Alleged McGregor-UFC purse split reported

UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor’s contract with the league prohibits him from participating professionally in any combat sport except MMA, and then exclusively for the UFC. However, Notorious wanted to box the greatest boxer of his generation, Floyd Mayweather, and UFC president Dana White allowed it and negotiated his purse. However, there is no such thing as a free lunch.

Sports gossip site WME/UFC/Zuffa’s Cut Of MacGregor Revealed

” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener noreferrer”>TerezOwens.com reports that a knowledgeable UFC insider has revealed the UFC’s cut of the fight. Keep in mind that it came in via the TO Tip Box, so it’s a report of hearsay.

“A close friend and long time WEC and Zuffa employee just told me and Jake Shields what Zuffa’s cut allegedly is,” read the tip, reportedly. “20% of his purse (his purse is rumored at 75 million) and 50% of Conor’s share of the PPV (Conor is getting 20% of the PPV) so Zuffa gets just shy of 19 mil plus 10% of the PPV$. so at 4 million buys the UFC gets 40 mil. Around $59 mil if all goes well and they hit 4 mil buys. Conor to get 95 mil if they reach 4 mil… short of May/PAC numbers (4.2-4.6) and 100+ if they equal or beat it.”

Boxing Insider says that the standard breakdown is 10% off the top for the distributor, with 45% each going to the cable system and to the promoter. However, when Mayweather boxed Pacquiao, the sage New York Times reported that cable companies and satellite providers get 30-40 percent of gross pay-per-view revenue, and 7.5 percent went to HBO and Showtime which co-produced the event. Assuming that this will hold for MayMac, then Showtime gets 7.5% and the cable companies conservatively get 37.5%, leaving 55% for the fighters.

If the show does 4,000,000 buys at $100 each, then the PPV gross is $400 million, with the fighters splitting $220,000,000 of that total. If these numbers are accurate, and the McGregor percentage is accurate, then McGregor’s cut of the PPV is $44,000,000, but he splits that with the UFC 50-50, leaving him $22,000,000 from the PPV, and the UFC with the same figure.

McGregor’s base is rumored to be $75,000,000, with the UFC keeping 20% of that, leaving him with $60,000,000, and the UFC with $15,000,000. So according to these rumor-based, guess-based guesses, McGregor makes upward of $80,000,000 total and the UFC around $35,000,000. Of course, if the show gets more than 4 million buys, the numbers go up. And, of course, there are more sources of revenue than the purses and PPV cuts. For example, Mayweather’s walkout apparel is being marketed at $15,000,000. In all, ‘Money’ says he will make $300,000,000.

Perhaps the greatest thing McGregor makes is the rise in his personal brand, and he’s only 28, and coming into his prime. Everyone will know his name. And the bottom line, of course, is that everyone involved will get paid like kings.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Conor McGregor will take place at the T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada on August 26, 2017.