Previously, when Conor McGregor made his return to fight Khabib Nurmagomedov, seemingly the entire world took notice. Now, with a potential return, will we see Conor ask for something a little more than his normal pay?
For those unaware, McGregor has long wanted a bigger piece of the pie. On numerous occasions, Conor stated that he wishes to be a partner with the UFC, similar to how he was in the Floyd fight. As such, Conor believed that the UFC needed to entice him, to get him to make his return.
In the UFC 229 Press Conference, ‘The Notorious’ stated that he was present despite numerous probations and civil cases. Seeing that fans were not allowed in, Conor pointed out that if he was an owner, then fans would have been allowed into the venue at the time. Thus, he pointed out, “I did not get what I asked, so here we are.”
Following his mega payday from the Floyd fight, Conor has been pushing for a stake in the UFC. Whilst he was initially very firm in his stance, UFC President Dana White has slowly become more susceptible to the idea. Commenting on the situation, Dana said that they were working on it at the time. As such Dana believed in Conor’s hype and that he was the real deal.
As it turns out, Endeavour, the parent company of the UFC became a publicly-traded company on the New York Stock Exchange in 2021. So if he wants, Conor can now buy as many shares of the UFC as he wants following Endeavour’s IPO.
Will Conor McGregor Retire from MMA?
Following his tibial fracture at UFC 264 against Poirier, it has been a long road to recovery for McGregor. With many teases, indicating his return to the welterweight division, the Mystic Mac wants to be at his “biggest and baddest.” Moreover, Michael Chandler has often spoken about wanting to be the one to welcome the Irishman back to the UFC.
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With even a proposed trilogy bout with Nate Diaz and the obvious, unfinished business with Dustin Poirier, there is a lot for Conor to choose from. However, it is still unknown if McGregor will even make his return in 2023. Currently, he is said to be more focused on his Hollywood ventures but keeps promising that fighting is his main focus.
Although he tends to stir up drama, many believe that Conor will never return to MMA. If so, 2023 could prove to be the deciding year. Now 34 and age not on his side, do you think that Conor will return to MMA in 2023? Or is he done with the sport for good? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.