless criticism from fans who were up in awe, Helwani (like McGregor) was reinstated to cover UFC events.

What a shock, the UFC backpedal on an irrational decision, who would have ever predicted that?!

After all the miscommunications, diversions and altercations, it looks like we at last have our ‘stacked’ UFC 200 card (although other may not feel as enthusiastic). What looked to be the most promising card in MMA (let alone UFC) history, has somewhat been overshadowed by the loss of “Cholo Gangster Vs Leprechaun 2.”

Bugger.

However, if there was one fight that could re-ignite fans expectations, from flyweight to heavyweight, from Bob Sapp to Georges St Pierre, it would have to be the long awaited grudge (re)-match between current #1 pound for pound, and arguably the greatest fighter in UFC history (no that’s not being hyperbolic!), Jon Jones. Against his adversary, and current heavyweight champ, Daniel Cormier.

Hey pussy, are you still there?

It would be no stranger to your ears if I told you how much Jones and ‘DC’ despise each other, so no, I won’t focus on their bitter sweet relationship…but oh isn’t it entertaining! Verbal diarrhoea, fists flying, Jones and DC have the bond of two immature, spoilt twelve-year-old brothers.

Brock Lesnar. We’ve all heard the name. “Ain’t that the bloody huge geezer in WWE?” Yes, that’s the one. But what sticks in my head about Brock is not his mammoth structure, or abnormally sized trapezius, it is his gigantic PPV buys.

7 years ago, at UFC 100, Brock (with help of other fighters of course) set the current PPV record of 1.6 million, when he brutalised Frank Mir on the ground in their rematch to retain bragging rights, and of course the heavyweight title. Now a hundred UFC’s later, he returns to the octagon; to face the super Samoan with serious KO power, Mark Hunt.

Post UFC 100 - Lesnar: "Talk all the shit you want motherfucker!"

Nah, the build up to the “biggest event in company history” has not been dramatic whatsoever, so buckle yourselves up and prepare for a bore fest!