Has Conor McGregor left the UFC?
Fresh rumors surrounding the rematch between Floyd 'Money' Mayweather and Conor McGregor have caused a stir in the world of combat sports. So, is the Irishman still contracted to the UFC, and can this stop him from rematching one of boxing's all-time greats?
Back in December 2021, McGregor stated on his Twitter account that he still has two more fights with the MMA organization on his current contract. Taking to social media, the former UFC champion said:
"2 fights left on my contract, I will round out the entire top ten. Can’t wait to get back sparring for my comeback!"
2 fights left on my contract, I will round out the entire top ten.
Can’t wait to get back sparring for my comeback! twitter.com/Sanabul/status…
The statement was made after he suffered back-to-back defeats against Dustin Poirier, showing that despite the losses, the Irishman is still keen to return to MMA.
However, it's looking even more likely that his next bout won't take place inside the octagon. A rematch against Mayweather is said to be getting closer, with debates about the rules delaying the announcement.
Conor McGregor's UFC contract shouldn't block any future bouts with the American boxer, given that the Irishman was under contract in the first boxing match between the two fighters.
Watch the original bout between the two fighters here:
Dana White was often seen at many of the media duties the fighters attended to promote the bout. The UFC also reportedly co-promoted the first bout between the two fighters, meaning they will likely have an involvement again.
How much money did Conor McGregor earn by fighting Floyd Mayweather?
The Irishman reportedly was guaranteed $30 million when fighting Floyd Mayweather in their first boxing match in 2017. However, Conor McGregor is said to have made $130 million in total from the bout.
Despite losing, McGregor did better than many boxing pundits expected, looking dangerous in the opening rounds but eventually losing via TKO in the 10th round.
The original bout was the second-biggest selling pay-per-view in combat sports history, pulling in a buyrate of 4,300,000. The number one spot goes to the fight between 'Money' and his old foe Manny Pacquiao. That bout sold 4,600,000 pay-per-views in 2015.
It seems unlikely that a potential rematch between McGregor and Mayweather would pull in those sorts of numbers again. However, the payday will still likely be huge and bigger than anything the Irishman can currently achieve in the UFC.