Quote: Conor McGregor Should Walk Away From The UFC

Following a breakthrough year in 2015, Conor McGregor rode out 2016 as a two-weight world champion. As always, McGregor had his doubters, but he came through in style against Eddie Alvarez at UFC 205. Although he’d been handed his first UFC loss against Nate Diaz in March, the brash Irishman managed to change his fortunes. Defeating Diaz in a classic war at UFC 202, McGregor once again set his sights on lightweight. Since being booked to fight Rafael dos Anjos at UFC 196, the lightweight belt had changed hands, meaning Alvarez was the challenge in New York.

Essentially running through the former Bellator boss, ‘The Notorious’ fulfilled his predictions to the letter. Throughout 2016 there had been rumblings of differences between McGregor and the UFC. The Irish star’s short-lived retirement before UFC 202 was a clear indicator of a rift, but bridges were eventually mended. Claiming the UFC would ‘need an army’ to take his second title, McGregor was eventually stripped in the lead up to UFC 206.

UFC 206/McGregor Stripped

The UFC denied they’d taken McGregor’s featherweight belt to help boost UFC 206’s profile. ”The Notorious’ still claimed he was the two-weight world champion, and Jose Aldo was later promoted. Now Max Holloway owns the interim belt after defeating Anthony Pettis, and McGregor is hunting gold of a whole different kind. After taking out Alvarez in New York, McGregor demanded shares in the UFC. There’s not been a clear answer to his request yet, but it would not be the first time a fighter has requested this.

UFC legend Frank Shamrock did the same thing in Strikeforce. Speaking with our good friends Submission Radio, Shamrock says McGregor should walk from the UFC if he doesn’t get equity:

Frank Shamrock’s Opinion

When it comes to getting a stake in the company, Shamrock believes it’s something that McGregor deserves:

“Oh, a hundred percent and I think he should exercise it until he gets it. I mean, that’s what I did. That’s how I’m chilling and hanging out and enjoying my life. I was able to break my contract and took equity in Strikeforce, launched that and sold it back to ‘em. So there’s many ways to get paid, but when you have as much power as him, this is when you do a power move like I did and walk away. Like, see ya, good luck with your promotion, let me know how it works out for you.”

It All Comes Down To Money

“I would have a serious sit down with continuing on. Because the way the promoter does it, is they try and stretch you – ‘well we just won’t let you fight because you’re under an exclusive contract,’ so you’ll get old and everybody will forget about you. But he has a type of stardom where he can walk right into television and film and keep that level of stardom growing.

Then the UFC, much like the WWE when The Rock got so big, they’d have to act on their model. They’d say, ‘well let’s be partners then, let’s hang out, let’s figure out a way to get you back in here to make that money we were all making before’. It’s just money, it all comes down to money. But you gotta take a chance. I think this is his chance. If he wants to make Mayweather money, you gotta make a Mayweather move.”