Conor McGregor is quite the fighter, and the bouts he has won prove it. The mixed martial arts fighter and boxer also has quite the following, and he currently ranks as third in the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) lightweight list.
McGregor wants UFC equity, and he wants it now
For his exploits, McGregor has long felt that he deserves some equity in the UFC, and most of us agree. He has been fighting for a stake for a while, albeit unsuccessfully. However, things may be looking up for him, as he has now received the backing of a very significant UFC shareholder – Sylvester Stallone.
Open to Sharing
Recently, a reporter from TMZ asked Stallone if he thought McGregor deserves the equity he has been after. The fighter has been pushing for some equity in the company as part of his compensation package, a move that Dana White (UFC owner) has vehemently opposed. White feels that if McGregor wants equity that much, he should buy shares by reaching into his pockets.
The Rambo actor, however, has a different opinion on this. Stallone says that McGregor deserves to have a stake in UFC, and he even said that he’s willing to share some of his with the fighter.
His boxing debut was against Mayweather, a fight he unfortunately lost
Whether this will happen remains to be seen, and there’s also the question of whether Stallone owns enough shares to entice McGregor. All the same, the actor’s move is an olive branch seen to counter McGregor’s challenge to Mark Wahlberg, in a fight that would see Wahlberg transfer his UFC shares to McGregor should he lose. Conan O’Brien also joked that he would fight McGregor too, for a similar bet, as the comedian is also a shareholder at UFC.
Although they all may not be serious about fighting for shares, what still remains true is McGregor’s relentless pursuit of a stake in the company as compensation for his services. The fighter began the push back in 2016, and he has been at it again recently in March. However, he also announced his MMA retirement, and most of us didn’t see that coming.
Deal-breaker
Dana White didn’t take the surprise retirement kindly, and he sees it as a deal-breaker. He likened McGregor’s situation to Michael Jordan, saying that the pro athlete was quite the basketballer, but he didn’t have a stake in the league. Why then, is McGregor so hell-bent on having equity?
Can White really bring him back?
Despite this standoff, however, White is still pretty confident that he can entice McGregor out of retirement. Speaking to CBS 8 News Now, the UFC owner said that he has other ways to make the fighter happy, clearly hinting at a possible move to have him back in the ring.
You would understand why White may be finding it difficult to let McGregor go. As it currently stands, the man holds the record of the fastest UFC title victory, knocking out José Aldo in 13 seconds. The man must have quite the punch! McGregor is also the first UFC fighter to simultaneously hold titles in two different divisions, cementing his place in history as the ultimate fighter.
