Conor McGregor Wants Equal Share From New UFC Owners
Conor McGregor has now made UFC history by becoming the first ever man in promotion’s history to hold two belts in different weight classes simultaneously.
McGregor won the featherweight title a little less than a year ago in his 13-second knockout of Jose Aldo at UFC 194, and now knocking out Eddie Alvarez in the second round of yesterday’s (Saturday November 12, 2016) lightweight title main event at UFC 205.
After the Irishman’s legendary feats inside of the Octagon, ‘Notorious’ feels like he should be getting a bigger slice of the pie as far as financial compensation goes due to everything he has done for the UFC. During the post-fight UFC 205 press conference McGregor said that now that he holds both the UFC’s featherweight and lightweight titles, the new UFC ownership will now have to talk with him:
“They have to come talk to me now, because no one has talked to me since the sale has happened,” McGregor said. “As a business man I’ve been approached as ‘hello’ and that type of stuff, but I’ve earned something. I’ve earned — like I mean who owns the company now? People have shares — celebrities. Conan O’Brien owns the UFC now days, so where is my share? Where is my equity?
“If I’m the one that’s bringing this, if I am — they have to come talk to me now. That’s all I know. I got both belts, a chunk of money, a little family on the way. You want me to stick around, you want me to keep doing what I’m doing, lets talk. I want ownership now, I want equal share, I want what I deserve. What I’ve earned. There is a little announcement for you.”
Although he already knows he is the highest paid fighter in the UFC today, McGregor feels he has ‘out-worn’ his current contract with the promotion, and is looking to become more involved in the business side of things if the new UFC owners want him to continue on bringing in the big numbers that we have seen his shows compile time and time again:
“I’ve been happy to just come and continue doing what I’m doing, continuing on to — I feel like I’ve out-worn the previous contract,” McGregor said. “Now it’s time for the real — I know I’m the highest paid already. But when I’m looking at what they’re taking in, that list that Lorenzo and that team compiled to show the new owners, that’s like to gospel right there. That’s proof of what I bring.
“You want me to come around and help service that debt and continue to push the company, bring me onboard for real. Not just as this, I need to be set for life with this if you want me to be in on this, I need to be all in on this, proper. As owner, or something — an equity stake in the company. So that’s what I’m looking for.”
It is tough to deny McGregor what he is asking for going forward after having accomplished such an impressive accomplishment under the UFC’s banner. Could this be the beginning of a tug of war between the brash Irishman and the mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion? Only time will tell.
You can watch the full UFC 205 post-fight press conference here:
