How much did the Abu Dhabi government pay the UFC to book Conor McGregor?
The Abu Dhabi government paid the UFC ‘a huge figure’ to book the UFC 257 Conor McGregor fight on Fight Island.
Dave Meltzer, of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, reported the news while addressing the monumental business success that was UFC 257.
The exact figure is undisclosed as of yet. However, the consensus is that the Abu Dhabi government paid the UFC a significant sum of money for the trio of events that took place on Fight Island (Yas Island) in Abu Dhabi, UAE, in January 2021.
The three UFC events that took place on Fight Island earlier this month were UFC Fight Island 7 (January 16th), UFC Fight Island 8 (January 20th), and UFC 257: Poirier vs. McGregor 2 (January 23rd).
The primary reason behind them paying the UFC so much money for the trio of events is because the Abu Dhabi government, and the UAE government as a whole, wanted Conor McGregor to fight in Abu Dhabi.
An excerpt from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter’s recent edition read as follows:
“The U.S. PPV revenue would have been roughly $84 million, so ESPN’s $200 million purchase of the rights for the year looks like a steal now. An interesting question, given the nature of the revenue, is if ESPN is kicking any money into McGregor or if it’s all coming from UFC, since the windfall he’s bringing is going to ESPN. UFC got a huge figure from the Abu Dhabi government for its three shows over eight days, largely based on bringing in McGregor.” (*Quotes courtesy: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)
The vast majority of combat sports fans and experts believe that UFC 257 has been cemented as one of the biggest sporting events of the 2021 calendar year.
Conor McGregor aims to return to his winning ways after knockout loss at UFC 257
The first fight between Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier transpired at UFC 178 in September 2014. McGregor won that fight impressively, defeating Poirier via first-round TKO. However, their UFC 257 (January 23rd, 2021) rematch played out much differently, as Poirier ended up defeating Conor McGregor via second-round TKO.
On his part, Conor McGregor has asserted that he would like to face Dustin Poirier in a trilogy fight to avenge his UFC 257 loss to The Diamond. Poirier has also stated that he’s open to the trilogy matchup.
Furthermore, McGregor’s coach John Kavanagh has echoed his pupil’s sentiments. Kavanagh recently stated that it would be ideal for the trilogy fight between Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier to come to fruition before the summer of 2021.