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Conor McGregor Wants Monstrous Payday To Box Floyd Mayweather

In the four days since Conor McGregor’s win over Eddie Alvarez in the main event of last weekend’s (Sat., Nov. 12, 2016) UFC 205 from Madison Square Garden, much of the talk in the MMA world has been focused on just whom ‘The Notorious’ will fight next. There’s a potential rubber match with Nate Diaz,

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There’s a potential rubber match with Nate Diaz, and even a possible welterweight title fight versus Tyron Woodley, yet the one outrageous prospect that just won’t seem to fade away is his oft-discussed (but hardly realistic) boxing match with undefeated champion Floyd Mayweather Jr.

It could be becoming a bit more realistic after McGregor made history, and indeed the two superstars have kept the hype rolling by throwing smack talk at each other in public interviews. The Irishman continued that last night when he appeared at 1 OAK nightclub in NYC (courtesy of TMZ Sports), proclaiming that Mayweather didn’t want a ‘real fight’ in the DJ booth:

“Floyd’s not ready for this. Much respect to Floyd. He’s a solid businessman on what he’s been able to do. He’s a f**king animal at what he’s been able to do. But as far as real fighting … as far as true pure unarmed combat … Floyd don’t want none of this.”

“He wants a boxing match, he doesn’t want a fight.”I want a $100 million cash to fight him under boxing rules. He’s afraid of a real fight.”

As the biggest name in the UFC by a wide margin right now, McGregor almost made headlines right after his win over Alvarez when he demanded a stake in the UFC after new owners WME-IMG purchased the booming company for a staggering $4.2 billion this summer.

That may sounds like an extremely ridiculous proposition, but if his history in the UFC is any indication, McGregor gets what he wants. Given his recent track record of smashing records each and every fight, his employers may have no choice but meet him at the bargaining table.

The fight with Mayweather, while a distant possibility, is still a possibility, and would be a bout that had the potential to break every modern pay-per-view (PPV) record. It’s also an extremely lofty amount Mayweather’s team may not agree to pay ‘The Notorious.’

Will McGregor vs. Mayweather ever happen? Should it?

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Quote: Conor McGregor’s Lightweight Title Shot Is ‘Bulls***’

The MMA world is definitely awaiting the lightweight title main event between Conor McGregor and Eddie Alvarez at November 12’s UFC 205 from Madison Square Garden in New York City, yet there are still top 155-pound fighters who believe the booking is a bit of a joke. That’s nothing new, however, as McGregor’s leapfrogging of a

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That’s nothing new, however, as McGregor’s leapfrogging of a packed lightweight fray for his third consecutive fight outside of his division – where the belt sits collecting dust since last December – has caused a drawn-out uproar amongst fans and fighters alike ever since it was booked.

One lightweight who shares that sentiment is Michael Chiesa, who currently sits on the sidelines awaiting his recovery from the back injury that forced him out of a potentially great main event against Tony Ferguson this summer.

In a recent interview with MMA Fighting, ‘Maverick’ had some harsh criticism for ‘Notorious’ and his title shot, believing him to be in over his head as an easy out at 155:

I think it’s bullshit. I feel bad for the guys that have been leaped-frog by him. I do understand that there is an entertainment aspect to the sport and to this promotion, but I think you have to maintain the sport before you let a guy make moves like that. Do I like him being in my weight class? Yeah, because it’s a big money fight and I match up really well against him. I mean, I’d be one body-lock away from subbing him.

“Other than that, it doesn’t really… you know, I just feel bad for the Tony Fergusons, and the Nurmagomedovs, and these guys that have racked up these huge win streaks and they’re getting leaped-frogged by a dude, who really, I mean, we’ll find out if he has any business in our division on November 12, but until then, I don’t think he’s in the right spot. He needs to go back and do what’s right. He’s got Max Holloway and Anthony Pettis in his own weight class to deal with. So I hope Eddie puts him back down to 145, but if not welcome to your new home, welcome to the deep waters.

Chiesa’s far from the first fighter to question McGregor’s ground game, but it’s also difficult to question the Irish champ at least deserving a spot in the stacked 155-pound division, as he just beat top-ranked veteran Nate Diaz in a knockdown barnburner at August’s UFC 202. We’ll soon find out if he can beat the current best lightweight onthe planet, and if he does, a decision will have to be made about which title McGregor will defend next.

He’s already beaten Holloway, and Pettis, despite being an enticing style match-up with McGregor, has only won one fight at 145 pounds after dropping three straight at lightweight. That would mean bouts with Ferguson and/or Nurmagomedov could be on the horizon for ‘Notorious,’ and those would obviously be huge fights that were tough to pick.

With McGregor teasing some significant time off after UFC 205, we may unfortunately never get to see him take on the most dangerous 155-pound talent in the world.

Would he falter like Chiesa thinks he would, or would he rise to the occasion and silence his doubting peers?

