Conor McGregor's manager spills on UFC 329 comeback deal: 'It's a historical number'

A lot has changed in the UFC since Conor McGregor last fought in July 2021, including the promotion's broadcast deal. The UFC left ESPN for Paramount+ to kick off 2026, ending the company's longstanding pay-per-view model for its biggest events.

Prior to the Paramount era, champions and main-event fighters on UFC pay-per-views received an additional portion of revenue through "pay-per-view points" based on viewership numbers. As the highest-paid fighter in UFC history, McGregor was expected to be most affected by the removal of pay-per-view points from the financial framework.

Those changes were an expected extra hurdle in putting together McGregor's comeback, which unfolds against Max Holloway at UFC 329 this Saturday. Speaking in-studio in Las Vegas on Wednesday, McGregor's longtime manager, Audie Attar, admitted on "The Ariel Helwani Show" that the contractual negotiations were difficult to navigate.

"We've not necessarily always had an easy path, but we've always done good business, and that's something I'm proud of. I don't need [UFC] to like me, but they're going to respect the business, and that's what it's about," Attar told Uncrowned.

"It definitely was challenging in terms of, 'How do we do this in this new era without pay-per-view?' You can talk about, 'He's been out.' It doesn't matter. This is still an entertainment business, and the KPIs [key performance indicators] of those businesses have shifted. So he's still, as a famous man once said, 'Everybody thought he was toast, but he's still the bread.' Ultimately, that was our position in the negotiation.

"Credit to the UFC. Is it where I want him to go in terms of market value? No, but [the number we landed on is] multiples over anybody in the UFC, including Zuffa Boxing — multiples," Attar continued. "It's a historical number.

“In the end, the UFC definitely moved way more than they ever have, and probably wanted to. But nonetheless, the way I look at this, it's a win-win because him fighting Saturday night, July 11, and him getting his hand raised victoriously is only going to set us on the path that the next one comes sooner than the April date that he mentioned."

In an appearance on "The Ariel Helwani Show" last month, McGregor, 37, revealed his final two fights on his current UFC contract are slated to take place with this weekend's Holloway clash and then again in April 2027. The news came as a surprise, particularly given the lengthy time gap between appearances.

Attar clarified on Wednesday that the April date is more of a time limit than a mandatory fight date.

"For us, it was really just trying to make sure that we don't get into a situation where gamesmanship is played," Attar said. "A lot of the negotiations were focused on, obviously, maximizing the economics, but then making sure we could get him active. He wants to compete. So why hold him back? It's a benefit to all parties involved that he is active. That he is fighting, that he is part of the ecosystem, if you will. So, from my standpoint, we pushed for a tighter timeline, but it could be [even] tighter. [The April date is] just latest [McGregor will fight again].

"I think all of Conor's deals have been unique. It's because of the kind of value he drives, and that's what it comes down to. Ultimately, when you're negotiating anything, you can't go in there just trying to kick and scream what you want because you think you deserve it. You have the facts and the data to substantiate his value. So, anything that is unique — including this date mechanism, if you will — it's important, because then it achieves our goals, and in the negotiation, we're both honest about it."

Before the Holloway rematch came to fruition, McGregor had a return bout lined up against Michael Chandler for June 2024 on the heels of their stint as coaches on “The Ultimate Fighter 31.” McGregor ultimately withdrew with a broken pinky toe, axing the long-awaited matchup, and Chandler went on to lose his three subsequent fights.

Despite his five-year hiatus from MMA, McGregor has continued to make headlines outside of the sport, most notably being found liable in a high-profile Irish civil trial for the 2018 sexual assault of Nikita Hand.

The personal life turbulence led McGregor back to training regularly, and while Chandler remained a viable option as a return opponent, top welterweight contender Carlos Prates was also briefly in the mix.

"Conor was just ready to get in there, saying it didn't matter [who against]. I'm like, 'It does matter, so let's slow down and be thoughtful of it,'" Attar said. "Because it's like, allowing someone the opportunity to compete against him is an honor, in my opinion. I don't care what you think of him, you have to respect that. At the end of the day, this guy's done a lot for our sport. He's done a lot for all fighters. Say what you want, think what you want — I'm not here to debate that. But in terms of what he's done for the sport, that's facts, right? So I think the opponent has to warrant that, not just stylistically and all that kind of stuff.

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"The Prates one was an interesting one because the response wasn't good from the fans. So you look at the sentiment, and to me, you have to honor that as well. ... When we looked at the list, obviously, Chandler was No. 1 because [McGregor] really wanted to honor Chandler. He really felt like, 'This guy did TUF with me. We had this fight.' He has respect for him. We tried to push very, very hard for Chandler, and it just didn't make sense, right?

"We pushed as far as we could go, but then, when you look down the list, we're like, 'The Holloway rematch looked very interesting.' You could look at [Dustin] Poirier, you looked at these different names, and Holloway just sounded very interesting. ... Stylistically, I think it makes for an interesting fight."

Holloway will be seeking redemption in the bout, having suffered a unanimous decision loss to McGregor in their first clash way back in 2013. Both have captured UFC gold since then, but the past decade has seen each man’s career go in opposite directions.

With Holloway still in position as a top contender, McGregor has a chance to reinsert himself into more notable fights with a win. Even though he holds a win over Holloway, the fight intrigued McGregor, given how much has changed over the years, said Attar.

"Ultimately, when you looked at the dancing partners, we wanted to create that exciting matchup that the fans are going to love, that the fighters are going to be so hungry and put their best performances out there because of the matchup. They get excited for who they're going to face, right?" Attar said.

"We know the opposing side is always going to be excited to fight Conor, but Conor has to be excited about it as well."