Conor McGregor will lose chunk of cash from UFC return due to significant contract change
It costs a lot of money to get Conor McGregor in the Octagon - and he has a sneaking suspicion he might have been short-changed by the UFC.
The controversial MMA fighter, 37, recently shared some details about his current contract, and despite fans presuming he's bagged himself a premium purse for his comeback, it seems that isn't the case.
He is returning to the ring on Saturday (11 July) for the first time in five years, as McGregor is headlining UFC 329 in Las Vegas with his bout against 34-year-old Max Holloway.
Three days before his 38th birthday, the Irishman will come to blows with the American in what is expected to be an explosive clash. Their rematch comes 13 years after they first fought.
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McGregor's comeback comes half a decade after he suffered a broken leg at the end of the first round against Dustin Poirier in July 2021 and almost two years after he was found civilly liable for assault.
Nikita Hand successfully sued McGregor in civil court after she accused him of raping her. The MMA fighter claiming the sex had been consensual but a jury ruled in Hand's favour.
He was ordered to pay her €248,603 (£207,000) in damages in November 2024. McGregor's subsequent appeals against the verdict were dismissed.
Despite this, he's being paid a hell of a lot of money to parade about in front of millions of people this weekend when he takes on Holloway.
The former featherweight and lightweight champion - who hasn't won a fight since January 2020 - has now offered fans some insight into how sweet the deal he secured with the UFC is.
Since 2019, the economy of the sport altered slightly, as the pay-per-view model was scrapped.
Instead, events stream live and on demand for subscribers who pay for a Paramount+ subscription instead. This also means that fighters no longer reap the benefits of drawing in big crowds.
Given McGregor's reputation for doing exactly that, this change isn't financially beneficial for stars like him, as he's now essentially missing out on a brucey bonus that getting in the Octagon used to come with.
Speaking about how much he is set to earn from his fight with Holloway, the father-of-four told The Ariel Helwani Show last month that he 'met in the middle' with the UFC.
"We got a juicy one," he teased. "Was it what my worth is? Probably not. Was it what they wanted to offer? Definitely not. Definitely not. We met in the middle. I'm a fair operator.
"I love the Ultimate Fighting Championship, and I'd love to continue. Let's see how it goes."
He said he is 'happy, to an extent' with the arrangement he's got and discussed how he hopes to sign another deal with the UFC when his current one expires next year. He has not yet signed a contract extension.
"I hope it is with the UFC," McGregor went on. "I hope we come to something. I hope I get honoured even more. I'm going to prove even more what I'm about."
'Ridiculous' contract clause
The 37-year-old explained that he is also already contracted to a date for a second bout with Holloway - but he really isn't happy about how long away it is, as he branded the wait for round two 'ridiculous'.
"Right now, I am contracted, and I have both dates," McGregor went on. "I have both dates for my fights. I have July 11th and I have...where would you think they would put me back in?
"When would you think they would put me back in? April 2027. It's almost a year later. That's ridiculous to me. No?
"This is the way the contract was done. I have my second date in April 2027. I'm like, 'Huh? Just give me the f*cking contract. It gets to that stage. I have July 11th. It's only around the corner.
"That's positivity; that's happiness. I got the date. I feel great. Bring it on. The Mac is back, and I'm going to put on a show. This is a martial arts delight, this bout. This is a fan favourite iconic bout."
According to reports, McGregor could walk away with about $100m.
That's the same figure he claimed he was offered to take part in the bizarre spectacle that was the UFC Freedom 250 event at the White House, which saw seven fights on the South Lawn, that he didn't end up participating in.
Topics: Conor McGregor, UFC, Sport
Olivia Burke