McGregor’s agent: It’s like the Wild West

In 2002 the Iraqi-born Audie Attar was a UCLA football player and responded physically to an anti-Islamic epithet at a Westwood bar. He was kicked off the team.

It’s unfortunate I have to take this action,” said then UCLA coach Bob Toledo. “But this is not the first time Audie has violated team policy.”

Attar said he learned restraint and discipline from the incident.

They say you’ve got to learn from your mistakes, so that played a part in who I decided to become, no question, said Attar to Lance Pugmire for the LA Times. He went on to earn a masters degree in business administration, with a specialty in dispute resolution. Heh.

Attar is now 36 and running Paradigm Sports Management, with clients like Chris Weidman, Michael Bisping, Stephen Thompson, and, oh, Conor McGregor.

I wasn’t necessarily the best student in high school and college, and that creates deficiencies, said Attar. But once I started seeing success in business, I had this appetite that kept growing to get better. The lightbulb went off.

Now he is at the center of mixed martial arts, at a moment of extraordinary growth.

There’s a wild West to it,” he said. “I call it the gold rush.

And he has Weidman, Wonderboy, and McGregor all fighting at UFC 205, the biggest show in MMA history.

If I can’t show that restraint or discipline or creativity in the art of getting a deal done, I wouldn’t have the clients I have,” said Attar. “Is it easy? No. But if you ask how I’ve changed from the bar in Westwood? Age, experience, wisdom.

I’m bullish on a sweep. Obviously, this is the biggest card for our company.”

And at the peak is Conor McGregor.

From what we see, there’s no doubt who the biggest name in the UFC is,” said Attar. “Now — or ever.”