Dana White: Conor McGregor Did Not Receive Ownership Stake in UFC
Conor McGregor may have received a bigger paycheck to make his return at UFC 229 but he didn’t get an ownership stake in the company.
Last year in the aftermath of his reported $100 million payday to fight Floyd Mayweather, McGregor said the UFC would have to something to entice him to return to mixed martial arts.
Among his suggestions were an ownership stake in the company or at the very least co-promoter status alongside the UFC for his next fight inside the Octagon.
“They’ve got to entice me now because I came from a billion dollar fight,” McGregor said last year. “They’ve got to entice me. I want equity. I want ownership. I want to be a true partner, similar in the way I was in the Floyd fight. I was a promoter and I was a fighter, and that must continue for me to continue.”
According to UFC president Dana White, McGregor received none of that but he did get a massive payday to sign on the dotted line to face lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 229 on Oct. 6 in Las Vegas.
“He’s not a part owner. He might as well be though,” White said with a laugh when speaking on Tuesday night. “He’s making so much f–king money.
“He’s making so much f–king money he might as well be a part owner.”
While McGregor apparently didn’t get a stake in the UFC to get him to return, it does appear he will enjoy a nice bump in pay for his next fight.
McGregor hasn’t competed in he UFC since 2016 and his last disclosed payday was for his rematch against Nate Diaz that earned him $3 million up front. McGregor also earned pay-per-view revenue for the card that was reportedly the biggest selling event in UFC history.
McGregor did compete one more time past that when he defeated Eddie Alvarez to become the first ever simultaneous two division UFC champion but the New York State Athletic Commission doesn’t disclose fighter salaries.
Because McGregor is returning to fight in Nevada for the matchup against Nurmagomedov, his disclosed pay will be revealed ahead of Oct. 6 so it will be interesting to see just how much more money he received to return to the UFC after his nine-figure payday to face Mayweather last year.
