Conor McGregor’s return date to the UFC remains a mystery, with no real clue about when — or if — he’ll fight again.
This past weekend at UFC 298, UFC CEO Dana White addressed the numerous delays in McGregor fighting again, which began with the broken leg he suffered in his last fight against Dustin Poirier in 2021, but has only been complicated further by the fortune the Irish superstar has amassed. White praised McGregor as an incredible business partner and said UFC will always love when he competes, but ultimately “money complicates a lot of things,” White said, and that has nothing to do with McGregor’s paycheck for his next fight.
UFC welterweight Matt Brown has long maintained that he believes McGregor will never fight again, and his resolve on the topic has only strengthened with these latest delays.
“It’s pretty obvious,” Brown said about McGregor on the latest episode of The Fighter vs. The Writer. “I don’t think it’s some mystical f****** Nostradamus s***. The dude’s got hundreds of millions in the bank. Would you fight if you had hundreds of millions in the bank?
“He did a lot of great things. He was an amazing fighter. He’s not getting back to a title ever. The only reason he would have to come back is his ego. He doesn’t need the money. It would be only ego. He’s not going to get a belt again and he knows that. He’s not a dumb person. He talks a lot of s*** but he’s not a dumb person. He’s a very, very intelligent person. He knows he’s not coming back to get a belt ever again. So what’s the point of coming back and fighting? What is the point?”
The argument has been made that high-profile athletes in other sports are still competing despite amassing wealth that even dwarfs what McGregor has earned in his lifetime.
At 39, LeBron James is still seeking another NBA title with a reported net worth at $1 billion. Floyd Mayweather continues boxing when he already had hundreds of millions in the bank.
So what’s the difference for McGregor with a huge fortune?
“Comparing him with LeBron [James] doesn’t even make sense,” Brown explained. “Basketball’s a fun sport. Fighting isn’t fun. I enjoy it. I love it. I’m passionate about it but what I love about it is that it’s not fun. I’m a glutton for punishment. I like going in and getting beat up and beating up others. Basketball, you’re just having fun.
“Completely different to go out there in boxing. Completely different to go out there and playing basketball. Going to a UFC fight is a f****** brutal ordeal. This is a brutal sport and it’s not forgiving one bit. Credit to the UFC for building that brand. They are the Super Bowl of MMA. I know they have APEX cards that don’t always get our d**** hard, but the fact is when you’re at Conor’s level, you’re not coming back and fighting a tune-up fight. You’re coming back and fighting a f****** killer in Michael Chandler.”
Of course, Mayweather is taking a risk with his fights because boxing can be a dangerous sport, much like MMA, but even then Brown says there’s a huge difference when compared to McGregor. Both are putting their bodies and brains on the line, but the money that Mayweather earns surpasses McGregor by a wide margin, so the risk has been worth the reward.
“I think there’s only one gigantic difference is Floyd is the promoter,” Brown said. “Conor’s going to come back and fight for what $10, $15, $20 million? Floyd can come back and fight and he’s making $100 million. On top of that, Conor comes back he’s fighting for the UFC. He’s fighting young, hungry f****** lions. Chandler’s a f****** lion. Floyd comes back, I don’t want to put down Floyd but he’s never been a risk-taker. I do think he’s a great fighter. I think he’s one of the greatest, he’s not the greatest. Don’t even get me started on that f****** bulls***. He’s not even close to the greatest. He’s maybe like top 10, but anyway, he never took gigantic risks with his career.
“When you fight in the UFC, every fight is a risk, especially at Conor’s level. He can’t come back and fight a Marcos Maidana level guy. He can’t come back and fight an Arturo Gatti level guy and make that kind of money. Floyd can come back and fight just about anybody like an Andre Berto. That’s not a huge risk for Floyd Mayweather.”
As much influence as McGregor has with the UFC, Brown knows the former two-division champ doesn’t have as much power as Mayweather does as his own promoter, and that makes a huge difference.
Mayweather sets the table, invites the guests, and decides when and what is being served. Meanwhile, McGregor is still ultimately a guest at the UFC’s banquet, no matter how much starpower he maintains and how much money he earns at the end of the day.
“Mayweather’s the promoter and he picks the fight,” Brown said. “Conor comes back to the UFC, I’m sure he has a decent amount of pull on who he can pick, but it’s the UFC. There’s no good picks. If you’re a name in the UFC, you’re a f****** savage.
“In boxing, no one really knew who Andre Berto was — [Floyd Mayweather] can come back and fight him, make $100 million. He’s the promoter, he picks the fight, he promotes the fight, he promotes himself and makes $100 million selling drinks and tickets and everything. He makes $100 million for an easier fight for Floyd. Conor doesn’t have that luxury.”
