Jake Paul recently shared his take on why the UFC seems to be holding back on offering Conor McGregor a fight.
"The Notorious" has remained absent from the Octagon ever since suffering that severe leg break in his trilogy bout against longtime rival Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in July 2021. For nearly two years, fans and analysts alike have been left in suspense, wondering when MMA's biggest star will make his highly anticipated return.
When McGregor stepped into the role of coach opposite Michael Chandler on The Ultimate Fighter 31 last year, it sparked widespread anticipation that the two would eventually square off in 2023. Despite the constant buzz surrounding the matchup, the fight never came to fruition. Finally, it was set to headline UFC 303 in June. However, just over two weeks before the event, the former two-division champion had to withdraw due to a toe injury.
Since then, McGregor has been resolute in his claims that he’ll make his return to the cage before the end of 2024. However, UFC CEO Dana White has poured cold water on the idea of the Irishman fighting between September and November, as all pay-per-view slots for those months are already booked.
"The Problem Child" believes the UFC is intentionally keeping McGregor on the sidelines, suggesting that the organization is doing so to protect its own financial interests...
Paul Claims UFC Is Banking On McGregor’s Star Power For Lucrative Media Deal
During a recent episode of BS w/ Jake Paul, the YouTuber-turned-boxer shared his theory on why the UFC is delaying McGregor’s return to the Octagon despite the Irishman still having two fights left on his current contract.
Paul, a vocal critic of UFC's fighter pay structure, suggested that the promotion is intentionally holding McGregor back to capitalize on his star power. He believes the UFC is leveraging McGregor’s brand to secure a massive broadcasting deal.
For the people at home who don't understand it, basically they're like, 'Why is Conor not fighting?'" Paul said. "Conor has two fights left on his fight deal, but the UFC is trying to renew their rights deal because they license their content, which are the fights, to platforms. So they're trying to renew their deal and are negotiating with multiple people, but let's say it's going to go with ESPN.
They're trying to renew the deal and get the most amount of money. A part of that negotiation is, 'Hey, we have Conor McGregor for two more fights,' but if he were to fight now, that wouldn't be a part of the negotiation. The company would be like, 'Oh yeah, well, you only have Conor for one fight,' so that's why Conor is not fighting right now.
The UFC’s existing broadcast agreement with ESPN is set to run through 2025, and they are currently in talks with multiple platforms for a new contract. Back in 2018, the UFC inked a five-year, $1.5 billion deal with ESPN for exclusive domestic broadcast rights, which took effect in 2019.
Early in 2019, the partnership was extended by two years with the addition of pay-per-view streaming rights. Before transitioning to the ESPN era, the UFC had spent seven years on FOX networks.