The Notorious One is Ready to Return in July… However, Despite Claims That He is Refusing to Fight in a Co-Main Event, He’s Now Given the Full Story of What He Wants From the UFC…
Conor McGregor has been called out by practically everybody in the top ten of the lightweight division. He’s been heavily linked to match-ups with Donald Cerrone and Nate Diaz, but recently flirted with the featherweight king Max Holloway (fighting next month for the 155lb interim title.) Even Darren Till – the oversized welterweight – wants a piece of the most lucrative match-up in MMA.
However, ‘The Notorious’ knows his own value, and he’s not about to lose out on making money to anybody. His name and wealth are established. After getting brutally beaten up by Khabib Nurmagamedov, any further return to action will be strictly on his terms.
Now he’s responded to claims that he is refusing to fight in a co-main event. He’s insisted that’s not true, as long as he gets his hands on some UFC shares in compensation. That’s a bold request, but you could argue he deserves it.
Promotion
McGregor insists that he’s ready to fight whenever and wherever, as long as his demands are met. If it’s not going to be in a main event, then he at least wants to benefit from a business sense. McGregor Promotions wasn’t created as a joke. He explained to media in Chicago:
“I’m ready to fight, I’ve said that. No problem. If the UFC wants me to slide into that co-main event slot and help, what that is, if I slide into the co-main event it’s boosting their brand over fighter rhetoric that they have. There’s no problem with that. If they want me to push that and I have no problem pushing that, give me my rightful shares in the UFC company. That’s all I ask. You can put me on the first fight of ESPN+ but just give me my shares. So, we’ll see what happens.”
Big Demand
It’s definitely a massive demand from the Irishman, with the UFC notorious for putting the brand over fighter’s demands. It’s not the first time that he’s tried to play hardball with the promotion. Back before UFC 200, he was slated to fight, but after refusing media duties he was pulled from the anniversary card.
Now though, it’s a different story. McGregor is under no pressure to bow down to the UFC. He himself stated that fighting is his third source of income at his point. While it’s certainly lucrative and quick cash, when you’ve got cracked $100 million, suddenly you can demand more to get punched in the head.
Wait and See
While McGregor might have lost the respect of a lot of hardcore MMA fans, there’s no denying that he’s one of the most recognizable sports stars on the planet. No other fighter on the roster will guarantee 1 million pay-per-view buys, nevermind the 2 million that the Irishman has frequently cracked. He doesn’t even need to fight for a title to set records, as his two fights against Nate Diaz have proven.
It’s going to be a battle of wills. The easy option for the UFC is just to give him the main event. Offering him shares could be just too big a step and too dangerous a precedent. But if he doesn’t need to fight, then they’re going to have to offer him something special to come back.
