Conor McGregor UFC contract and final fight payment, Digi Mart USA News: Just a few days ago, during an impromptu conversation on the sidelines of an event in Rome, Conor McGregor unknowingly revealed on a hot mic that his next UFC fight will be his last. The Irishman suggested that after his next appearance inside the Octagon, he would lay his gloves on the canvas and announce his move to BKFC, a promotion he jointly owns.
The revelation has raised eyebrows, as it suggests McGregor isn’t looking to re-sign with the UFC and could instead be treating his final contractual appearance as a stepping stone to a new chapter in bare-knuckle boxing. Considering how much the promotion reportedly pays him for a single fight, one former UFC champion believes allowing him that final payday would be a costly mistake.
During a recent conversation, former two-division UFC champion Henry Cejudo argued that rather than letting McGregor fight out the remaining bout on his contract for what would be another massive payday, Dana White should simply release him. “At this point, he’s just f—ing trolling,” Cejudo said on the Pound 4 Pound podcast.
“I don’t believe anything that he’s saying, but he’s a draw, you know? Now it’s up to the UFC to say, ‘Hey, we’re going to pay you this much because you’re worth this much.'”
Cejudo went on to say he could see the UFC letting McGregor go based on what he has already been paid. “They could be like, ‘Hey, you know what?… You’ve got one fight left, and we don’t think you’re worth that… you’re a free agent.’ If I’m a businessman and I want to keep a lot of my money, and I like Conor.
F–k Conor! I would cut him,” he said, adding that paying McGregor $30 million when the UFC has a large Paramount deal could be hard to justify.
The UFC veteran’s argument is that McGregor’s current financial value no longer justifies the kind of payday he has commanded in the past. With the Irishman reportedly earning around $30 million for his fight against Max Holloway at UFC 329, Cejudo believes the UFC would be better off letting him walk rather than spending another fortune on a final appearance.
He also noted that McGregor’s last fight ended in just 69 seconds.
Cejudo further argued that the UFC’s business model has changed. With the promotion having moved away from the traditional pay-per-view model following its Paramount deal, he questioned whether paying the Irishman another $30 million would make financial sense.
“There’s no more pay-per-view model, and this dude hasn’t won a fight,” Cejudo added.
However, Cejudo’s assessment of McGregor’s declining financial value is an assumption. The UFC has not disclosed whether it lost money on the Irishman’s return at UFC 329, and reported figures suggest the event was not a commercial failure.
According to reports, UFC 329, headlined by the McGregor-Holloway rematch, generated more than $26 million at the gate, the highest figure in UFC history. Reports also state that McGregor’s return drew 8.3 million concurrent live streams on Paramount+, compared with 7.9 million for the UFC’s White House event.
Because the UFC has abandoned its traditional pay-per-view model, it is difficult to determine exactly how much revenue the fight generated through Paramount+.
Cejudo is not the only UFC figure to question a large McGregor purse. In 2023, McGregor was furious when the UFC pushed his planned fight against Michael Chandler into 2024.
Sean O’Malley has suggested the promotion may have delayed that return because it was not convinced that paying McGregor what he wanted would be worth the investment.
Cejudo also discussed possible opponents if McGregor does get one final fight under his current contract, including reigning lightweight champion Justin Gaethje. “He has one fight left,” Cejudo said.
“Let’s say he does fight Justin Gaethje and somehow beats Gaethje, then the ball’s on his court.” A matchup would be complicated by weight class, as McGregor’s most recent fight against Holloway took place at welterweight while Gaethje currently competes at lightweight.
Cejudo also acknowledged McGregor’s drawing power. “He’s a cash cow….
I get it,” he said, adding that McGregor has helped make many of his opponents into stars, including Khabib Nurmagomedov, Dustin Poirier and Nate Diaz.
McGregor is currently recovering from the ACL injury he sustained against Holloway at UFC 329, which may push his potential return into next year. Whether the UFC decides to pay him another large purse or follows Cejudo’s advice and lets him go remains to be seen.
