According to a report, Conor McGregor will soon be able to take “whiskey mogul” off his business cards.
Proper No. Twelve Irish Whiskey was launched in September 2018 by Eire Born Spirits, a company founded by McGregor and Audie Attar. It has since gained a substantial foothold in the global market, being worth an estimated $200 million. However, according to a recent press release from Becle, McGregor’s time with the company may be coming to an end. The release states: “On February 23, 2021, the Company provided notice of the exercise of its call option to acquire 51% of the equity interests of EBS.”
Becle initially held a 20% stake in the company before increasing it to 49%. It now appears they have bought out the remaining 51%, giving them full control of the company. While McGregor could potentially stay on as a spokesperson for the brand, it looks like his time as business partner is done.
With his venture into the whiskey business coming to an end, McGregor can now give his full attention towards returning to the octagon. ‘The Notorious’ is coming off a loss to Dustin Poirier at UFC 257. That fight was his first in a year, and only his fourth in the last five years. After the fight, McGregor blamed his inactivity for his performance, and said he hoped to fight three times this year. A trilogy fight against Poirier has been rumored for sometime in the summer, and according to an Instagram post last month, is what McGregor is anticipating (H/T BJPenn).
“I am most certainly on the right path,” McGregor wrote in the post. “Despite the loss I am on the correct path of evolution. Thoughts on the bout: I enjoyed racking up some more time inside the famed UFC Octagon. 40 seconds in 3 years is all I’d had up to this bout. I was savouring very second and enjoying my work. A little single disciplined in my approach and stance with mostly boxing. It’s what I get for picking this bout and opponent as a precursor to a boxing match against Pacman. I deserved to get the legs kicked off me going in with this thinking. This is not the game to play around with.
“Besides this tho my shots where sharp and I was in full control,” McGregor added. “Albeit the leg attacks where building up on me throughout the course. 18 in total thrown at me, with the final one buckling my leg fully, that was that. The peroneal nerve compromised. Fascinating! First time to experience it. Then a tremendous finishing flurry by my opponent. Hats off! A well fought fight by The Diamond. 1 a piece now with a Trilogy bout for all the marbles! Wow! Exciting! Not a trilogy I was expecting, nor the tactical affair I was anticipating, but I’d be lying if I said this wasn’t meant to be. This is exactly how this was always meant to be! Buzzing!!”
Will being bought out of Proper No. Twelve be a good thing for Conor McGregor’s MMA career?