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Conor McGregor Earns Record-Setting Cash In 2016

Everyone already knew Conor McGregor is the highest-paid star in the UFC, but the numbers he’s claimed to earn this year -and his own valuation of his worth to his employers – are truly staggering numbers. ‘The Notorious’ set the MMA world on fire earlier this week at the UFC 205 press conference form The

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‘The Notorious’ set the MMA world on fire earlier this week at the UFC 205 press conference form The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York, and not surprisingly, his record-setting paydays were at the center of his beloved trash talk.

With a potentially record-breaking lightweight championship bout against Eddie Alvarez scheduled for the main event of the UFC’s New York debut on November 12, McGregor plans to add another monstrous payday to the two already-huge hauls he gained for his electric rivalry with Nate Diaz, and at the presser, he revealed it would all add up to a massive payday never before heard of in MMA (via FOX Sports):

“By the time 2016 closes out, I’ll be closing in on $40 million. This is a $40 million dollar year for me. It’s been a damn good year.”

The same could certainly be said for the UFC as a whole, as the company recently sold to talent group WME-IMG for a record-setting $4.2 billion, the largest sale in sports history. Much of that number can be attributed to McGregor’s still-skyrocketing success rate, which brought him two of the top three pay-per-view numbers in UFC history in 2016, and it’s hardly a surprise that ‘The Notorious’ knows it.

When asked what he believed his valuation to the company was he responded with quite the exact number:

“$4.2 billion dollars,” McGregor said. “That’s what I’m worth to this company.”

A brash proclamation to be sure, but that’s what McGregor has long been known for by now. It’s also hard to argue wth his price tag, because as arguably the biggest star in MMA history, his value is limitless – evident by his calling the shots in keeping his never-defended featherweight title bout to hold up the division while fighting at welterweight and for the lightweight title.

Who can argue with him? Certainly not his bosses, who are enjoying the spoils of his record-setting numbers. McGregor’s making quite the sum himself, but according to him, he’s simply the “$4.2 billion-dollar man.”

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Rumor: Conor McGregor vs. Eddie Alvarez Close To Being Finalized For UFC 205

Conor McGregor’s next fight is apparently close to being finalized, and not surprisingly, it’s one that could potentially bring him a second coveted UFC championship. A report surfaced from Big Brand Boys stating sources close to the UFC informed them that McGregor vs. lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez is close to being signed for the main

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Conor McGregor’s next fight is apparently close to being finalized, and not surprisingly, it’s one that could potentially bring him a second coveted UFC championship.

A report surfaced from Big Brand Boys stating sources close to the UFC informed them that McGregor vs. lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez is close to being signed for the main event of November 12’s UFC 205, the promotion’s first-ever event from New York City’s Madison Square Garden after MMA was finally legalized in the Big Apple this summer.

Featherweight champion McGregor was immediately scheduled to face then-lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos in the main event of March’s UFC 196 after he won the featherweight title at UFC 194 in December 2015, but he infamously became embroiled in a high-profile rivalry with Nate Diaz when dos Anjos pulled out of the fight with a broken foot. The rest is history, as Diaz rebounded from a tough first round to batter and submit McGregor, paving the way for the Irish str’s two-day “retirement” before the rematch went down at August 20’s UFC 202.

McGregor won a closely contested majority decision in the fight, setting him up for a number of big-ticket fights, including a potential bout against returning former welterweight champ Georges St-Pierre. But the allure of seeing McGregor as a two-weight titleholder is something that’s simply too lucrative to pass up, and with ‘GSP’ unable to return until December’s UFC 206 from Toronto at the earliest due to USADA’s four-month testing window for retired fighters, this fight became increasingly obvious as the perfect headliner for the UFC’s Big Apple debut.

Hailing from nearby Philadelphia, Alvarez has New York ties with his respected boxing coach Mark Henry. McGregor’s homeland fans can fly to New York to watch him fight much easier than they can fly to Las Vegas, so this fight will be one with emotional ties involved in addition to the prestigious title on the line.

The UFC has yet to announce anything official on the bout, but one is reportedly coming soon. If so, McGregor vs. Alvarez would join Chris Weidman vs. Yoel Romero, Donald Cerrone vs. Kelvin Gastelum, Frankie Edgar vs. Jeremy Stephens, and Rashad Evans vs. Tim Kennedy on the historic, growing card.

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Conor McGregor & Nate Diaz Could Be Fined, Suspended For UFC 202 Brawl

Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz are facing potential punishment for their wild press conference brawl the week of their massive rematch at August 20’s UFC 202 from Las Vegas. Earlier today a report surfaced from ESPN’s Brett Okamoto that the Nevada Attorney General’s Office has filed complaints against both McGregor and Diaz for conduct deemed “detrimental to

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Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz are facing potential punishment for their wild press conference brawl the week of their massive rematch at August 20’s UFC 202 from Las Vegas.

Earlier today a report surfaced from ESPN’s Brett Okamoto that the Nevada Attorney General’s Office has filed complaints against both McGregor and Diaz for conduct deemed “detrimental to a contest or exhibition of unarmed combat.” The possible results of the complaint include fines and/or suspension.

