UFC interim featherweight champion Conor McGregor has predicted his upcoming bout with Jose Aldo at UFC 194 will rake in record revenue, insisting the showdown between the pair could draw in $100 million (£66 million) for the brand.
The Irishman, who beat Chad Mendes in July to clinch the interim belt, took to Instagram to confirm he’s off to the United States to continue preparations for the fight with Aldo and was unashamed in revealing his value to the company:
“Leaving Ireland today for the West Coast,” said McGregor in an accompanying caption. “To unify my belt and spearhead the unprecedented $90-100 million dollar UFC 194 event. This event along with UFC 189 putting me at close to $200 million dollars in revenue generated for this company. All in less than 6months. I am not a company man. I am the company.”
McGregor recently discussed the prospect of penning a new contract with the UFC, which could see him earn up to $100 million. “Now the contract I'm talking about is nine-figures,” he claimed, per Ben Kiely of SportsJoe.ie. “…Nobody in the game has got nine figures. I'm talking 100 million plus.”
As we can see here, not only has McGregor been sharp with his dialogue outside the Octagon, he’s been looking pretty handy in his preparations inside it too, as revealed on his Twitter feed:
Sparring for UFC 194! #UNIFY pic.twitter.com/j0A98Gr0HZ
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) November 21, 2015
The Irishman was meant to square off against Aldo at UFC 189, but the Brazilian withdrew from the bout due to injury.
While fans were disappointed to see the fight waved off at the time, the win for McGregor over Mendes has given him added credibility, making the main event at UFC 194 one of the most anticipated in the history of the brand.
McGregor’s brash personality has plenty to do with that. The 27-year-old is an enigmatic figure inside the Octagon, going at his opponents in pugnacious, unrelenting style. Outside it he’s quite the character too, never one to mince his words, especially when it comes to his opinions on Aldo.
As noted by Adam Martin of the Toronto Star, the fact the Irishman is headlining one of the finest UFC cards ever assembled has also added to the anticipation:
So, UFC 194 is just 3 weeks away. McGregor/Aldo, Weidman/Rockhold, Souza/Romero, Maia/Nelson, Holloway/Stephens. Best UFC main card ever?
— Adam Martin (@MMAdamMartin) November 21, 2015
It’s big talk from McGregor, especially as he gets set to go up against a man the UFC rates as the very best pound-for-pound fighter on the planet.
The interim champion certainly has the qualities to cause Aldo problems, but the 29-year-old Brazilian is a vicious striker and one of the few fighters in the division who could negate McGregor’s power.
Should he win this bout with Aldo, there will be swathes of opportunities coming in for McGregor, who will have some exciting choices to make about his future.
From a financial standpoint, the longer he continues to back up his brazen claims with strong performances inside the Octagon, the longer the Irishman will remain the most marketable man in UFC.
