38% of UFC's 2021 PPV revenue came from events involving Conor McGregor
There's no doubt that Conor McGregor is the biggest pay-per-view draw in UFC history. In 2021, the Irishman was responsible for 38% of the promotion's revenue.
McGregor participated in two fights in 2021, losing a rematch and a trilogy bout to Dustin Poirier. The Irishman's drawing power in 2021 was highlighted by @madnessmma on Instagram.
According to Tapology, the second and third fights with 'The Diamond' were ranked 2 and 4, respectively, on the UFC's all-time pay-per-view buys list. Their second meeting at UFC 257 netted 1.6 million pay-per-view buys, while their trilogy bout at UFC 264 garnered over 1.5 million purchases.
In their last encounter, 'Notorious' suffered a leg injury that has kept him sidelined ever since. He is expected to return to MMA sparring in April 2022. During his post-fight interview with Joe Rogan, McGregor promised Poirier that their feud was far from over.
Conor McGregor appeared to break his leg in round 1 https://t.co/k27Ry9JFMq
However, 'Notorious' is looking to fight Charles Oliveira for the lightweight title when he returns, so it's safe to say the McGregor-Poirier feud is on hold for now. Moreover, according to Khabib Nurmagomedov, Poirier has lost the fire to compete at a high level in the UFC.
"How do you know he is returning in the summer?" - Chael Sonnen is not so sure about Conor McGregor's return timeline
Chael Sonnen is awaiting the eventual return of Conor McGregor to the octagon. However, 'The American Gangster' is not certain that it will happen next summer.
During an episode of Beyond The Fight, Sonnen was skeptical about the return date for ‘The Notorious’:
"There was so much talk about Conor McGregor and who was Conor going to fight in the summer when he returns. First off, how do you know he's returning in the summer? In all fairness, you've got to start somewhere... How are you getting to the conclusion that Conor is going to be healthy, ready, apply for a license and willing in the summer?"
Watch the full clip of Beyond The Fight with Chael Sonnen below:
Conor McGregor has not fought since his injury against Dustin Poirier in their third bout. The Irishman, who's currently ranked No.9 in the lightweight rankings, is looking to jump the line and fight Charles Oliveira for the title upon his return. The lightweight champion is also not opposed to the idea.