The wild fracas erupted at a Wednesday pre-fight press conference that week which McGregor arrived late to, inciting Diaz to walk out himself with his team. “The Notorious” began chirping as expected, and soon Diaz and his training partners were throwing water bottles towards the Irishman, who responded by throwing energy drinks at them. A 12-year-old was reportedly hurt in the melee, and a potential lawsuit could result.

But all negative press aside, the scene actually provided even more hype and attention to an already boosted rematch after Diaz infamously beat McGregor at UFC 196. The numbers would indicate that as well, with UFC 202 supposedly coming in as one of the highest-selling UFC pay-per-view (PPV) events of all-time with a staggering (although estimated) 1.6 million buys.

The fight was also a very lucrative one for both McGregor, who took home a record-setting $3 million disclosed purse, and Diaz, who took home $2 million, so as Okamoto noted, any fine in the neighborhood of 10% for the pre-fight brawl, which was handed to Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier in 2014, would turn out to be some very substantial amounts.

Still, if the initial PPV estimates end up being close to the actual numbers, McGregor and Diaz could have earned as much or more from that revenue. It may not be the best look for MMA or the UFC, but it was a controversial attention-grabber that put Diaz vs. McGregor II into the stratosphere as arguably the biggest UFC fight ever staged.

McGregor edged Diaz in a close – and some would say highly controversial – majority decision to even their series at one apiece to set the stage for a trilogy match, although the UFC has said it won’t be right away. The NSAC will surely take a big piece of the bank that McGregor and Diaz brought in, yet the prospect of yet another record-breaking third fight will soften the blow of the fine they’ll face at their hearing.

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UFC 202 PPV Numbers Rank Among Best Of All Time

In news that should surprise no one, last weekend’s (Sat., August 20, 2016) UFC 202 from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, did some absolutely huge pay-per-view (PPV) numbers for the UFC. That was a given, however; the only aspect at question was just how big UFC 202 with its awaited Conor McGregor vs. Nate

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In news that should surprise no one, last weekend’s (Sat., August 20, 2016) UFC 202 from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, did some absolutely huge pay-per-view (PPV) numbers for the UFC.

That was a given, however; the only aspect at question was just how big UFC 202 with its awaited Conor McGregor vs. Nate Diaz II main event, would rank among the top UFC events in sheer PPV numbers. And apparently it’s right up there with the top two events of all-time – March’s UFC 196, which featured McGregor vs. Diaz I, and July 2009’s UFC 100, which featured Brock Lesnar vs. Frank Mir II – as MMA Fighting’s Dave Meltzer has reported that UFC 202 did in the neighborhood of an estimated and staggering 1.2 to 1.5 million buys.

Those numbers could increase based on the UFC’s Internet sales according to Meltzer. In terms of the actually attended live gate, UFC 202 brought in a lofty $7,629,010 – good for fifth all-time. But those numbers, as Meltzer noted, are largely inflated due to the massive prices that the UFC charges for tickets to their flagship shows featuring McGregor or those like July’s UFC 200 – a supposedly monumental event that failed to live up to its mega-billing but still did a rumored 1.1 to 1.2 million PPV buys.

There were whispers throughout MMA that McGregor vs. Diaz II was suffering from a lack of excitement, but those concerns were quelled when the two bitter rivals participated in their now-infamous pre-fight press conference that ended in a water bottle and energy drink-throwing melee where a 12-year-old girl was hit in the face. Most of Diaz’ team, including his brother Nick, were banned from all fight-related activities as a result.

If these numbers are any indication about the overall justification of talent agency/investment group WME-IMG’s recent $4 billion purchase of the UFC, then it appears they made the right business decision, at least now. UFC 202 will rank as the fifth PPV event to bring over 1 million buys since last November after that number was previously a benchmark figure that only a few events from previous eras had reached.

As Meltzer also noted, those figures show the overarching trend of the UFC’s recent boom in popularity over the past years, a time period where the fights with the most backstory and personal bad blood coupled with their biggest stars tend to greatly outsell the fights that are simply booked to prove who is the best in terms of rank. Hardcore fans have frowned upon that strategy, but it’s undoubtedly the correct business decision for new owners looking to recoup a massive investment.

And the promotion most likely knows that those longtime hardcore fans will watch everything they produce whether they complain or not, leaving the true big money to be garnered by the many more casual fans who are on the fence in terms of deciding to purchase a card. Stars like McGregor, and now, to a lesser extent, Ronda Rousey, won’t be around forever, so this strategy may not be sustainable for a long period of time.

However, that won’t be anytime soon with McGregor at the helm of this new era of prosperity, especially with an absolutely astronomical trilogy bout with Diaz in the cards for the future, even if it may not be the next bout for either competitor despite the fact they both called for it after McGregor’s ultra-close majority decision win last Saturday.

What do you think about the direction MMA seems to be headed? Is making the rankings seem arbitrary – and sometimes even pointless – the right move for a company under new management?

Based on the estimated buys UFC 202 did, it is. At least for now.

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